Category: News

South Melbourne FC is happy to advise that the Avondale FC match at Lakeside Stadium this Friday 8 May is FREE for all women ahead of Mothers Day this Sunday.

People entering the ground are encouraged to provide a gold coin donation, with all monies raised going towards the National Breast Cancer Research Centre, as chosen by the Pink Cocktail Group charity that the Club has invited as guests to the game. To donate online please visit http://www.nbcf.org.au/support-us.

In keeping with the theme of the night, the senior team will switch colours and play in pink socks that night.

The Match Day Sponsor for the match is e.l.f. Cosmetics, who will have an all-female halftime penalty shootout competition, with several prizes on offer including e.l.f. products and cash! They will also have girls getting signups plus handing out e.l.f. samples and information.

Due to the nature of the night, entry is open to women only, please register at http://www.elfcosmetics.com.au/pages/elf-and-south-melbourne-football-club  or on the night at the elf info table – Name and email address required. You must be present and participate to be in with a chance.

South Melbourne FC encourages all women to attend Friday’s match, meet and greet the e.l.f. Cosmetics team and raise as much money as possible for the National Breast Cancer Research Centre!

Image courtesy of Michalis Romas

Following the tough 1-0 win against Pascoe Vale last Friday night, a few members of the South Melbourne FC Under 20s squad joined the senior side for training on Monday night.

Seventeen-year-old Nashir Hussainy was one of those players and he looked at home with the senior playing group, joking and laughing with current Theo Marmaras medalist and star midfielder Iqi Jawadi. As training got underway, Jawadi looked over at Hussainy and nodded his head before shouting “good luck bro” to the youngster. 



Remarkably, Jawadi and Hussainy have faced similar challenges and obstacles in order to be on the park together. Both were born in the 1990s in the heart of war-torn Afghanistan, a world that most Australians could not imagine. Along with their families, the boys faced life in a new Afghanistan under political and military turmoil.

The Jawadi family was the first to seek refuge in 1995, when Iqi’s mother forced her children to flee to neighboring India.

Speaking to smfc.com.au Iqi recounted his family’s journey. “It was tough… although I was only four months old when we fled Afghanistan, I couldn’t begin to imagine how hard it would have been for my mother to make that decision to move. We stayed in India for seven very tough years and then made another huge decision to come to this country and to a new life, which I am very thankful for.”

Nashir’s journey was not too dissimilar, however the Hussainy family and Nashir himself would endure five extremely tough years in Afganistan before also finding a way to a new life in Melbourne. “It was really hard for my family to come across. In Kabul, we had to leave behind our old lives and many family members as we sought a new life and new opportunities. I loved to hang out with my cousins and kick a football around back home but it was just too unsafe and we didn’t know what was going to happen next over there. The decision to move was the right choice.”

Jawadi initially did not play the world game but soon developed an appetite for it. “I didn’t really know what soccer (football) was at first but when my brother brought a ball home and we started kicking it around, I noticed that I was pretty good at playing. As I grew older and I played more, I got better and better.”

Jawadi was eventually identified by current SMFC Senior Coach Chris Taylor, who at the time was coaching the Under 15 Victorian State Team. “Before I knew it, I was playing for the NTC and the State Team under Chris Taylor,” he added with a smile on his face. “I have played under Chris ever since, firstly at Dandenong Thunder and now at South Melbourne. I am thankful for the opportunity and guidance that he has given me in my life so far. He’s an amazing guy and I don’t think enough people see this.”

Hussainy started his football journey in Melbourne joining the South Melbourne Youth program four years ago. In 2015, under the watchful eye of Under 20s coach and mentor Sasa Kolman, Hussainy has taken his game to another level. He has scored six goals in the Under 20s and become one of the key players in the team.

Chris Taylor has recognised Hussainy’s achievements and hard work so far this season by inviting him to join the senior squad at training. The hope is that Nashir will further enhance his game by training with the current PlayStation 4 NPL Victoria Champions and break into the first team squad at some stage during the second half of the season.

