Yeah its a bit shit for both clubs......  OV is a great spot and being the derby it gets a decent crowd ... Good takings for the Bergers from the canteen and gate and great support for both clubs.... sadly tonight will be a bust because most will be at home watching the Matildas....... They could have moved it forward or back by 24 hours easily but ...... well you all know my thoughts on the pig ignorant arseholes running FFV.

it stinks tbh considering the occasion - the amount of reschuduling/due to the biggest game tonight has been on the airwaves up here daily.
That really is such a bad show by FFV.

Not to mention the fact that all the players from both teams have to take leave from their jobs to get to the ground a couple of hours early for warm up ......  at the last minute's notice....... 

Bollocks lose lose for me last night........  Oh well at least I got to watch PAO stun Aubameyang and Guendouzi's OM in the UCL qualifiers ..... 

and aren't the French still bitter :)

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230815-panathinaikos-beat-marseille-on-penalties-rangers-reach-champions-league-play-off

  

Comfortable win away from home to conclude the season with a squad of mostly U21s..

Bring on the Semis... FORZA HELLAS 

https://twitter.com/smfc/status/1692802041633185805?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

The canteen FFS ?

Crowds just like the Greek league as well.

Well its actually their social club but I didnt think you plastics would understand what that is so I dumbed it down for you.

https://www.footballvictoria.com.au/news/npl-victoria-grand-final-fixtures-and-venues-confirmed

Well done FFV you keep being you.... NPL VIC mens final at OV 3pm, that was such a success last time around, its like they dont WANT crowds at these things. 

and the u21s on Pitch 5 of Latrobe while the u17s ladies play at the same time ...... 

South Melbourne FC

4 h  · As we walk towards to the end of the 2023 season SMFC is delighted to announce some exciting news.Our Technical Director, Sinisa Cohadzic, has been appointed as co-coach of the Phillipines National women’s team. He will share his duties with Western United Senior Women’s Coach, Mark Torcaso. They are taking over from Alan Stajcic, former Matildas Senior Coach, who successfully navigated the Phillipines to the recent Women's World Cup defeating co-hosts NZ in the group phases.The roles will be predominantly based in Australia which allows Sinisa to remain in his role at South Melbourne FC and continue developing the blue print that has helped shape our successes over his tenure.We are also excited to announce we are elevating Michael Zakoski, our U 15’s coach this year as assistant Technical Director. Michael arrived from Canberra this season and has worked passionately in the club embracing all its values, his work ethic and coaching skills have made a significant impact on our junior program and we are delighted to reward him with increased responsibility. Management believe the club and it’s members will be rewarded with prolonged stability by retaining Sinisa, while also introducing fresh ideas and energy by elevating Michael.Speaking to SMFC Media, Youth Football Director Peter Kokotis was excited for Sinisa. "Sinisa has been a wonderful part of this club leading our blue print in youth football. In the past few seasons our junior program has started to take shape and we are excited to see him given an opportunity on the International stage. South Melbourne is proud of the pathways it not only provides its players but our coaches as well and we have no doubt he will succeed in this next part of his career."The club wishes to acknowledge and congratulate Sinisa on being recognised at the international level. We also congratulate Michael on his elevation to Assistant TD and wish both our coaches all the very best.

WE ARE COMING HOME! A reminder that we will be hosting a Home Semi Final next week at Lakeside Stadium.We are yet to find out our opponents, with this week's Elimination Final's being played tomorrow night. Confirmation of our opponent, the match date and time and any other match information will be released once officially confirmed across all of our channels.With the club playing the highest winner of the first week of finals, our opponents could be the Oakleigh Cannons, Melbourne Knights or Port Melbourne.Regardless of the opponent, we need the Blue and White army behind us in the same way that you have been all year.

Is that confirmed? Few people from the Oakleigh crowd are telling me the game will be held at a neutral ground? I don't have any information besides word of mouth, so i am going to assume its just false information?

Wow, Salmon had a bit of a blinder on Friday night, the Cannons are in devastating form... But as far as I know (unless of course the Federation is somehow convinced otherwise) Friday nights Semi is at Lakeside..... winner of this one will take the chockies I reckon.

Avondale v Knights on Saturday night ..... hoping against hope for a South v Knights grand final just for the nostalgia.... great way to close out our state league Odyssey.. 

Ok cool. Sadly i won't be able to attend, regardless where it is held :( 

South are very difficult to beat at home, what is your prediction? I agree also, winner of this will definitely win the lot. 

