By Kieran Yap 5/8/25
Above: Danella Butrus and Ava Briedis for Bulleen. Photo: Isabelle Campbell
Bulleen Lions tightened their hold on second place with a 6-2 win over FV Academy at the Home of the Matildas. Five different goal scorers contributed to the win which sees them nine points away from first place but more importantly, three clear of a fast finishing Essendon Royals.
FV Academy was a victim of their own recent success coming into this game. While some players were missing through injury, others were missing through international duty and their impressive momentum was somewhat stalled by a brilliant Victorian campaign at the Emerging Matildas championships.
Crucially to meet a Bulleen side that appears to be peaking in time for finals, they were missing several starters, notable in-form fullback Emily Rutkowski and creative midfielder Clancy Westaway.
Having said all that, Bulleen were good, very good and even if they cannot catch Heidelberg at the top of the table, things look to be clicking into place for the defending premiers in time for finals.
Bulleen had almost a full strength squad to pick from, and started strongly. Danella Butrus opened the scoring against her former club with a brilliant solo goal in the 14ht minute. After her cross was cut off, she received the ball back on the wing and shot from the edge of the box to beat Charlotte Hrehoresin’s diving attempt to save.
FV Academy responded quickly. Jade Tam’s corner kick was prodded home by the ever dangerous Fiorina Iaria in the 17th minute to make it 1-1.
Bulleen scored again almost straight from the kickoff. Tiffany Eliadis struck from close range after a corner kick created a goalmouth scramble to restore the lead.
By the 22nd minute it was 3-1. Isabella Accardo’s long ball fell perfectly for Holly Massie to run onto an score after nodding the ball down and rounding the goalkeeper for an easy finish.
Some more trickery from Butrus earned a penalty kick, but Hrehoresin made a strong save from Paige Zois’s spot kick. In the next sequence of play a free kick was earned at the corner of the 18 yard box and Zois delivered one of the goals of the season, shooting directly from an area most would cross from. The curling effort was unsavable in its trajectory and left those in the stands stunned.
Ava Breidis gave those voting for goal of the round something to think about when she scored Bulleen’s fifth in the closing stages of the half. the move began brightly for FV Acamedy with a promising looking attack, but Bulleen struck on the counter attack and after Butrus was well held up, the ball bounced free and Breidis struck a ferocious half-volley to make it 5-1 at the break.
FV Academy found a much better rhythm in the second half, and although Bulleen had chances to increase their lead, the makeshift defence and some decisive goalkeeping kept them from doing so.
On the 58th minute, Iaria brought pulled one back for FV Acamedy. The speedster was on the end of a perfect through ball from Jasmine Millar and raced clear, kept her composure and slotted home her second of the game.
Briedis scored her second with a close range finish in the 67th minute. Butrus cleverly beat her opponent on the right flank before delivering a fast ball across the face of goal. Breidis met the ball at full speed and flicked the ball into the net for Bulleen’s sixth and final goal of the game.
The result sees FV Acamedy drop to 10th spot on the league, but with two games in hand and three more rounds to play, they will have every opportunity to rediscover their exciting form.
Bulleen need to win all three remaining fixtures and hope Heidelberg are prevented from winning one more in order to claim a third successive premiership. That appears unlikely, but they are a side looking sharper every week heading in finals, Zois looks back to her best, Sarah Cain is in dominant form and Ava Briedis is surely catching the eye of A-League Women recruiters.
Despite conceding twice, the defence is looking at its most settled so far this season, and young goalkeeper Alyssia Ierardo seems more comfortable with every minute on the pitch.
Round 20 will see Bulleen host South Melbourne at the Veneto club in a must win game for both sides.
Around The Grounds:
Carina Rossi’s persistence and Rhianna Pollicina’s craft gave Box Hill United a 2-0 win against Brunswick Juventus Rossi opened the scoring after Juventus failed to clear a Josephine Aulicino cross. The Melbourne City poacher forced the balls over the line amid the chaos of falling bodies in the goalmouth.
Polilcina sealed the three points with an excellent solo goal in added time. After wriggling free on the flank, she cut inside and scored at the second attempt. The win sees Box Hill end the round just a point outside of the top four.
The team that they are chasing, Alamein FC, just seem to keep getting the job done each week. They have firepower and are a difficult side to stop. Neve Duston scored from a powerfully struck penalty, but Boroondara-Carey Eagles scored an equaliser after Rachel Stirton capitalised on a defensive error.
Maximillia found all the space that she needed to win the game for Alamein. The mid-season recruit got behind the Boroondara defence to finish calmly and keep her side in fourth spot on the table.
Essendon Royals continued their late season charge. Goals to Emma Langley and Alana Cerne gave them the win over Bentleigh Greens despite a cool finish by Samantha Curwood-Wagner which ensured a tight finish.
Langley ghosted in at the far post to score her side’s opener, while Cerne finished off a free kick by Kendrah Smith to provide what would be an essential two goal cushion.
Essendon’s position in the finals looks assured, but they face South Melbourne and Heidelberg in the final two rounds of the season and will be taking nothing for granted.
An Aeryn Tarrant wonder goal gave Heidelberg United a vital 2-1 win over Spring Hills FC and continued their march toward a premiership.
Bronte Peel’s fourth minute strike looked like it would set up an easy day at the office for The Bergers, but Yukina Tamamura’s strike on the half-volley levelled things up in the 50th minute.
With the game in the balance, and Heidelberg looking at the possibility of two winless weeks in s row, their Junior Matildas star stepped up. Tarrant picked up the ball at halfway, carried it forward and launched a rocket of a strike from just inside of 30 yards. The goal stunned anybody watching, it was a strike of pure perfection and underlined the feeling following the Emerging Matildas Championships that a new star is born in Victorian Football.
South Melbourne scored a very late winner against Preston United at Lakeside Stadium. Alana Burn scored in the 97th minute, when she forced the ball over the line from a corner kick. It was the last kick of the game and could prove crucial to South’s season. They currently sit two points behind Alamein, but would have slipped the eighth on the table with a draw or loss. Midfielder Grace Taranto was used in a more attacking role for South which enabled them to keep up the pressure on the visitors.
The defeat was a cruel one for Preston, who face two potential top four sides in the final rounds of the season.
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