ESSENDON
90 minutes stand between the Royals and VPL1.
120 minutes, if – like Friday night – it goes the distance.
Essendon faces Bayside Argonauts at Lakeside Stadium this Saturday for the right to join GV Suns and Malvern City in Victoria’s second tier. The Royals earned it the hard way, coming from 2-1 down against Keilor Park through Dean Clarke’s 87th-minute equaliser, and prevailing 4-2 in the shootout with two Andre Russo saves.
Bayside came through the other semi on Saturday, defeating Box Hill United 3-2 at home – a contest in which they never trailed.
A veteran of 322 A-League games, Scott Jamieson showed his class with a beautifully taken free kick to put Bayside ahead, before Nikita Varelas sped away on the counter attack to equalise before half time.
Set pieces, however, proved Box Hill’s undoing, with Mitch Cooper forcing one over the line in a six-yard box scrap, before a goalkeeping howler saw James Siekris throw a high ball into his own net from an in-swinging free kick. Box Hill pulled one back in stoppage time with a smart turn and finish from Luka Jevtic, but the damage was done.
Bayside are the form side in the division. That playoff semi-final win was their fifth in a row, after 1-0 wins over Moreland City, Nunawading City and Springvale White Eagles, and a 4-2 win over the champions Goulburn Valley Suns, who had been reduced to 10 men in the first half.
The Argonauts finished third on fifty points, two clear of the Royals. Led by five-time NPL Victoria champion Tyson Holmes, Bayside’s season has been built on their excellent defensive record – equal-best in the league with only 32 goals conceded. Going forward, Bayside has scored 47 goals to the Royals’ 63, but with the likes of former Hume City star Mitch Cooper and ex-South Melbourne stalwart Andy Brennan in attack, the Argonauts have plenty of firepower and big-game experience.
The head-to-head this year reads Bayside’s way. They won 4-1 at Nasiol Stadium in March as the Royals struggled to adapt to their home away from home, and the July return fixture at Shipston Reserve finished 1-1, as Sung Si-woo opened the scoring early in the second half, before a 79th-minute equaliser from Anthony Trajkoski sent Essendon home with a point. The Royals have not beaten Bayside in 2026, which is the same position they were in against Keilor Park a week ago.
What the Royals bring is goals and a group that has found out something about itself. 15 wins from the last 19 rounds of the regular season, the second-highest scoring side in the league, Marcus Kotronis with 13 for the year after opening the scoring last week, Clarke on nine, and a keeper who stopped two of Keilor Park’s four attempts in the shootout. But more important than any statistical marker is the knowledge that when the pressure ramped up on the Royals, they dug deep to find a late equaliser, and kept their cool when the contest was decided from 12 yards.
The club expects a big Royals travelling crowd at Lakeside on Saturday. Tickets must be bought in advance through Intix, and there will be no sales at the gate. Football Victoria has also advised that parking around Lakeside will be scarce, so plan the trip early, and carpool or take public transport where possible.
Saturday 19 September, 12pm, Lakeside Stadium. One game from VPL1.
Forza Royals!
Tickets: https://www.intix.com.au/event/2026-senol-npl-vic-mens-grand-final