Another fiery round awaits Victorian football fans this week, with blockbuster derbies and high-stakes clashes lighting up the NPL and VPL1. The action never stops!
NPL
The match of the round is none other than the showdown between two of the league’s heavyweights: reigning champions Oakleigh Cannons and the ever-dangerous Avondale. This marks the Cannons’ second consecutive away derby, fresh off a 1-2 victory at South Melbourne’s Lakeside Stadium last week.
Facing the Italo-Australian side will be a different beast. Avondale boasts the league’s most potent attack, netting 37 goals—five more than table-toppers Heidelberg United and a staggering 27 more than South Melbourne, who struggled to create chances against the Cannons. The champions will need to deliver a top-tier performance across all lines to leave Avenger Park with anything better than a draw or defeat. Coach Chris Taylor is likely to field a similar line-up to the one that faced South Melbourne, as injuries limit his options. Star striker Alex Salmon is ruled out after a straight red card last week, and Joe Knowles remains sidelined.
A derby steeped in Victoria’s rich football history awaits ladder-leaders Heidelberg United, who host Melbourne Knights on Friday night. The Knights are struggling, with 10 losses and just three wins, leaving them second-bottom, only above Port Melbourne Sharks. The Croat-Australian side is wounded by their poor form, making this clash unpredictable. The Knights have nothing to lose and will come out swinging. It’s up to John Anastasiadis’ “warriors” to seize control early, score quickly, and potentially kill the game by halftime. Let’s see if they can pull it off.
The Greek Australian “civil war” takes centre stage on Sunday afternoon, as South Melbourne hosts Port Melbourne Sharks in a must-win clash. Both teams are in desperate need of points. South Melbourne languishes in 12th with just nine points, while Port Melbourne props up the table in 14th with seven. Both clubs recently sacked their coaches—South Melbourne replaced Esteban Quintas with Sinisa Cohadzic, while Port Melbourne is still searching for John Markovski’s successor. Expect a tight game, with the outcome hinging on the usually goal-shy attacks of both sides. Here’s hoping we’re proven wrong and treated to a goal-fest brimming with quality football.
VPL1
All Greek community teams in VPL1 face away trips this week.
Bentleigh Greens have the easiest task on paper, visiting bottom-placed Moreland City. The hosts concede goals in droves, a weakness coach Katsakis’ side must exploit. Discipline and clinical finishing will secure the “Greens” a win, but complacency could turn the match into a nightmare. The choice is theirs.
Northcote City travels to Sunshine to face the gritty North Sunshine Eagles. This won’t be a walk in the park. The hosts, despite sitting ninth, are a well-drilled unit with quality and fight. Iraklis will need to play with intensity and passion to leave Larissa Reserve with three points.
Brunswick City heads to Burwood on Saturday afternoon to take on Eastern Lions. The “Lions” sit 10th, seven points behind Leonidas, and the Greek Australian side aims to widen that gap. The hosts have the second-worst defence in the league, a vulnerability coach Nikos Kyriakopoulos plans to target. If Brunswick capitalises, they’ll leave Burwood with a smile and three points in the bag.
A match of huge importance awaits the historic Kingston City, led by Tagkalakis and Tsolakis. The “red-and-whites,” 11th with 10 points, face 13th-placed Melbourne Srbija, who have eight points. The Serb-Australian side will throw everything at the game to overtake Kingston in the standings. Let’s hope they fall short.
VPL2
A daunting challenge awaits Box Hill United’s Pythagoras this week. They travel to face ladder-leaders Eltham Redbacks, one of the division’s strongest sides. The visitors can’t afford to roll over. Sitting perilously low in the standings, just four points above bottom-placed Pascoe Vale, every match is a final. Let’s see if they can snatch something from this tough test.
NPL – Fixture
Friday 16 May
Green Gully – Dandenong Thunder 7.30pm
Heidelberg United – Melbourne Knights 7.30pm
Hume City – Preston Lions 8.30pm
Saturday 17 May
Avondale – Oakleigh Cannons 3pm
Altona Magic – Melbourne Victory 6.15pm
Sunday 18 May
St Albans Saints – Dandenong City 3pm
South Melbourne – Port Melbourne Sharks 5pm
NPL – Standings
Heidelberg 13 31
Avondale 13 30
Thunder 13 29
Cannons 13 28
Hume City 13 23
Preston Lions 13 21
Dandenong City 13 19
Green Gully 13 18
Victory 13 12
St Albans 13 11
Altona Magic 13 11
South Melbourne 13 9
Knights 13 9
Sharks 13 7
VPL1 – Fixture
Friday 16 May
Moreland City – Bentleigh Greens 8.30pm
Saturday 17 May
North Sunshine Eagles – Northcote City 3pm
Caroline Springs George Cross – Langwarrin 6pm
Eastern Lions – Brunswick City 6pm
Melbourne Srbija – Kingston City 6.30pm
Sunday 18 May
Melbourne City – Manningham United Blues 3pm
VPL1 – Standings
Melbourne City 13 33
Bentleigh 13 28
George Cross 13 24
Bulleen Lions 13 23
Northcote 13 22
Brunswick 13 22
Western United 13 21
Manningham 13 17
North Sunshine 13 15
Eastern Lions 13 14
Kingston City 13 10
Langwarrin 13 10
Melbourne Srbija 13 8
Moreland City 13 8
