Another season in the NPL championship is slowly drawing to a close. This weekend sees the 26th and final round of the 2025 regular season. The curtain falls with two civil, blue-and-white derbies.
The one stealing most of the limelight is the big clash between last year’s premiers, Oakleigh Cannons, and South Melbourne Hellas. The showdown might not carry much in the way of meaningful ladder implications, but the history, passion and rivalry packed into this massive fixture are more than enough to grab all the spotlight.
The home side Cannons are still in the hunt for their big target: nothing less than a second straight title. Chris Taylor’s armada have lost a bit of their spark in recent weeks, but that’s not worrying the folk at the Greek Australian club—they reckon the peak performance from their players hasn’t been hit yet this season. They believe in the work being done by the football department and expect the results to show on the pitch during the playoffs.
On the other side, we’ve got Hellas. The South Melbourne side have been through the wringer this year, showing two completely different faces. The team from the first half of the season under Esteban Quintas, and the one from recent months, after hiring Sinisa Cohadzic. The Argentine gaffer seemed to lose the dressing room, the mental connection with his players; he couldn’t put out a side with a clear beginning, middle and end on the park, and it was no surprise he left the club last April. His successor managed to tidy up Hellas. He focused on the defensive side of things, shuffled the deck, trusted young lads and ultimately pulled South Melbourne out of the drop zone, grabbed some big wins and, of course, lifted the Dockerty Cup. A massive achievement when you consider the state of the club when Cohadzic took over.
The other ‘Greek’ derby this round is between Nea Hellas and Alexandros.
What can you say about the Port Melbourne outfit? From a top-five side with finals appearances, they’ve found themselves battling unsuccessfully for survival in the NPL in just one season. The reasons? Plenty.
Lack of playing identity, poor boardroom decisions and an instability at all levels that’s unheard of for the club. The powers that be tried to avoid the inevitable by bringing in Maxim Gaydovskiy mid-season—a talented young gaffer with credentials and a hunger for work. But it looks like the appointment came too late, leaving the margins razor-thin. It’s a mystery what sort of showing Nea Hellas will put in against Alexandros. With no target left to chase and the drop to VPL1 now a done deal, all that’s left is pride to act as motivation for the Sharks.
The visitors are living in a totally different world. It’s like they’ve charted a path completely opposite to Port Melbourne’s. John Anastasiadis took over a top-ten team two years ago and turned them into title hunters. In the final round of the regular season, they’re after the win that’ll secure their spot in the new national championship starting in October, while also filling them with positive vibes ahead of the hugely demanding playoffs to come.
VPL1
Historic Pancyprios are one step away from completing a massive feat. George Katsakis’ side need a win in the final round against Iraklis to mathematically lock in promotion to the NPL. The Greens’ fans are expected to turn out in force, throwing a party worthy of the club’s absolutely successful campaign this year.
Leonidas will welcome Melbourne City, aiming to avoid defeat and lock in fifth spot on the ladder. It won’t be an easy fixture for the hosts, as their opponents still have live hopes of snatching top spot in the regular season.
Clarinda will host Eastern Lions in the 26th round, now doomed to the drop to VPL2. Con Tagkalakis’ side couldn’t avoid the relegation zone in the end and will be playing in the bottom tier of Victoria’s pro divisions next year. After Manningham’s win over Iraklis on Monday night, the ladder gap between 13th-placed Kingston City and 11th-placed Manningham is now insurmountable. The dreams of Clarinda’s fans have turned to nightmares, and no one at the historic club can know what the outfit will look like in the coming months.
VPL2
Pythagoras will look to close the season with a win and smiles on the faces of their supporters. The Box Hill side will host Altona City in the final round. The fixture has no ladder significance for either team, as their final positions are already locked in. United, regardless of the result, will finish the season in eighth on the ladder. It’s been a fairly bland and colourless year for the Greek Australian outfit. Few thrills, minimal big moments and a campaign that’ll likely be forgotten pretty quickly.
NPL – Fixtures
Saturday 23 August
Avondale – Green Gully 3pm
St Albans Saints – Hume City 3pm
Preston Lions – Dandenong Thunder 3pm
Melbourne Victory – Dandenong City 3pm
Port Melbourne Sharks – Heidelberg United 3pm
Oakleigh Cannons – South Melbourne 3pm
Melbourne Knights – Altona Magic 3pm
NPL – Standings
Team Matches Points
1. Avondale 25 58
2. Heidelberg 25 56
3. Dandenong Thunder 25 53
4. Oakleigh Cannons 25 46
5. Preston Lions 25 44
6. Dandenong City 25 37
7. Hume City 25 35
8. Green Gully 25 31
9. South Melbourne 25 28
10. St Albans Saints 25 27
11. Altona Magic 25 24
12. Melbourne Victory 25 18
13. Port Melbourne 25 16
14. Melbourne Knights 25 15
VPL1 – Fixtures
Sunday 24 August
Caroline Springs George Cross – Western United 3pm
Brunswick City – Melbourne City 3pm
Bentleigh Greens – Northcote City 3pm
Langwarrin – North Sunshine Eagles 3pm
Manningham United Blues – Moreland City 3pm
Kingston City – Eastern Lions 3pm
Bulleen Lions – Melbourne Srbija 3pm
VPL1 – Standings
Team Matches Points
1. Bentleigh 25 55
2. Melbourne City 25 54
3. George Cross 25 54
4. Western United 25 46
5. Brunswick 25 39
6. North Sunshine 25 36
7. Melbourne Srbija 25 34
8. Bulleen Lions 25 33
9. Northcote 25 32
10. Langwarrin 25 29
11. Manningham 25 25
12. Eastern Lions 25 21
13. Kingston City 25 20
14. Moreland City 25 17
