General Manager of Oakleigh Cannons FC Aki Ionnas: “We’ve proved we are the best team in NPL Victoria”

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Aki Ionnas is the General Manager & Director of Football at the Oakleigh Cannons FC, whose senior men’s side were champions of the National Premier Leagues (NPL) Victoria in 2024.

Speaking with Soccerscene in a wide-ranging chat, Ionnas details why his club continues to have great success on and off the park – cementing themselves as one of the top clubs in the state.

First of all, going back a couple of months now, you were crowned champions of NPL Victoria in 2024 – tell me a little bit about how rewarding it was to win the GF in Victoria this past season?

It was an amazing season and we deserved the results from the hard work we put in. If we even look back a bit further, what we’ve shown in the last 3 years is that we’ve proved we are the best team in NPL Victoria.

We’ve won 2 Championships in that time, a Dockerty Cup, a Community Shield and a Premiers Plate – what else can I say, these are great achievements.

What were the factors that you think contributed to your success last season, but also the last few years?

First of all, Chris Taylor and his coaching team, who are absolutely fantastic and have been for a number of years. Chris is a top class coach and since he’s been with us, he has won us plenty of silverware. Our Football Operations person, John Ioannou, has also made a huge contribution to our success on the field – working very closely with Chris.

The entire board, the great support we have from sponsors, it’s all a big family and the results continue to speak for themselves.

Everyone works hard together for the same cause and that’s a main reason why we have been so successful.

How will you sustain that success moving forward into next season, what are your objectives for next season?

It’s always hard to sustain the success, it’s not easy at all. We are a close-knit club and we are now always going to be the hunted. Being the hunted is always difficult, but we will always continue to try and achieve our goals and be up there at the end of the season.

There’s a recent history of success that we’ve established, record Grand Final wins and also good results in the Australia Cup (reaching the quarter and semi-finals recently), so we’ve found the formula and I don’t see why we can’t continue that.

Image credit: One Nil Media

Are you able to provide an update on the facility upgrades at Jack Edwards Reserve, how is that progressing at the moment and when is it due for completion?

It’s all going great. Our 550 Lux light towers are now up and they will be operational in a couple of weeks. All of our home games next season will be on a Friday Night, so everything is going to plan, which is amazing to see.

Could you just detail what the other planned facility upgrades are for?

Alongside the 550 lux light towers, there will be upgrades with a new 500 seat grandstand, a corporate function room upstairs in the pavilion, medical rooms, referee rooms and also first aid rooms. The plan is for everything to be completed by late 2025.

Council has contributed significantly to these upgrades – tell me a little bit more about how this will positively impact your club and the local community overall?

We definitely appreciate council’s support but also a big thanks goes to our Chairman Kon Kavalakis and our President Stan Papayianneris – these two have been instrumental in getting this project up and running.

The facilities are great and it’s a hub for the local community in the area; it’s going to be fantastic and really take the club to the next level. We’ve seen success on the park and now we’re starting to see the success off the park. We’re going to be one of Melbourne’s leading clubs in the state of Victoria.

Image credit: One Nil Media

Moving on Aki, what are your thoughts on the finer details announced around the National Second Division (NSD) recently – what is Oakleigh’s stance on potentially joining the second tier?

Of course, we’d love to be a part of the national second division. We have some of the best facilities in the state, we are looking very positively at the idea (of joining a national second tier).

Image credit: One Nil Media

What were the reasons around why the club wasn’t amongst the foundation clubs of the competition?

We initially just wanted to wait and see more of the details come out at the time of submission. Now that more details have come out into the open, it’s looking very positive overall.

With NPL Premiers across the country invited to join next year’s NSD, are you aware of the financial expectations if you were to win the premiership in NPL Victoria next season and get invited to the national competition (have they been communicated from FA to the clubs?)

No not as yet, but we expect those details to come out when appropriate.

What do you personally think of the NSD’s “Champions League” model, as opposed to the Home and Away model?

I personally think it’s a great start (with the announcement of the Champions League model) and if it was to be a home and away season eventually, we would look at those details when they come out and make a further decision.

Just back on the club, obviously women’s football participation continues to boom in the state – is an NPL Women’s side for your club on the immediate agenda for you to implement?

It’s definitely on the agenda and it’s a high priority for us. We have people in the background working on this and with the participation rates great around the women’s game it.

Image credit: One Nil Media

What does the future for the club look like Aki? Obviously, there are very positive signs – where do you see the club positioned over the next few years and what are its main objectives?

We want this club to continue its strong success in all areas. We are always striving for this club to be competing for silverware, whether that’s in Victoria or on a national level.

