Shepparton South has done the hard yards over pre-season and is keen to tear into it in 2025.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
A regimented and ready Shepparton South is primed to go to task this season.
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New coach Luke Viney has put the Southerners through their paces during pre-season and, with the aid of some former heroes and new faces, the black and white army is standing to attention.
South finished fourth in the Bendigo Amateur Soccer League 2024, scraping through to finals on goal difference only to fall to eventual premier Tatura 4-1 in the semi-final.
The side’s main threat in 2024, Stephen Appiah, led the line with 16 goals, but has since moved on to State League Two outfit Uni Hill Eagles.
However, Viney has brought in firepower at both ends of the park to replace him.
English duo Craig Mathieson and Ryan Hopping shore up South’s line-up and provide plenty of height and ability, with the former tasked with scoring goals, while the latter’s duty is to keep them out of the net.
Evergreen defender Greg Nash has returned to his old club following a decade-long career at Goulburn Valley Suns, while his old teammate Nick Murphy is back in the stripes running the midfield full-time this season.
With an early glimmer of promise arriving in the form of a League Cup semi-final already booked in the calendar, Viney is quietly confident heading into a first round McEwen Reserve derby against Shepparton United.
“The club as a collective had a great pre-season; we set our goals to be one of the fittest teams in the competition and I feel like the hard work has paid off,” he said.
“With two wins out of two in the cup, the squad is eager for round one to kick off.
“I feel like it will be an exciting year at South with the return of quality players such as Greg Nash and new additions to our strong squad with Ryan Hopping and Craig Mathieson to bring experience and guidance into the squad.
“As well as that, South youth product Jaxan McDonald is making a huge impression on the team.”
On the senior women’s front, the Southerners are seeking to vault up the ladder following a promising back end to the 2024 campaign.
Samantha Comline was Shepparton South's top scorer in 2024 with three goals.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
South began with a 1-1 draw against Tatura and a narrow one-goal loss to Shepparton United, but a nine-game losing streak marred the bulk of the side’s mid-season.
However, a strong finish that bore seven points from the final three games saw South round out in seventh with a 2-2-10 record, Samantha Comline ending as top scorer with three goals.
Comline is back on deck for 2025, but a 6-0 defeat to Tatura in the first round of the League Cup indicates the young Southerners have some catching up to do with their fellow Goulburn Valley peers.
Sunday’s opener against last season’s runner-up Shepparton United will serve as a barometer for how South is likely to fare in the coming months.
ONE TO WATCH
Craig Mathieson: Tall, agile and mobile, South’s new import forward has shown he knows where the goal is throughout pre-season. The towering number nine is expected to serve as a finisher and provider, spearheading South’s front line in 2025.
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