Sale United Football Club will host Swinburne University Football Club at the Godfrey Baldwin Reserve this Saturday in the Swans’ inaugural Australia Cup match.
At 2 pm on Tuesday, Sale United’s group chat was buzzing as the senior men’s squad anxiously awaited the start of Football Federation Victoria’s live Facebook stream and the start of the Round 2 Draw in the Australia Cup.
The Australia Cup, founded in 2014 and now in its ninth season, is Australia’s premier Cup Competition.
Ran in the same manner as the world-famous English FA Cup, the knockout tournament is open to any club in Australia, from Sunday league amateurs to professional clubs such as Melbourne Victory.
For all the AFL and netball fans reading, it would be like Sale City Football club progressing through knockout rounds and then getting the chance to play a team like Richmond at the MCG or The Vixens at John Cain Arena.
For the first time in its history, Sale entered the Australia Cup competition and, by the luck of the draw, was one of 19 teams to get a bye in the first round.
Fast forward one week; there wouldn’t be a chance of a bye.
After almost all the balls had been drawn, the wait was over; “Sale United Football Club”, “Swinburne University Football Club”.
Currently preparing for a season in the Metropolitan 4th Division, Swinburne was promoted as the league winner of the Metropolitan 5th Division in 2022 with a record of 16 wins, one draw, and one loss. In simple terms, they are used to winning.
SUFC and Swinburne will meet on Sale’s home turf for the first time in a competitive fixture this Saturday, February 18, at 6pm in a game the Swans believe they can win.
While this first appearance in the Australia Cup is history in the making, Sale will be hoping it’s not their last in 2023. While advancing to the Grand Final in front of a 30,000-person Melbourne crowd is implausible, the beauty of the Australia Cup is that it’s never impossible.
