Heidelberg United and South Melbourne will clash for the 123rd time in Saturday’s Dockerty Cup Final, as both teams seek to claim the first major silverware of 2025.
South are the current holders of the Cup, having won it last season in a thrilling final against Oakleigh Cannons. They are aiming for something even more special this time around though, as by defending their crown they would become the first club to win 10 Dockerty Cups, moving clear of Melbourne Knights as the most successful team in competition history.
To achieve that record-breaking feat, however, South will need to overcome an almighty test in the form of Heidelberg.
John Anastasiadis has transformed the Bergers in his second season at the helm, overseeing a record-equalling run of 18 NPLM Victoria games unbeaten and a record-breaking run of 24 games unbeaten across all competitions.
Employing a relentless possession-based style, Heidelberg have made a habit of wearing down opponents over the course of a match, often doing most of their damage in the final 30 minutes.
Led by league top-scorer Bul Juach, the Bergers’ attacking threat has proven devastating at times, with players from across the pitch regularly adding their names to the score sheet.
Their league-best defence, marshalled by captain Ben Collins alongside Ryan Lethlean at centre-back, has proven an exceptionally tough nut to crack.
Whilst their Premiership fate is still to be decided in the final weeks of the NPLM season, Saturday’s game presents Anastasiadis’ team with the chance to claim the first of many pieces of silverware available to them over the coming months.
Heidelberg have won the Dockerty Cup just once before, in 2017 when they defeated Anastasiadis’ own Bentleigh Greens in the final.
However, Dockerty Cup finals have rarely been celebrated occasions for the Bergers, having lost in their four other attempts, including against South in 1993.
Nonetheless, Heidelberg will be favourites heading into the game, a reflection of their dominant form this season and South’s comparatively tumultuous campaign.
South's struggles are reflected in their league standing, having claimed only seven wins from their 24 league games this year.
However, an assessment of South’s quality based solely on their ladder position is likely to mislead.
Although Heidelberg have collected nearly double the number of points as South this campaign, the sides faced off just a couple of weeks ago at Olympic Village, where South came away with an impressive draw despite missing several first-team players.
In that game, Charlie Leech’s first-half goal had South eyeing off a potential upset, but a dominant second half from the hosts saw Sebit Ngor equalise before Heidelberg came agonisingly close to stealing the win in the final minutes.
Nonetheless, the game showcased South’s significant improvement in recent months under Sinisa Cohadzic.
Cohadzic took over the reins from long-time coach Esteban Quintas at the start of May (just a few weeks after South were pummelled 3-0 by Heidelberg at Lakeside) and has since transformed Hellas’ results and playstyle.
Only a handful of teams have collected more points than South since Cohadzic’s appointment, which has seen the team skyrocket clear of the relegation battle and even threaten a late finals surge.
A backline featuring captain Marco Jankovic and goalkeeper Javi Lopez has looked close to their impenetrable best, supporting a midfield patrolled by mid-season recruit Yuzo Iwakami and, further forward, the perennial attacking threats of Andy Brennan and Nahuel Bonada.
Now officially eliminated from finals contention, South’s focus will be on Cup football for the remainder of the season, with Saturday’s final their best chance to salvage success from what has been a difficult season.
Having recently shown they can mix it with Heidelberg, even when missing several first-team players, South are evidently much more evenly matched with the Bergers than their respective league positions would suggest.
Heidelberg will also have to contend with the absence of their captain, Ben Collins from the game due to suspension.
A Cup final with so much riding on it for both teams makes for must-see football at The Home of The Matildas this weekend.