Anything can happen in a four hour game (guest post)

This piece originally appeared on Manny's blog

As I made my way to Lakeside I had to face a delayed train, missed tram and buckets of rain. Despite these annoyances, I remained hopeful for tonight’s Australia Cup match against Olympic FC. South was coming off of a full week of rest, and Olympic was not of the same caliber as Wellington. It was sure to be a straight forward night, right?

First Half: Part I

I managed to get to the game just after kick off where I was welcomed by a vocal Olympic FC contingent. A small group of them were chanting behind a banner and dotting the white grand stand with their red tracksuits. As I made my way to Clarendon Corner I also noticed that the crowd was much smaller than that of the Wellington fixture. This only solidified my expectations of an easy win as the night felt very similar to the Sorrento game in 2017 – back then South won comfortably and progressed to the next round of the Cup.

On the pitch things were looking good. South had started the game well, and looked generally composed on the ball despite a lot of intensity and pressure from Olympic. Not long after I arrived, South even managed to score from long throw and took a deserved lead. The opening goal seemed to relax South, whereas  Olympic remained unchanged in their intensity. This allowed the game’s momentum to shift to the visitors – not that anyone was paying attention.

Much of the crowd was distracted by the black clouds slowly making their way from the city, whilst many others were closely tracking the final moments of the Carlton vs St Kilda game on their phones. It was only when Olympic scored an equaliser that the crowd really re-engaged with the game, however, by then the weather had deteriorated significantly and the officials soon made the call to delay the game. The players reluctantly hit the sheds, fan huddled under the grandstand roof and some spectators decided to leave the stadium early rather than wait out the forced delay.

First Half: Part II

I decided to kill time by doing the unthinkable – ordering food from the Social Club. To my surprise though, my order was ready almost instantly, the gyros was very tasty and the portion size was huge! I spent the rest of the break enjoying my dinner in the grandstand and watching the lightning strikes, as the stadium DJ exhausted their rain themed playlist.

Although songs like ‘Umbrella’ and ‘Thunderstruck’ helped keep the mood relatively light, the overall delay experience wasn’t the most pleasant. The weather was so bad that one of the outer bays was evacuated, we were informed by the emergency PA system not to leave the venue, and worse still – no one knew for sure if the game would even resume. Forty minutes after the initial delay, we were finally told the game would resume. ‘I can see clearly now the rain has gone’ played over the speakers.

The rest of the first half frustratingly went on to mirror the game dynamic present before the delay. South again controlled the ball, but Olympic again managed to score against the run of play. The crowd reacted poorly to this. Not just in regards to the lost lead but also to the fact that the goal seemed to come from an offside attack. When half time arrived, South were trailing and – worse still for me – St Kilda managed to beat Carlton. This left me backing two losing teams and facing a cold late public transport trip home.

Second Half

Except for the occasional attack from Olympic, South completely dominated the second half. Right from the start, South held the ball well and showed restraint in their attacking plays, often opting to knock the ball around the back rather than hit it up forward quickly. This demonstration of patience though was perceived by fans as a lack urgency and as time passed there was a sense of growing frustration throughout the grandstand. I was also frustrated at the team, especially at their inability to shoot more liberally in the wet conditions. On reflection though, the possession heavy approach did have an impact on Olympic which eventually worked in South’s favour.

Olympic were ultimately forced into an endless series of exhausting defensive runs on the extremely water logged Lakeside pitch. They sat deep with ten behind the ball which limited their attacking plays to isolated and direct efforts which were easily cleared by the South defence. Tired legs and deep set structures also meant Olympic were ineffective when attempting to win loose balls in the midfield, this often gave South second chances in their build up play. Eventually though even the Olympic defensive efforts would fail when late in the game they gave away a penalty.

Astoundingly though, even this wasn’t enough for South. Sawyer’s penalty was saved and the team still had nothing to show for an entire half of dominance. The team though, to their credit, didn’t put their heads down. South continued to pepper the Olympic box with crosses and shots. Finally, a beautifully timed overlap on the left wing saw the ball crossed to an unmarked Archibald. Archibald slammed the ball into the back of the net to equalise at the 90th minute – sending the crowd wild and the game into extra time.

