Oakleigh Cannons defeat South Melbourne to win NPL Victoria championship

·

Oakleigh Cannons (Men) and Heidelberg United (Women) have been crowned 2024 NPL Victoria champions after thrilling grand final victories at the Home of the Matildas on Saturday, September 7.

A record crowd for the venue was treated to two epic games back-to-back in what was the first Senol NPL Grand Final Double-Header at the headquarters of Victorian football.

The La Trobe University venue was rocking when Heidelberg scored twice in the last eight minutes to secure the most dramatic of 3-2 wins over Preston Lions in the NPLW decider, before Oakleigh Cannons edged rivals South Melbourne 1-0 in a tense NPLM showdown.

Photo: South Melbourne FC / Facebook.

Oliver Kubilay of Oakleigh won the Jimmy Rooney Medal in the NPLM final, while Heidelberg’s Asuka Miyata was awarded NPLW Player of the Match honours.

Oakleigh’s win is its second Grand Final triumph in three seasons. Heidelberg’s success is its first since winning the VPLW championship back in 2007.

Bright lights and a buzzing atmosphere made for a perfect backdrop for the men’s finale, and the stars of the show did not disappoint in what was an enthralling tactical battle.

It took until the 72nd minute for the game’s only goal to be scored.

Emlyn Wellsmore wrote his name into the history books with a composed left-footed finish from inside the penalty box, before he and his Cannons teammates held on for the remainder of the match to take the title.

The result was the reverse of last month’s Dockerty Cup final between these two sides, which South Melbourne won on penalties at the same venue.

Oakleigh captain Joe Guest said: “I want to say a big congratulations and thank you to everyone at the Club, right to the top. The boys have been absolutely immense this season and I’m so proud to share the pitch with them every single week.”

“Football in Victoria is definitely on the up. You can see by the standard of the league this year, there were five teams within six points of each other at the final game, so that speaks volumes. It should be something we should be collectively proud of in this state,” Guest added.

Earlier, kicking off in 20 degree conditions, it didn’t take long for Heidelberg to assert itself on the NPLW finale, taking the lead after 11 minutes via an Alana Jancevski penalty.

But Preston quickly turned the tables, scoring not one but two wonder goals, the first from 35m out by Rasamee Phonsongkham in the 28th minute and the second, a top corner effort from Hayley Johnson in the 36th minute, which gave the Lions a 2-1 lead at half-time.

That was the way it stayed until the 88th minute when Keely Lockhart equalised from close range.

And just when the game seemed destined to go to extra time, Mami Ambo scrambled home a header from close range in the sixth minute of stoppage time in what proved to be the second last touch of the game.

Heidelberg captain Steph Galea said: “I’m so proud of each and every one of (our team). We stuck together through the most difficult times.”

“A few months ago we were sitting a relegation battle and I thought ‘oh no, here we go again’. But we stuck together and fought to the very end and today just proved that,” Galea added.

“I don’t know what minute (the last goal) was, I don’t want to know, but I’m just so glad we kept fighting.”

greek film festival melbourne

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

The man for all jobs: How a Greek migrant turned setbacks into 7-figure success

When Christof Mantzanas stepped off the plane in Melbourne on 10 March 2015, he had just $1,000 in his pocket.

Jimmy’s Kitchen brings authentic Greek hospitality to The Rocks

Sydney diners can now experience the warmth, flavour, and soul of a traditional Greek taverna without the flight to Greece.

Greek Community of Melbourne enhances safety with defibrillator training seminar

The Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) took a notable step towards enhancing community safety by organising a defibrillator training seminar.

Wills without the Trojan War

After nearly 15 years in the legal industry, I’ve lost track of how many matters I’ve worked on involving family disputes over estates.

From tech to health: Greek Australians driving innovation in 2025

Australia’s Top 100 Innovators celebrate those who turn setbacks into breakthroughs. This year, three Greek Australians are among them.

You May Also Like

These are the Greek Australians fighting to keep SA’s snack bar tradition alive

The iconic snack bar in South Australia is a dying breed but these Greek Australians are fighting to keep the tradition alive.

Luxury resorts in Santorini and Mykonos take top places in Readers’ Choice Awards 2022

Katikies Santorini and Mykonos have taken first place in the Readers’ Choice Awards for 2022 by Conde Nast Traveller as top preference for Greece.

Michael Tassis included among SEQ’s leading hospitality bosses

With 11 venues already thriving and a twelfth on the way, Tassis has cemented his place as one of Queensland’s most dynamic restaurateurs.