Avondale claims maiden NPL Victoria premiership, aims for more
For the first time in its history, Avondale is the NPL Victoria premier, and the Avengers have more records and silverware in their sights.
Local Sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local Sport . Followed categories will be added to My News.
For the first time in its history, Avondale is NPL Victoria premier.
The Avengers were crowned on Wednesday night when South Melbourne suffered a shock 2-1 defeat to Heidelberg United.
It’s the club’s first top flight league title and second first-time success after winning a maiden Dockerty Cup in 2021.
Avondale has lost just one match this season, and drawn four, scoring a league record 76 goals.
Coach Zoran Markovski said it was a historic moment for the 39-year-old club.
“I’m over the moon,” he said.
“I know we’ve still got a job to do, hopefully we can win the double, but I think it’s the biggest achievement in the club’s history.
“We’re a team that likes to entertain, we play an exciting brand of football at high intensity.
“To score 76 goals with one game to go and I think it’s our best defensive record as well, to only cop 22, and finish the season with a goal difference of +54 – I don’t think that’s happened many times in Victorian football.”
With the premiership wrapped up, the club still wants more.
Avondale will enter the NPL finals series as warm championship favourites.
“We set ourselves a target and we’ve ticked the biggest box, to achieve the goal is phenomenal for the club,” Markovski said.
“It’s a long time coming, we had a plan to put this club on the map in NPL Victoria and the coaching staff and playing group has been extraordinary.
“To miss finals last year and now to only lose one game in 25, with one game to go, I think we can break the NPL points record as well.
“We’ve already broken the record with goals and we want to break the points as well.”
A win over Bentleigh Greens would take Avondale to an extraordinary 67 points for the season, from a possible 78.
After several close misses, it’s a long-awaited breakthrough for the Avengers.
In a stunning rise up the NPL table, the club only played NPL finals for the first time in 2017 and played its first grand final in 2018.
Markovski took the reins from Anthony Barbieri in 2019 and guided the club to second place in the league, losing the premiership in the final game of the season, and a grand final but again suffered defeat.
Avondale was on top of the table, having lost just one game, when the competition was cancelled in 2021 due to the COVID pandemic.
It missed finals last season but has responded brutally.
THUNDER: YOUNG GUN LOOKING FOR OVERSEAS, ALM CHANCE
LEADER: GET YOUR LOCAL SPORT NEWS HERE
WRAP: DANDY CITY BACK UP, ALTONA MAGIC SEALS FINALS
“A couple of years ago, we lost one game in 29 and were undefeated in cup games as well, but COVID took that away from us,” Markovski said.
“The resilience this group has shown and to come in pre-season and work hard, we brought five or six new players in, to then go on and win the premiers plate is out of this world.
“It doesn’t come easy, you can play your whole career and achieve nothing, but this group deserve it.”
The top six is set with Avondale and South Melbourne to earn a week off in the first week, while Oakleigh and Melbourne Knights will play either Port Melbourne or Altona Magic in elimination finals.
AVENGERS HAVE ONE HAND ON PREMIERS PLATE
Avondale is one match away from a historic first NPL Victoria premiership.
In a mini grand final, the Avengers snared a dramatic 2-1 win over arch-rival South Melbourne to put one hand on the premiers plate.
Now five points clear at the top, Avondale just needs a win or draw against relegation-threatened Bentleigh Greens in the final game of the campaign to be crowned league winners.
Despite constant rain, a huge crowd packed into Avengers Park for the clash and were treated to a thrilling spectacle.
And the drama didn’t stop after the final whistle with coaches Zoran Markovski and Esteban Quintas having words post-match, which sparked a small scuffle.
Both teams missed gilt-edged chances in the first half, Liam Boland’s fizzing free kick denied in the opening minutes and South captain Marcus Schroen dragging a pair of efforts wide.
The introduction of mid-season recruit George Ott proved decisive as he provided the assist on both Avondale goals.
Stefan Zinni broke the deadlock on the hour mark, controlling a blocked Ott shot before dribbling around Javier Lopez and tapping home.
South were aggrieved, feeling the goal was off-side, and immediately laid siege to the home goal but couldn’t find the equaliser.
Then with seven minutes remaining, Liston Diaz made it two, capping off a swift counter-attack as his shot cannoned on the left post and in off the right.
Avondale coach Zoran Markovski said it the win justified his club’s standing.
“Overall, you look at the big picture, we’re first and second for a reason,” he said.
“When you walk away at the end of the year, any team that loses one game after 25 rounds – I know we’ve got one game to go and we’ve got to pick up a result there – it says so much about our group.
“We’ve had a couple of draws but we’ve only lost one game in 25, not many teams can do that in Victorian football.
“We’ll enjoy tonight but we’ll fully focus on Bentleigh on Monday and it’s another home game – we’ve played 12 and won 12 and not many have done that as well.
“Destiny is in our hands to get the minor premiership, which we fully deserve, it’s been an outstanding season.”
Avondale made a strong start as Boland had his free kick tipped over by Lopez in the opening minutes and George Mells saw a long-range strike sail just wide.
South Melbourne slowly worked its way into the game and had a scare when Lopez was collected by his own teammate’s boot but thankfully recovered.
The game opened up in the last five minutes of the first half and Hellas skipper Marcus Schroen will rue two big misses.
The first from a long throw saw Schroen drag an effort just wide and he missed again minutes later when left unmarked inside the box.
Hellas had a penalty shout turned down in the opening seconds of the second half as they caught the hosts napping at the restart.
The ball looked to hit Dillion Jakupi in the arm but it would have been a harsh call at close range and Pat Langlois sent a rocket just wide on the rebound.
Ott replaced Zander Guy in the 56th minute after he copped a knock to the nose and couldn’t stem the bleeding.
He gave Avondale a target man, holding the ball up and feeding the likes of Zinni, Liam Boland, Yusuf Ahmed and Kristian Trajceski.
The former St Albans striker intercepted the ball in midfield and it was his blocked shot that fell to Zinni for the opener and provided the direct assist for Diaz’s goal.
In defence, Kalilou Kamara was a rock together with Ayden Brice, James Riccobene and Dillon Jakupi.
CUP: WONDER STRIKES SEND KNIGHTS, HEIDELBERG ON
LEADER: GET YOUR LOCAL SPORT NEWS HERE
TALENT: VICTORIAN YOUNG GUNS ON PATH TO MATILDAS
For South, Lirim Elmazi and Pat Langlois were impressive in midfield and Ben Djiba and Morgan Evans held up well at full-back.
Hellas faces Heidelberg United in a make-up game on Wednesday at Olympic Village, needing a win to stay alive and then travels to North Geelong in the final game.
Avondale will host Bentleigh Greens on Saturday.
Elsewhere, Hume City held Port Melbourne to a 1-all draw, Altona Magic edged Bentleigh 1-0 and St Albans secured its place in NPL1 for next season with a 1-0 win over Moreland City.
Country Week grand finals decided in thrilling circumstances
Melbourne Country Week drew to a close on Friday afternoon and there was a series of stunning grand finals including one which went down to the final. Here’s how they played out.
The issue plaguing Narre South ahead of relegation fight
Narre South captain-coach Jeevan Mendis has thrown down the gauntlet to his batsmen as a four-way DDCA Turf 1 relegation dogfight looms.