National Soccer League

I think, well, that's a big call.

There, there is a long history of [laughs], of club football in Australia, but certainly, um, there are a lot of people looking forward to this just because it pits an A-League side against a former NFL champion, and there's a real feeling around the game at the moment, um, that something's gotta give, that, that the game needs, needs a, a boost of enthusiasm, a boost of interest, and South Melbourne might, might just be the team to do it because as we all know, you know, they've got a long history, they're a storied club, they were coached to the old NFL championship by Ange Postecoglou, first as a player and then as coach, and, um, and now they've got their chance to, to knock off really the biggest side along with Sydney FC that was born out of their ashes, if you like.

When the NFL went under in the early 2000, two years later, the A-League was born in 2005, and Melbourne Victory were in that first grand final, and Sydney F... well, second grand final, Sydney FC were there, um, for the first grand final as well.

And it's sort of been a feeling amongst the clubs that were in the NFL before that, your Sydney Croatians, your Melbourne Croatians, your South Melbournes, your, your Adelaides.

There were very few teams that actually straddled the two competitions.

Perth Glory, as you know very well out west, was, was one that did it, um, successfully to a certain extent, Newcastle as well.

But, but there's a feeling that this match is, is a real chance for the old soccer, if you like, those from the old days of the NFL and the ethnic-based clubs and the community-based clubs against the A-League, the younger fans, the younger, the younger competition.

And, and it is generating a whole lot of interest, that's for sure.