'As good as the birth of my children': Amazing scenes in South's celebrations show 'this is what football in this country should be'

The momentum behind South Melbourne's push to gain entry to the A-League - for themselves, and other historic NPL clubs - was front of mind for those partaking in the raucous celebrations that followed the club's historic Australia Cup win. South's dramatic penalty shootout win in the Australia Cup Final on Saturday night came after weeks of talk about what the match meant more broadly for the Australian football landscape, with the gap between sides in the state-based NPL competitions and the top-tier A-League seemingly closing.

The club's co-president Bill Papastergiadis has been leading that charge,telling theBuilding Blockspodcast earlier this week that he hopes South Melbourne can be a 'Trojan Horse'for historic, migrant-based clubs to gain entry to the top tier of football in Australia. A-LEAGUE BID:Australia Cup finalists deliver their message to the APL THE MATCH:South Melbourne win history-making Australia Cup in extraordinary fashion but 29,911 fans made this final about something bigger He repeated that line immediately after Saturday night's game, among emotional scenes as club stalwarts celebrated alongside the players who had just taken part in one of the most memorable domestic football matches in this country in recent memory.

"We find ourselves standing on the shoulders of migrants who set up this club 70 years ago, who never lost faith in unity, prosperity and equity," Papastergiadis told Paramount+. "It's a club built on multiculturalism, on giving enjoyment to its spectators and its fans.

We're the Trojan horse for opening up football around the country. And may I say, how sweet it is.

Asked by Andy Harper - who played against South Melbourne in the old National Soccer League for many years, before becoming synonymous with the A-League via his role as a commentator and pundit - what the emotional eruption was like when the penalty shootout went South Melbourne's way, Papastergiadis delivered a line that will be repeated many times in the days to come. It's as good as the birth of my children," Papastergiadis said.

"And it's not just that, because it's something bigger than me. And it's big for the people behind us who believe in what we do.

The story in all of this is: build it and they will come." Those comments were followed by more emotional commentary from someone who, on face value, had far less skin in this game than Papastergiadis did. Bruce Djite is an A-League legend with no connection to South Melbourne, having grown up in Sydney before plying his trade at Adelaide United for many years, either side of a stint overseas, yet as an Australian football fan he couldn't help but get swept up in the emotion of the evening.

Australia Cup Final a 'massive wake-up call' for the A-League And his opinion on what the result, and South Melbourne's success over the past year more broadly, says about the future of the game is sure to be noticed. "(There are) joyous scenes, and so they should be, because this is a monumental moment in Australian football," Djite said on Paramount+.

"What an honour to be here live today to witness what we've witnessed tonight."