Australia Cup 2025: "It's non-negotiable" - MetroStars return to the national spotlight
- Antonis Pagonis
- Jul 29
- 5 min read
After missing out in 2024, MetroStars return to the Round of 32 of the Australia Cup, having reclaimed their local cup crown. Coach Danny Graystone spoke to Front Page Football on the eve of his side's match against Canberra Croatia about what is shaping up to be the most significant year in the club's 31-year history.
MetroStars celebrate winning the 2025 Federation Cup. (Image: Pagonis Photography)
The 2024 season saw MetroStars finish their second consecutive campaign as league leaders, and while claiming the Premiership, a Grand Final loss and an early Federation Cup exit left a sour taste in the mouths of everyone at Klemzig.
The club invested in its squad in the off-season and even added Lachlan Barr to its ranks halfway through this campaign, and the benefits are undeniable.
MetroStars entered the 2025 Federation Cup Final as heavy favourites, and according to Graystone, keen to avenge last year's shortcomings in the competition. Speaking to Front Page Football, the coach hailed his side's character and its ability to tick off an early milestone in what is set to be an extended campaign for his team.
"It is really important, especially after the Grand Final last year, to get that monkey off the back by going into these high-profile games knowing that we can deliver on the nights when it all comes down to one game," Graystone said.
"This is probably the biggest difference I've seen in the squad this year. They've really stepped up in terms of character, and the players that were 19-20 are now 20-21 and are really growing in character and showing that on the pitch on those nights."
Weeks after MetroStars reclaimed their 2023 Federation Cup crown, they also sealed a third consecutive NPL SA Premiership after their position as pace setters became unassailable with three rounds to go. While Graystone plots for a Grand Final victory that has eluded him during his spell in Adelaide, he knows that the national stage the club values awaits.
"For MetroStars to be back at this stage, it’s pretty much a non-negotiable with my job to be honest with you!" Graystone joked.
The MetroStars coach has reached the national stage of the Australia Cup on three previous occasions. But his teams have never had to travel for their draw. While that can often be seen as a blessing, Graystone is looking forward to Metro's trip to face Canberra Croatia. This away fixture, he believes, will keep the focus on the football.
"I've been in the Australia Cup up in Cairns and at MetroStars twice now, and I've never had an away game, so that's going to be a new experience. The boys are excited, but they are remaining grounded, because it is a long season and we try to take every week as it comes, as it offers so many different challenges.
"The players may not have picked Canberra as their ideal place to visit; I think a few would have liked a bit of sunshine with a trip to Brisbane! As a coach, I did want them experiencing an away day, the way it has panned out with Canberra it is probably a game where the focus is going to be completely on the football match and not necessarily what we’re going to be doing afterwards or it being a mini-break, it brings a bit of reality back to just getting there and getting the job done."
The MetroStars were proactive in pre-season to ensure they had the best chance to succeed on the national stage, whether it be the Australia Cup or the Australian Championship. During Graystone's time at the helm, the MetroStars have travelled interstate to face the likes of APIA Leichhardt, Avondale, and the Oakleigh Cannons, challenging players and preparing them for the potential challenges ahead.
Graystone is pleased to be playing against another NPL league leader, Canberra Croatia, with a facility that boasts a good grass surface. He is well aware of the danger Croatia possesses. But he is excited by the potential spectacle the two high-flying sides can put on.
"I think the way we play football means it will be another good football match. I think sometimes when you play against some of the Victorian clubs, it tends to be a bit more of a fight and a battle than it is football, but they try and play, which is great for us because we try and play football the same way, so it should be a good spectacle for everyone. We are pretty confident that if we turn up and deliver at the level we are capable of delivering, we back ourselves against anyone."
READ MORE ON FPF
AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL'S ECONOMY: "There are massive opportunities" - How the Australian football economy is growing
While MetroStars have been flying high on the pitch, off the pitch, the club's community has faced a string of untimely passings, something that Graystone says he and his squad are reflecting on on the eve of such occasions.
"As we know, football in this country doesn’t exist without all these people volunteering their free time, and it probably shouldn’t be that way. We’ve had a couple of major losses in our club, and it’s been felt by everyone. It has kind of galvanised the group to go out there and show the volunteers and staff that they are why we do what we do, and that this is why they give up their time for us; we want to make those moments count for them.
"We have had a few losses that the local community haven't been aware of as well, within the group, and it has been a really bad year from that side of things, but it has brought our group closer together because we know the purpose we serve in the community and we know that all these people giving up their time for us is because they want to see a team give everything they can on the weekend, providing entertainment while playing the game that we all love and are passionate about. We try to do that every week; we are not always 100% successful, but that is why we do what we do."
While a few members of the MetroStars community are taking the opportunity to travel to Canberra, the South Australian side will also have the support of fellow Sicilian club Monaro Panthers, based in Canberra's outskirts.
Comments