Oakleigh Cannons captain Joe Guest cemented his status as the King of NPL Victoria in 2026, claiming an a record-equaling third Gold Medal in the Senol NPLM Victoria season.
It was a season to remember for the Cannons, who claimed the 2026 NPLM Victoria Premiership after establishing themselves as the competition’s benchmark with a 16-match unbeaten run and consistent performances across the home-and-away season. However, they ultimately fell just short in the Grand Final, losing to Avondale FC in a penalty shoot-out.
Following the Cannons’ Grand Final defeat, Guest travelled to the UK for his sister’s wedding, learning he had claimed his third Gold Medal while waiting with his girlfriend, Molly, at Dubai Airport.
“I knew the night was happening, but I was just putting the football side of things to one side and thinking we’ll refresh and go again when I get back,” Guest said.
“All of a sudden, the messages started going bang, bang, bang, and it was like, congratulations, congratulations. Then it just hit me what happened.”
Guest became the first player in the NPL era, and just the second in Victorian football history, to win three Men’s Gold Medals. He joins former Australian Youth International and Altona Magic and Thomastown (now Whittlesea Ranges) defender George Jolevski, who claimed three consecutive medals from 1997 to 1999.
The significance of the achievement soon sank in, with Guest admitting he became emotional as he reflected on the milestone.
“Once I started reading about it and seeing that I was the first player in the NPL era to do it, I got a little bit emotional. It was nice to share that moment with her (Molly).”
The award provided a memorable end to a season of contrasting emotions, following the highs of winning the Premiership and the disappointment of the Grand Final.
“I went through the highest high to the lowest low and then back to the highest high. But I guess that’s football in a nutshell.”
At the Victorian Football Gala, Oakleigh Cannons Head Coach Chris Taylor accepted the Gold Medal on Guest’s behalf, a fitting moment given his influence on the midfielder’s career and the support he has provided since joining the club in 2019.
“We’ve formed a great relationship, and for him to accept the award on my behalf was really special,” Guest said.
“A lot of credit goes to him and all the other boys as well.”
Taylor had nothing but praise for Guest in his acceptance speech, paying tribute to the midfielder’s professionalism and character off the pitch.
“That’s the third time he has won this medal, a big achievement for him,” Taylor said.
"He is a consummate professional and a great player to coach and thoroughly deserves the award and a great person to be around.”
Although the Grand Final result was not what Oakleigh had hoped for, Guest believes the Premiership remains a significant achievement for a group that set out to finish the season at the top of the table.
“At the start of the season, we set out some goals as a team and it was, we want to be the number one, we want to win the league,” Guest said.
“We were disappointed in our campaign in 2025, so we said we want to be consistent straight from Round 1 and have a good crack at being the best team in the league.
“I think this is the most consistent team I’ve played in, and the boys have been outstanding really, to go 16 games unbeaten. The main aim was to win the league and we’ve achieved that, so we’ve got to celebrate that just as much as we would anything else.”
The Cannons will enter the 2027 Senol NPLM Victoria season looking to defend their league title and build on this year’s success as they set their sights on claiming the Championship.
“Sometimes when you’ve hit your peak, the question is whether you can back it up,” he said.
“That’s going to be the question going into the next NPL season. Can we win the league again and can we go one better and hopefully win the Grand Final as well?”