After 200 days without the National Premier Leagues (NPL) Victoria football, South Melbourne launched the new season with an emphatic 3-1 victory over a visiting Heidelberg United.
In a Melbourne derby of Greek teams, South Melbourne came out on top on Thursday evening in a well-attended fixture at Lakeside Stadium that marked the start of the 2022 season.
Selected matches this season will also be counted as points towards cancelled matches from last season which will ultimately determine the champion for 2021.
READ MORE: The great history between South Melbourne (Hellas) and Melbourne Knights (Croatia)
The 2021 season was cancelled after Round 18, last September (thanks to COVID which also played havoc with the 2020 season), but following Supreme Court of Victoria proceedings during the off season, it was decided in a mediated settlement to finish the 2021 season as the new season is played.
According to FTBL, some matches played in the new season will count for both the 2021 and 2022 seasons. When the season was cut short last year, there were 56 games that remained to be played over eight rounds. As a result of the cancellations no winner was declared for the season.
South Melbourne Hellas players celebrate in their NPL Victoria season-opening 3-1 against Heidelberg United. Photo: Con Deves
A good crowd gathered to watch the NPL Victoria 2022 season opener between South Melbourne and Heidelberg United. Photo: Con Deves
A South Melbourne fan wearing the colours. Photo: Con Deves
A hard-fought contest went South Melbourne’s way. Photo: Con Deves
Under the agreement, fixtures featuring teams that were to have played in the cancelled rounds of 2021 and which are played this season will assume double importance – in these fixtures a win will provide three points for both 2021 and 2022 seasons with one point for a draw and no points for a loss.
It is planned that all 14 teams of NPL Victoria will have faced each other in the first round by 19 February.