Speaking to smfc.com.au, Taylor was very proud seeing both Jawadi and Hussainy training together at Lakeside Stadium. “Sometimes we get too caught up in the game to actually appreciate the stories behind some of the players. Look at these two guys that have overcome adversity and are able to enjoy themselves on the pitch; to laugh, smile and enjoy the friendships made in the game. I’ve always been a coach that gives younger players a chance. I also like to assist these guys through life, so I’m elated to see both Iqi and Nashir on the pitch training and playing for a club that encourages such things to happen.”

The common theme from both players when speaking with them was the love and appreciation that they had for their families and for their decision to bring them to Australia.

When asked about their future aims and goals, both said that they wanted to play football professionally, with the main reason being to support their families and continue to make them proud.

South Melbourne FC is looking forward to the day when both Iqi Jawadi and Nashir Hussainy represent the Club in a senior match and potentially their country at some point.

South Melbourne FC face local rivals Port Melbourne tonight, knowing that a victory at SS Anderson Reserve will give them temporary ownership of top spot on the PlayStation 4 NPL Victoria table.

The clash against a revamped Port Melbourne side presents a stern test for the reigning Champions, who are undefeated across all competitions in 2015.

In recent weeks, Chris Taylor’s men have shown their title credentials by grinding out a number of hard fought victories in the League. Two successive 1-0 victories, against Hume City and Pascoe Vale respectively, gives South 23 points after nine games. Heidelberg United currently occupy first position on the PS4 NPL Victoria table with 25 points from ten games, with the Bergers on the road to face North Geelong on Saturday afternoon.

Chris Taylor will be unperturbed by the manner of the victories as his side continues to build momentum throughout the season. South have now gone a total of 344 minutes without conceding a goal across all competitions. During this time, Captain Michael Eagar has been a tremendous force in the centre of defence, having resumed a centre-half role in the absence of injured defender Kristian Konstantinidis.

Another man who has played a crucial role in the recent run of wins has been centre-forward Milos Lujic. The reigning Golden Boot winner has gone on a remarkable goal-scoring run recently, having found the back of the net in each of his last eight matches across both League and Cup competitions. Lujic’s first-half strikes in South’s past two encounters have been the only goals in each match, underlining his importance to the team.

It is unlikely that there will be many changes to the side that defeated Pascoe Vale last Friday. Andy Brennan, who was signed by A-League outfit Newcastle Jets during the week, is still available to play for South until early June.

After avoiding relegation by the narrowest of margins in 2014, Port Melbourne appear to be one of the competition’s most improved sides this season. The Sharks sit comfortably in sixth position on the League ladder, with four victories from ten matches so far in 2015. Many eyes were on Eric Vassiliadis’ men after back-to-back 4-0 wins against Oakleigh and North Geelong, although Port has stumbled in recent weeks and come into tonight’s game with only a point from their past three games.

Players to watch out for include former South players Trent Rixon and Kamal Ibrahim, who have both scored four goals this campaign, as well as Julius Davies, who has been through the youth system at Bayern Munich no less.

In the corresponding meeting between the two sides on Friday 28 March 2014, two late Leigh Minopoulos goals sealed a 2-3 win for South.

The match kicks off at 8.15pm at SS Anderson Reserve in Port Melbourne. Those unable to make the game can follow it with live updates on the South Melbourne FC Facebook page and on the Club’s official Twitter @smfc with the hashtags #PS4NPL and #SMFC.

South Melbourne FC advises that Andy Brennan will join Hyundai A-League side Newcastle Jets for the 2015/16 season.

Andy joined South Melbourne from South Hobart FC, where he had a prolific goal scoring season in 2014. This season with South Melbourne, the attacking midfielder has scored five goals in eleven matches across all competitions.

He scored a goal in the FFV Community Shield and has also scored two goals in the PlayStation 4 NPL Victoria campaign and two goals in the Westfield FFA Cup. His best game for the Club so far to date was against the Melbourne Knights on Saturday 11 April, where he scored the winning goal early in the second half.

