Official South Melbourne Hellas thread 🔵⚪

[Monoethnic Social Club]

Hahahah

Until it's St Albans 2025 all over again (Hume did look shocking though)

Im not even going to respond to that.......................... My big cuddly Yugoslav teddy bear doesn't do that sort of shit, he'll have a couple of guns on the bench....

 

[southmelb]

Ok so im not mucking around with the keepers, Lopez plays every game. Rotate heavily for Thursday but keep 5 guns on the bench if we need the extra push in 2nd half.

Hume are shit so this is a good test for us. If our rotated team cant beat them it will get ugly against the rest.

 

[Monoethnic Social Club]

Ok so im not mucking around with the keepers, Lopez plays every game. Rotate heavily for Thursday but keep 5 guns on the bench if we need the extra push in 2nd half.

Hume are shit so this is a good test for us. If our rotated team cant beat them it will get ugly against the rest.

I predict we rest Bondada, Yuki, Jankovic and one of Lampard/Painter Andrews (if both I will scream) maybe also Mikkola and Tommy G start on the bench. Let Messournoni and Cox lead the line ... with Swibel to sub on for second half... AND JAVI in goals, with Charlston on bench as second choice.... maybe even comes in if score blows out to 3-4 nil.

If we have a repeat of St ALbans last year as our Preston friend so loving horrified us with, I will be leaving pretty early.

 

[Hellenic_blue&white]

I predict we rest Bondada, Yuki, Jankovic and one of Lampard/Painter Andrews (if both I will scream) maybe also Mikkola and Tommy G start on the bench. Let Messournoni and Cox lead the line ... with Swibel to sub on for second half... AND JAVI in goals, with Charlston on bench as second choice.... maybe even comes in if score blows out to 3-4 nil.

If we have a repeat of St ALbans last year as our Preston friend so loving horrified us with, I will be leaving pretty early.

My only change to the above would be swibel plays.. i feel he lacks the ongoing rythm a striker needs to unclog so more game time the better here.... Uchi rested is key for me!

 

[SMFC1959]

Ok so im not mucking around with the keepers, Lopez plays every game. Rotate heavily for Thursday but keep 5 guns on the bench if we need the extra push in 2nd half.

Hume are shit so this is a good test for us. If our rotated team cant beat them it will get ugly against the rest.

Good point. Hume ain't great and the fact they were beaten easily by a relegation favourite suggests we can try an experimental lineup. However, if the starting XI we put out is so poor and gets whacked by Hume, then, we know we have a pretty thin squad depth.

 

[SMFC1959]

I predict we rest Bondada, Yuki, Jankovic and one of Lampard/Painter Andrews (if both I will scream) maybe also Mikkola and Tommy G start on the bench. Let Messournoni and Cox lead the line ... with Swibel to sub on for second half... AND JAVI in goals, with Charlston on bench as second choice.... maybe even comes in if score blows out to 3-4 nil.

If we have a repeat of St ALbans last year as our Preston friend so loving horrified us with, I will be leaving pretty early.

Agree. Players such as Uchida, Pasquali, Giannakopoulos, Swibel, Mikkola, Jankovic, and Lopez should be on the bench. They're needed against Auckland on Saturday, and then against South Island the following Friday.

What that means we may field the following team on Thursday against Hume City would be:

Charlston/Shalamanov-Trenkov
Eliopoulos
Inglese
Coveny
Painter-Andrews
Leech
Menelaou
Lackay
Mesorouni
Bonada
Cocks

Therefore, our Starting XI on Saturday against Auckland would be:
Lopez
Lampard
Painter-Andrews
Jankovic
Inglese
Pasquali
Uchida
Giannakopoulos
Swibel
Mikkola
Cocks

That would mean Inglese, Painter-Andrews, and Cocks would be rested against Tahiti United next Tuesday night. I can foresee a big rotation for the Tahiti United match.

 

[Monoethnic Social Club]

Agree. Players such as Uchida, Pasquali, Giannakopoulos, Swibel, Mikkola, Jankovic, and Lopez should be on the bench. They're needed against Auckland on Saturday, and then against South Island the following Friday.

What that means we may field the following team on Thursday against Hume City would be:

Charlston/Shalamanov-Trenkov
Eliopoulos
Inglese
Coveny
Painter-Andrews
Leech
Menelaou
Lackay
Mesorouni
Bonada
Cocks

Therefore, our Starting XI on Saturday against Auckland would be:
Lopez
Lampard
Painter-Andrews
Jankovic
Inglese
Pasquali
Uchida
Giannakopoulos
Swibel
Mikkola
Cocks

That would mean Inglese, Painter-Andrews, and Cocks would be rested against Tahiti United next Tuesday night. I can foresee a big rotation for the Tahiti United match.

Thats a VERY thin IX for Thursday mate..... You trying to give me nightmares?

 

[SMFC1959]

Thats a VERY thin IX for Thursday mate..... You trying to give me nightmares?

There's not much there unfortunately. Some players may need to play 2 matches in 48 hours. The problem with that it leads to injuries.