Arrrggghh who knows? Playing at home definitely gives us a slight advantage but Oakleigh have been our bogey side these last few seasons... CT , most of the club people and a vast majority of the players just absolutely hate Hellas....  Its a weird one to predict to be honest... I reckon this one may go down to penalties.

Big Friday night coming up, good luck bud.

Thanks brother.... Will be an anxious 3-4 days this week.... 

Very pleased for APIA, they were amazing this year and now SOOOOO looking forward to visiting next season..... 

yes long time for APIA without a league title.
Man I am trying not to talk much about next season till I finally see it officially announced but yer, away games will be epic against some of the ol clubs.

I think there are alot of conversations happening in clubland down here at the moment with Bentleigh and North Geelong waiting to find out if they go down this year or not because clubs may be leaving the comp to go to NST..... and what that means to NPL 2 and 3 also..... They really need to start making some concrete decisions soon.

Bentleigh Geelong don't have a proposal in right ?
With you guys, Avondale and likely Lions MK, Gully ? Juve ? lets say 4 for sure of the group mentioned either way for Bentleigh/Geelong they'll still be in the top PL comp so it won't matter where they finish bottom end of the ladder.
Will be a bonus for a few Clubs below to get promoted that they normally struggle being in promo postion let alone win the GF.

Season is over and Bentleigh and  Geelong finished bottom two...  two from NPL 2 already promised to be promoted Manningham and Dandy City.... so If there are 4 NST clubs from Vic it depends on where they caome from as Preston is already NPL 2 and Brunswick Juve just got relegated to NPL 3 ... hahaha what a mess this first year is going to be but Im gonna love very minute of it..... 20 years and ALMOST, ALMOST back in the top flight.... feels like a dream. 

what ya mean, it will be top flight :) haha

Hahahahaha yeah it WILL be the top flight but just mean we are "almost" in it... waiting on final announcement before the 25 year old bottle of Chivas Ive been saving gets cracked open. :)

I'm so out of the loop, can you fill me in? You are talking about this new league coming in? What's the latest news on that?

The long drawn out saga of the new NSD/NST division possible start for '24 season.........
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Second_Division

Latest article
https://www.footballaustralia.com.au/news/football-australia-updates-national-second-tier-process

Phase 3 update
confirmed submissions NST,
APIA Leichhardt
Avondale FC
Marconi Stallions
Preston Lions
South Melbourne
Sunshine Coast FC
Sydney Olympic
Sydney United
Wollongong Wolves

withdrawn from NST,
Gold Coast Knights
Gold Coast United
Olympic FC

no official announcement from the following 14 clubs,
Adelaide City
Brisbane City
Brisbane United (Wynnum Wolves, Brisbane Strikers, Virginia United)
Brunswick Juventus
Canberra Croatia
Football South Australia
Fraser Park
Green Gully Cavaliers
Gungahlin United
Heidelberg United
Melbourne Knights
Rockdale Illinden
South Hobart
Sutherland Sharks

source - Neal Symons (NPL VIC match commentator).         

Yeah, like LFC states above, we are talking about the new national league being launched in 2024 (hopefully March)

So far 10 x clubs have indicated they have submited both proposal and bank guranteed for 500K so we are quietly optimistic that this will go ahead.

With 4 x clubs (so far) from NPL VIC . 

Preston Lions - NPL 2
South Melbourne - NPL  - 1
Avondale - NPL 1
Melbourne Knights - NPL 1

and another 3 possibly still to announce, this will throw promotion/relegation between the 3 x NPL leagues and State leagues into turmopil until the NST is confirmed...

Brunswick Juventus - just got relegated to NPL 3
Green Gully Cavaliers - NPL 1 
Heidelberg United - NPL 1

Yeah wow i can see the pickle this is going to create haha. 

Well regardless of the result today, i honestly do wish South Melbourne all the best in this new league, i genuinely hope they get promoted to the A league one day, don't know if it can/will happen, but if it ever did, I'd be happy to see it. 

I'll still be supporting Oakleigh next year, but low key supporting South Melbourne lol, just don't tell anyone :p

Awesome thanks for that.

Could you maybe please explain to me the quote below? Not sure what they mean by that:

However, Football Australia may also explore a phased 'group based’ model, where the National Premier Leagues would influence the composition, adopting the ‘Champions League’ model.

Hahahah no worries, we'll keep it under wraps :P

None is actually really sure about that .......