[REVISION HISTORY]

South Melbourne wins historic Australia Cup final

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2026-10-10 12:39 UTC → 2026-10-10 19:11 UTC · added ~~removed~~

South Melbourne FC made history by becoming the first non-A-League side to win the Australia Cup, defeating Melbourne Victory in a penalty shootout at a sold-out AAMI Park on October 10. Played before a record crowd of 29,911, the match remained scoreless through much of regulation. Melbourne Victory appeared to have secured the win in the 95th minute of extra time via a goal from Denis Genreau, but Max Mikkola equalized for South Melbourne in the 117th minute. In the ensuing shootout, South Melbourne goalkeeper Javier Lopez secured the title by denying Harrison Sawyer, while Victory’s Jason Davidson missed his attempt. This victory marks the club’s 10th national trophy. This win also secures South Melbourne a technical berth in the upcoming Asian Champions League 2 competition. The victory has bolstered arguments for the club’s professional entry into the A-League, with coach Sinisa Cohadzic suggesting that such a move is now “undeniable” following this performance. The win serves as a significant milestone for South Melbourne’s ongoing ambitions regarding professional entry. Co-president Bill Papastergiadis previously noted that the club has doubled its playing budget and administrative overheads in the last year, aiming to reconnect foundation football with the A-League without “cannibalizing existing supporter bases.” The matchup, described by former player and coach Kevin Muscat as a “wonderful occasion for Australian football,” pitted the National Soccer League era success of South Melbourne against the modern A-League prominence of Melbourne Victory.

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