Melbourne Victory coach Tony Popovic says club will deal with further sanctions

Victory went back to a Covid-like atmosphere after their disgraceful Melbourne derby incident. And their manager has spoken out about the sanctions.

Melbourne Victory coach Tony Popovic likened the atmosphere during his side’s 1-0 loss to Western United at AAMI Park to that of a match played when Covid-19 restrictions prevented fans attending.

No Victory fans or members were allowed in the ground on Monday night as part of the club’s sanctions for the pitch invasion at the same venue on December 17.

With United having only a small supporter base, the official crowd figure was only 2867, and that figure seemed slightly inflated when considering the number of empty seats in the stadium.

“It’s different,” Popovic said.

“The players were out there. I wasn’t, but it felt like some of those games that you played with the Covid restrictions.

“It is what it is for us at the moment, and we can’t use that as an excuse for what happened out there.

A security guard throws the ball in from the empty stands at Melbourne Victory’s end. Picture: Morgan Hancock/Getty Images

“We’ve got to look to be better.”

Popovic said the Victory would “deal with” any further sanctions Football Australia potentially slapped on them as investigations continue into the disgraceful Melbourne derby incident.

“We’ll deal with whatever comes up, I’d like to think that what we’re seeing so far is pretty heavy sanctions as it is, (but) if they think we need more, then we’ll have to deal with it,” he said.

Popovic was left to lament his side’s failure to make the most of its one-man advantage following the first-half dismissal of Western United defender Nikolai Topor-Stanley.

“We didn’t do enough to break down 10 men, They set very deep and defended well. It’s what they do,” the Victory coach said.

However, he was adamant his side should have been awarded a free-kick for a “clear offside” offence in the build-up to the corner that United scored from via a Josh Risdon header.

“It’s three metres offside before the corner. It’s not close. It’s so far offside that I’m not really sure what we have to do now,” Popovic said.

“When a player runs with the ball into the box do we just get out of the way and say ‘let’s take a chance’?

“If he shoots and scores, the VAR will intervene. He’s running towards goal. That’s a goal-scoring opportunity. The VAR must intervene.

“They can’t say it’s not a goal-scoring opportunity. It is because he’s running towards goal.

“Now they’ll tell us different, and I’m sure the APL (Australian Professional Leagues) will come out and put another video and try to tell me how I’m wrong again ... but that’s a clear offside and a poor decision, very poor.”

City keeper to play after derby bucket-concussion

Melbourne City coach Rado Vidosic admits the club won’t know the full extent of Tom Glover’s recovery from his alleged on-field assault until he’s back on the park on Tuesday night against the Central Coast Mariners.

Glover suffered concussion and required stitches to a cut on his face after being hit with a sand-filled bucket during the pitch invasion at the Melbourne derby.

City hasn’t played since the December 17 match that was abandoned after 20 minutes.

That includes goalkeeper Glover, who Vidosic said was “good to go” – at least physically – for the match at AAMI Park.

A bleeding Tom Glover is helped off the ground during the pitch invasion at AAMI Park. Picture: Getty Images

“Tommy missed the first few training sessions (last week) because of concussion and came back and trained in the last two training sessions

“He had a lot of support from the players and everyone around him here at the training sessions and he looks back to his normal (self).

“He trained really well, and we hope that everything is fine with him, but we’ll find out a little bit more (on Tuesday night) once he starts the game.”

Vidosic said the disgraceful derby incident was a “very sad moment for everyone involved in football”.

“You kind of only see that on the TV but to be in the front row when something like that happens, it has got even a bigger impact on people,” he said.

“Hopefully this is never going to happen again and we can continue to do what we love, and can promote our game as much as we can.”

City was leading Melbourne Victory 1-0 thanks to an Aiden O’Neill goal in what loomed as an enthralling derby before its abandonment.

Tom Glover with one of the flares thrown onto the pitch in the Melbourne derby. Picture: Getty Images

“There are a few things that we’ve been working on for the last four or five weeks,” Vidosic said.

“In next month or so, we’ll be able to see even more play like that and hopefully we can entertain our supporters (on Tuesday).”

Classy midfielder O’Neill again looms as a key factor against the Mariners, one of the 24-year-old Queenslander’s former clubs.

“You can see the influence that he’s got in the games and not just by controlling that central midfield role, but also being able to pop inside the penalty box and score goals,” Vidosic said of O’Neill.

“It’s a challenge for him to continue with that, to pick and choose the right moments to go forward, and contribute not just from a defensive point of view and from an organisational point of view, but also from scoring goals and creating goal chances for us.”

“He’s been fantastic for us, and it’s up to him now to take his game to the next level.

“Those 20 minutes (in the Melbourne derby) showed that he is more than capable of doing that.”
Tuesday’s game is part of a double-header that also includes a women’s A-League match between City and Perth Glory.

The home and away active supporter group bays will be cordoned off as Football Australia continues to “review the conduct” of some City fans at the Melbourne derby.

Originally published as Melbourne Victory coach Tony Popovic says club will deal with further sanctions