All seven Victorian representatives offer interesting stories ahead of their Hahn Australia Cup Round of 32 ties.
Last year’s finalists Melbourne Victory will be eager to go one better this year, while regular Cupsetters Heidelberg United and South Melbourne are also back.
NPL Victoria 3 Nunawading City are the competition’s newest and lowest-ranked entrant.
Avondale make a return after three years, while Western United and A-League Champions Melbourne City are also involved.
Nunawading City FC
Home Ground: Mahoney’s Reserve
Founded: 1971
Australia Cup Final Rounds appearances (inc. 2025): 1
Best Result: N/A
Head Coach: Steve Voursoukis
Road to the Round of 32:
- Docklands Athletic 0-4 Nunawading City
- Nunawading City 2-0 St Kilda Celts
- Nunawading City 7-2 Whittlesea Ranges
- North Sunshine Eagles 1-4 Nunawading City
- Nunawading City 4-0 Hume City
NPL 3 side Nunawading had a longer run than most on their way to their maiden Final Rounds appearance.
The soon-to-be Hahn Australia Cup debutants started quickly with solid wins over Docklands Athletic and St Kilda Celts, before demonstrating their goalscoring qualities, putting seven past Whittlesea Ranges.
After downing North Sunshine Eagles, Nunawading produced a major Cupset, beating 2024 Round of 16 entrants and NPL Victoria giants Hume City 4-0.
Nunawading City have been given some significant travel for their maiden Cup appearance, taking on Darwin Olympic for their first-ever encounter in the Round of 32.
Match Details
Darwin Olympic SC v Nunawading City FC
Date: Tuesday, 22 July 2025
Time: 7:00 pm local/7:30 pm (AEST)
Venue: Darwin Football Stadium
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Avondale FC
Home Ground: Avenger Park
Founded: 1986
Australia Cup Final Rounds appearance (inc. 2025): 4
Best Result: Quarter Final (2019)
Head Coach: Zoran Markovski
Road to the Round of 32:
- Westgate 1-4 Avondale FC
- Avondale FC 2-0 Altona City
- Avondale FC 5-0 Manningham United Blues
- Avondale FC 2-0 Dandenong Thunder
Avondale’s home form proved the catalyst for their Final Rounds qualification, keeping a clean sheet in each of their matches at Avenger Park.
Victories over lower league opposition in Westgate, Altona City and Manningham United Blues put the side a game away from qualification.
They went on to make the Round of 32 for the first time since 2022 by beating fellow NPL Victoria title-chasers Dandenong Thunder.
Avondale make their return to the Round of 32 after a three-year absence from the competition, against Western Australian side Stirling Macedonia.
Match Details
Avondale FC v Stirling Macedonia FC
Date: Tuesday, 22 July 2025
Time: 7:30 pm (AEST)
Venue: Green Gully Reserve
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Heidelberg United
Home Ground: Olympic Park
Founded: 1958
Australia Cup Final Rounds appearances (inc. 2025): 7
Best Result: Quarter Final (2015, 2017, 2018, 2023)
Head Coach: John Anastasiadis
Road to the Round of 32:
- St Albans Dinamo 0-2 Heidelberg United
- Heidelberg United 3-0 East Brighton United
- Heidelberg United 4-1 Clifton Hill
- Northcote City 0-2 Heidelberg United
Heidelberg's defensive solidity headlined their run to the Final Rounds, as they conceded only one goal across their four matches in the preliminary stages.
The side began their run with a 2-0 victory over NPL Victoria rivals St Alban Dinamo before downing state league opposition East Brighton United.
Heidelberg followed up a 4-1 win against Clifton Hill with a 2-0 triumph over NPL Victoria 2 outfit Northcote City to secure their seventh appearance in the Hahn Australia Cup’s Round of 32.
In the 2024 Cup Round of 32, Heidelberg caused a major upset when they beat treble winners Central Coast Mariners 3-1.
They kick off their 2025 Cup campaign against Northern New South Wales side Weston Bears, who currently sit third in their competition.
