By Kieran Yap 9/9/26
Above: Aideen Keane. Photo: Joao Tam for NPL Victoria
Bulleen Lions and Avondale FC are both through to the NPLW Victoria Semi Finals after wins over South Melbourne and Boroondara Eagles respectively. Two very different games took place over the weekend that featured intriguing battles and incredible individual displays.
Saturday saw Bulleen Lions defeat South Melbourne 2-1 at the Veneto Club. Bulleen coach Caitlin Friend made several changes from the side that lost to Alamein FC in Round 26. Claudia Mihocic, Tiffany Eliadis and Maja Markovski all returned to the starting XI. Teenage goalkeeper Alyssia Ierardo started between the posts again.
South made fewer changes, but were without goalscoring midfielder Clancy Westaway, she joined Bulleen’s Alyssa Dall ‘Oste in A-League pre-season with Perth Glory.
Although both sides were in attack mode, scoring chances were rare in the first half. Both teams were looking to set the tempo with neither really controlling momentum. In a positive sign for Bulleen, Mihocic looked to have brought her A-game to the knockout rounds. The centre back made some crucial interventions as South looked to utilise their pace on the break.
Francesco Iermano and Emily Roach were South Melbourne’s most creative outlets, while for the home side, Alana Cortellino was able to get free on the right, but finding targets in the box was made difficult by diligent and organized defending.
The first turning point of the match occurred around half an hour in and was an unfortunate one.
South’s star defender Bella Wallhead had to be substituted with an ankle injury. Coach Justin Micallef rolled the dice with a slight tactical change, swapping her for rising striker Heidi Dalton.
The game opened up more in the second half. Tiffany Eliadis had been everywhere in the first 45, and scored a spectacular goal to break the deadlock. Sarah Cain’s pass found it’s way through South Melbourne’s crowded defence and the ball bounced up for Eliadis. She struck a powerful half volley that crashed into the goal off the underside of the bar and Bulleen were 1-0 up in the 46th minute.
For most of the remaining 44 minutes, Bulleen were in their groove. Despite the torrential rain, they exchanged one-touch passes across the pitch. Markovski began to impose herself on the game and Nia Salleh was energetic and creative off the bench. Ierardo was well protected by Mihocic and Catherine Renahan, but when she was called on, she showed composure and strong hands.
South still had the weapons to score though, and it always felt like Bulleen needed a second goal. When Olivia Bomford’s hit the upright after another excellent team move, the football gods decided to inject some cruel fate on the home side.
Emily Roach has been one of South Melbourne’s best players this season and it was always going to be a matter of time before she impacted this match. She did so in the 86th minute with a miracle pass to find the run of Emily Collier.
She outpaced the Bulleen defence and sent the visiting fans into raptures with the late equaliser, sending the game into extra time.
With no goals in the first period of extra time, penalties loomed. Markovski almost caught Geo Candy out with a speculative but intelligent gamble from distance but the ball skimmed widev of the post.
In the 116th minute, the matchwinner arrived, Ava Briedis raced onto Markovski’s well placed long pass and took the ball deep into attack, forcing Candy to commit before coolly finishing into the far bottom corner.
South surged forward in search of an equaliser and the home fans loudly demanded the final whistle. They eventually got their wish and Bulleen were through to another semi-final to face the premiers in a rematch of the epic Nike FC Cup quarter final.
South Melbourne’s season is over, and in the immediate aftermath they will be disappointed, but this was a strong campaign. Micallef’s side were minutes away from a semi-final and played an entertaining style of football throughout the season that trusted in individual talent, the exuberance of youth and the versality of their more experienced stars.
South Melbourne unearthed some serious talent this season. Alexis Pantazoulos and Heidi Dalton burst onto the scene and went from eye-catching debut’s to consistent performers.
Wallhead’s formed justified the hype of her pre-season signing, and Meisha Westland was outstanding in South’s engine room. They were not missing much this season, and it is something they can build on.
Sunday’s game was another classic, albeit of a different style.
If the first final was a careful game of chess, this match was like a game of chess from the movies where they use a timer and everyone goes as fast as possible.
Avondale FC vs Boroondara Eagles was a match played at full throttle from minute one. It ended 5-3 but there could easily have been more goals. The most basic description of this match was as a battle between Sarah Brunner on Boroondara’s left flank and Aideen Keane on Avondale’s.
Both wingers started the game at full pace, running at the fullbacks at every opportunity, looking to break the game open.
They were not the only threats though. Coco Parker’s twisting run earned the visitors a penalty which was comfortably scored by Kanako Higuchi.
The 8th minute lead was short lived. A harmless foul deep in midfield gave Elise Kellond-Knight a free kick and her delivery eluded everyone to bounce into the net just seven minutes later.
Keane began to cause problems. An effort crashed off the crossbar and she was getting in crosses. In midfield, Emma Vane sand Taylor Ray were in a battle for control of midfield that ended even at the break.
The game was just as lively in the second half, but with more goals. Sloane Young had been relatively well marshalled up until this point but created enough space to cut onto her left foot and give Avondale a 2-1 lead in the 54th minute.
Brunner answered for Boroondara before the hour mark. She delivered a pinpoint corner for Genevieve Fontes to head powerfully into the net.
Avondale re-took the lead in the 73rd minute in incredible style. Keane collected the ball on the left, cut inside and continued to shift towards the other flank, looking, waiting for an opening to shoot.
She shaped to shoot on her right boot but found Higuchi blocking her path, then shifted back onto her left and scored from the edge of the box on the opposite side of the pitch from where she started.
The battle of the wingers continued, and Brunner stepped up to reply again, The American chased down a lost cause as Avondale played the ball in defence, blocking the clearance from Brooke Bennet and finishing into an open net from an acute angle. 3-3 with 13 minute left on the clock.
It was going to take something special to separate these teams, and that something was Aideen Keane. The Australian U23 international had the entire defence backpedalling, expecting another driving run. Instead she unleashed a rocket from 25 yards to give Avondale a 4-3 lead in the 80th minute.
It was the third goal in the space of 10 minutes of play.
Boroondara did not lose faith though, and kept pushing for an equaliser. That came with risk, and when Keane got in the way of a free kick, she then hurtled forward, taking two defenders and the goalkeeper out of the equation after a 40 yard sprint. Hannah Wilkinson followed up to seal the win with Avondale’s fifth of the afternoon.
That sends the newly promoted but powerfully constructed teams into the preliminary final to face Essendon Royals. It also ends another impressive season for Boroondara.
The Eagles always recruit well, play entertaining football and bring some new stars to this league and this year was no exception.
Emma Vane was an artist in midfield, Brunner was electric, while Coco Parker and Priya Savarirayan were constant creative threats.
Boroondara are always worth watching, and although they fell at this hurdle, they played some brilliant football and featured in the game of the season so far.
Congratulations to Michale Maroulis and his team for another terrific season.
Good luck to Avondale in the next round of matches.
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