Category: News

South Melbourne FC wishes to advise the following seating and security arrangements for Sunday’s match against Melbourne Victory (NPL).

SMFC members and supporters will be required to enter Lakeside Stadium through the traditional Gate 2 entry point and base themselves in the traditional SMFC grandstand as normal. This includes all SMFC players (all ages) and parents, as well as Football Federation Victoria (FFV) and Football Federation Australia accredited pass holders.

Melbourne Victory (NPL) supporters will enter through the Gate 1 entry point and be based in the opposite grandstand.

All patrons are reminded that any anti-social behaviour contravening the FFV and SMFC Match Day Code of Conduct will not be tolerated. There are several CCTV security cameras operating in and around Lakeside Stadium that will be used to identify anyone engaging in anti-social behaviour.

With a large crowd expected, SMFC is working closely with Melbourne Victory, FFV, Blue Thunder Security, the State Sports Centre Trust and Victoria Police to ensure a great afternoon for everyone at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday.

Sunday’s main match kicks off at 5pm, with our Under 20s match commencing at 2.30pm. SMFC will also be honouring the memory of the ANZACS in a short ceremony prior to the main game commencing.

Ticket Prices
Adults: $15
Concession: $8
Juniors (Under 14): Free
SMFC Members: Free

Please refer to the map below:

South Melbourne FC progressed to the Sixth Round of Westfield FFA Cup qualifying thanks to a 3-0 victory over Altona Magic at Paisley Park on Wednesday night.

There were six changes made from the starting eleven against Oakleigh, with Amadu Koroma, Stephen Hatzikostas, Chris Irwin, Andy Kecojevic, Tim Mala and Marcus Schroen back in the side. Kristian Konstantinidis was initially in the starting eleven but was replaced at the last minute by Luke Adams after pulling up sore in the warm-up. Brad Norton, Mathew Theodore and Leigh Minopoulos were completely rested whilst Matthew Foschini and Nick Epifano were on the substitutes’ bench.

Altona were the better side in the first half, restricting South to a couple of long-range shots whilst almost scoring themselves. Goalkeeper Nikola Roganovic kept the scores level firstly by denying Ben Clarke with a one-on-one save before later scrambling back to tip another goal-bound effort over the bar and out for a corner. With experienced VPL/NPL players throughout their side, Altona enjoyed a solid first half performance but it yielded no goals.

South improved in the second half and were awarded a penalty just after the hour mark when Irwin was fouled in the area by Joseph Sieh. Before Schroen could take the penalty kick, the Paisley Park lights – which had been playing up during the pre-game – stopped working and therefore play was suspended in order to fix them. After a 25 minute delay, the match finally resumed at the 64 minute mark and Schroen put South 1-0 up by tucking away his spot kick.

Altona should have had a penalty themselves in the 71st minute when Clarke went down in the area following a challenge by Michael Eagar but referee Lucien Laverdure instead booked Clarke for diving. Milos Lujic punished Altona even further just six minutes later when he pounced at the back post to score past Antony Loncaric and make the score 2-0. To make matters worse for the home side, captain Slave Bozinovski was given his marching orders just a minute later after committing a second bookable offence.

Defensive midfielders Foschini and Iqi Jawadi came on in the final ten minutes to steer South through the final stages of the match, with Jawadi making his first appearance in the team since 14 March. Deep into injury time, Lujic scored his second of the night with a tap-in, giving the big centre-forward ten goals from 10 games across all competitions in 2016.

South returns to NPL Victoria action on Sunday when it hosts the Melbourne Victory Youth at Lakeside Stadium. Kick-off is at 5pm.