Speaking to smfc.com.au Andy Brennan was thankful for this time at the club. “I’d sincerely like to thank CT, the Club, the players and fans for welcoming me, as well as giving me the opportunity to further develop as a footballer. Whilst my time at South has been relatively brief, it will always hold a special place for me. The history, the level of professionalism, along with the wonderful players and facilities make it a club that all should aspire to play for”

Andy’s last match for South Melbourne will be against the Melbourne Knights in the FFA Cup in early June, before he leaves to join the Jets.

South Melbourne FC is excited that life-long South fan Peter Saisanas won the PlayStation 4 Wildcard place in tonight’s Fox Fans League finals, after defeating Tuggeranong United FC 4-0 in the NPL finals yesterday.

The inaugural Fox Fans League is a national challenge that brings together the best FIFA gamers in the country to crown a champion of one of the world’s most popular video games, powered by PlayStation 4.

The NPL finals series was played yesterday at Gosch’s Paddock, where Peter defeated representatives of NPL clubs across the country – including former NSL rivals Sydney Olympic and West Adelaide – to earn the Wildcard place in tonight’s finals.

As yesterday’s NPL Wildcard winner, Peter has already won $5000 for South Melbourne FC and will win even more prize money should he win tonight’s final at Federation Square. He will be competing against representatives from Hyundai A-League teams as well as AFL players and captains Scott Pendlebury (Collingwood) and Gary Ablett Junior (Gold Coast Suns).

The finals begin from 4pm at Federation Square today, with the final to be screened live on Fox Sports from 7:30pm tonight.

South Melbourne FC wishes Peter Saisanas the best of luck for tonight!

South Melbourne FC recorded a fifth straight win across all competitions thanks to a 1-0 home victory against Pascoe Vale in PlayStation 4 National Premier League Victoria action at Lakeside Stadium last Friday night.

Milos Lujic scored the winning goal five minutes before halftime and has now scored in his last eight matches for South across all competitions.

Although South enjoyed an excellent record against Pascoe Vale from their previous four League meetings (three wins and a draw), Friday’s match was always going to be difficult due to David Stirton’s injury at Hume City the previous Saturday and Nick Epifano’s club-imposed suspension during the week.

Mathew Theodore and Jake Barker-Daish replaced Stirton and Epifano respectively in the starting line-up.

Vitale Ferrante’s Pascoe Vale side came into the match on the back of four successive PS4 NPL Victoria wins. With a host of experienced players such as former South men Joseph Youssef and Carl Recchia, plus others like Jake Nakic, Tomi Milardovic and Michael Ferrante, they were always going to be difficult opponents for South to overcome.

Last season’s corresponding match at Lakeside Stadium (Sunday 18 May 2014) finished 1-0 to South in what was a tight affair.

Before the match started, both teams as well as the match officials paused to mark the occasion of the 100th anniversary of ANZAC Day the following day. The Ode of Remembrance was displayed on the electronic scoreboard and spoken, with the last post being played before a minute’s silence was observed.

The first half was a sluggish affair, with both sides having limited goal scoring opportunities. The away side almost took the lead when Jake Nakic went through on goal but shot the ball wide of the far post. Lujic then almost opened the scoring for the home side but his shot went over Alexander Pavlidis’ crossbar.

The centre-forward eventually scored what proved to be the winning goal when he got on the end of a through-ball and tucked the ball past the advancing Pavlidis. The goal was Lujic’s eighth goal in nine League matches and tenth goal in eleven matches across all competitions in 2015.

Lujic has now scored in the last eight matches South has played, beginning with the 5-0 Westfield FFA Cup win at Whittlesea United on Saturday 14 March.

The second half began with an almighty downpour but that didn’t stop South from creating some excellent goal scoring opportunities to try and seal the win. Andy Brennan almost scored with a brilliant scissor kick but was denied by Pavlidis’ excellent save. Lujic then almost scored another goal but his header hit the post and stayed out.

