South Melbourne, a second-tier club, beats Melbourne Victory to win the Australia Cup
South Melbourne won the Australia Cup final at AAMI Park in Melbourne on Saturday, beating A-League side Melbourne Victory, according to Fox Sports and a headline on a Google News listing that read “South Melbourne make history with Australia Cup win”. Fox Sports called it a “fairytale” for an NPL club, the state-based second tier, over an A-League “juggernaut” after a dramatic climax. The Herald and The Age had billed the match as a powerhouse of the old National Soccer League against one of the A-League’s giants in front of a sold-out stadium. We did not have the score or the scorers.
It is a rare win by a club outside the A-League in the national knockout cup, and a boost for the case that Australian football needs promotion and relegation between its tiers.
The final was played in front of a sold-out AAMI Park, so the result will be the talk of Melbourne football this weekend. We did not confirm what the title is worth beyond the trophy.
A second-tier win shows the depth of Australian football and the pull of its old clubs.
One cup upset does not fix the gap in resources between the A-League and the state leagues.
Watch for the score and how the match was decided, which our sources did not give.
DailyDrop Australia edition No. 7 · Morning · SUN., OCT. 11, 2026