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Unchartered waters: A relegated Melbourne Knights

  • Writer: Declan Mythen
    Declan Mythen
  • Sep 19
  • 5 min read

62 years. That is how long it has been since Melbourne Knights were last relegated in a bottom of the table, straight down scenario. There have been two other occasions of relegation since then, though perhaps the term 'removal' is better suited: in 1972, the-then SC Croatia was expelled from the Victorian Soccer Federation due to crowd violence; and again in 2004, Melbourne Knights went down with the sinking National Soccer League ship, failing to join the nascent A-League as part of the proposed 'Melbourne United' model. In the 1963 Victorian State League season, SC Croatia finished second last and were relegated. It would not be repeated until 2025, when Melbourne Knights finished dead last in the National Premier Leagues Victoria, the only time in their divisional history they have ever placed so low on the table. So, what happened? Front Page Football investigates and analyses the peak, mediocre slump, and eventual fall of Melbourne Knights FC.

Front Page Football Melbourne Knights

2025: a year to forget for Melbourne Knights. (Image: Hrvatski Vjesnik)


In 1995, Melbourne Knights could seemingly do no wrong. They won the NSL Cup, were premiers in the NSL regular season, and then NSL champions after a notable Grand Final against Adelaide City. On top of that, they were beginning to move their talent overseas with exports such as Mark Viduka, Steve Horvat, and Frank Jurić. The Knights pulled off the championship again the following season, before settling into a predominantly mid-table existence for the remainder of the NSL's life.


Since returning to state football for the 2005 Victorian Premier League (VPL) season, Melbourne Knights have struggled to rekindle the successes they enjoyed in their pre-NSL and NSL eras. On three occasions, the Knights have managed to finish the season as runners-up, all in the old VPL (seasons 2007, 2008, and 2013, respectively). In 2008, Melbourne Knights qualified for the VPL Grand Final against Altona Magic, which they lost in extra time to a solitary goal scored by Carl Recchia. From 2014, the VPL was reformed into the current NPL Victoria.

Front Page Football Melbourne Knights

1995—Melbourne Knights' high-water mark. (Image: Melbourne Knights FC)


In this contemporary era of Victorian football, the best finish for the Knights has been fourth place, which they have achieved twice (in 2015 and 2023, respectively). Otherwise, Melbourne Knights have spent the majority of the NPL period as a mid-table side. The Knights have not been as unsuccessful in other competitions. In 2014, they were Dockerty Cup champions, and came close again in 2019. The Knights have also qualified for the Australia Cup (formerly FFA Cup) four times, including a notable near defeat in a semi-final against Brisbane Roar in 2023. These accomplishments proved the golden era of the mid-90s was not so far in the romantic past as it may have initially seemed.


When serious discussion about a national second tier commenced under James Johnson's stewardship of Football Australia from 2020, the winds blew in the direction of a national rebirth for Melbourne Knights. Being a historically successful and well-supported club (one of the few in Victoria to own its own stadium), it would make sense to the average Australian football aficionado that any talk of an NST should involve Melbourne Knights. Indeed, the Knights had been involved in the Association of Australian Football Clubs since the organisation was first formed in 2017. The chief aim of that body had been to petition the then Football Federation of Australia to launch an NST consisting of pre-existing NPL clubs.


Under former president Pave Jusup, Melbourne Knights had been continuously engaged with Football Australia on its proposed NST, with the expectation that the club would participate in it. It therefore came as a surprise to many in the Australian football community when, throughout 2023, numerous announcements and social media posts were made by Melbourne Knights officially and by Pave Jusup privately that seemingly attacked FA and the process by which it was determining eligible clubs for the NST. While Jusup was replaced as club president by Simon "Šime" Pinčić, it seemingly did little to change the Knights' feelings towards the NST. In November 2023, the eight foundation clubs for the NST were confirmed, excluding Melbourne Knights.

The situation climaxed in October 2024 when FA finally confirmed the launch of the new competition for 2025. In this announcement, FA identified a further six clubs that had the potential to join the new league in the future, none of which were Melbourne Knights. While there has been intense speculation as to why the Knights have seemingly distanced themselves from the league they had promoted for so long, no official reason has been given either from the club or from Football Australia.

Front Page Football Melbourne Knights

Melbourne Knights are one of the few Victorian clubs who own their facilities. (Image: Austadiums)


In May 2025, Melbourne Knights announced a $2 million refurb of their stadium, which was envisioned as complementing a 2026 application to join what has become the Australian Championship. No one could have predicted the horror season from hell that would follow these grand plans. In May, following a sluggish start to the 2025 NPL Victoria season, head coach Ivan Franjić resigned and was eventually replaced by former star player John Markovski. Later that month, the entire club board resigned en masse, and acting president Tony Topčić replaced Pinčić. Just over two months later, Pinčić would reveal that his and his board's decision to resign was motivated by alleged harassment and a striking internal division that left them with little choice but to leave.

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In July, not even three months after being appointed, Markovski was removed as coach after failing to turn the team's fortunes around. While in the firing line for relegation all season, the fall for Melbourne Knights would only be confirmed following a humiliating 7-1 loss in Round 25 to Dandenong City Hajduk, confirming the Knights' first relegation in 62 years. The final game of the NPL Victoria season for Melbourne Knights was a sombre home match played against Altona Magic, the visitors winning 5-1. The Knights finished the season in 14th place and with 15 points, an alarming 12 points below relegation safe St Albans Dinamo in 11th. The club won four games, drew three, and lost 19.


These are dark days for Melbourne Knights indeed. The club now looks towards 2026 with only an interim board and the daunting reality of having to compete in the Victorian second division for the first time since 1976. With no possible access to the Australian Championship via winning the NPL Victoria Premiership, the Knights are also cut off from competing in that competition (unless Football Australia makes changes in the eligibility criteria).

Clouds may gather around Tompsett Stadium now, but the club has weathered storms before. Melbourne Knights navigated numerous difficulties in competing in the 1960s and 70s, and again in being accepted into the NSL in the 1980s, only to be dropped from it in the 2000s. Relegation can sometimes offer an opportunity for reflection, refocus, and rebuild. The city's Croatian community well supports Melbourne Knights, and there is little doubt many of them will rally in defence of their premier football club. They may be down for now, but it is unlikely Melbourne Knights will remain down for the count.


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