November 3, 2025
2025 AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 4
WOLLONGONG WOLVES v SOUTH HOBART
WOLVES DO THE DOUBLE ON SOUTH HOBART
MATCH REPORT
After winning the first meeting 3-1 in the 2025 Australian Championship, it was a tense 3-2 victory to the Wolves in the return match. The Wolves scored in the first minutes through Flynn Madden at Collegians Sports Centre and Lachlan Scott got the team to a two-goal advantage in the eighteenth minute. Immediately after this, South Hobart pulled one back after striker, Nicholas Morton goaled. Harrison Oates achieved the equaliser in the 45+ minutes before Scott attained the winner with seventeen minutes to spare. Both teams had other opportunities that were scuppered by the respective custodians and defensive blocks with one additional by the goal frame for South Hobart.
Both teams came into this match with last match defeats with South Hobart losing 1-6 to Heidelberg, while the Wolves succumbed to Marconi 3-0 . With the Wolves having to also replace Harrison Buesnel and Thomas James after being suspended for varying time periods for offences in the previous game, the game was set
The crowd was less than the previous home match versus Heidelberg, but present were former players and coaches such as Richard Lloyd, Jacob Timpano, Alfredo Estevez, Peter Kotamanidis , Glen Fontana, Steve Hayes, Justin Pasfield and Ken Morton, plus Luke Wilkshire and Greg Valic (two who are currently involved with the team). There may have been more, but this was unknown at the time.
The Wolves kicked off proceedings running towards the northern end. Scott began by passing to Nicolas Olsen. The Wolves were having most of the possession for the first twenty minutes and looked the goods.
The first goal emanated seconds after as Olsen had made a run down the right channel. He moved into the penalty area near the junction of the line and slipped a pass between two South Hobart defenders to Scott, who had made a run. He then passed inwards to Beattie who was immediately tackled close to goal by Musashi Kokubo. The ball ran loose with Madden there to rifle the ball into the net.
The second goal was headed in by Scott. A Madden corner kick from the left side was headed on at the near post by Dylan Ryan with Scott heading in to achieve his initial goal in this Championship series.
A minute later, South Hobart got onto the score sheet for their third time in the Championship. A right sided cross by Oates went into the centre. First Morton got the ball and passed to Austin Yost. He in turn returned the favour and Morton’s left foot did the damage, as the ball was powered home from the goal area line.
Morton went from scorer to provider as he rolled a precisely placed pass into the path of Oates who was positioned to his right. The recipient then hit the ball into the goal inside the left post and now South had equalised and were back in the hunt. Going from two down shoed their resilience.
The Wolves scored the winner in the seventy-third minute. An in-swinging Alex Masciovecchio corner Kick hung in the breeze and Yamamura headed forward powerfully from near the penalty area line. The ball was directed on target and Scott was there to change the ball’s trajectory to achieve his brace, with his header.
In the third minute, Lachlan Scott put his attempt in on target, but a defender sent the ball for a corner kick. The Wolves were keeping most of the possession at this stage. However, South Hobart made some early forays and one involved Alfred Hess and Yost, but Dax Kelly managed to the clear to trouble. Kobe Kemp attempted to cross from wide out only for Ryan to block. From the ensuing Adam Gorrie corner kick, Olsen headed away to safety.
A Masciovecchio cross was blocked by Yost and a Madden corner kick was dealt with. A Madden right cross was head out and then the Wolves achieved their second goal and things looked promising until South Hobart responded quickly and convincingly.
From the kick off Morton looked to surprise the Wolves’ custodian by chipping him with the ball traversing over the goal. The southern team now were injecting themselves more into the match. Their self-belief was to the fore as Kemp and Gorrie attempts were firstly blocked and Solsky grasped the second. Morton, who was a dangerous proposition throughout the match, brought the ball from the by-line before shooting at Solsky’s domain. Ac corner was the outcome and Gorrie’s effort was connected by Oates, with his attempt zooming narrowly wide.
Madden connected with an Olsen cross but was blocked. Olsen later made a good run shrugging off a challenge and motoring forward. Alas, he was ultimately stopped in his tracks before any damage was inflicted. With six minutes to go, Beattie made a quick break and was about to pull the trigger only for the South Hobart keeper, O’Connell to snatch the ball from Beatties’ feet to save a likely goal.
In time added on the equaliser came. However, Scott played a precise to Olsen but unfortunately the ball hit Olsen’s heels.
At half time it was two goals apiece and plenty to play for.
There was a bit of ying and yang as the half began with both teams eager to garnish a winner. The Wolves brought on Sebastian Hernandez for the injured Ryan with Beattie going into Ryan’s position of left defender. Hernandez showed speed to get in behind the defence and provide crosses into the box.
