Sixteen Victorian teams remain in the Westfield FFA Cup and they’ll each be vying to become one of the last four that qualify for the National Round of 32.

To do that they need to win through the next two rounds beginning with Round 6 which will take place midweek in the week commencing on Monday 16 May.

The draw for Victoria’s Rd 6 of the cup, took place last Wednesday and has thrown up some typical David and Goliath Cup ties as well as more difficult to predict match-ups.

Malvern City, the last remaining State League outfit in the competition, will hope to follow in the giant killing footsteps of fellow SE 1 club South Springvale when it comes up against last year’s FFA Cup semi-finalist Hume City. South Springvale managed to cause a major boil over in the cup two seasons ago when it knocked out Hume.

Malvern’s league form this season has been exemplary, heading the SE 1 table with a perfect record of five wins from its first five games.

Coach Steve Aivaliotis said of learning of the cup draw against NPL 1 team Hume City, “We were expecting a big team because we are the last State League team. I think the boys are ready for a fight. They’ve shown it previously and we just have to get them in the right head space. They’re champing at the bit. The phone conversations I’ve had with my players over the last 24 hours are, ‘ We can’t wait for this game to come on.’ They’re apprehensive and they’re respectful absolutely of Hume. They’re a big team. But the boys are ready for it. South Springvale is a trailblazer in this competition for all of us. The way Con Tangalakis and Bill Lambropoulos set up up the team, is an example of what we need to do and get the players mentally ready.”

Unlike Hume’s previous cup opponent, Dandenong Thunder which rested key players in their cup match against Hume ahead of an important top of the table league match, Aivaliotis is adamant he’ll field his strongest available team.

“We’ve got enough players for both the league and the cup. Both the league and the cup are of huge priority for us. I’m going to play my strongest team for both.”

Other NPL1 clubs such as the Bentleigh Greens, Port Melbourne Sharks and South Melbourne, have all received favourable Rd 6 Cup draws albeit away to NPL 2 opponents.

The Greens who qualified just last Wednesday with a 4-0 away win against Goulburn Valley Suns, will again travel to regional Victoria, this time to take on Murray United. Port Melbourne travels to St Albans Saints, while South Melbourne travels to Geelong for a cup tie with North Geelong Warriors.

Highflying NPL2 club Kingston City will fancy its chances away to struggling NPL1 club Richmond, whilst Heidelberg United will have to find a way to get past Arthur Papas’s well organised Green Gully side. The Bergers’ previous visit to Gully in the league this season ended in a scoreless draw.

Westfield FFA Cup Victoria Round 6 Draw:
FC Bulleen Lions v Avondale FC
Melbourne Knights v Dandenong City
Green Gully v Heidelberg United
Malvern City FC v Hume City FC
Richmond SC v Kingston City FC
Murray United v Goulburn Valley Suns OR Bentleigh Greens
St Albans Saints v Port Melbourne Sharks
North Geelong Warriors v South Melbourne