 

[Hellenic_blue&white]

Charlston
Eliopoulos
Inglese
Coveny
Painter-Andrews
Leech
Menelaou
Lackay
Mesorouni
Bonada
Cocks

For me Swibel in first half, jankovic in first half, mikkola in first half, eliopoulos rested for OFC game, .. Coveny?? Like playing with 10 if he starts!

WE need quick goal to settle and hopefully with a second we can start changing up and conserving energy.

Therefore, our Starting XI on Saturday against Auckland would be:
Lopez
Lampard
Painter-Andrews
Jankovic
Inglese
Pasquali
Uchida
Giannakopoulos
Swibel
Mikkola
Cocks

Eliopoulos ina for this game for sure, any other pairing is a disaster waiting to happen!

 

[rebelliousfeminist974]

What that means we may field the following team on Thursday against Hume City would be:

Charlston/Shalamanov-Trenkov
Eliopoulos
Inglese
Coveny
Painter-Andrews
Leech
Menelaou
Lackay
Mesorouni
Bonada
Cocks

I think Campbell Dovison should be promoted from the reserves to replace Arran Cocks for the Hume City game Thursday, then have Cocks play the OFC Pro League games on Friday at Olympic Village as well as the following Thursday against South Island United at Home of the Matildas, with player rotation for the Tahiti United match.

 

[Hellenic_blue&white]

I think Campbell Dovison should be promoted from the reserves to replace Arran Cocks for the Hume City game Thursday, then have Cocks play the OFC Pro League games on Friday at Olympic Village as well as the following Thursday against South Island United at Home of the Matildas, with player rotation for the Tahiti United match.

He has really struggled to take the next step or impact in any way since thw dockerty cup final.

 

[hellas_johnny]

Agree. Players such as Uchida, Pasquali, Giannakopoulos, Swibel, Mikkola, Jankovic, and Lopez should be on the bench. They're needed against Auckland on Saturday, and then against South Island the following Friday.

What that means we may field the following team on Thursday against Hume City would be:

Charlston/Shalamanov-Trenkov
Eliopoulos
Inglese
Coveny
Painter-Andrews
Leech
Menelaou
Lackay
Mesorouni
Bonada
Cocks

Therefore, our Starting XI on Saturday against Auckland would be:
Lopez
Lampard
Painter-Andrews
Jankovic
Inglese
Pasquali
Uchida
Giannakopoulos
Swibel
Mikkola
Cocks

That would mean Inglese, Painter-Andrews, and Cocks would be rested against Tahiti United next Tuesday night. I can foresee a big rotation for the Tahiti United match.

Pope and birchmore could both play also. Burchmore maybe for painter andrews, could also make it a half time sub. Painter is very fit but mindful of injury niggles in the past

 

[Monoethnic Social Club]

For me Swibel in first half, jankovic in first half, mikkola in first half, eliopoulos rested for OFC game, .. Coveny?? Like playing with 10 if he starts!

WE need quick goal to settle and hopefully with a second we can start changing up and conserving energy.

Eliopoulos ina for this game for sure, any other pairing is a disaster waiting to happen!

Im willing to go easy on Coveney.. it was ONE very lazy pass under pressure from a young player....

 

[Monoethnic Social Club]

He has really struggled to take the next step or impact in any way since thw dockerty cup final.

Hasn't really had many opportunities though... Still gave us the best moment of 2025.
Aus Champs was nice but that last minute Dockerty Cup screamer against Eggs on Toast to END our season of misery is a goal I wont soon forget.

 

[SMFC1959]

Hasn't really had many opportunities though... Still gave us the best moment of 2025.
Aus Champs was nice but that last minute Dockerty Cup screamer against Eggs on Toast to END our season of misery is a goal I wont soon forget.

Wild scenes that day.

 

[Monoethnic Social Club]

Wild scenes that day.

With many more to come.... FORZA HELLAS.

 

[Hellenic_blue&white]

Im willing to go easy on Coveney.. it was ONE very lazy pass under pressure from a young player....

This was me going easy lol... i think he needs more time also to be fair... i just wouldnt use him in games that require solidity at the back is my point.

 

[Hellenic_blue&white]

Hasn't really had many opportunities though... Still gave us the best moment of 2025.
Aus Champs was nice but that last minute Dockerty Cup screamer against Eggs on Toast to END our season of misery is a goal I wont soon forget.

Not too many 'safe' games to be able to give him proper runs though so when he did get his chances and there have been a few ins for him he hasnt done anything to 'grab them by the hair'... as they say in my village!

This was the point of a deeper squad with talent though for players good enough to walk in for NPL games like vs hume without disruption.. much of our depth isnt able to do even that.. let alone play them in OFC.

 

[Monoethnic Social Club]

Hmmm Ive been burnt before.... do I eat on the way or risk it?
Plenty to be excited about, including something new in the kitchen

 

[SMFC1959]

Hmmm Ive been burnt before.... do I eat on the way or risk it?
Plenty to be excited about, including something new in the kitchen

I'm hoping the food options are much better this year than last few years.