Report by Tommy Doleman

Perth Soccer Club and Stirling Macedonia play for the Dylan Tombides Trophy for the first time since 2019 in a stand-alone fixture on Saturday (5pm).

The NPLWA – Men’s Round 13 fixture will see Tombides’ two junior clubs commemorate the Perth-born West Ham United striker, who passed away in 2014 aged just 20 following a battle with testicular cancer.

Dylan’s legacy lives on through the DT38 Foundation, which raises awareness and education of men’s health issues with a focus on testicular cancer.

Stirling captain Dejan Spaseski and Perth defender Alex Silla said they were proud to support such a worthwhile cause.

“It’s a special game and something we missed being a part of when Stirling dropped down a few years back,” Silla said.

“It’s important for both clubs to come together and celebrate Dylan and raise awareness for testicular cancer. It’s an honour to be able to play in this fixture and it will act as extra motivation for us to get the three points on Saturday night. We will be sure to do ourselves, our club and Dylan proud.”

Spaseski agreed. “Being able to take part in a fixture dedicated to Dylan Tombides truly is an honour,” he said.

“His story is one that has influenced football in our state forever and he will always be known as a true hero and inspiration for footballers and people across the globe.”

The teams met in Round Two when Sam Wynne’s late goal gave Stirling a 1-0 win over Perth, but the previous DT38 game was in 2019.

Paul Zimarino got Perth’s decisive goal that day in a 1-0 win and DT38 Director of Media & Operations Donna Giuffre said it was good to see the DT38 game return to the NPL calendar.

“Firstly, it’s great to have Stirling Macedonia back in the NPL. I feel this game really is set up for a great contest every year which allows our message to truly be heard across the league. Stirling and Perth hold a special place in our hearts as Dylan's memory is etched into their clubs’ stories,” Giuffre said.

“Dylan was a warrior on and off the pitch. He had the drive, charisma and passion to take over the world and that's resonated at West Ham United who retired his number 38, which was an honour in itself. Although Dylan is no longer with us his memory and legacy continues to be honoured throughout Australia and the UK. 

“We encourage people to follow all our social media platforms, and connect with myself on Twitter and LinkedIn, as I am always sharing news surrounding DT38 and our plans. Our website is getting redeveloped at the moment, but it still has a great hub for information and ways you can support us. Donations are always welcomed as 100% goes to the charity and our cause to grow.”

This match is one of four taking place at Dorrien Gardens on Saturday, with games in the Women’s NPL 21s, first team and Men’s NPL 20s at 11am, 1pm and 3pm respectively.

On the pitch, Stirling are in a top four which is split by a single point, but they are on a three-game winless run. Spaseski is confident his side can soon rediscover their form.

“Football is a funny game at times. At the start of the season we weren’t playing too well, but we couldn’t stop scoring, yet over this past month we have been playing some of our most dominating football, but are struggling to find the back of the net,” he said.

“We haven’t let this worry us too much because we know we have the quality to win games, and in the meantime, we have fixed up some of our defensive problems. Our extremely busy schedule and injuries along the way haven’t helped, but our squad has enough depth to get the job done against any opposition. Nothing changes for us, and there’s still only one target.

“Perth have been the benchmark for a long time and no matter the circumstances, they can never be underestimated. They are an organised unit and very hard to break down, but we have the quality within the squad to hurt them and I’m sure they’re aware of that.”

Defending champions Perth have struggled for consistency and are in the unfamiliar league position of ninth, sitting 13 points off the top four.

“It has definitely been a frustrating year so far,” Silla said.

“Although there have been some changes from previous years in terms of players, coaching staff and playing style, we always want to be competitive and in and around the top end of table come the pointy end of the season. We will continue to train hard, put in the effort and have that winning mentality, and I’m hopeful we’ll start climbing the table in this second half of the year. 

“Things are definitely coming together and that was obvious in the game against Inglewood (a 4-1 win). Against Floreat, I felt as though we dominated the game besides the first 15 minutes and despite a similar performance to Inglewood, came out 3-1 losers. All the signs are positive on our end though and I’ve got no doubts we will finish the season strong like we usually do.

“Super Saturday is always an exciting day at Dorrien Gardens and a great opportunity to put in a good performance in front our home crowd. Stirling have been a top side so far this season with some quality players and they will be hard to beat. We will have to win our individual battles and match their energy to be winners on Saturday.”

By the time Stirling play, they will know the result of Saturday’s top-of-the table clash between Perth RedStar and Bayswater City. RedStar have won five of their past six and bounced back from defeat to Cockburn a fortnight ago with a win at Gwelup last weekend. Gareth Naven’s Bayswater side are also in good nick with three wins on the spin, scoring 10 times across those matches to reach the summit.

It will be a special day at Alfred Skeet Reserve for in-form Armadale who welcome Sorrento as part of their 50th anniversary celebrations. Both teams sit sixth and fifth in the table respectively and have designs on a push for the top four, while also having an eye on their respective Australia Cup preliminary semi-finals next midweek.

Three points are also important for Perth Glory and Inglewood United at Crazy Domains Stadium. Both currently sit seventh and eighth and cannot afford to drop many more points if they are to ignite a finals push.

Meanwhile, second bottom Gwelup Croatia welcome 10th-placed Cockburn to the Croatian Sporting Complex with each knowing a win will ease any relegation fears. The pair are five and nine points clear of the drop zone respectively.

Balcatta Etna, though, need wins on the board to start putting pressure on those above them as Glen Grostate welcomes his former side Floreat Athena to Grindleford Reserve. Athena themselves will be hoping to capitalise on dropped points around them as one of the several teams in the thick of the title race.

Round 12 fixtures (3pm unless stated)

Saturday: Armadale v Sorrento, Balcatta Etna v Floreat Athena, Gwelup Croatia v Cockburn City, Perth Glory v Inglewood United, Perth RedStar v Bayswater City, Perth SC v Stirling Macedonia (5pm).

- For more on the DT38 Australia: Dylan Tombides Foundation, click HERE.