Pascoe Vale’s best chance to level the match fell to Michael Ferrante but his free kick didn’t trouble Nikola Roganovic. South comfortably saw out the remainder of the game and maintained their 100% record in home matches this season.

The Under 20s match was postponed to allow the Lakeside Stadium pitch to recover from maintenance works done in March/April, with the re-scheduled match to be announced in due course.

South Melbourne FC’s next match is away at Port Melbourne this upcoming Friday 1 May. Kick-off is at 8:30pm at SS Anderson Reserve.

FINAL SCORE: SOUTH MELBOURNE 1-0 PASCOE VALE (HT: 1-0)

Goal Scorer:
1-0: Milos Lujic (40′)

South Melbourne FC:
1. Nikola ROGANOVIC (GK), 2. Tim MALA, 4. Michael EAGAR (C), 5. Luke ADAMS, 8. Mathew THEODORE, 9. Milos LUJIC, 11. Brad NORTON, 12. Iqi JAWADI, 13. Dane MILOVANOVIC, 17. Andy BRENNAN (23. Andy KECOJEVIC 87′), 21. Jake BARKER-DAISH (27. Leigh MINOPOULOS 71′).

Pascoe Vale:
35. Alexander PAVLIDIS (GK), 2. Adrian TALARICO, 3. Nathen MEGIC (11. Connor KASS 86′), 6. Carl RECCHIA (4. Adam NAKIC 45′), 8. Joseph YOUSSEF (C), 9. Jake NAKIC, 15. Mark PISTININZI, 16. Tomi MILARDOVIC, 18. Tom BLACK (12. Matthew CONVERSANO 64′), 21. Michael FERRANTE, 23. Jake HALLIDAY.

SMFC Fix Hellas Beer Man of the Match: Milos Lujic
Venue: Lakeside Stadium
Date: Friday 24 April 2015

A goal from Nashir Hussainy in the 60th minute and some resolute tough defending was enough for the South Melbourne Under 20s to record a 0-1 victory over Hume City and deliver a third win in a row.

There were good conditions for football at ABD Stadium on Saturday afternoon, providing the opportunity for coach Sasa Kolman and the Under 20s the best opportunity to take three points home to Lakeside. It would be a very tactical game all the way through until the final whistle.

Throughout the first half both teams had multiple opportunities to score, however neither were able to find the net. This trend continued in the second half and it was only broken when a move by Guiseppe Marafioti on the half way line delivered an intercept, allowing the boys in blue to execute their typical quick-transition football. Marafioti off-loaded the ball to Eric Hauser who has been in exceptional form all season. It would be hard to find a goal this season in the Under 20s that Hauser hasn’t been involved in.

Hauser’s left foot through-ball beat four defenders and was met by a flying Nashir Hussainy that was arriving at speed into the area. His crafty touch made it around the rushing Hume City goal keeper before pushing the ball into the open net in the 60th minute.

Hume City searched deep into the match for the equaliser, however strong defence from Yianni Avramidis, Jordan Moncrief, Massimo Pesce and Dean Nicopoulos held them out.

Talking to smfc.com.au after the match, centre back Yianni Avradmidis shared his thoughts on the match, saying “I think it was a tough game. It was one of those hit outs where both teams are equal. It was a hard game and both sides had good chances. Hume were unlucky, we were unlucky a lot of times, in the end we got the goal and we got the win.”

Asked about the strengths on the pitch, Avramidis said “one of the positives was our teamwork. Playing for each other and that comradeship. The defence also did really well today. We held our own under a lot of pressure. Jordi the centre back, Massimo at left back and Dean out on the right, we did a tremendous job. Even the boys in the midfield worked hard. No individuals stood out, it was a whole team effort today.”

The South Melbourne Under 20s squad has been depleted lately and we asked Avramidis his view on having everyone back on deck. “We had a few injuries, a few  players missing, now everyone’s back on board. We’re all back at training and we’re moving forward” he said.

