The opening day of the 2024 season has finally arrived – South Melbourne, Oakleigh Cannons, and Port Melbourne are gearing up to battle it out on their own turf – Heidelberg United will be traveling to Altona to take on Magic.
After a seemingly endless off-season, the Greek community’s beloved league is ready to kick off with a bang.
Get ready for epic showdowns and heart-stopping matches right from the very beginning.
South Melbourne – Melbourne Knights
The Original Melbourne Derby, one of the most significant “battles” in the local sports community, kicks off the 2024 season.
The “Knights” will face off against the great Hellas (South Melbourne), with both opponents determined to start the season on the right foot.
The “Croatian” side, who finished fourth in the standings last year, has made some major signings in recent months, including Saïf Eddine Sakhi from UR La Louvière Centre in Belgium.
This adds even more importance to the derby, as both teams have openly declared their goal to conquer the top spot this year.
A win in this first big match of the season will send a resounding message in every direction.
Oakleigh Cannons – Manningham United
The newly promoted Manningham United, will be welcomed by Oakleigh Cannons.
The hosts have made significant changes to their roster by signing both young and experienced players from the NPL league.
The management of “Cannons” have fulfilled their duty by adding footballers who can make a difference. It remains to be seen if the experienced coach, Chris Taylor, has successfully imparted the team’s style of play to the new players and if the chemistry between the old and new players has been developed.
The visiting team has made a few transfers, including some “Greek kids”, during the transfer window.
From the list, notable names include Christos Theodorakopoulos, who played for Bentleigh Greens last season, John Georgopoulos, a former Northcote midfielder, and Jason Dib, who previously played for Western United and Preston Lions.
Port Melbourne Sharks – St Albans Saints
The first matchday of the new season is filled with Greek-Croatian matches.
On Saturday evening (February 10), the Sharks from Melbourne’s beautiful harbor will welcome the Saints from St Albans.
The team led by Coach Marinos intends to make a statement from the start of the new season that this year will hold significance for the club.
The team has extensively refreshed itself and has set high expectations, surpassing any other recent season.
Ryan McGuffie’s team is an unpredictable opponent; in the previous season, they were on the brink of relegation, whereas this year it appears that they will primarily rely on young players who have been brought up from the club’s under-23 squad.
This provides the perfect opportunity for the Port Melbourne Sharks to start successfully the new season.
Altona Magic – Heidelberg United
Heidelberg United, a team coached by John Anastasiadis and built for success, is starting their journey this season in the west of the city.
The club aims to demonstrate their strength right from the first matchday.
The home team cannot go unnoticed.
They have played several strong friendlies during their off – season and have also added high-quality players to their roster.
One of the noteworthy signings is Alexander Gust, a former Melbourne Victory player, as well as Saad Moukashar who brings experience from his time in the Croatian league with NK Rudes.
In order to secure a win, Alexandros’ players must play strategically, applying pressure on their opponents’ first line and taking advantage of any scoring opportunities they may create.
NPL Victoria 1
This weekend, the NPL1, the second tier of Victorian football, will also kick off.
This league includes four clubs representing the Greek community. Northcote City and Brunswick City will be the first to open the “dance” on Friday (9/2) night.
Iraklis (Northcote City) will face Melbourne Victory, while Leonidas (Brunswick City) will welcome the Eastern Lions.
On Saturday (10/2), Pancyprios (Bentleigh Greens) will travel to Langwarrin to face the local team. Sunday (10/2) will see Clarinda (Kingston City) compete against Western United.
Let’s wish the “Greek” teams a successful start with many victories and impressive performances.
NPL – SCHEDULE
Thursday (8/2)
South Melbourne – Melbourne Knights 20:15
Friday (9/2)
Green Gully – Moreland City 20:00
Oakleigh Cannons – Manningham United 20:30
Saturday (10/2)
Avondale – Dandenong City 15:15
Port Melbourne – St Albans Saints 18:00
Altona Magic – Heidelberg United 18:15
Dandenong Thunder – Hume City 19:00
NPL1 – SCHEDULE
Friday (9/2)
Werribee City v North Geelong Warriors 20:15
Northcote City – Melbourne Victory 20:15
Brunswick City – Eastern Lions 20:30
Saturday (10/2)
Caroline Springs George Cross – Melbourne City 17:30
Langwarrin v Bentleigh Greens 19:00
Western United – Kingston City 19:30
Monday (11/2)
Bulleen Lions v Preston Lions 20:15
