South Melbourne FC 2–0 Marconi Stallions
Australian Championship Grand Final
Olympic Village, Melbourne | Attendance: ~5,000
Saturday, 6 December 2025
South Melbourne FC have written themselves into the history books, becoming the first-ever Australian Championship winners after a dominant 2–0 victory over Marconi Stallions in Saturday’s Grand Final.
In a match that was effectively decided inside a blistering opening 20 minutes, the Lakers produced a performance befitting the occasion, with Manny Aguek and captain Marco Jankovic scoring the goals that secured the club’s latest piece of silverware.
The tone was set early. South Melbourne came flying out of the blocks, firing two warning shots inside the first five minutes before taking the lead in spectacular fashion in the 11th minute.
Manny Aguek pounced on a loose ball near halfway, surged forward, danced past Marconi defender Anton Mlinaric and unleashed an unstoppable drive past James Hilton to send the home crowd into ecstasy.
Eight minutes later, the Lakers doubled their advantage. Jordon Lampard’s long-range effort was parried by Hilton, but from Max Mikkola’s resulting corner, skipper Marco Jankovic rose highest to glance a precise header into the far corner.
South almost made it 3–0 in the 37th minute when Nahuel Bonada’s volley took a wicked deflection and looped just over the bar.
Marconi had two golden opportunities to get back into the contest before half-time. First, Damian Tsekenis headed over from close range, then in first-half stoppage time Lachlan Griffiths’ header squirmed through the hands of Javier Lopez and rolled towards the line. After a lengthy Video Football Support (FVS) review, officials ruled there was insufficient evidence the ball had fully crossed — a huge let-off for the hosts.
South Melbourne took their 2–0 lead into the break and never looked like relinquishing it.
Early in the second half, Yuki Uchida burst into the box only to see his fierce drive beaten away by Hilton, while Marconi substitute Jordi Swibel tried an acrobatic overhead kick in the 69th minute that lacked the power to trouble Lopez.
From there, South Melbourne professionally managed the game, keeping Marconi at arm’s length and seeing out the remaining minutes with composure to spark wild celebrations at full-time.
As the final whistle sounded, the Lakers — the club that played in the very first fixture of this new national second-tier competition — became its inaugural champions, completing a poetic full-circle moment in their proud 67-year history.
For a club already boasting two NSL titles, multiple Victorian championships and the 1999 Oceania Club Championship, lifting the Australian Championship adds yet another glittering chapter to one of the most decorated legacies in Australian football.
Final Score:
South Melbourne FC 2 (Aguek 11’, Jankovic 19’)
Marconi Stallions 0
South Melbourne FC: the first name on the Australian Championship roll of honour — forever.
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