Sport
31 January, 2025
Maryborough Soccer Club to take part in prestigious Victorian-wide competition
In a landmark moment, the Maryborough Soccer Club will host Melbourne City FC in their first-ever game in the prestigious Dockerty Cup.
The competition, named after Victorian soccer pioneer Harry Dockerty, is the premier Victorian cup competition, with 219 teams across the state vying for the ultimate prize.
First played in 1909, the competition has gone through many formats and periods of hiatus before being reintroduced in 2011 after only having one competition in the previous 14 years.
The cup also serves as the preliminary rounds for the 2025 Hahn Australia Cup, meaning teams who progress far enough in the single elimination tournament qualify for the Australian Cup featuring A-League sides.
The Dockerty Cup is an exciting opportunity for the Maryborough Soccer Club, who look to build off their more competitive 2024 season where they registered two wins.
The blue-and-whites learnt the fate of their opening voyage into the cup with the official draw on Wednesday.
While Maryborough weren’t part of the lucky 29 teams who were allocated a bye into the second round, they were given a home fixture against Melbourne City FC.
Their opponents, not affiliated with the A-League side of the same name, currently play in the Men’s State League 4 West, part of the seventh tier of the Football Victoria pyramid where they finished fifth last season.
If Maryborough manages to surpass Melbourne City FC in the opening round, they will play another home game in the second round against Dallas City FC.
Dallas City FC, who have recently changed their name from Hume United FC, finished ninth in the Men’s State League 2 North-West, part of the fifth tier of the state’s football ladder.
The dates and times of fixtures have yet to be announced and will be confirmed shortly.
The current champions of the Dockerty Cup are National Premier Leagues Victoria’s South Melbourne, who will look to claim a record-setting 10th title after beating the Oakleigh Cannons on penalties last season.