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The Man Who Built a Women’s Football Program from Nothing is now an Award-Winning Gender Equity Leader

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Image Credit: Football Victoria

Eight years ago, Spring Hills Football Club did not have a girls’ team. Today it has one of the most recognised women’s programs in Melbourne’s west, a senior NPLW side, and a head coach who has just been named Gender Equity Leader of the Year at the Melton City Council Volunteer Achievement Awards.

Tom Markovski, Spring Hills’ NPLW Head Coach, received the award at a ceremony coinciding with National Volunteer Week, recognised for his community leadership, promotion of gender equality and commitment to advancing the status of women and people of all genders in sport. The recognition comes from outside the football community entirely, awarded by a local council celebrating volunteers across every sector of civic life in one of Melbourne’s fastest-growing regions.

Building from scratch

When Markovski arrived at Spring Hills, women’s football at the club did not exist. His first act was to champion the establishment of the club’s first all-girls team, a process that required persuading a club culture built around men’s football that the investment was worth making.

Women’s football in community clubs has historically struggled to access the same facilities, scheduling priority, coaching resources and institutional support as the men’s game. Clubs have been slow to invest in programs whose return is less immediately visible than a senior men’s premiership, and in a growing outer-suburban community like Melton, where volunteer capacity is finite and demand across every program is high, the case for building something new always has to compete with the urgency of maintaining what already exists.

Markovski made the case anyway, and kept making it across eight years of coaching senior and junior NPL teams while simultaneously building the structural foundations of a women’s program designed to outlast any individual’s involvement. The club’s first all-girls team became multiple junior girls teams. Those junior teams created the pipeline for a senior women’s side. The senior women’s side created visible pathways for younger players to see where the game could take them within their own club.

The outcome is a program that Spring Hills now holds up as central to its identity rather than supplementary to it. The club has become a leader in female participation in Melbourne’s west, and recently made history within the NPLW Victoria structure by fielding junior teams coached entirely by female coaches, a milestone that reflects the depth of the program Markovski helped build.

What the Award Recognises

The Melton City Council’s decision to name Markovski its Gender Equity Leader of the Year places his work in a frame that extends beyond football. Melton is one of the fastest-growing local government areas in Australia, a diverse and rapidly expanding community where the institutions that bring people together, like schools, councils, sporting clubs, carry an outsized responsibility for social cohesion.

Mayor Cr. Lara Carli, speaking at the awards ceremony, reflected on the role volunteers play in communities like Melton’s. “Volunteering creates friendships, strengthens communities and builds a sense of belonging,” she said. “It helps people feel connected, supported and valued, and those things are more important than ever in a growing and diverse community like ours.”

For the girls now playing football at Spring Hills who were not playing anywhere eight years ago, Markovski’s contribution is not abstract. It is the specific and concrete fact of having somewhere to play, someone to coach them, and a pathway that leads somewhere.

Aussie partners with two A-League clubs in cross-state alliance

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Image credit: Melbourne Victory

Australia’s largest retail mortgage broker will team up with Melbourne Victory and Western Sydney Wanderers, representing Aussie’s commitment to supporting and connecting people through football.

 

Opposing teams, United partners

The alliance between Aussie, Melbourne Victory and Western Sydney Wanderers reflects a unique approach to investing in Australia’s football landscape.

It encompasses both communities and supporters across Melbourne and Sydney, with Aussie’s presence in both cities now firmly embedded into local, grassroots networks.

“We’re excited about this partnership because it represents much more than a traditional sponsorship,” explained Aussie National Manager, Strategic Partnerships, Ryan Ferguson via press release.

“It’s about connection, community, and being part of something that reaches people in a meaningful and authentic way.”

Both Melbourne Victory and Western Sydney Wanderers also commented on the unique nature of the partnership.

“The joint venture is a game-changer in how brands and sports teams can collaborate beyond the traditional instruments of a partnership and stands apart from the existing relationships in our sporting landscape for the betterment of our stakeholders,” said Melbourne Victory Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie.

“For the first time, two iconic clubs are coming together in a joint-venture sponsorship that delivers unmatched reach, community impact and business innovation,” added Western Sydney Wanderers CEO, Scott Hudson.

 

National stage, local commitment

As Australians grapple with soaring property prices and financial uncertainty, having access to a platform like Aussie is immensely valuable.

So now that Aussie will begins its venture alongside Melbourne Victory and Western Sydney Wanderers – two clubs with extensive fanbases – it now has the means to make real, local impact.

Two major cities. Two footballing identities. All aligned under the same vision for community reach, growth and innovation.

“Aussie is a national brand, but at our heart, we are built on local relationships,” continued Ferguson.

“Every day, our brokers are working with customers in their communities, helping them navigate the journey of finding, buying and owning their own home. That’s why this partnership feels like such a natural fit.”

Ultimately, while the alliance will build on the business and community networks of the two A-League outfits, the impact will extend far beyond the boundaries of the pitch.

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