Extra Time

I took the pause in play to introduce myself to Paul Mavroudis. Having read his work for over a decade, and attending South games for longer, the introduction was definitely a tad late. How late you ask? About three minutes. How can I be so exact in this calculation? Well in the brief moment we chatted not only did we miss the extra time kick off, but we also missed the Puskas Award worthy goal which put South back in the lead. Jankovic had converted a free kick from half way after noticing that the Olympic keeper was off his line. Somehow he not only chipped the keeper, but he also managed to keep the shot on target!

The rest of the extra time was a blur. Clarendon erupted into almost non-stop chanting and sang away the remaining time, after being nervously quiet for much of the game. The game remained a relatively open affair and could have easily gone to penalties, but South held on and secured passage to the next round of the cup. For me, things managed to get even better. ‘Never Tear Us Apart’ had found its way onto the speakers a little earlier – confirming the Power’s defeat of Fremantle and consequently Carlton’s passage to the AFL Finals. The rain had also managed to clear up, meaning my trip home was looking a lot better.

I eventually left the ground at 9.30, two hours after the match’s scheduled completion but knowing that both my teams were through to the next round of competition, and that I wasn’t going to be drenched on the way home.

Jimmy Armstrong

It’s also worth noting that the great Jimmy Armstrong had passed away earlier in the month. At the game, a number of memorials were conducted, including a video package that was played at half time, a fantastic banner hung up at Clarendon Corner, and a commemorative shirt which was placed by the South bench during the game. I believe there was a memorial pre-game as well but I arrived too late to catch it. Jimmy was an SMFC great that I never had the privilege of watching play, but I still managed to see him around Lakeside over the years.

One odd moment I had regarding Jimmy was after a game at the Limerick Arms. It was St Patrick’s day and my group was the only ones in the pub wearing Blue in a sea of Green. Speaking to some of the Irish expats and even the bar staff though was a bit of cultural exchange, and Jimmy proved to be the bridge between both worlds when we found out the bar tender was related to him. Moments like these emphasised how important Jimmy was for South, but also how respected he was by everyone that met him. Rest in Peace Jimmy.

Finals

South will next face Hume City in the NPLVIC finals on Friday the 30th of August with the winner progressing to the Grand Final. The week after the Grand Final, South will play their Australia Cup quarter final. The natch will be played away to either Melbouren Srbija – or possibly Hume City. For now the team will pause and recover but these will be a huge few weeks ahead! 

Something to fill in the gaps, something to tide us over

While blog-wise I'm in semi-retirement for the time being (test for new prescription tomorrow, new glasses not long after that, I hope, and then who knows...), in the meantime we are fortunate to have been given permission by Manny - he of the comic strips produced for South of the Border some years ago now - to republish some of his South related posts from his own blog.

On his own blog, Manny dabbles in commentary on soccer, literature, poetry (some of which now appears on this blog), the local Greek community, and assorted cultural critic odds and ends. 

Think of it as filling in some of the gaps from my 2024 lost weekend (all the relevant posts are from this year), as part of an ongoing archival project, but also as a throwback to an earlier goal of this blog - providing a forum for South people to express themselves outside the limitations of short-form, disposable social media posting. Thanks Manny!

Open letter, closed communication (guest post)

This post was originally published on Manny blog.

For the last three months I have been lost in the NST desert, wandering aimlessly across the baron internet praying for a drop of news about the proposed competition. The other night I fell hard for yet another mirage, this time in the form of South Melbourne’s open letter to the football community.

The letter described South’s historical achievements and the challenges it has faced in attempting to return to national football competition. Most Importantly though, it implored the FA to proceed with its proposed second division.