FINAL SCORE: ALTONA MAGIC 0-3 SOUTH MELBOURNE (HT: 0-0)

Goal Scorers:
0-1: Marcus Schroen (64’p)
0-2: Milos Lujic (77′)
0-3: Milos Lujic (90+3′)

Altona Magic FC:
1. Antony LONCARIC (GK), 4. Steven THOMSON, 6. Joseph SIEH, 7. Cem CIL (13. Lewis FIELD 57′), 10. Ben CLARKE, 11. Jason HAYNE, 19. Slave BOZINOVSKI (C) (sent off 78′), 20. Scott ROBSON, 23. Jonathan MUNOZ (14. Daniel PENDOVSKI 84′), 27. Marinos GASPARIS, 88. Adamson AJAYI (12. James STEFANOU 75′).
Unused Subs: 15. Bobby EFIMOSKI, 25. Sebastien BECHAUD.

South Melbourne FC:
1. Nikola ROGANOVIC (GK) / 2. Tim MALA, 4. Michael EAGAR (C), 5. Luke ADAMS, 12. Amadu KOROMA / 77. Stephen HATZIKOSTAS / 14. Chris IRWIN (99. Iqi JAWADI 87′), 18. Matthew MILLAR, 17. Marcus SCHROEN / 22. Andy KECOJEVIC (23. Matthew FOSCHINI 81′), 9. Milos LUJIC.
Unused Subs: 21. Zaim ZENELI (GK), 6. Filzgerald MBAKA, 7. Nick EPIFANO.

SMFC Melbourne City Toyota Man of the Match: Amadu Koroma
Venue: Paisley Park
Date: Wednesday 20 April 2016

South Melbourne FC travels to Paisley Park for the first time in over five years to face the Altona Magic in the Fifth Round of Westfield FFA Cup qualifying tonight.

Altona Magic were relegated from the old Victorian Premier League (now the NPL Victoria) in 2010 but are five-time VPL Champions (1995, 1996, 1997, 2008 and 2009) and regularly featured in the final series when they were in Victorian football’s top flight.

Many former VPL/NPL players are currently on the playing roster at the Magic, including Antony Loncaric, Ben Clarke, Jason Hayne, Slave Bozinovski (all ex-VPL), plus Benji Vahid, James Stefanou, Jonathan Munoz and Marinos Gasparis (all ex-South). With so many former VPL players now playing for them in State League One, it is little wonder that Altona have won their opening three league matches in 2016. Their most recent result was a 1-0 away victory against Banyule City on Saturday, however this came at a cost as striker Jon McShane received a red card and therefore misses the cup tie.

South coach Chris Taylor will most likely make some adjustments to his side that comfortably defeated the Oakleigh Cannons 4-1 in NPL Victoria action on Sunday evening. There may be opportunities given to Zaim Zeneli, Stephen Hatzikostas, Amadu Koroma, Chris Irwin, Luke Eyles and Philtzgerald Mbaka for a starting berth. Iqi Jawadi may finally return from injury and Andy Kecojevic did his chances of a recall to the first team no harm with a hat-trick in South’s Under 20s match against Oakleigh on Sunday.

Prior to returning to State League football in 2005, South had played against Altona several times in Dockerty Cup matches or in the old National Youth League competition and was reasonably successful. Since 2005, Altona Magic and South Melbourne have met 15 times for eight South wins, six Altona wins and one draw. Altona had the upper hand during home & away matches (six wins in 12 meetings) but South were superior in the finals, with a perfect three wins from three against Altona – all in 2006 – including the Grand Final victory (1-0) in September of that year.

The last meeting between the two sides was on 4 July 2010 at John Cain Reserve. Steve O’Dor scored two headed goals after 45 and 49 minutes, then Kyle Joryeff finished off the scoring on 83 minutes as South defeated Altona 3-1. Magic were relegated from the VPL at the end of the 2010 season and have been out of Victorian football’s top flight since then. Interestingly, South never won at Paisley Park between 2005 and 2010.

Tonight’s match kicks off at 7:30pm at Paisley Park. If the match is drawn, two 15-minute periods of extra time will be played, with penalties to decide the winner if the match is still level after extra time.

South Melbourne FC secured a third straight victory by defeating the Oakleigh Cannons 4-1 at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday evening. Chris Taylor’s men scored two goals in each half to comfortably win and continue a perfect 2016 home record of three wins from three matches.