The Under 20s are sitting in third place on the ladder, just two points behind leaders Bentleigh Greens and Avondale FC in second. Their next fixture against Pascoe Vale has been postponed, to be rescheduled at a later date.

A solid week of football comprising three matches in seven days came to an end on Sunday with the South Melbourne Under 16 securing a win over Murray United with just three minutes left on the clock.

Having recorded a draw with Bentleigh Greens (2-2) on Wednesday night and a win against Dandenong Thunder (2-1) on Saturday, the team under the captaincy of Ryan Crisp faced a solid opposition in Murray United.

Coach Dean Stafrace had rotated players through the week to provide his boys the best opportunity to be fit and ready for the Sunday encounter. His confidence in the line-up was rewarded in the 12th minute, when Ryan Crisp rose from the pack and headed he corner kick from Aloysius Laurie into the net to give South Melbourne the lead.

The pitch conditions and winds at the State Football Centre in Darebin favoured South Melbourne as the home team with the venue being used whilst Albert Park becomes ready following the Grand Prix. With the wind at their backs, the boys applied continual pressure on goal and multiple corners forced the best out of the Murray United defenders.

Murray United adapted keeping the ball on the ground and started to make use of both flanks to reach deep into their final third. Their efforts were rewarded not once but twice in the final stages of the first half when they received two penalties. Benjamin Barlow converted the first in the 26th minute and then Lewis Greenwold followed up in the 38th minute to give Murray United the lead going into the half time break.

In the second half, the South Melbourne boys had to work a lot harder. Play was a lot more balanced with the focus in the midfield where neither side able gain the upper hand. Patience was the call for coach Dean Stafrace consistently telling the boys to keep the work rate up and the opportunities would come.

In the 65th minute, Deni Kulas whipped in a well weighted free kick that was headed forward by Jack Athanas. A missed clearance enabled Brandon Clover to put his right foot on the ball and volley it into the net to give South the equaliser.

Coach Dean Stafrace was contemplating a structural change for his line-up. Engaging with his colleagues on the side-line, he had to balance defending against a pacey Murray United with a strong wind behind them or pushing forward to go for the win.

Some timely and tactical substitutions were made, leaving the boys on the pitch to fight it out to the final whistle. With just three minutes left on the clock, Nicholas Andrianakos found space and made a run down the left into the area. He cut the ball across the face of goal, finding Brandon Clover who made no mistake with the left boot slamming it past the keeper at the near post. His strike and some resolute defence secured the points in a 3-2 win for South Melbourne.

Mikhail Capodistrias can usually be found at left back for the South Melbourne Under 16s, however with squad rotations this week he was on the sideline supporting and analysing his team mates performance.

Talking to smfc.com.au he provided his perspective on the match saying “the boys played well today, moving the ball well and we took our chances. The positives today were we moved the ball wide to give us options to go forward and when we lost the ball, our transition was good.”

Capodistrias also reflected on the progress of the team playing three matches in seven days saying “we’ve played against two of the top teams in our league and come away with seven points this week. Murray United were a solid team and showed us what they were made of.”

The Under 16 return to the pitch this week to play third placed Northcote City at John Cain Memorial Park on Sunday afternoon.

South Melbourne FC hosts eighth-placed Pascoe Vale at Lakeside Stadium on Friday night as they look to keep up the pressure at the top of the PlayStation 4 NPL Victoria table.

South enjoyed a fantastic series of results last week. Chris Taylor’s side followed up the derby win against the Melbourne Knights with an 8-0 drubbing of North Sunshine FC in the FFA Cup, before triumphing 1-0 in a gritty performance at Hume City last Saturday night.

South sit just two points behind Heidelberg United in second spot on the PS4 NPL Victoria ladder but hold a game in hand over their old foes. A win against Pascoe Vale would lift the men in blue to top spot ahead of Heidelberg’s meeting with the third-placed Melbourne Knights on Sunday afternoon.