A letter, and its online reaction

The heavy handed self-aggrandising in the letter’s introduction was tough to read. Party because I came off a little conceited, but mostly because I knew how certain sections of the internet would react to it. Scanning comments on r/aleague confirmed my expectations with some partisan anti-south posters quick to dismiss the letter, and choose instead to rant about South’s arrogance.

I really get triggered by this kind of discourse and feel it reveals the unsavory biases of some commenters. Some of these people still reflect an anti-ethnic agenda, some of these people have been triggered by years of SMFCMike posting, and some of these people simply personify the worst of Australia’s tall poppy syndrome.

I’m not looking for pro-South comments though (there’s plenty of one-eyed fan accounts, and even one anti-A-League ex-Head of the A-League). What I am hoping for is genuine discussion. The NSD is such a fascinating project that could (and has to an extent) trigger interesting conversation, unfortunately though it is more often then not used by some to espouse hateful and unchanging views.

Over time I’ve come to see a deterioration of authentic online conversation regarding Australian football. There are many reasons for this, but the conclusion is the same – feeding into these conversations never changes much, except to solidify your own bias. The recent discourse served a reminder to get off my computer and get outside.

A letter, and its offline message

Outside of the chronically online Australian Sokkah bubble though, I anticipate the letter’s impact to be more effective. Before the reaching the crux of the letter, it’s worth mentioning the importance of the self-aggrandising introduction. It may have come off as arrogant, but everything in the letter was substantiated. South Melbourne has produced Socceroos, Matildas and won National titles. This context emphasised the club’s continued contribution to Australian football culture and contextualised the main point of this communication – which is a plea to the governing body to treat the club, and other like it, with a respect that it hasn’t necessarily received until now.

In the letter, South outlines that it has continued to work with administrators since being relegated to the State Leagues. It has been knocked back from the A-League multiple times, without receiving a clear explanation as to what it can do to achieve ascension. It has facilitated A-League clubs to host Youth and Women’s matches at its venue, despite having the power to prevent this. It has continued to achieve success at State and Community level, despite no transfer market nor on-field ascension available to the club to support this.

But after 20 years at State Level, this delayed NSD process once again leaves the club in the dark about its future. Back in 2004, the delayed acceptance of South Melbourne into the VPL nearly left the club financially ruined, but it fought tooth and nail to keep going. In 2024 the delayed NST process may leave the club spiritually ruined and this letter shows the club is again willing to stand up for its future.

South’s noise is only in response to the FA’s silence, and at the very least the club deserves enough respect to receive a update – from a governing body it has worked in partnership with, in good faith, for two decades.

What this says about the FA

This call for respect goes beyond South’s own needs though. Seven other foundation clubs are also being left in the dark, as are the entire football pyramids of Victoria and NSW. At different points during this process, the clubs, State Federations, the APL, and the PFA have gone to the media about being left in the dark regarding the NSD. The silence from the FA, following a commitment to start a H&A competition in 2025, is starting to generate mistrust and ill-will towards and organisation which just year ago appeared to be turning a corner. This letter should not just be seen as a South Melbourne issue, but an indicator about the FA’s broader communication and stakeholder management.

The NSD process has been marred with issues, but it has also provided an invaluable, if not sobering, learning experience about Australian Football politics. It has revealed opposition from State Federations (FQ and FT), the difficulty of managing conflicts of interest (the APL) as well as the challenges of balancing different perspectives (the PFA). More than anything it has shown the power of inertia and the difficulty in changing the status quo of a complex political and economic ecosystem. A deterioration in the wider economy has only served to exacerbate the pressures working against the establishment of the NSD, however none of this – none of this – provides reason enough for the NSD foundation clubs to find themselves out of the loop.

Delays, political issues, economic feasibility and even model adjustments would be bitterly accepted by clubs, but accepted nevertheless, if the FA could show them, and take them, on a clear path. However, rather than collaborate, the FA has created a communication vacuum which has been filled with stakeholder frustration and doubt instead. Even if it were to be found that the NSD was economically unviable, the FA needs to understand that respect is free, and clubs like South deserve at least that.

