Fans of Victorian football have eagerly awaited this moment since the start of the season: two great teams will face off at Olympic Park in Heidelberg West, with the NPL title in the background.
South Melbourne, one of the country’s most successful sports clubs, is aiming to reclaim the championship trophy after seven years. The last time South Melbourne achieved this feat was in 2016. Meanwhile, Avondale has astounded the Victorian football public with their performance since the start of the year.
The Italian Club have worked hard to be in the position they are in and are fully aware of the rarity of such an opportunity. They have created a formidable team this year and the management and members of Avondale have an optimistic outlook for the future of the club.
After claiming top spot at the end of the regular season, they are determined to maintain their success and strive to become one of the most successful clubs in Victoria.
With such drive and ambition, the Italian Club could very well reach their goal and become a top tier club.
One such club is South Melbourne. With an extremely rich trophy case and experiences that only big clubs from European countries have had in the past, the management are working hard to recreate moments similar to those that made South Melbourne the club it is today.
The two gladiators had to fight their way to the Grand Final, and it wasn’t a walk in the park.
The Greek team had to take on the mighty Cannons in the semi-finals, but they emerged victorious.
Esteban Quintas’ squad were able to secure Oakleigh’s assets by fielding a tight-knit team on the pitch, intent on causing mayhem through lightning-fast counter-attacks.
Bearing in mind that this Sunday South Melbourne will be up against the most lethal attacking force in the division, it’s easy to guess what kind of team the Argentinian manager will field at Olympic Park.
The primary objective of the “Greek” team will be to keep a clean sheet at the back, to make the “Italians” work hard to break the deadlock and then take advantage of the speed of their midfielders and any set-pieces they can snatch in the last third of the field.
The outcome of the first twenty minutes of the match will be paramount. If South Melbourne can keep their defense impenetrable during this early part of the game, then they will have taken a giant leap towards lifting the trophy.
The Italians marched to the grand finale, leaving the Melbourne Knights in their dust.
After a nail-biting semi-final, the Croats valiantly fought off the regular-season champs for over 70 minutes, but ultimately their dreams of making it to the final were dashed by a single goal.
Zoran Markovski is gearing up his Avondale team to get off to a flying start, with their wingers ready to zoom down the pitch and put the ball in the back of the net.
It’s a given that the South Melbourne footballers will have to bring their A-game if they want to be crowned champions.
Let’s hope for a thrilling finale, with the South Melbourne team celebrating a victorious title win when the final whistle blows.
Good luck South Melbourne!
Sunday 10/09
Avondale v South Melbourne 15:00 – Olympic Village, Heidelberg West