The win against Hume last Saturday night was one that cannot be underestimated given the strength of the opposition and the difficulty of the conditions at Broadmeadows. In a superb defensive effort, South were able to record their third clean sheet in four outings, with Tim Mala in particular outstanding at the right side of defence. Mala and co will be looking to produce a similar performance this week in front of their home fans at Lakeside Stadium and against a Pascoe Vale side that contains a number of dangerous attacking options.

Pascoe Vale’s Jake Nakic has scored four times from six appearances in the League this season and the former Melbourne Victory youth captain is one of the most dangerous players in the League if given space to showcase his dribbling abilities. After losing their first four games, Pascoe Vale come into this clash on the back of four successive wins and have scored ten goals in their previous three games.

For the home side, Milos Lujic scored in all three fixtures last week and last season’s Golden Boot winner again shapes as the key man up front. Andy Brennan didn’t score against Hume but looked dangerous every time going forward. Nick Epifano will miss the match following a club imposed suspension, meaning one of Mathew Theodore, Andy Kecojevic or Leigh Minopoulos will return to the starting line-up. David Stirton, who was subbed at half-time following a groin injury against Hume, is expected to be fit for the match.

South Melbourne have won the past three encounters against Pascoe Vale, including both games last season (1-0 at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday 18 May and 3-0 at Hosken Reserve on Friday 1 August).

Friday night’s match against Pascoe Vale kicks off at 8:15pm at Lakeside Stadium. Those unable to make the match can follow proceedings on the Club’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, using the handles #SMFC and #NPLVIC.

Under 18s player Simon Sesay returned to the pitch with a vengeance on the weekend and delivered a goal and an assist on the way to a 3-3 draw with Murray United.

The classy forward has been out of action recently with injury but you couldn’t tell it from his performance against Murray United. Sesay provided pace down both flanks and his deft touch on both feet proved challenging for the United defence.

South Melbourne started the match positively and with the windy conditions favouring them in the first half, they made the best of their opportunities.  In the 32nd minute, the first goal came when Lachlan Beever went streaking down the right wing into the area. Faking out and cutting behind his marking defender, the left foot strike from Beever went across goal beating the outstretched arm of the Murray United keeper and into the side netting.

Just two minutes later, Beever would earn his second goal on his way to a man of the match performance. This time however it came on the back of an excellent run by Simon Sesay. Sesay was electric down the left flank overtaking his defender and less than a metre from the byline planted a powerful cross to the centre. Beever beat both a defender and the goalkeeper to the ball, with his left foot toe poke securing his brace.

Sesay and Beever continued to apply pressure in the final third well into the second half. With the match winding down into a 2-2 draw, Sesay cut loose down the right and found himself with two defenders on the inside and the keeper to beat. With his pace he moved ahead of the two defenders and from the corner of the six yard box, his right foot strike was perfectly aligned to go across the keeper and into the side of the net, giving South what was surely to be the winner in the 89th minute.

Glory wasn’t to be however as in the final minute of play, Murray United won a corner shortly after the restart. With the final play of the match the ten man visitors scored to earn themselves a point.

Regardless of the result, Sesay’s performance on the pitch this weekend was just a glimpse of the talent the forward has to offer. It is this talent that has the seventeen year old in Sasa Kolman’s Under 20s squad, a position he is looking to return to in the coming weeks.

Talking to smfc.com.au after the match, Sesay was positive about the teams performance saying “it was a hard game. Both teams had good chances and as it happens, they went a man down, still played hard and it was a good draw. Our counter attacking was positive today, our midfield at key points in the game was good with one touch passing.”

Asked about the injury that has kept him from the game, Sesay said “I’m going pretty well actually. I just came back from a fractured bone in my foot and now I’m playing well, scored a goal today and got an assist.”

The team under the leadership of coach Matthew Borowicz takes on fifth placed Northcote City on Sunday afternoon at John Cain Memorial Reserve.