With three matches in seven days (Oakleigh on 17 April, Altona Magic on 20 April, Melbourne Victory on 24 April), Taylor made two changes to the starting eleven that defeated the Bentleigh Greens last Sunday. Captain Michael Eagar and Leigh Minopoulos both started against Oakleigh, replacing Tim Mala and Marcus Schroen respectively. Schroen was completely rested ahead of the upcoming matches this week.

South got off to the perfect start after only eight minutes when centre-forward Milos Lujic got on the end of Brad Norton’s cross to head the ball back across goalkeeper John Honos and into the back of the net. The home side extended its lead on the half hour mark, when Matthew Millar took advantage of Oakleigh’s high defensive line to out-sprint the defence before tucking the ball to the right of Honos and into the back of the net. Shortly before the halftime break, Taylor was sent from the bench by the referee after disputing an earlier handball in the penalty area by an Oakleigh defender.

Peter Tsolakis’ Oakleigh side got themselves back into the match early in the second half when former South man Dimitri Hatzimouratis tucked away a cross from the right by-line from Goran Zoric. The comeback was short-lived though as Minopoulos – making his first league start in 2016 – headed home from a corner just three minutes later to restore South’s two-goal cushion.

The scoring was completed on 68 minutes when Honos parried a Lujic shot straight into the path of Minopoulos, who had no problems putting the ball into the unguarded net. The home side had several other opportunities to increase their lead but a combination of poor finishing and Honos saves kept the final score to 4-1. Oakleigh’s afternoon was made worse in injury time when defender John Black was given his marching orders.

It was further good news in the Under 20s as Andy Kecojevic scored a hattrick to secure a 3-2 win for Brian MacNicol’s South Melbourne side against the Oakleigh Cannons. The Under 20s have now recorded six wins and two draws from their opening eight matches and have been playing excellent football.

South only has a few days to recover before travelling to Paisley Park for the first time since 2010 to play State League One side Altona Magic in the Fifth Round of the FFA Cup. The match will be played on Wednesday night with kick-off at 7:30pm.

FINAL SCORE: SOUTH MELBOURNE 4-1 OAKLEIGH CANNONS (HT: 2-0)

Goal Scorers:
1-0: Milos Lujic (8′)
2-0: Matthew Millar (30′)
2-1: Dimitri Hatzimouratis (50′)
3-1: Leigh Minopoulos (53′)
4-1: Leigh Minopoulos (68′)

South Melbourne FC:
1. Nikola ROGANOVIC (GK) / 3. Kristian KONSTANTINIDIS (2. Tim MALA 73′), 4. Michael EAGAR (C), 5. Luke ADAMS, 11. Brad NORTON / 23. Matthew FOSCHINI, 8. Mathew THEODORE (6. Filtzgerald MBAKA 78′) / 27. Leigh MINOPOULOS, 18. Matthew MILLAR (77. Stephen HATZIKOSTAS 86′), 7. Nick EPIFANO / 9. Milos LUJIC.
Unused Subs: 14. Chris IRWIN, 21. Zaim ZENELI (GK).

Oakleigh Cannons FC:
15. John HONOS (GK) (C), 3. John BLACK (sent off 90+1′), 4. Dominic D’ANGELO (5. Aron WILFORD 81′), 6. Ioannis GEORGOPOULOS (17. Joshua FRAME 73′), 8. Dusan BOSNJAK, 10. Dean PIEMONTE (23. Ali HAMEED 68′), 11. Dimitri HATZIMOURATIS, 12. Steven TOPALOVIC, 18. Steve PANTELIDIS, 19. Goran ZORIC, 26. Perry LAMBROPOULOS.
Unused Subs: 1. Evan KRALOGLOU (GK), 16. Tom LAKIC.

SMFC Melbourne City Toyota Man of the Match: Matthew Foschini
Venue: Lakeside Stadium
Date: Sunday 17 April 2016

South Melbourne FC will be looking for a third straight PS4 NPL Victoria victory on Sunday afternoon when it hosts the Oakleigh Cannons at Lakeside Stadium.

