SOCCER A STUNNING eight-minute hat-trick to substitute Blake Hicks lit up North Seaford Reserve on Saturday. The veteran striker came off the bench against East Bentleigh in the 68th minute and scored in the 72nd, 78th and 80th minutes to end any hopes the visitors had of a comeback. Seaford had struck first when Jayden LeBron put Zain Ahmad through in the 27th minute and the latter finished from a one-on-one with East Bentleigh keeper Adam Stone. The home side went 2-0 up in the 35th minute when Matthew Cobb sliced his cross over Stone after a good Seaford build-up…
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SOCCER BAXTER thumped Greater Dandenong 7-1 at WJ Turner Reserve last Friday night. The contest was a feisty affair with Baxter captain Cody Storton-French sent off in controversial circumstances a few minutes before half-time. Baxter led 1-0 from a Nicholas Brigo free-kick but a dreadful linesman’s decision allowed Greater Dandenong to level and led to Storton-French’s dismissal. Down to 10 men and scores tied at 1-1 Baxter produced a dominant six-goal second half that left its opponent in disarray. Brigo completed his hat-trick, Kyle Eichenberger got in on the act with a brace while Jai Power and Charlie O’Connell also…
SOCCER THERE are no local sides left in this year’s Dockerty Cup. The competition doubles as qualification for the prestigious Australia Cup but over Easter the three remaining local outfits were dumped from the knockout competition. Langwarrin lost 1-0 away to Westvale, Mornington lost 2-1 away to Western United and Skye United was thumped 5-0 at home by Brunswick Juventus. On the back of a short turnaround Langwarrin made eight changes to its starting line-up and the bench was made up of under-20 and under-23 players. It was a scrappy contest but an error from young Langy keeper Branten Kindler…
CHELSEA staged a stunning come-from-behind 3-1 win with 10 men against Ashburton United in their State 4 South-East clash last weekend. Undermanned following the straight red shown to Adam Dunsford in the 67th minute in an off-the ball incident and down 1-0 the royal blues faced a mighty hurdle to record their opening win of the season. Their get-of-jail-free card came in the form of East Bentleigh recruit Patrick Briggs whose two goals in five minutes turned this contest on its head. In the 70th minute Briggs made Ashburton pay for not clearing from a corner and his firm low…
SOCCER MORNINGTON set out on the long haul to VPL glory with a convincing 3-0 win over Collingwood City last weekend. The match was played at Civic Reserve which Mornington will use for State 1 South-East home games this season while a major redevelopment of its usual headquarters at nearby Dallas Brooks Reserve takes place. This was a composed and clinical display by the Seagulls who lifted their intensity after an even first half and the impact of their substitutes proved significant. They broke the impasse in the 64th minute when Keiran Dover finished a well-worked move heading home a…
SOCCER THREE local teams remain in the Dockerty Cup after last weekend’s third preliminary round. Langwarrin, Mornington and Skye United will fly the flag for peninsula football. Skye is at home to Brunswick Juventus, Langy is away to Westvale and Mornington is away to Western Unted in round 4 ties which are expected to be played over the Easter weekend. Last Saturday Mornington strolled to a 5-0 Cup win over Moonee Ponds with goals from Ryan Paczkowski, Kieran Dover, Campbell Steedman, Natthan Sim and Kosta Droutsas. The tie was over at half-time with Mornington leading 4-0. Skye beat Baxter 3-1…
SOCCER IT’S been an interesting week in the life of Peninsula Strikers president Adrian Scialpi. He was away at work last week only to be thrust into an administrative maelstrom upon his return. We can only imagine his reaction when told that his club was no longer a member of Football Victoria and therefore couldn’t participate in the second preliminary round of the Dockerty Cup. When the dust settled (and the smelling salts had taken effect) it laid bare a bizarre turn of events. Last November FV sent an email to senior and junior clubs with a form attached that…
