South Melbourne began their 2025 season with the perfect start after defeating Oakleigh Cannons 1-0 in the Community Shield at The Home of the Matildas on a beautiful Friday night.
The vocal crowd were treated to a feisty, but goalless, first half largely controlled by the reigning National Premier League Men's champion.
However, the deadlock was broken less than five minutes into the second half, when South Melbourne forward Nahuel Bonada finished off a brilliant counter attack, sliding a low shot across the keeper for a classy goal.
Bonada's strike proved to be the match-winner, with South Melbourne holding off a hard-pressing Cannons side to secure their second Community Shield, following their success in the inaugral edition in 2015.
Friday night's match was the 10th anniversary of the first Football Victoria organised Community Shield and pitted the 2024 Dockerty Cup winners South Melbourne against the 2024 National Premier League Victoria (NPL) Men’s champions Oakleigh. Returning as a pre-season fixture, the Shield serves to launch the highly anticipated 2025 NPLM season, which kicks off the following week and the 205 Dockerty Cup, which begins with the first round the week after.
The Women's Community Shield will be held in the lead-up to the NPLW season on the weekend of March 7, where the 2024 Nike FC Cup champions FC Bulleen Lions will take on the NPLW Grand Final winners Heidelberg United. Further details will be provided shortly.
From here, Oakleigh and South Melbourne will officially open their NPLM season 2025 campaigns next Friday night, with the Cannons hosting Avondale at Jack Edwards Reserve and South travelling to JL Murphy Reserve to tackle John Markovski's Port Melbourne Sharks.