Chris Taylor’s men went three points clear of the Bentleigh Greens at the top of the league table after dramatically defeating them 2-1 at Lakeside last Sunday. Goalkeeper Nikola Roganovic made two penalty saves in the final ten minutes to win the three points for the home side and put South on a two-game winning run.

After missing the Hume game the previous round, Captain Michael Eagar was back in the squad against Bentleigh last Sunday and came on as a late substitute. Iqi Jawadi was still missing from the squad, having not played a match for South since the win at Port Melbourne in early March. With Taylor rarely changing a winning team, it will be interesting to see if either will feature against Oakleigh.

Peter Tsolakis and Con Tangalakis have started their time as Oakleigh coaches very nicely, with three wins, three draws and only one loss from their opening seven league matches. This has the Cannons sitting nicely in fourth spot on the NPL Victoria ladder and a win at Lakeside will bring them to within one point of South at the top of the ladder.

SMFC and Oakleigh have played against each other every season since South returned to the State League in 2005 (see table below). The two sides have drawn each other twice in the Dockerty Cup (2013 and 2015), with South prevailing 3-0 both times. The 2015 meeting was in the Dockerty Cup final, which South won with a second-half double from Milos Lujic and a further goal from Leigh Minopoulos.

Sunday’s match kicks off at 4pm at Lakeside Stadium. 

SMFC v Oakleigh Cannons – Head to Head (League & Finals)

Matches Played: 23
Wins (SMFC): 11
Wins (OCFC): 4
Draws: 8

First match: Oakleigh Cannons 0-1 SMFC (4 March 2005, Jack Edwards Reserve)
Last match: Oakleigh Cannons 2-0 SMFC (22 May 2015, Jack Edwards Reserve)

Biggest Winning Margin (SMFC): 3 goals (5-2 win, 27 July 2007, Lakeside Stadium)
Biggest Winning Margin (OCFC): 3 goals (3-0 win, 6 June 2014, Jack Edwards Reserve)

Most Goals in a Match (SMFC): 5 (5-2 win, 27 July 2007, Lakeside Stadium)
Most Goals in a Match (OCFC): 3 (3-0 win, 6 June 2014, Jack Edwards Reserve)

Biggest Finals Win (SMFC): None
Biggest Finals Win (OCFC): 1-0 (21 August 2011, Jack Edwards Reserve)

Goalkeeper Nikola Roganovic made two late penalty saves as his South Melbourne side triumphed 2-1 against the Bentleigh Greens in what was a replay of the 2015 NPL Victoria Grand Final at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday night.

Chris Taylor’s team came into the match having not recorded a win against John Anastasiadis’ Bentleigh in five attempts – including in this season’s FFV Community Shield – and not having won against them since 2014. The opportunity for one of the teams to open up a three-point lead at the top of the 2016 NPL Victoria ladder was on offer at Sunday’s game.

The Greens looked the better side in what was a mainly scrappy first half of play. Chris Lucas sprung the offside trap to go one-on-one with Roganovic but his shot hit the near post and stayed out. His side did take the lead a short time later when Matthew Thurtell’s header to the back post was smashed home by captain Wayne Wallace.

The home side had been quite poor to that point but lifted after going a goal behind. Marcus Schroen missed a great opportunity to level the score with a free header at the back post but he put the ball wide of Ryan Scott’s goal. South did manage to level things up before the interval, when centre-back Kristian Konstantinidis met Brad Norton’s free kick with a lovely glancing header for his first goal in a South Melbourne shirt.

Former South man and Bentleigh right-back Dion Kirk gave his former side a huge advantage when he received his marching orders from referee Bruno Dianiello after picking up a second yellow card early in the second half. The home side took full advantage when Mathew Theodore met Lujic’s knock-down to score his third league goal of the season and give his team a 2-1 lead.

This match will always be remembered for the chaos of the final ten minutes. Substitute and former South player Kamal Ibrahim tumbled in the area for the first penalty but Roganovic correctly guessed by diving to his left and saving Lucas’ spot kick. Lucas himself was then fouled in the box for the second penalty but again Roganovic denied Bentleigh by diving to his right to save Troy Ruthven’s spot kick.