Match Details
Heidelberg United v Weston Bears
Date: Wednesday, 23 July 2025
Time: 7:30pm (AEST)
Venue: Olympic Park
South Melbourne FC
Home Ground: Lakeside Stadium
Founded: 1959
Australia Cup Final Rounds appearances (inc. 2025): 5
Best Result: Semi-Final (2017, 2024)
Head Coach: Sinisa Cohadzic
Road to the Round of 32:
- Eastern Lions 0-3 South Melbourne
- Bentleigh Greens 1-2 South Melbourne
- South Melbourne 2-1 Pascoe Vale
- Dandenong City 1-1 (1-3 on pens) South Melbourne
South Melbourne had a tricky run to the Round of 32 with several close encounters.
Hellas made an early impression with a 3-0 win against NPL Victoria 2 team Eastern Lions, before edging past Bentleigh Greens and Pascoe Vale.
They survived a dramatic penalty shootout to overcome Victorian top-flight opposition, Dandenong City, and earn a place in the Final Rounds.
South Melbourne advanced far in the 2024 Cup, reaching the semi-finals, including downing Wellington Phoenix in the Round of 32 before losing to eventual winners Macarthur FC.
The 2024 semi-finalists travel to South Hobart to kick off their campaign for this year.
Match Details
South Hobart FC v South Melbourne FC
Date: Wednesday, 23 July 2025
Time: 7:30 pm (AEST)
Venue: KGV Stadium
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Melbourne Victory
Home Ground: AAMI Park
Founded: 2004
Australia Cup Final Rounds Appearances (inc. 2025): 10
Best Result: Winners (2015, 2021)
Coach: Arthur Diles
Road to the Round of 32:
- Automatically qualified (5th in the A-League Men’s)
Victory finished fifth in the regular A-League Men’s season and made the Grand Final, losing 1-0 to 2016 Australia Cup winners and local rivals Melbourne City.
The side’s Grand Final defeat wasn’t their only chance at silverware last campaign, as the club also lost out to Macarthur FC in the 2024 Australia Cup Final.
Last season’s runners-up travel to Western Australia to face Olympic Kingsway in their Round of 32 match-up.
Match Details
Olympic Kingsway vs Melbourne Victory
Date: Tuesday, 29 July 2025
Kick-off: 7:00pm AWST / 9:00pm AEST
Venue: Olympic Stadium
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Western United
Home Ground: Ironbarks Field
Founded: 2018
Australia Cup Final Rounds appearances (inc. 2025): 4
Best Result: Round of 16 (2022)
Head Coach: John Aloisi
Road to Round of 32:
- Automatically qualified (3rd A-League Men’s)
Western United returned to the automatic qualification pool for this year’s Cup, having missed out on the Final Rounds in 2024 after losing their playoff match.
A third-place finish in the 2024/25 A-League Men’s regular season gives them the chance to equal their best-ever finish in the Australia Cup.
They will have to overcome two-time Cup winners Sydney FC to make the Round of 16.
Match Details
Western United v Sydney FC
Date: Tuesday, 29 July 2025
Time: 7:30 pm (AEST)
Venue: Ironbarks Field
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Melbourne City
Home Ground: AAMI Park
Founded: 2009
Australia Cup Final Rounds appearances (inc. 2025): 11
Best Result: Winners (2016)
Head Coach: Aurelio Vidmar
Round to the Round of 32:
- Automatically qualified (2nd A-League Men’s)
Melbourne City finished second in the A-League Men’s last season and went on to emerge triumphant in the Grand Final, beating local rivals Melbourne Victory.
However, they exited the 2024 Australia Cup at the Round of 32 stage with a dramatic 5-4 defeat to Perth Glory.
The one-time winners will be looking to make further inroads in 2025, beginning their Cup campaign away to NPL NSW front runners APIA Leichhardt.
Match Details:
APIA Leichhardt v Melbourne City
Date: Wednesday, 30 July 2025
Time: 7:30pm (AEST)
Venue: Leichhardt Oval
