South Melbourne beat Melbourne Victory 4-3 in a penalty shootout on Saturday night, becoming the first non-A-League club to win the Australia Cup. They silenced a professional side in front of 29,911 fans at AAMI Park, the biggest crowd for any sporting event at the venue.
South needed only four penalties. Victory’s Harrison Sawyer and Jason Davidson both missed, handing the trophy to a club outside the professional top flight.
The Shootout
Davidson sent his spot kick over the crossbar. South goalkeeper Javier Lopez saved Sawyer’s attempt, but not before a twist: officials ruled Lopez had moved too early, giving Sawyer another chance. Lopez saved that one too.
There’s some irony here. Sawyer had previously played for South, while Davidson’s father, Alan, a Socceroo, is described as a great of South from the club’s National Soccer League days. Lopez later received the Mark Viduka Medal as player of the final.
Late Drama in Extra Time
Victory looked to have the match won. Substitute Denis Genreau scored five minutes into extra time, and Victory thought the goal would secure the Cup for the third time in the club’s history. South didn’t fold, though. Replacement Maximilian Mikkola equalised with three minutes of extra time remaining. South’s supporters erupted, and the club carried that momentum into the shootout.
Lopez Stands Tall
South started better but couldn’t convert its early dominance. Then Lopez took over. In the 25th minute, Victory winger Clarismario Santos forced a save, as the goalkeeper tipped the Brazilian’s shot onto the post. Six minutes later, the 35-year-old parried another Santos strike to safety.
At the other end, South striker Bul Juach, who had also played in the 2025 Cup final for Heidelberg United, found space in the second half and moved into the penalty area. Victory goalkeeper Jack Duncan saved his left-footed shot.
Lopez denied Genreau in the 69th minute, then saved a long-distance effort from Victory midfielder Jordi Valadon six minutes later. In the 78th minute, Lopez stopped another Santos shot after substitute Guillermo May found the winger unmarked in the penalty area. Uruguayan May made his Victory debut after joining the club last month, following two seasons with Auckland FC.
Recognition for the NPL
Just before kickoff, officials announced South captain Marco Jankovic as the winner of the Mike Cockerill Medal, awarded to the Cup’s best-performing NPL player for the year. “There have been some amazing NPL players that have won this medal in the past,” the 31-year-old defender told Network 10. “It’s great to be along those amazing list of names.” Queenslander Jankovic is the son of former Real Madrid midfielder Milan Jankovic, who moved to Cairns in 1991.
Why This Matters:
The result reminds us that open competition, where any club can meet another on the same pitch, produces outcomes no spreadsheet can predict. Victory fielded the professional-league side with recent signings, including a debutant who arrived last month. South, from outside the A-League, still won on the night. That’s the argument for keeping pathways open rather than closing the shop to established players. The record crowd of 29,911 also suggests there’s real appetite for a competition where merit, not status, decides the winner. For the sport’s administrators, the lesson is plain: protect the open format and let the market of fans reward the drama it creates.