We wait again

On Sunday night 3XY’s State Soccer Program featured SMFC’s president. There he echoed his frustrations and revealed that foundations clubs will be meeting with the FA in Sydney to get an update on the project. Was this meeting sparked by the letter? Either way the outlook doesn’t look good. At at least there is confirmation about some sort of communication.

This process has been slow and frustrating. I think saddest of all though it how conflicted Australian football is. I applaud James Johnson for trying to push forward with a clear vision for Australian Football, one that has been bought into by most of the community, however the pace of developing the Domestic Transfer System and the NSD formation process have gone to show that the biggest issues with Australian football are not necessarily economic, but rather political. The ever changing board and member voting compositions do not lend themselves to long term planning or alignment, so that even the best management team can be prevented from pushing through on plans.

Where this NSD ends up I don’t know. I’ll be waiting for the next update.

South are Premiers! NPLVIC Centre of the Universe! (guest post)

This post was originally posted on Manny's blog.

It had been an exhausting week to say the least. First, a 120 minute Saturday showdown against Oakleigh saw South claim the Dockerty Cup after penalties. Second, over 4,000 people rocked up to watch South eliminate A-League opposition on a cold Tuesday night. Third, the boys escaped the Reggio Calabria club with a draw – and the Premiership.

On paper things could not have gone any better for South this week, but it’s amazing to me how fine the margins are between success and embarrassment for this team.

Parking the bus despite a full car park

Saturday morning was a quiet affair, consisting of a couple of coffees in the sun. The second coffee pushed us a little too far though, so that when we actually made our way to the game, we did so knowing we’d miss kick off. What we didn’t realise though, was that the carpark was absolutely chockers. After circling the Reggio Calabria club (only to find even the double parked opportunities already seized), we were forced to drive into Royal Park and walk to the ground.

As we approached the facility gates for a second time we were greeted by a roar from the crowd, thankfully in response to a South goal. It was a welcome surprise. I wasn’t confident heading into this game that we’d be able to breach the Avondale defence and considering the team’s fatigue, an early goal was absolutely necessary.

Any contest against against Avondale is tense, but this game was a six pointer with silverware on the line. For South, a draw was the bare minimum needed to secure silverware. For Avondale a win was necessary to keep their premiership hopes alive. As well as the pressure to play on the front foot Avondale were coming into this game with the league’s best attack (60 goals scored) but South were coming into the game with the league’s best defence (18 goals conceded)… the early goal only cemented how this game was going to play out.

A Decent Meccano set up

The first half though seemed to be a relatively even affair, mostly locked in the middle with a few half chances for both teams. We spent most of this half slowly walking around the ground to watch from different vantage points and I need to say, the set up has greatly improved since last time I was at this ground. No doubt though the club will need to play potential second division games somewhere else…

There was more than a few hundred in attendance with Avondale fans probably making up just less than half of that and mostly congregated on the sunny side of the pitch. The amenities were neatly organised portables offering drinks, toilets and player change rooms, with slight hill and terracing on one side offering some close and comfortable vantage points (as long as you had sunnies). A couple of food trucks had been added too so I snagged a decent kebab to sustain me for the half.

We made our way to the temporary stand out of the sun, where I was surprised to see half the seats were packed up an inaccessible. The small stand was pretty much filled with South fans and offered the best views of the ground. Overall it quite comfortable, despite the looks from the outside. I enjoyed the atmosphere from here including banter between South fans directed at the fourth official.

Could have lost badly

The second half told a very different story. Avondale came out on the front foot and threatened on multiple occasions, winning one-on-one opportunities in the box only to fire over the bar. The early onslaught though managed to yield an equalising goal in the 53rd minute and seemed to be the start of things to come. Avondale were relentless. Carving up the wings and entering the box easily. Honestly they could have had another two or three if it wasn’t for their poor shooting. A tired and at times unorganised South defence could do little to manage the threats even with numbers at the back.

