In the end, the heartbreaking home defeat to Preston was immaterial.
Dandenong City’s emphatic 7-1 win on Saturday not only condemned the Melbourne Knights to relegation, but opened up a +12 goal difference advantage over the Cavaliers. Even if Kasper Hallam’s shot had sailed into the top corner instead of striking the bar; even if Ryan Scott hadn’t produced one of the saves of the season to deny Josh Hope’s long-range curler, the gap to Hajduk in sixth place would likely have proved insurmountable.
Gully will finish the campaign in the No Man’s Land of mid-table. Recent performances have demonstrated a massive improvement from 2024, but a slow start – just two wins from the first nine rounds – has eventually caught up with David Chick’s charges.
At their best, Green Gully were irresistible. The 5-2 thrashing of current league leaders Avondale, featuring an Aamir Abdallah hat-trick, proved the high watermark of the year. Ajax have the opportunity on Saturday afternoon to finish the season on a similarly positive note – and deny the Avengers a premiership in the process.
Avondale’s two-point lead and +8 goal difference advantage over Heidelberg at the summit of NPL Victoria means that a draw should be sufficient to secure the title – unless the Bergers slaughter already-relegated Port Melbourne by a nine goal margin.
Incredibly, Gully were the last team to defeat Avondale in a league fixture. Zoran Markovski’s side have gone 12 unbeaten since, winning their last three on the trot. A 5-0 victory at Lakeside on Sunday, albeit against a heavily rotated South Melbourne XI, will mean confidence is flowing for Avondale’s array of star attackers. Gully will need to be wary of George Ott, who has scored in successive league games since returning from a serious shoulder injury.
A heavy fixture list may shift the balance in the visitors’ favour. Saturday’s game will be Avondale’s fourth in the space of 10 days, including the midweek Australia Cup ties against APIA and Brisbane City hosted at Green Gully Reserve.
Kickoff is set for 3pm on Saturday at Avenger Park, with the U23s raising the curtain at 12:30pm.
