Avondale FC have been crowned 2026 Senol NPL Victoria Champions in a dramatic shoutout victory (4-3), which saw Kristian Trajceski fire home the decisive spot kick following 120 minutes of goalless football.
It was heartbreak for the 2026 Premiers, as Chris Taylor’s Oakleigh Cannon’s failed to find a winner in regular time despite dominating for large portions of the game.
Taylor’s side was unable to convert from two clear cut chances in the opening ten minutes of the game which would ultimately come back to haunt them.
The most notable of Oakleigh’s squandered opportunities arrived following a delightful chip from Lebib Lebib to put captain Joe Guest one on one with the keeper. The Oakleigh captain will be left wondering, as striker Adem Duratvovic failed to hit the target despite a seemingly perfect delivery from Guest.
Avondale on the other hand struggled to orchestrate anything convincing going forward throughout the first half, with marquee striker Bruno Fornaroli’s threat kept to a minimum. Oakleigh’s strong defensive record was truly on display, having only conceded 24 goals in 26 games during the regular season.
Lebib Lebib, who won the 2026 NPLM Rising Star Award, proved to be Oakleigh’s standout playmaker across the 90 minutes. His threat almost materialising in the 25th minute, as a moment of scintillating feet proved too much for Adama Traore, cutting inside and leaving the former A-League defender looking for answers.
A goalless half continued on throughout the second period, with neither side able to find the back of the net despite a far more energetic display from Avondale, Blake Carpenter a notable outlier going forward with a series of surging runs.
Avondale's Dilon Jakupi was then forced off through injury in the 64th minute following a heroic sliding tackle to halt the run of Lebib, as the defender was seemingly caught by a stray foot in the midst of the challenge.
The biggest chance of the half came in the 81st minute. A deflected strike in Oakleigh's box fell kindly to Fornaroli on the full, who’s volleyed effort was acrobatically tipped over by former Avondale goalkeeper Thomas Manos, denying the Uruguayan of a dramatic opener.
Despite huge opportunities coming from either end, neither side could be separated after 90 minutes of football, and extra-time was called upon to force a winner.Oakleigh came agonisingly close to securing a winner in the 93rd minute following a dangerous flick on from Brodie Boyce, but a pivotal parry from goalkeeper Jack Gibson denied him from close range.
With the scoreline goalless after 120 minutes, for the first time since 2019, the NPLM Victoria Championship would be determined by a penalty shootout.
In a moment that would prove decisive, Joe Guest’s opening penalty was denied by Jack Gibson, who did superbly to read the strike from the Oakleigh captain. Veteran goalscorer Bruno Fornaroli would then make no mistake as he stepped up, firing home
Avondale's first of the shootout straight down the middle. The woes from the spot would continue for Oakleigh, as Connor Hampson, who was named in the 17-player NPL Team of the Season, blasted his penalty skywards much to the jubilation of the Avondale squad.
The drama and tensions would not end there, however. Saad Moukchar stepped goalwards with the opportunity to finally put the game to rest for Avondale, but like Hampson, miraculously failed to hit the target.
Despite Joseph Knowles fulfilling his part in converting the next spot kick, his sides previous misses would prove too much to salvage for Oakleigh. It would be Kristian Trajceski to step up with the trophy resting on his shoulders, and this time made no mistake, slotting home an emphatic strike which sent Manos the wrong way.
Avondale goalkeeper Jack Gibson would go on to be awarded the Jimmy Rooney Medal for his impressive performance in front of goal, complimented by his decisive spot kick save.
It was a fairytale ending for Avondale, with Fornaroli securing a trophy upon his departure from the club, in which he scored 22 goals and achieved the accolade of the league's top goalscorer.