However as the game continued and the nerves crept up on Avondale they seemed to play themselves out of the game. As they grew tired and increasingly desperate Avondale opened themselves up to a few decent South attacks. Sawyer managed to carve out what should have been another goal scoring chance, South generally managed to play the ball deep into the wings, and even managed to win a few threatening corners.

As the game ticked on things started getting messy. A corner clearance by the Avondale keeper collected a South head as collateral forcing a medical stoppage which seemed to break the rhythm of the game. This is how the last 20 minutes seemed to play out. Stoppage after stoppage enraged the already frustrated Avondale crowd and the pressure seemed to break their bench. The team by all measures should have been in front and the fact they were trailing seemed to leave them confused and frustrated.

In the final moments, minor player skirmishes resulted in a South red card, multiple Avondale yellow cards, a nine minute injury time period and a final free kick opportunity for the home team which was effectively handled by Lopez to seal the game.

Ceremoniously…

Honestly props to Avondale, they’ve managed to carve out a great team, a slowly growing supporter base and a neat ground despite a hostile local council. I was bit nervous going into this game as to whether they’d be any more hostility, especially considering the shenanigans at last year’s Grand Final, but was pleased that the experience as a whole was relatively cordial – Avondale staff even allowed a couple of South banners to be hung instead created petty issues which other clubs have done in the past.

A small presentation of the Premiership plate even followed the game and South nabbed a photo along the wing with fans before Clarendon Corner convinced them to also take a photo behind the goals. The mood was celebratory, but there was also a sense of relief, of rest, at the game’s conclusion. This whole week has been so emotionally draining, on the pitch and off it. Every time South seems to contest these kinds of big matches there’s always external pressure that wants to see the team lose, so being able to keep them quiet for a week was a massive relief to say the least.

The club though is looking down the barrel of more intense scrutiny, which includes a relatively favourable Australia Cup draw, and a finals series which we have only recently been banana-skinned on. Not much needed to change yesterday for Avondale to nab the win, and flashbacks of the last Grand Final have only marginally been held at bay for now. Yes, there will be a week of rest, but this will all come back sooner than we think.

Props to the whole club in managing this season and this week, but there is still a long way to go, and a lot of silverware on the line. Two major trophies though is nothing to sneeze at and one wonders how the silverware may embolden and free the team in the weeks to come.

Now though we can breath…

…and drink apparently! The celebrations continued at Lakeside after the victory, which was likely a nice family affair with fans and even the NPLW team which had played at home that afternoon (despite not getting the result). Apparently the club was even hosted at Kinisi Live to celebrate their week which honestly I love to see!

Other happenings

In a bizarre series of events earlier in the round, the Melbourne Knights vs Dandenong Thunder match was abandoned for a kit clash. There was a bit of confusion about this online as a similar kit combination was allowed to play earlier in the season when Thunder faced Hume. Perplexingly, apparently the Monday night rescheduled fixture is set to be played with the same kits anyway! If true, that’s one of the funnier ways a referee has discovered their own colour-blindness! It’s a shame the regular kick-off couldn’t precede though as the match was meant to be a final game for the Ivan Franjić, a legend of the game who deserved a better send of than this.

A few Australia Cup thoughts. South, Oakleigh, Melbourne Srbija and Heidelberg all upset higher league opposition which helped see all five NPLVIC clubs progress to the next stage. Another example of NPLVIC superiority – huzzah!

Also of note, with the additional of Auckland to the A-League, the position of New Zealand teams in the comp is creating some discussion online. Wellington are already barred from hosting home games in the competition (mostly to avoid every Australian based community team requiring passports for their squads), but with Auckland’s potential entry we face the prospect of future all-Kiwi clashes. In a worst case scenario we may see a Wellington-Auckland Cup Final played in Canberra one day! As both teams are ineligible for AFC competition qualification anyway the competition is somewhat less important for them. Perhaps it might make sense for the competition and for the clubs themselves – to remove Kiwi teams from future editions of the Australian Cup.