SOCCER NEW signings for Rosebud, a first win of the season for Langwarrin while Peninsula Strikers and Baxter are on a Cup collision course. These were the main stories to emerge in the last week as Rosebud gaffer Jason Symonds put his men through their paces twice in 48 hours with friendlies against Skye United on Thursday night and Mount Eliza on Saturday evening. On Thursday night Rosebud went down 4-2 to its State 1 host. A stunning free kick from Charlie Gunning and a fine finish from Connor Wharton enabled Rosebud to go in 2-2 at the interval but…
SOCCER ELLIOTT Craig has joined Rosebud, Nathan Yole has switched to Frankston Pines while Jordy May and Jacob Pay debuted for Baxter last weekend. It’s the time of year when State League clubs ramp up their wheeling and dealing on the player market as they zero in on the kick-off to their league campaign next month. Elliott, 21, had a breakout senior season last year with Skye United finishing with six goals, one behind the club’s top scorer Varmah Mgoneh. But a heart-to-heart discussion with Skye gaffer Phil McGuinness at season’s end prompted him to look elsewhere. “He was very…
SOCCER ALANA Murphy’s switch to Nottingham Forest and the start of the VPL1 season are under the spotlight this week. Murphy, 20, is a Langwarrin prodigy who joined the English WSL2 side last week from SC Sand in Germany’s Bundesliga 2. Forest wasted no time in cinching the deal. “They reached out to my agent in search of a centre midfielder and when he sent through my profile they seemed to like what they saw and straight away they made an offer,” Murphy said. Nottingham Forest head coach Carly Davies couldn’t hide her enthusiasm over Murphy’s capture. “Alana is an…
SOCCER RYAN Woolf and Patrick Briggs were announced as new signings by local State 2 and State 4 clubs respectively last week. Both have been plucked from State 5 competition last year with Woolf winning Pakenham United’s best and fairest while Briggs was an ever-present in East Bentleigh’s State 5 East championship-winning side. Woolf has joined Peninsula Strikers while Briggs has switched to Chelsea. Strikers’ joint coaches Ross Wallis and Stephen Duffy have been forced to rebuild the senior squad after an exodus of players following the resignation of head coach Scott Morrison. Strikers have flirted with promotion for the…
SOCCER JACK Elliott’s return to Baxter and the second annual Billy Baldwin Memorial Day are upcoming highlights on the local scene. Elliott has been a wanted man ever since walking away from the sport to concentrate on HYROX, a global fitness racing sport that combines eight kilometres of running with eight functional workout stations creating a consistent, indoor challenge testing strength, endurance and stamina. He has qualified for the Pro singles and Pro doubles events at the world championships in Switzerland in June and will be part of an Australian contingent expected to number over 100 at the prestigious event.…
SOCCER THERE was never much doubt that Phil McGuinness would be offered the Skye United job for next season following this year’s dramatic league finale. Against great odds and with probably the smallest budget in State 2 McGuinnes and his players snatched second place and promotion in a drama-filled final round of league games. It was Mick Stevens’ first season as Skye president following the resignations of long-serving president Daren Jones and vice-president Stuart Lawrence earlier in the year. The two leading administrators anointed Stevens as the man to lead the club into a new era and he didn’t let…
SOCCER PENINSULA football is set for the creation of a new power club with last week’s announcement of a planned merger between State 4 South-East club Rosebud and local junior club Rosebud Heart. The new entity will be called Rosebud United and will compete in State Leagues in 2027. It is likely to field over 30 teams plus MiniRoos with established men’s and women’s programs. In a statement jointly signed by Rosebud president Delvina Spizzirri and Heart counterpart Rob Vosjan mention was made of a positive response to the merger from Football Victoria, Mornington Peninsula Shire and local state government…
SOCCER JEROME Valadon and Sonny Lindsay are the first new signings of the Ross Wallis-Stephen Duffy era at Peninsula Strikers. The Centenary Park outfit has been on the hunt for promotion from State 2 South-East for the past four seasons and joint coaches Wallis and Duffy hope to realise the club’s dream. The senior squad has held five training sessions but the reserve squad is yet to assemble as the club continues to search for a new reserves coach following Paul Nott’s departure. “We didn’t want to do an expressions of interest sort of thing and have all these lads…
