Victory in our grasp! Tough message ahead of 'biggest game in Olympic history'
Olympic Kingsway are out to take down one of the biggest names in Australian football tonight when Melbourne Victory come to town in the Hahn Australia Cup Round of 32.
This is the second successive year Olympic have featured on the national stage of the knockout competition, with last season’s run to the Round of 16 equalling the best performance by a Football West club.
If David Tough’s side are to succeed in repeating that feat, they must overcome the four-time A-League champions who have appeared in the last two grand finals and the 2024 Australia Cup final.
“Everyone is buzzing for the game and hopefully it will be a night everyone associated with the club will never forget,” Tough said.
“The Club President [Steve Nelkovski] has billed it as the biggest game in their 72-year history.
"We are expecting a massive crowd and we’re ready to give it a good crack and do our club proud.”
Twelve months ago, Olympic came through the Round of 32 with a 4-1 win over Northern NSW side Edgeworth Eagles, which matched the achievement of Sorrento FC in 2017. They were rewarded with a tie against Adelaide United, with the A-League side winning a pulsating encounter 3-2.
“That Adelaide game might go against us,” Tough said. “Victory will have seen how much we played and are unlikely to take us lightly."
More than 1800 fans were at the Adelaide tie, where Olympic striker Liam Boland scored twice to take the all-time scoring record in the Australia Cup to 13 goals. Boland recently re-signed for the club after a spell out to injury and has come off the bench in the last three league games.
Tonight’s match is set to attract an even bigger attendance and will be the second Australia Cup tie at Kingsway Reserve in three days.
The game on Sunday between Glory and Wellington Phoenix finished in a deluge, which followed a 40-minute stoppage in play due to lightning. At the end, the playing surface was covered in water – not that Tough was complaining. “No, definitely not, we don’t want to make it too nice for Victory,” he said.
“We’re not sure what their line-up will be, but they are a very good team full of quality players.”
One Victory player known to WA supporters is former Perth Glory defender Joshua Rawlins, whose younger brother Aiden is the Olympic U18s captain.
The Green Machine go into this game on a high, having thrust themselves back in the NPL title race by inflicting a first league loss of the season on leaders Bayswater City.
Unfortunately, they will be without winger Tyler Garner, who has been called up by the Australian national futsal side the Futsalroos, while striker Jayden Gorman and defender Ryan Lowry are also missing.
“We’re down in numbers, especially when compared to last season. But each week we’ve found a way, and it’s an achievement that we’re still in with a shout of retaining the title, as well as here in the Round of 32 and in a cup final,” Tough said.
“Friday’s win was massive for us. It was such a hard game, and all our focus was on that. We said we’d worry about the Victory game after Bayswater.”
Now the big night is here, Tough gave his players one final message.
“I wasn’t able to be at the Adelaide game. I missed that one as my mum had just passed and I had to return to Scotland," he said.
“I want the players in years to come to look back on this game with pride. It’s a massive occasion for them, and it’s the same for me.”
- Tickets for the game, which kicks off at 7pm, are on sale here: bit.ly/OKvMV-tickets
The club advises supporters to purchase tickets early to avoid queues.
Match details
Kick-off: 7pm
Venue: Kingsway Reserve
Broadcast: 10Play and the Football Australia YouTube Channel