Tate Russell broke up a South Hobart quick foray in the sixty-third minute and at the opposite end, a Samuel Berezansky free kick was floated in with Solsky grabbing the ball high. Hess was one on one with Solsky, but his heavy touch did not help matters. In the seventieth minute the Wolves kept searching for a decisive edge with Olsen being in a prime position but, alas his effort was placed wide as he spread-eagled the defence beforehand.
Kemp and Morton attacked for South Hobart with Dax Kelly and Solsky being impenetrable at this time. Once the Wolves had their third goal the game was certainly not over or done and dusted.
A header from Kobuko went close to equalising only for the goal frame to thwart his effort and a follow up Berzansky shot went straight to Solsky and he gratefully grasped safely. Beattie just made a last ditched tackle to stop an advance and late a Berezansky corner kick was again taken by Solsky, who assisted the Wolves greatly to their second victory over a gallant South Hobart. Madden was a standout in his time on the pitch and Woon Sim had his first minutes in this tournament after being injured in the NPL.
The Wolves played with great resolve and verve and certainly got the job done and restored hope in the Championship sojourn. The Wolves still occupy third position in the Group B , one point behind Marconi, with two matches left to play in the stage.
Coach Luke Wilkshire – ‘We made it hard for ourselves. We started well and caused a lot of problems. We could have scored a few more goals. We undone our good work early on. We forced some things and had cheap turnovers and caused some transitions moments, but the boys dug deep and got the result in the end.’
Isaac Danzo – ‘we showed spirit in the second half by coming out and not conceding and then getting the winning goal and we are happy to get the three points. Our focus now will be on Heidelberg, and it will be a hard game, and the boys will be prepared… I am enjoying my time here…. I am here to connect everything together and hopefully get the ball to those up top who score the goals. ‘
Sub Woon Sim – ‘it was a tough and I jumped in for a few minutes and we got the win at the end which is the main thing. We will just focus on winning in the next two games.’
South Hobart’s goal scorer Nicholas Morton (and son of Wolves first coach, Ken Morton) – ‘yeah we are a bit disappointed. We did not start very well, and we showed some good determination to get back into the game. Unfortunately , a set piece goal took it away from us. We need to be better at those situations. but the boys did a good job….Yes I caused some problems I scored but not as many as I would have liked. A couple of more goals would have been good but that is football, and it is a tough game, and you must take your chances on the day. We are looking forward to having the last two games at home and hopefully we can play good in front of our home crowd and show how the standard of Tasmanian football. The last couple of weeks have been difficult for us. It is a learning curve with a lot of young boys but that is not an excuse. We want to be better and now we are on track, and we must be positive going forward. It is just exciting to play in the Australian Championship, and we have to take these chances because we may be here again It is a super competition, and we can build for the last two games. Hopefully, this competition stays for many , many years and not go away…. We can’t drop our standards and if we want to be back here we know that we have to keep improving. While we had a successful season this season, we must be there are lot of teams that want to knock us off at home and we have to rise to those challenges.’
MATCH STATISTICS
WOLLONGONG WOLVES………3
Flynn Madden 1’, Lachlan Scott 18’, 73’
SOUTH HOBART…………………..2
Nicholas Morton 15’, Harrison Oates 45+’
@ Collegians Sports Centre, Figtree.
Sunday 2nd November 2025
1 p.m.( ADET) Kick off
WOLLONGONG WOLVES
Coach : Luke Wilkshire
1. Daniel Solsky, 4. Dylan Ryan (11. Sebastian Hernandez 46’) , 23. Flynn Madden (18, Kazuya Yamamura 60’) 5. Banri Kanaizumi 9. Isaac Danzo, Alex Masciovecchio (Sub Woon Sib 88’) 17. Marcus Beattie, 13. Tate Russell, 24. Lachlan Scott (10, Obren Kljajic 81’) , 21. Nicolas Olsen (16. Lucas Trajcevski) 88’), 15. Dax Kelly.
Substitutes not used : 19. Max Cunial
Yellow Cards : nil
Red Card : nil
SOUTH HOBART
Coach : Peter Edwards
1. Nicolas O’Connell , 3. Adam Gorrie, 5. Musashi Kokubo, 6. Jacob Lancaster, 7.Samuel Berezansky, 8.Kobe Kemp, 10. Nicholas Morton, 11. Austin Yost (20 Russ Maddock 54’ ) 14. Harrison Oates 19. Tobias Herweynan (18. Eli Wright 59’), 25. Alfred Hess (16. Patrick Both 78’).
Substitutes not used: 13. Reilly Morton, 22. Kieran Brown
Yellow Cards : nil
Red Card : nil
Referee : Matt Staples
Assistant Referee : Riley Kirkaldy and Arinath Gobinath
Fourth Official : Ivica Covic
By Malcolm Rowney