SOCCER KALLISTA Tzelios is a force of nature. The Seaford United captain has taken the last three State League seasons by storm and at 24 years old has been lauded as one of the best players outside Victoria’s elite NPLW competition. But her story would have been so much different if not for the intervention of her mother Louise. Tzelios started playing with Seaford as a junior progressing to junior girls NPL with Southern United and making her senior debut with the now defunct Bayside United. But she didn’t enjoy her NPL experience. “I fell out of love with the…
SOCCER DAVEY Jones has been to hell and back – on and off the football field. He survived a vicious assault during an indoor soccer match in 2014 that left him in intensive care in the Alfred Hospital with a brain bleed and doubts that he could ever play again. “I scored and from the restart this guy ran over and started laying into me. “I couldn’t remember much about it but when I saw the CCTV footage it was completely unprovoked.” Jones was born in Frankston and started as a junior with Frankston Strikers before switching to Frankston Pines’…
Soccer PENINSULA Strikers star Cooper Andrews is a wanted man. He trained with State 1 side Mazenod early this week and he’ll be at Strikers training on Thursday but may return to his NPL junior club Kingston City now in VPL2. Cooper has spoken to new Strikers co-coaches Ross Walliss and Stephen Duffy without committing himself to staying at Centenary Park. Strikers’ rollercoaster 2025 season ended on a dramatic low when it could only draw 3-3 at home to Casey Comets handing promotion to neighbouring Skye United. “That last game was a lot to take and the emotions were all…
CHARLIE O’Connell hopes to celebrate Baxter’s 50th anniversary next year with promotion from State 4 South-East. The 27-year-old returned to Baxter Park last season after winning successive promotions with Bayside Argonauts in 2023 and 2024 so success is no stranger. “We can’t afford to make the same slow start (next year) that we made last season,” O’Connell said. “That was maybe down to having the wrong personnel and possibly a bit of complacency. “I think with a few more quality players we could be in the running for promotion.” The State Leagues restructure has widened the opportunity for success for…
Soccer SOMERVILLE Eagles attacking midfielder Alessio Izzo flies to Thailand in a fortnight for a professional trial. The 32-year-old contacted a player agency through social media and now has a chance of becoming a professional footballer. “This is a little investment in myself and I go there with no big expectation,” Izzo said. “If I stay there or if I come back it will still be a great experience to taste professional football in fact it will be a highlight of my career.” Izzo comes from Taranto in the Puglia region of southern Italy. “Football is a religion to us.…
SOCCER Langwarrin has signed Northcote City aces Alun Webb and Zac Bates but has lost star striker Archie Macphee to Dandenong City. Macphee has proven himself at the second and third tiers of Victoria’s NPL set-up and wants a chance to test himself at the top NPL level. Webb, 31, and Bates, 25, will prompt a tactical change to Langy’s game style — one that could excite the local side’s supporters. Webb played for Rhyl and Llandudno in Wales before a stint with Chattanooga FC in the USA. He arrived here to play with Adelaide Croatia in the pandemic-ravaged 2020…
Soccer The shock sacking of Seaford United senior coach Paul Williams and five new signings for Mornington have grabbed the headlines this week. Add to that confirmation from Chelsea that coaching legend Gus Macleod will continue as head coach and there’s been plenty to talk about in local football circles. Last week’s bombshell announcement that Williams had fallen victim to his club’s end-of-season review was unexpected given that his last three seasons as senior coach have seen the club consistently in the top four. Williams guided Seaford to a second-placed finish in 2023, fourth in 2024 and second this year.…
