Melbourne Victory and South Melbourne fans have been slammed after the Welcome to Country was booed at the Australia Cup final.
What was a momentous occasion for South Melbourne in reaching their first cup final was overshadowed before a ball had been kicked.
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That is because the Welcome to Country, performed by Uncle Colin Hunter Jr, was quickly interrupted.
Fans began expressing their discontent inside AAMI Park in Melbourne, with loud booing heard throughout, and only increasing one the ceremony was concluded.
You can watch the incident in the player above.
The Australia national anthem followed and was belted out by fans of both clubs.
However, viewers watching on from home felt the booing of the Welcome to Country was inappropriate, and hit out at the fans in attendance.
“So very sad to hear so many Victorians booing the Welcome to Country,” wrote fan Kevin Perkins on X.
“Nah the booing was a disgrace,” added Nick Stoll.
“Shameful,” wrote Jason Marks.
Just last month Brazil football stars were seen laughing at a Welcome to Country ceremony.
The national team shared the ceremony on its Instagram, labelling it a “special” start to Brazil’s time in Australia, with traditional dancers.
Yet the footage didn’t paint the South American stars in a good light, as users slammed their “disrespectful” behaviour online.
South Melbourne became the first non-A-League club to win the Australia Cup after prevailing 4-3 over Melbourne Victory in a penalty shootout on Saturday night.
In front of a crowd of 29,911 – the biggest crowd for a sporting event at AAMI Park – South was faultless in the shootout, not needing a fifth spot kick after Victory pair Harrison Sawyer and Jason Davidson were both unsuccessful with their penalties.
Sawyer was once a South player, while Davidson’s Socceroo father Alan is a great of South from the club’s National Soccer League days.
Davidson skied his penalty over the crossbar, while Sawyer was foiled by his former teammate, South goalkeeper Javier Lopez.
Earlier, Victory thought substitute Denis Genreau’s goal five minutes into extra-time was going to be enough to win the Cup for the third time in the club’s history
However, South wasn’t ready to give up, finding an equaliser with three minutes of extra-time remaining through replacement Maximilian Mikkola.
It sent the South supporters into raptures, with the NPL Victoria, Australian Championship and OFC Pro League club carrying the momentum into the shootout.
South started the match better but failed to capitalise on their early dominance.
Victory finally sprung to life in the 25th minute when winger Clarismario Santos forced a fine save out of South keeper Lopez, with the Spanish custodian tipping the Brazilian’s shot on to the post.
Santos again tested Lopez six minutes later, with the 35-year-old gloveman standing tall to parry a stinging strike to safety.
South had an early chance in the second-half when striker Bul Juach – who had also played in the 2025 Cup final for Heidelberg United – found himself in open space before working his way into the penalty area and producing a left-footed shot that was saved by Victory keeper Jack Duncan.
Duncan’s counterpart Lopez was called into action in the 69th minute to deny Victory substitute Denis Genreau.
Lopez was again tested six minutes later, coming up trumps to glove a long-distance effort from Victory midfielder Jordi Valadon.
South’s keeper continued to frustrate Victory, producing a fine 78th-minute save to deny Santos, who should have scored after being found unmarked in the penalty area by substitute Guillermo May.
Uruguayan ace May was making his Victory debut after joining the club last month following two seasons with Auckland FC.
– With NewsWire
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