Another noteworthy talking point of the competition this year in the new draw process. A fully open draw was implemented this season as well as a new drawing process which saw the final four rounds drawn on the same night. Supposedly this helps with logistics but I think it also created some good discussion online as fans could discuss paths for their teams. I’d like to see future editions expand on this dynamic. A fully open draw, entirely drawn before the competition kicks off would also create a promotional opportunity for a tipping competition, allowing for fans to compete a full bracket and better engage with the comp!

Final note

Go South, fantastic week! Hope the post-Kinisi hang over clears up before finals.

A 20 year victory (guest post)

This poem originally appeared on Manny's blog

A cold and still night

A traffic filled journey

The crowds arrived late

And then South scored early

The first half a flurry

Aggressive direct

South wanted to score

Not simply protect

The half time break welcomed

By both of the teams

As the Nix clicked into gear

And South ran out of steam

They held the possession

For forty five more

The Nix with the ball

But not with much more

South held their breath

For fifty more minutes

Their small early lead

Pushed the team to their limits

And just as South’s dam

Felt destined to burst

The whistle was blown

And rewarded their work

The players collapsed

The fans on their feet

The scenes of success

Of mission complete

No more can they say

It had never been done

South played an A-League team

And somehow they won

Third time’s the charm for South Melbourne vs A-League opposition (guest post)

South Melbourne vs Wellington Phoenix. It was a game that I had been looking forward to since it was announced, and one that was scheduled just a few days after my return from holiday. In terms of cultural whiplash, I’m not sure the experience could have been any more surreal.

Instead of relaxing on a Greek beach (as I was just a week ago), my day consisted of a return to the office, a deluge of emails and then a mid-week football game between South and an A-League opponent. The whole thing felt like a dream, and considering the final result, I’m still not entirely sure that the experience was reality.

Getting to the game

I made my way down to Southern Cross after work where I grabbed a pregame meal and caught up with a mate. From there, we grabbed a tram destined for Lakeside, where the first signs of the game’s significance were present. Blue South Melbourne beanies and Yellow Wellington scarves adorned other passengers on the trams. Many of which were undoubtedly first time visitors to Lakeside, as they were noticeably tracking their journeys on Google Maps.

Although tonight was surely going to be bigger than a usual Lakeside escapade, I was still pessimistic about the game and experience to come. As we approached the stadium, the grandstand only appeared sparsely occupied, and as we entered through Gate Two my heart sunk as I realised that most of the ground was in fact closed up… yes, despite playing A-League opposition, only one stand was open.

Before the game

We made our way to the packed Social Club to kill some time in the merch store, before heading back out to snag seats next to Clarendon Corner. Pleasingly the atmosphere was picking up at an accelerating pace. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. Most people tend to arrive just before kick-off especially on a cold weeknight, but even then, I was surprised as to how large the crowd eventually became.

Amongst the many South fans were a strong contingent of Wellington faithful, as well as a good showing from associate clubs – I noticed quite a few Yarraville and Malvern scarves sprinkled throughout the ground. The grandstand felt warm, both thanks to our undercover seats and also thanks to the excited pre-game chatter around us. Lakeside was looking picturesque and despite the cold, the minimal wind and beautifully lit stadium had me looking forward to a wonderful night of football.

The first half

Fireworks blasting at the end of the player tunnel were a novel way to usher the players onto the field, but the most pleasant surprise was South’s aggressive opening play. After just five minutes a beautiful through ball from Zak Spiteri was wonderfully hit into the back of the net by Harrison Sawyer. The goal put South in the lead and made the crowd go wild.

Just moments later though, South narrowly avoided a quick retaliation. Wellington managed to carve out a one on one opportunity, only to hit the final shot over the bar. This wasn’t their only chance of the half but it was certainly their best. For the remainder of the half Wellington held possession and seemed particularly dangerous down the right wing, however despite numerous plays into the box the Nix lacked the strike power to equalise.

