In a proud moment for Victorian football, Heidelberg United have overcome their third consecutive Isuzu UTE A-League opponent to book their place in the 2025 Hahn Australia Cup Final on Saturday, 4 October.
It’s only the second time in the modern era of the Hahn Australia Cup that a Member Federation club has reached the Final, with Heidelberg’s fairytale run capturing the imagination of football fans across the country. The semi-professional side has done it the hard way, toppling three A-League opponents without conceding a single goal, and now stands just one step away from writing the ultimate Cup story.
Standing in the Bergers way are Newcastle Jets FC, who defeated another National Premier League (NPL) Victoria club in Avondale FC yesterday.
While our dreams of an all NPL Victoria Cup Final have now been dashed, to have two Member Federation clubs win through to the Semi Final stage of this tournament is an incredible achievement and worthy of celebration.
The Hahn Australia Cup is the culmination of a nationwide journey that began with 718 clubs from every level of the game, from grassroots and community outfits to Australia’s professional heavyweights, delivering ‘Cupsets’, drama and moments of pure passion that embody the romance of knockout football.
Football Australia has previously confirmed the Hahn Australia Cup 2025 Final will be played on Saturday, 4 October, with kick-off time and ticketing details for to be announced soon.
Heidelberg booked their place in the 2025 Hahn Australia Cup Final with yet another giant-killing performance, toppling reigning Isuzu UTE A-League premiers Auckland FC 2-0 on Saturday night. The result marked their third consecutive ‘Cupset’ of the tournament (a new competition record) and remarkably, they have yet to concede a goal against A-League opposition throughout their historic run.
Avondale were gallant in defeat yesterday, falling 4-2 against a well drilled Newcastle Jets side. The Jets jumped out to an early two goal lead, but the Avengers struck back and levelled the score at two a-piece. Unfortunately, the Jets would not be denied, taking the lead midway through the second half and putting the contest out of Avondale's reach in the 94th minute.
Heidelberg and Avondale's brilliant Hahn Australia Cup run comes as no great surprise to fans of the NPL Victoria. Both the Bentleigh Greens and South Melbourne have made it through to the Semi Finals twice (2014/18 for Bentleigh and 2017/24 for South Melbourne), Hume City were one win away from a Cup Final appearance in 2015, Oakleigh did the same in 2022 and the Melbourne Knights followed suit in 2023.
Adding further significance, the Hahn Australia Cup winner will be in line to represent Australia in the 2026/27 AFC Champions League Two, provided they meet the AFC’s club licensing requirements.
Australian football’s biggest knockout prize is set to be decided in front of a national audience live and free on Network 10.