It was further good news in the Under 20s, with captain Milan Jovanovic’s late penalty giving South Melbourne a 1-0 victory over the Bentleigh Greens. Brian MacNicol’s side remain undefeated in 2016 with five wins and two draws from their opening seven games.

In the opening round of the 2016 Women’s State League season, South’s reserve and senior female teams played away against the Melbourne Knights. Cleo Taliadoros’ goal on 50 minutes secured a 1-1 draw for the reserves, whilst goals from Rachel Jarvis (4′) and vice captain Natalie Martineau (33′) secured a 2-0 win for the seniors.

South’s senior men’s side will be looking to continue the winning form next Sunday when they host the Oakleigh Cannons at Lakeside Stadium. Kick-off is at 4pm.

FINAL SCORE: SOUTH MELBOURNE 2-1 BENTLEIGH GREENS (HT: 1-1)

Goal Scorers:
0-1: Wayne Wallace (21′)
1-1: Kristian Konstantinidis (45+2′)
2-1: Mathew Theodore (60′)

South Melbourne FC:
1. Nikola ROGANOVIC (GK) / 2. Tim MALA, 3. Kristian KONSTANTINIDIS, 5. Luke ADAMS, 11. Brad NORTON (C) / 23. Matthew FOSCHINI, 8. Mathew THEODORE (4. Michael EAGAR 81′) / 18. Matthew MILLAR, 17. Marcus SCHROEN (27. Leigh MINOPOULOS 76′), 7. Nick EPIFANO / 9. Milos LUJIC.
Unused Substitutes: 21. Zaim ZENELI (GK), 22. Andy KECOJEVIC, 77. Stephen HATZIKOSTAS.

Bentleigh Greens FC:
1.  Ryan SCOTT (GK), 5. Jack WEBSTER, 8. Wayne WALLACE (C), 9. Chris LUCAS, 10. Tyson HOLMES, 11. Dion KIRK (sent off 53′), 15. Ross ARCHIBALD, 16. Troy RUTHVEN, 17. Danny DIXON (6. Liam McCORMICK 55′), 18. Matthew THURTELL (7. Kamal IBRAHIM 70′), 24. Luke PILKINGTON (12. Joshua BRINDELL SOUTH 37′).
Unused Substitutes: 21. Kane PIERCE (GK), 22. Ryan PACZKOWSKI.

SMFC Melbourne City Toyota Man of the Match: Nikola Roganovic
Venue: Lakeside Stadium
Date: Sunday 10 April 2016

The Senior Women took to the pitch on Sunday afternoon for the opening round of the 2016 Women’s State League season. It was a physical encounter in the Melbourne Derby‬ at Somers Street against their arch rivals at Melbourne Knights FC.

In just the second minute, Natalie Martineau was taken out whilst on a run down the left flank. The resulting free kick from captain Alex Cheal was headed back into the fray by Caitlin Greiser. Rachel Jarvis chested it down, turned and her shot found its way past two defenders and the keeper to give South the early lead.

South Melbourne FC finally returns to Lakeside Stadium on Sunday as Chris Taylor’s side host John Anastasiadis’ Bentleigh Greens in the 2015 PS4 NPL Victoria Grand Final rematch.

South returned to winning ways last Saturday with a hard-fought but professional 2-1 victory at Hume City. Matthew Millar scored both of South’s goals and the result kept South on top of the NPL Victoria ladder ahead of this weekend’s round of matches.

Captain Michael Eagar and Iqi Jawadi both missed the Hume match, with Jawadi having not played since being substituted in the first half of the Port Melbourne game in early March. Both will be pushing for inclusion for Sunday’s game and it will be interesting to see who Taylor leaves out should he bring those two players into the side.

The Bentleigh Greens have started their 2016 campaign solidly, with four wins, a draw and a defeat from their opening six league matches. Their most recent result was a comfortable 3-0 victory against Melbourne Victory last Friday night. Their captain Wayne Wallace, Chris Lucas, Tyson Holmes, Troy Ruthven and Matt Thurtell are all key players for the Greens and their influence will need to be stifled if South wants a result on Sunday.

