Melbourne Knights FC Official Website NPL Round 1 – Melbourne Knights vs Heidelberg United FC
Starting XI
- Carrigan, A. Hird, T. Karlovic, L. Mazis, C. Bramwell, S. Lawless, F. Dunlop, C. Oldfield, K. Sheppard, J. Brandt, M. Cunha.
Substitutes
- Brecevic, A. Duzel, S. Whyte, J. Karantz, J. Morton, M. Chiba, M. Petheriotis, G. Matti
After 152 days without NPL Victoria football, the wait was finally over. Tompsett Stadium in Sunshine became the official stage for Victoria’s fiery return, with no better way to kick things than a meeting between two of Victoria’s oldest outfits. The Melbourne Knights and Heidelberg United, two clubs separated by history but bound together by 63 years of pitch appearances, renewed their competitive rivalry in a season-opening spectacle that lived up to the billing.
As Knights fans donned in the clubs famous colours poured into Tompsett stadium, all eyes were on former Heidelberg players Kane Shepherd and Leo Mazis, who lined up in the red, white and blue for the first time. If there were any doubts of their loyalty, they were quickly erased from the first whistle as their pressure on the yellow and black’s defence began. New signings Hird, Lawless, Dunlop and Cunha quickly followed suit, blending in with familiar faces.
Despite a solid start, it wasn’t long until Knights fans gripped their seats in anticipation, as Somer Street born and bred, Tomas Karlovic, slipped in for a goal line clearance, keeping the score square as they entered the 21st minute. The early scare failed to shake the Knights, as just eight minutes later, their breakthrough arrived. With Bramwell demanding space inside the box, a header sent the home crowd into raptures with Knights inching themselves forward.
The tension, however, remained high, with Karlovic catching eyes once again as he put on a determined display. The Knights pressed on, carving out another chance in the 39th minute, before Heidelberg finally showed their teeth, forcing a save on the stroke of halftime.
Minutes after the restart, a cross from Shepherd saw the Knights double their advantage, as Bramwell’s head once again sent the ball bobbling over the line, squeezing past the desperate hands of Heidelberg Goalkeeper, Govan. The celebrations of the Knights fans however, were quickly matched by the equally passionate sea of black and yellow, with Lesiotis reminding the home crowd that the Bergers weren’t going down without a fight, his screamer setting the pace for the remaining 38 minutes.
The game then took on an end-to-end nature, with Heidelberg missing a golden one-on-one chance at 57 minutes thanks to the secure hands of Knights Captain, Chris Oldfield. Whilst the secure hands of the skipper the persistence of Heidelberg prevailed, a 65th minute equaliser setting up a dramatic final stretch.
Despite the clock quickly approaching 90, the humming of the unrelenting crowd rung clear with Knights’ Josh Karantz reclaiming their rightful lead and sealing the deal on his dreamy debut in the red, white and blue. In response to what was believed to be the winning goal, the victorious ‘Croacija’ chant echoed through Tompsett stadium, filling the quarries of Melbourne’s West in its path.
As the game seemed to come to an end, it was referee Michael Mammis who kept the fiery crowd alive, ruling out not one – but two Heidelberg goals as offside. The decisions of Mammis, matched with the unwavering luck of the Knights, saw the home crowd claim their victory and send the resilient Bergers home in disbelief.
The final blow of the whistle from Mammis solidified Knights’ position at the top of the table, three points in hand, with an electric atmosphere at Tompsett Stadium and Franjic’s squads ‘never-say-die’ attitude encompassing all that it means to be a Knights fan. As an air of the club’s traditional heritage blew through the celebrations in Somer Street, the irrevocable passion and loyalty of all those in attendance, saw the 2025 Victorian NPL season be kicked off – The Knights Way.
