THANK YOU, SOUTH MELBOURNE FC 💙🤍 It is incredibly difficult to find the right words to say goodbye to a club that has given me so much. South Melbourne FC gave me an opportunity to make my name, to prove myself, to lead, and to be part of a journey that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. When I look back at what we went through together, I feel nothing but pride. From fighting to save ourselves in that first year, to lifting the Dockerty Cup, becoming National Australian Champions, reaching the Grand Final of the OFC Pro League, and then achieving something truly historic in winning the Australia Cup with a semi-professional team competing against fully professional opposition. That achievement will always hold a special place in my heart. We were a group of players and staff who balanced football with the realities of semi-professional life, yet we refused to put limits on what we could achieve. We believed in each other, believed in our standards and believed that when we stepped onto the pitch, reputation, resources and professional status did not determine the outcome. Together, we made history. To win the Australia Cup as a semi-professional club, in a competition featuring the best professional teams in the country, is an achievement that will forever hold a special place in the history of Australian football. And perhaps what makes that journey even more special is seeing where the club stands today. The team that achieved that historic success as a semi-professional group has now become fully professional. To know that we played a part in that progression, helped raise the standards and demonstrated what this club was capable of becoming gives me an enormous sense of pride. We didn't just win trophies, we helped change what people believed was possible for South Melbourne. We created memories and achieved things together that can never be taken away from us. More than anything, I hope we leave behind a legacy at this club. Not only in the trophies we lifted or the results we achieved, but in the standards we set, the belief we created and the culture we built together. I hope this group showed what is possible when people truly believe in one another, fight for the badge and refuse to compromise on what they stand for. If even a small part of what we built continues to live on and helps inspire the next chapter of this great club, then that is something I will always be incredibly proud of. But football is about much more than trophies and results. It is about people, emotions, sacrifice, belief and belonging. To the South Melbourne supporters, a big thank you. Your passion and support meant more to me than you will ever know. I will never forget standing there and hearing you chant my name. Those moments inspired me, lifted me and drove me to give absolutely everything I had to bring success to this great club. That sound and that feeling will stay with me forever. To my players, saying goodbye to you is the hardest part. You were my group, my responsibility and my family. We suffered together, celebrated together, fought together and achieved together. The emotional connection I have with this group makes this incredibly difficult. I am incredibly proud of you, not only as footballers but as people. Thank you for trusting me, believing in me and giving everything for the badge and for each other. Whatever happens next in your careers, never forget what we built together, the standards we set and what we proved was possible. Protect that legacy and continue to carry it forward. To Co-Presidents Bill Papastergiadis and Andrew Mesourouni, and to the Board my sincere and heartfelt thanks. None of what we have achieved would have been possible without your unwavering belief, commitment, and support.

An exciting change is coming to the 2026 edition of the #AusChampionship! 👀 🗞️ Read more: bit.ly/AC26-Shootout-Explain…