South and Bentleigh are very hard to separate in terms of the league standings in 2016 and historical head-to-head league meetings (see below table) between the two clubs. Both are at the top of the NPL Victoria table with the exact same points and goal difference, with South just ahead only on goals scored (19 to Bentleigh’s 15). Both teams finished level on points at the top of the table in 2015 – with South winning the Premiership on goal difference – before Bentleigh won the Grand Final meeting a few weeks later.

Although the two sides have been neck-and-neck in recent times, South has not beaten the Greens in five attempts (including this season’s FFV Community Shield). South’s last win against Bentleigh was on 11 May 2014 with a 2-1 win at Lakeside Stadium. The home fans will certainly accept an identical result to that this Sunday evening.

Sunday’s match kicks off at 4pm at Lakeside Stadium. 2016 SMFC memberships will be available for purchase and pickup outside the main entrance.

SMFC v Bentleigh Greens – Head to Head (League & Finals)

Matches Played: 15
Wins (SMFC): 6
Wins (BGFC): 6
Draws: 3

First match: Bentleigh Greens 0-1 SMFC (15 May 2005, Kingston Heath)
Last match: SMFC 1-3 Bentleigh Greens (13 September 2015, Lakeside Stadium)

Biggest Winning Margin (SMFC): 2 goals (3-1 win, 21 August 2005, Lakeside Stadium)
Biggest Winning Margin (BGFC): 3 goals (4-1 win, 21 July 2013, Lakeside Stadium)

Most Goals in a Match (SMFC): 3 (21 August 2005, Lakeside Stadium)
Most Goals in a Match (BGFC): 4 (21 July 2013, Lakeside Stadium)

Biggest Finals Win (SMFC): None
Biggest Finals Win (BGFC): 3-1 (13 September 2015, Lakeside Stadium)

South Melbourne FC returned to winning ways with a professional 1-2 victory against a spirited ten-man Hume City side at ABD Stadium on Saturday night. Chris Taylor’s men enjoyed slices of luck but put in a solid 90 minute performance to secure a fifth consecutive league win against Hume.

The hosts put pressure on South in the opening half and had a great chance to open the scoring but Theo Markelis dragged his shot wide of Nikola Roganovic’s far post. Hume captain Nick Hegarty was looking dangerous but South’s defenders – including Kristian Konstantinidis, who had come into the team to replace captain Michael Eagar – did well to clear any dangerous balls played into the area.

The match swung majorly towards South’s favour shortly before halftime. Hume centre-half and former South captain Rama Tavsancioglu was controversially shown a second yellow card for a challenge on Milos Lujic that was only awarded as a foul by the referee when the lineswoman put her flag up. From the resulting free kick, Matthew Millar headed Nick Epifano’s free kick towards Chris Oldfield but what looked like a regulation catch for the Hume City goalkeeper somehow saw the ball go over him and into the back of the net.

Lou Acevski’s side then had a big shout for a penalty for handball by Konstantinidis from a Kofi Danning shot right on halftime but referee Lucien Laverdure judged the contact as being ball-to-hand instead of hand-to-ball and South maintained a clean sheet at the break. Hume were then punished again shortly after the hour mark when their former player Marcus Schroen pounced on Shane Rexhepi’s failed clearance to set the ball up for Millar to blast home his second goal of the night.

With a two-goal lead and the extra man on the park, it seemed that South would comfortably see the game out and win the three points but Hume kept pressing and eventually got a deserved goal. Joe Franjic met Hegarty’s pinpoint cross with a bullet header that gave Roganovic no chance and halved Hume’s deficit on the scoreboard. Although the home side had been excellent in the second half playing with ten men, South had done just enough and managed to secure all three points.

It was further good news in the Under 20s, with Brian MacNicol’s South Melbourne side coming from a goal down to defeat Hume City 1-2. Brandon Jansz (38′, 51′) scored both goals for South, who played with ten men for over half the game following Dean Nicolaidis’ red card on 41 minutes.

