We wont be doing anything if we repeat that 2nd half. Lucky Lopez saved us, that was the weakest City team they've put out this year, all 16-18 yr olds. I can understand a 10-15 minute switch off but that was way off it.

Midfielder said:

Sydney and Melbourne are Australia's two biggest cities combined they need to provide the bulk of Australian teams as do the NRL n AFL ..

SM is beyond obvious as the next team from Mexico...

In the old NSL days they were the most advanced of the ethical clubs changing to a broader based club... equally they respect a connection to the past...

FFS just let em in...it's f....king beyond obvious

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Disagree completely as it is stated in the current context.

However, the distinction comes with Sydney and Melbourne need to provide more clubs - but those clubs need to be NPL clubs that will be sustainable easily and bring their own base.

Thats, where South Melbourne and a number of Sydney and Melbourne clubs come in and have an irrepressible case for inclusion.

southmelb said:

We wont be doing anything if we repeat that 2nd half. Lucky Lopez saved us, that was the weakest City team they've put out this year, all 16-18 yr olds. I can understand a 10-15 minute switch off but that was way off it.

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Worst and most incoherent second half i can remember! Disjointed, no passion (albeit 2 _ 0 up but of they pulled one back we wouldve been in trouble at that score... despite the pressure i saw players jogging!

I fear we are destined to meet Preston in first knock out semi.

That’s diabolical.

We need them to have further points sanctions so they end up 6th.

Avondale surely won’t drop to 4th?

Son of Sam said:

I fear we are destined to meet Preston in first knock out semi.

That’s diabolical.

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Come what may.. we struggle more in the theoretical easier games anyway.

Son of Sam said:

We need them to have further points sanctions so they end up 6th.

Avondale surely won’t drop to 4th?

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Georgies will.put a fight today.. they want finals spot also dont forget...

Georgies beat avondale. Final state of play.

Avondale - magic away, hume at home
Hume- gx at home, Avondale away

If hume loses both games and south win we will get 3rd place however a draw on either will keep us 4th, however on the other hand if avondale drops points in any games and we win both we get 3rd place. Then the tasty least likely hume lose both and magic somehow get a point at home vs avondale and we could finish 2nd. Crazy

It was the kind of the match that you take the 3 points and quickly forget about it. The opposition was pretty much made up of kids, so to be fair it’s hard for the players to maintain a high intensity for the full 90 minutes.

Instructions from Sinisa would have been to go out and get a healthy lead and then manage the result from there. First half was a dominant South and we probably should have had another goal before halftime. The second half wasn’t pretty and we pretty much took the foot off the pedal and let the kids back into the match. Sinisa saw that and brought Retre and Skapoulas on to steady the ship and regain control the midfield.

I’m not too fussed by this match. The aim was to get 3 points and avoid any red cards or injuries. Job done.

We effectively require one more point from our remaining two matches to secure a home final. With Avondale’s loss to CS George Cross, we have the chance to finish third. Only goal difference separates us from outright third.

We have 3 big matches coming up. The biggest one is in a week and a half against Preston. Heidelberg will be desperate to defeat us at Lakeside, so I can’t see them agreeing to our match being brought forward to help us have a bigger break before the Australia Cup quarterfinal.

hellas_johnny said:

Georgies beat avondale. Final state of play.

Avondale - magic away, hume at home
Hume- gx at home, Avondale away

If hume loses both games and south win we will get 3rd place however a draw on either will keep us 4th, however on the other hand if avondale drops points in any games and we win both we get 3rd place. Then the tasty least likely hume lose both and magic somehow get a point at home vs avondale and we could finish 2nd. Crazy

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If only Heidelberg had kept them at 4-4, that would have maintained our slim hopes of finishing second.

We now need Hume to take points off Avondale in order to allow us to have a chance of leapfrogging them into third spot. If we can by a stroke of luck snatch third spot, we would host an Elimination Final and then travel to Hume City in the Preliminary Final.

Son of Sam said:

I fear we are destined to meet Preston in first knock out semi.

That’s diabolical.

We need them to have further points sanctions so they end up 6th.

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Given the FV Tribunal is yet to hand down its sanctions on Preston, they could be facing more points deductions and potentially miss the finals. That might save Heidelberg.

I'm somehow expecting a South vs Preston final, with the winner playing Oakleigh.

KostaV92 said:

If South vs Preston ends up being 4 v 5 and 3 beats 6 you will get us or Preston in the semi final

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Yeah i think that's probably the most likely scenario as of now. Of course it could change next week.

Im gonna say Preston have little chance of finishing above us after a further points deduction likely coming. My gut feel is we will host either Preston or Heidelberg in the elimination final at home.

If only we beat Altona and Gully at home.

southmelb said:

If only we beat Altona and Gully at home.

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We have thrown away so many points this season. Even accounting for the madness of May, we still could have finished second. Very frustrating.

SMFC1959 said:

We have thrown away so many points this season. Even accounting for the madness of May, we still could have finished second. Very frustrating.

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Apologies for interjecting into a conversation which doesn’t really concern an outsider like myself, but doesn’t this years npl have a massive asterisk next to it from a South Melbourne perspective just by virtue of the fact it clearly wasn’t priority for the club for a substantial stretch of the season

Glenardo said:

Apologies for interjecting into a conversation which doesn’t really concern an outsider like myself, but doesn’t this years npl have a massive asterisk next to it from a South Melbourne perspective just by virtue of the fact it clearly wasn’t priority for the club for a substantial stretch of the season

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Initially yes and imo rightfully, but we didnt win ofc, so focus shifted to AU Cup priority and given the want for trophy, secodary focus is there to win NPL if it doesnt clash with cup run!

southmelb said:

Im gonna say Preston have little chance of finishing above us after a further points deduction likely coming. My gut feel is we will host either Preston or Heidelberg in the elimination final at home.

If only we beat Altona and Gully at home.

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If i had a choice i still maintain the the hope we could.play bergers as 3 v 6 and then hume in semi... would like nothing more than choaks play Preston in a semi final.... big show final chance!

I have a feeling any further points deduction now may come for next season if at all....

Any details how far off Lampard and Eliopoulos are?

Spartan Warrior said:

Any details how far off Lampard and Eliopoulos are?

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same question plaguing me... would be great to get an actual update.