South defended well and defended aggressively to the delight of the fans. South frequently pressured Wellington into losing the ball up the field and prevented the Nix from establishing much fluidity in their possession. The crowd cheered every major slide tackle and clearance, more so when they realised each turnover could quickly be turned into an attacking opportunity.

South were content on playing a quick and direct style with Sawyer offering the main target up front. Midfield turnovers were quickly taken by sprinting South wingers but despite the frantic attacking play at the end of the half the score remained 1-0. It was a near perfect half for the club, and the players enjoyed a standing ovation as they returned to the change rooms.

However as is always the case with unusually large games at Lakeside minor issues can on occasion pop up. This time round was a farcical attempt from security to remove the trumpet from Clarendon Corner. Thankfully the issue was laughed away by the fans and security allowed reason to prevail, but having seen this before I can’t help but wonder how this isn’t mentioned in the pre-game security briefings. Clarendon Corner should not have to argue for their right to support the team as they have been for decades!

The second half

The second half was a different beast. Save for a couple of counter attacking chances and an inexplicably impressive run from Sawyer, South were largely on the back foot. It was clear from the onset that the team was rapidly fatiguing, and would not be able to approach the game as aggressively as they had in the first half.

South responded to the changing dynamic by subbing off Harry Sawyer for Andy Brennan. It was a clever move which allowed South to concentrate on their defensive structure whilst retaining an attacking threat through Brennan’s pace, which kept Wellington on their toes. Despite the isolated role and team fatigue, Brennan even managed to carve out a few chances behind the high Wellington defensive line.

Wellington on the other hand looked energised and composed. The Nix comfortably retained the lion’s share of possession but failed to break the South defence with their young strike force. Eventually the team was forced to introduce some attacking experience, subbing on both Barbarousness and Rojas later in the game.

During the second half I decided to go for a quick walk and soak in the atmosphere. Although only one stand was open for the game it should be noted that the grandstand in question is huge and it is no surprised that over 4,000 people were in attendance on the night. The corporate areas were packed and there was barely any room along the fence line for those looking to get close to the action.

On the far end I was surprised to find a couple of hundred Wellington fans in attendance. After chatting to a few of them it turns out they have a very established presence in Melbourne and generally fill out their away allocations in their A-League games here. They were understandably impressed by the Lakeside set up, particularly the views of the city and the Albert Park surrounds.

Injury time

Meanwhile at the social club end, Clarendon Corner managed to create a noisy atmosphere throughout the whole game. As they do for most big games, flags, drums and tickertape featured and on more than one occasion the surrounding crowds got involved in chants. As the game slowly reached its conclusion though, the noise and anxiety of the crowd palpably grew.

In injury time, the whistles from the crowd were ear piercing, every South tackle was cheered and every Wellington attack received the scorn of the masses. When the actual final whistle finally arrived the players fell to the floor exhausted and the crowds rose in jubilation. South had done it.

The PA system pumped ‘Another One Bites The Dust’ to farewell the Kiwi opponents and Clarendon Corner led the crowd with chants for the team. The overall experience was equal parts pride and surprise that the team, the club, had actually managed to defeat an A-League team.

One final note

I’m grateful for nights like this. Nights where over 4,000 people come to a mid-week match to watch South win in a National Competition. This upcoming weekend South face Avondale in a park by a freeway. The contrast in some ways is sad but it also reveals something quite important. Despite the many years in the football wilderness South, and many other clubs, have not given up on their ambition for something bigger.

The big nights can only happen after many nights of hard work. South has worked hard to remain successful in football at the highest level it has been allowed to reach. It has worked hard to maintain a strong fan base, it has worked hard to retain a strong team, it has worked hard to occupy a world class facility, and it will continue to work hard to excel elsewhere – whether that be the junior program, women’s program, powerchair football, community work, or helping to deliver a second division.

This weekend’s game might be played in front of fewer people but it also could deliver South a Premiership. No matter the level, doing your best matters, and for as long as I’ve known South, that’s what they’ve tried to do themselves, and inspire others to do to. Sometimes your best isn’t enough, thankfully for South against Wellington, it was.