PENINSULA soccer clubs are experiencing an increase in female participation, driven by national success and community engagement. But as numbers grow, there’s a question of whether clubs have the facilities and resources to accommodate.At Mornington Soccer Club, where they just celebrated their 60th anniversary, the growth in female players has been promising but the outdated infrastructure is proving a challenge. “The quality of the surfaces is not great; the building itself was built in 1975 and it’s not very female friendly,” said Mornington Soccer Club CEO Craig Riley. “Every changeroom, every toilet has a urinal in it. So, attracting female…
Soccer THURSDAY 20 November 2025 officially kicks off a new era at Peninsula Strikers under joint senior coaches Ross Walliss and Stephen Duffy. That’s when a new promotion campaign is launched as pre-season gets underway at Centenary Park. Walliss and Duffy were announced last week as successors to Scott Morrison, who resigned recently for family reasons. The new joint coaches were recommended to Strikers by veteran midfielder Wayne “Buzzer” Gordon, who is part of an England squad coached by the duo at the All Nations Cup being played at Knox. Walliss was born in Southampton, England, and was on the…
Soccer Skye United gaffer Phil McGuinness had no doubts about handing the captaincy to a player who had only been at the club for one season. “He trains how he plays, he hates to lose and is very, very competitive,” McGuinness said. “He never misses a training session and although there were a few older boys in the running he just ticked all the boxes.” He’s talking about Ben Lund, who took over from club icon Marcus Collier last November after the latter left. And 23-year-old Lund rubber-stamped the coach’s decision by leading his men to promotion from State 2…
MORNINGTON Soccer Club’s U13 girls took home the state championship in a 4-2 win against Yarra Jets FC on 21 September. The win comes after an impressive undefeated season, which saw them win the premiership in the local league before coming out on top in the championship.In the Southeast 13C division semi-final, they faced off against Manningham in a challenging match due to windy weather conditions. Despite being a messy game, the team held their ground and were victorious with a 3-2 win, thanks to some great saves from their goalkeeper, Charlotte Wanless.The highly anticipated grand final was held at…
JAMIE Skelly has been appointed for a fourth straight season as head coach of VPL1 outfit Langwarrin. While Skelly and Langy president Rob Vickery were fine-tuning an agreement last week, Scott Morrison and Stuart Johnson surprisingly resigned as head coaches of Peninsula Strikers and Rosebud respectively. Skelly and Vickery held informal discussions about the coaching role for the past couple of months and the outcome had been anticipated. Skelly took over as senior coach at Lawton Park at the end of the 2022 season and under him the side’s highest finish has been ninth last year. It finished 10th this…
Soccer CAN Mount Eliza become the first club to win State 6 South-East? Luke Armao thinks so as eyes turn to the major restructure of the State Leagues next year and the creation of two new tiers of competition – State 6 and State 7. Football Victoria also has decided to standardise the leagues structure by turning all seven leagues into two regional divisions – South-East and North-West. Mount Eliza has been competing at State Leagues level since 2023 and has shown steady progress – a statistic that supports Armao’s assessment of its prospects next year. Under Bryce Ruthven in…
Soccer The twists and turns of the final round of the season had to be seen to be believed. This was the stuff of legend and will be spoken about for years to come. It’s the season that a rebuilt Skye squad achieved what most thought impossible and the season that ended in heartbreak for Strikers when the prize was ripped from their grasp. Strikers went into Saturday’s State 2 home game in second spot, one point above Skye, but Scott Morrison’s team could only draw 3-3 with Casey Comets. Skye had been given a huge opportunity to grab second…
Soccer BAXTER’S 3-0 derby win over Somerville Eagles on Saturday has secured the winner’s league status while condemning the loser to relegation. A major State League restructure next season has severely impacted promotion and relegation rules in State 4 and State 5 divisions. While the State 4 champion is promoted, there’s no promotion in State 5. In State 4, teams finishing in second down to sixth spots remain in State 4, while teams finishing seventh to 10th drop into State 5, and the bottom two teams drop into a new State 6. Chelsea, Baxter, and Rosebud will play in State…