South finally returns to Lakeside Stadium on Sunday and will mark the occasion by hosting the Bentleigh Greens in the 2015 Grand Final rematch. Both sides are currently locked at the top of the NPL Victoria table with 13 points apiece, setting the scene for what should be a memorable match. Kick-off is at 4pm.

FINAL SCORE: HUME CITY 1-2 SOUTH MELBOURNE (HT: 0-1)

Goal Scorers:
0-1: Matthew Millar (39′)
0-2: Matthew Millar (63′)
1-2: Joe Franjic (77′)

Hume City FC:
1. Chris OLDFIELD (GK), 2. Daniel CHABAANI (14. Kym HARRIS 70′), 3. Jeremy WALKER, 6. Rama TAVSANCIOGLU (sent off 38′), 7. Kofi DANNING, 8. Theo MARKELIS, 10. Joe FRANJIC, 12. Daniel CLARK (28. Hernan ESPINDOLA 60′), 13. Shane REXHEPI, 17. Shaun TIMMINS (11. Ivan PAVLAK 12′), 39. Nick HEGARTY (C).
Unused Subs: 20. Jordan FRANKEN, 21. Kristian TRACJEVSKI.

South Melbourne FC:
1. Nikola ROGANOVIC (GK) / 2. Tim MALA, 3. Kristian KONSTANTINIDIS, 5. Luke ADAMS, 11. Brad NORTON (C) (12. Amadu KOROMA 63′) / 23. Matthew FOSCHINI, 8. Mathew THEODORE (77. Stephen HATZIKOSTAS 74′) / 18. Matthew MILLAR, 17. Marcus SCHROEN, 7. Nick EPIFANO (27. Leigh MINOPOULOS 81′) / 9. Milos LUJIC.
Unused Subs: 21. Zaim ZENELI (GK), 22. Andy KECOJEVIC.

SMFC Melbourne City Toyota Man of the Match: Matthew Millar
Venue: ABD Stadium (Broadmeadows Valley Park)
Date: Saturday 2 April 2016

South Melbourne FC will be looking for a return back to winning ways when it travels to Hume City on Saturday evening. Following the shambolic second-half performance against Richmond, coach Chris Taylor will be looking for an immediate positive response from his side.

Richmond played excellent attacking football in the second half of last Thursday’s match and deservedly won the three points. The manner of South’s second-half collapse – in which it conceded five goals in half an hour to lose 6-3 having been ahead 1-3 – is a cause of major concern and is something that needs to be immediately rectified. Taylor acknowledged that fact in his post-match interview and indicated wholesale changes for the Hume match.

Lou Acevski’s Hume side have begun their 2016 season with three wins, a draw and a loss. Although they have not won any silverware, Hume have been in the upper echelons of the league standings in recent years and reached the semi finals of the Westfield FFA Cup in 2015.

Key players for South to watch out for on Saturday include Theo Markelis, Nick Hegarty and Hernan Espindola, whilst former South captain and championship player Rama Tavsancioglu will line up against his former side.

Saturday evening’s match at ABD Stadium (Broadmeadows Valley Park) kicks off at 7pm.

SMFC v Hume City – Head to Head (League & Finals)

Matches Played: 17
Wins (SMFC): 11
Wins (HCFC): 5
Draws: 1

First match: South Melbourne 1-2 Hume City (24 February 2008, Lakeside Stadium)
Last match: South Melbourne 5-2 Hume City (19 August 2015, Lakeside Stadium)

Biggest Winning Margin (SMFC): 6 goals (6-0 win, 25 April 2010, Broadmeadows Valley Park)
Biggest Winning Margin (HCFC): 5 goals (5-0 win, 17 April 2011, Broadmeadows Valley Park)

Most Goals in a Match (SMFC): 6 (25 April 2010, Broadmeadows Valley Park)
Most Goals in a Match (HCFC): 5 (17 April 2011, Broadmeadows Valley Park)

Biggest Finals Win (SMFC): None
Biggest Finals Win (HCFC): 2-0 (23 August 2009, Epping Stadium)