The inaugural Australian Championship finally gets underway on Friday night with a blockbuster clash.
Rivalries will be renewed when Victoria’s South Melbourne host Sydney Olympic from New South Wales at the famous Lakeside Stadium.
South Melbourne v Sydney Olympic
Friday 10 October 2025
Kick-off: 7:00 pm AEST
Venue: Lakeside Stadium
Broadcast: Watch live on SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand.
The Australian Championship kicks off with the renewal of a former National Soccer League rivalry as South Melbourne host Sydney Olympic.
Both sides experienced tricky league seasons, finishing outside the finals places of their respective National Premier Leagues competitions.
Despite a ninth-placed finish for the usually high-flying Hellas, they made it to the Hahn Australia Cup Round of 16 before bowing out to reigning A-League Premiers Auckland.
The side struggled for goals in 2025 NPL Victoria, scoring only 29 across their 26 league matches, and winning only seven games. However, Max Mikkola and Nahuel Bonada were the main threats in attack, with five goals each.
Goalkeeper Javier Lopez was a shining light for South Melbourne in their NPL Victoria campaign, making the most saves in the competition at 95, averaging over four saves per game, which could prove pivotal to the side on Friday night.
South Melbourne have been busy in the transfer window, making seven additions to their squad ahead of their return to the national stage.
Most notably, Hahn Australia Cup 2025 Golden Boot winner Manny Aguek is a significant pick-up and provides further firepower, having scored 25 goals this season for NPL Victoria premiers Avondale.
Olympic, meanwhile, finished seventh in the NPL NSW, nine points behind Sydney United 58 in the last finals position.
The side had the equal fourth-best goalscoring record in the competition with 50 goals, as Cyrus Dehmie led the way, netting 18 in all competitions.
Teng Kuol and Ryan Feultz could also be dangermen for Olympic, contributing 15 goals between them this campaign so far. At the same time, Adam Parkhouse is a consistent threat down the wing, with 63 crosses in the NPL season - more than any other player.
In defence, former A-Leagues regular Ziggy Gordon could be a vital defensive asset, blocking more shots than any other NPL NSW player in 2025.
Olympic had a similarly active window, including bringing in former Fulham youth player Chris Donnell to their midfield.
With these teams boasting strong squads heading into Friday night, this match promises to be a thrilling start to the Australian Championship.