South Melbourne vs Sydney Olympic to launch Australian Championship

South Melbourne and Sydney Olympic will reignite their Hellenic rivalry with the two sides officially revealed to look disconnected successful the motorboat of the Australian Championship.

Hellas and Olympic will conflict it retired astatine Lakeside Stadium connected Friday 10 October successful the opening fixture of the competition.

The two instauration clubs of the contention will diagnostic successful Group A, arsenic revealed successful the authoritative gully today, and will besides vie with the premiers of this season’s NPL from Queensland and Northern NSW.

In Group B, there will Maconi Stallions, Wollongong Wolves, and the premiers of NPL Victoria and Tasmania.

Group C consists of Avondale, Preston Lions, and the premiers of NPL NSW and ACT (Capital Football).

The last radical features APIA Leichhardt, Sydney United 58 and the premiers of NPL SA and WA.

The radical stage signifier will dwell of six matchdays with the teams of each radical playing 1 different twice, with two diagnostic matches to beryllium played crossed each radical stage circular connected a Friday evening and Saturday afternoon.

Remaining matches are scheduled to beryllium played consecutively connected a Sunday crossed two provisional lucifer start times of 2pm and 5pm (AEST).

The contention will then advancement to the knockout finals bid with the top two teams from each radical advancing to the quarterfinals.

The higher placed team will big each crossover brushwood with the teams to play arsenic such: A1 v C2, B1 v D2, C1 v A2, D1 v B2.

The authoritative announcement besides confirmed that the semi-finals and expansive last matches will each beryllium played astatine neutral venues, culminating successful the Championship Final connected either 6 oregon 7 December 2025.

James Johnson, Football Australia CEO, stressed that the Australian Championship will connection a caller level for some of Australia’s astir historical clubs and the top-performing NPL clubs to showcase their talents.

“The Australian Championship will bring a consciousness of nostalgia to our shot community. Genuine rivalries will beryllium connected afloat show to supporters of each generations, and caller stories will beryllium created connected and disconnected the field,” Johnson said successful the gully announcement.

“Football supporters crossed the state will get a taste for what our nationalist competitions will look similar successful years to come, enriched with talented state-based players and aspirational instauration clubs.”