The 2025 NPLM Match of the Round Preview
Round 20: Avondale FC v Dandenong Thunder
Venue: Avenger Park, Parkville
Date/Time: Saturday 28 June 2025, 3:00pm
Avenger Park is the place to be this week, as the one and only NPLM fixture on Saturday pits Avondale FC (2nd) against Dandenong Thunder (3rd) for the third time this season, and the second time in eleven days after the Avengers outlasted their opponents in a Dockerty Cup encounter which went the distance.
Despite dropping points to the Lions on the weekend, the Avengers will still entertain ambitions of a Premiership tilt if they can secure all three points against Thunder and maintain pressure on Heidlberg United who sit above them on the Premiership table. With the Avengers superior goal-difference and a clash between both clubs to come at home on the first weekend of August, yes, an Avondale Premiership is in play.
That will be the last thing on Thunder’s agenda, with a win at Avenger Park going a long way to sealing a Finals spot, not to mention closing the gap to just a couple of points to Avondale, where a Top 2 spot is very much on the cards. Dandenong have three more matches at home and with away games against relegation favourites Port Melbourne Sharks and St Albans Saints, yes, a Thunder Top 2 finish is in play.
While Avondale were able to progress in last week’s Dockerty Cup encounter, Thunder will take heart in their performance at George Andrews Reserve, a 2-1 win over the Avengers a kick-start to the Thunder’s season and confirming them as serious challengers in season 2025. Can Piddick’s men close the gap on the Avengers?
Head-to-Head Record
Played: 15
Avondale: 11
Dandenong Thunder: 3
Draws: 1
Last Time They Met
Dockerty Cup Round 7, Tuesday 17 June 2025, 7:30pm @ Paisley Park.
Avondale 2 (Valentini 111, 120+3);
Dandenong Thunder 0.
Referee: Pouya Ghadirian.
Avondale: Thomas Manos, Daniel Edwards, Ayden Brice, Stefan Zinni (Jackson Courtney-Perkins 82), Manyluak Aguek (Masssimo D'argenio 120), Yitayew Towns, Kristian Trajceski, Emlyn Wellsmore, Luca Tevere (Cian Cuba 82), Yusuf Ahmed (Stefan Valentini 57), Kalilou Kamara; Coach: Zoran Markovski; Cautions: Edwards 68, Valentini 83, Aguek 116.
Dandenong Thunder: Jamie Young, Daniel Alessi, Mersim Memeti, Aidan Edwards (Lirim Elmazi 111), Yuki Ushida, Kyle Taylor, Wade Dekker (Jok Akuien 111), Daniel Clark, Ali Sulemani (Jay Romanovski 51), Hassan Jalloh (Muamet Selimovski 87), Thijs Van Amerongen; Coach: Adam Piddick; Cautions: Jalloh 73.
Watch the last time they met in the League
Key Matchup: Jalloh v Brice
The classic match-up: Striker v Defender
One of the competitions leading marksmen, Hassan Jalloh has been a revelation for Thunder since arriving from the Icelandic second tier, where he spent the best part of three seasons scoring crucial goals in a competitive environment after developing his craft in the NPL New South Wales. Scoring at better than a goal every two matches, he hasn’t missed a match and has formed a wonderful partnership with Yuki Uchida, himself an ever-present who has nabbed an impressive seven goals to form one of competition’s impressive strike forces.
The return from injury of Ayden Brice will no doubt relieve one of Zoran Markovski’s headaches in the lead-in to the Finals. A nine-week layoff witnessed a return via the Dockerty Cup clash against Thunder, where he showed no ill-signs in 120 minutes of gruelling cut-throat football. He backed up that mid-week effort with another impressive 90 against Preston Lions and appears ready to lead the Avengers charge towards a treble, still possible as they remain alive in all competitions.
Brice managed to quell Jalloh in both the League and Cup this season, another shutout could go a long way to deciding who takes the points at Avenger Park.
The 2025 NPLM Round 20 Match of the Round will be broadcast live and free on the NPL Victoria YouTube Channel.
Commentators:
Nick D’Urbano and Mark Ivkovic.
NPLM Round 20 Matches
- Friday 27 June, 7:30pm: Green Gully vs Altona Magic @ Green Gully Reserve
- Friday 27 June, 7:30pm: South Melbourne vs Hume City @ Lakeside Stadium
- Friday 27 June, 7:30pm: Heidelberg United vs Dandenong City @ Olympic Village
- Friday 27 June, 8:15pm: Oakleigh Cannons vs Preston Lions @ Jack Edwards Reserve
- Friday 27 June, 8:15pm: Port Melbourne Sharks vs St Albans Saints @ JL Murphy Reserve
- Saturday 28 June, 3:00pm: Avondale vs Dandenong Thunder @ Avenger Park
- Monday 30 June, 8:30pm: Melbourne Victory vs Melbourne Knights @ Home of the Matildas