The 2025 NPLW Match of the Round Preview
Round 19: Heidelberg United v Spring Hills
Venue: Olympic Village
Date/Time: Saturday, August 2, 4:15PM
The NPLW Round 19 Match of the Round is shaping up to be a thrilling contest between two sides with finals ambitions.
Table-topping Heidelberg United host Spring Hills in what is not just a crucial fixture in the race for the top four, but a possible premiership-clinching moment for the Bergers. A win at home this weekend would seal the 2025 NPLW Victoria Premiership in front of their fans — a massive achievement for the club and a fitting reward for a consistently strong season.
Adding further intrigue is the fact that this matchup is a rematch of the sides’ earlier season meeting, which ended in a hard-fought 1–1 draw. But this time, the stakes are even higher.
Heidelberg come into this fixture with one eye on their upcoming Nike FC Cup Final, where they’ll face rivals South Melbourne at The Home of The Matildas next weekend. With that marquee clash looming, there’s every chance they could rotate the squad slightly or rest a few key players — but with a trophy on the line this week, don’t expect wholesale changes.
Spring Hills, meanwhile, are coming off one of their biggest wins of the season, a 2-0 victory over South Melbourne at home in Round 18. That result not only turned heads across the league, but injected real belief into the Stallions’ campaign. Another win this weekend could catapult them into serious finals contention and send a warning to the rest of the competition.
Offensively, this one promises fireworks. Heidelberg's Sawa Matsuda leads the league with 17 goals — four more than any other player — and continues to be the heartbeat of their attacking threat. For Spring Hills, Aleks Sinclair has led from the front with five goals this season, while Maja Markovski has hit form after her stint in Canberra, adding four goals of her own since joining mid-season.
With a premiership potentially on the line, finals dreams hanging in the balance, and attacking stars on both sides, this is a Match of the Round you won’t want to miss.
Head-to-Head Record
Played: 1
Heidelberg United: 0
Spring Hills: 0
Draws: 1
Last Time They Met
Friday May 9 2025, 8:30pm
Springside Recreational Reserve, Caroline Springs
Spring Hills (Sinclair 36) 1 - 1 Heidelberg United (Vlahopoulos 42)
Referee: Benjamin Howell
Spring Hills: Jenna Ibrahim, Emily Gerolemou, Jacinta Tanarte-Crook, Nikki Bozinovski, Olivia Anderson (Emily Tanaka 90+3), Natasha Dakic, Julia Budiongo (Holly Sposato 89), Isabella Stringfellow, Aleksandra Sinclair, Erii Yamashita (Mona Ensor 46), Yukina Tamamura Coach: Tom Markovski
Heidelberg United: Mia Bailey, Maia Heysen, Cameron Barreiro, Sawa Matsuda (Shylah Balla 76), Kathryn Vlahopoulos (Nicole Cooper 68), Keely Lockhart (Stephanie Galea 68), Asuka Miyata, Molly Burke, Heidi Draai, Emilia Ingles (Aeryn Tarrant 60), Samantha Curwood-Wagner (Bronte Peel 68) Coach: Dennis Georgakopoulos
The Key Matchup: Rosie Wild v Maja Markovski
A heavyweight battle headlines the NPLW Round 19 Match of the Round — as Spring Hills take on top-of-the-table Heidelberg United in a contest that could have major finals implications. At the heart of it? A classic centre-back vs striker showdown.
Maja Markovski is no stranger to the big stage. The 2024 NPLW Golden Boot and Gold Medal winner made headlines last year playing out of the Veneto Club in maroon, dominating defences and collecting accolades along the way. Now in new colours, she’s brought her lethal touch to Spring Hills — and it’s paying off.
Since arriving during the mid-season registration window, Markovski has completely transformed the Stallions’ fortunes. With four goals in just six matches, she’s become the focal point of their attack and helped them climb rapidly up the table. A victory this weekend would not only mark a major scalp over the league leaders — it would place Spring Hills firmly in the race for a coveted top-four finish.
But the Stallions will have to break down one of the toughest defensive lines in the competition — led by the calm and commanding Rosie Wild.
Wild has been a model of consistency at the back for Heidelberg United all season. A natural leader, her positioning, composure, and one-on-one defending have helped limit opponents to just 24 goals across 18 matches. She doesn’t back down, and she won’t be overawed by the challenge of stopping one of the league’s most dangerous forwards.
Commentator: Adem Saricaoglu
The 2025 NPLW Round 19 Match of the Round will be broadcast live and free on the NPL Victoria YouTube Channel.
NPLW Round 19 Matches
- Friday 1 August, 8:30pm: Bentleigh Greens v Essendon Royals @ Kingston Heath Soccer Complex
- Saturday 2 August, 3:00pm: Brunswick Juventus v Box Hill United @ CB Smith Reserve
- Saturday 2 August, 3:00pm: Alamein v Boroondara Eagles @ Dorothy Laver Reserve
- Saturday 2 August, 3:00pm: FV Acaedmy v FC Bulleen Lions @ The Home of The Matildas
- Saturday 2 August, 4:15pm: Heidelberg United v Spring Hills @ Olympic Village
- Sunday 3 August, 2:00pm: South Melbourne v Preston Lions @ Lakeside Stadium