2026 · National news
Forfeiting for the Socceroos
When the Reserves were fixtured an hour before the Socceroos opened their World Cup, the club chose the national team over three points.
The 2026 fixture had the Reserves playing Old Scotch in Metropolitan League 5 South-East at 1pm on Sunday 14 June. One hour later, the Socceroos would kick off their World Cup campaign against Turkey.
The club asked Football Victoria to move the game. It wouldn't, so the committee made the call. Swinburne forfeited the match and accepted whatever came with it. Asking players to choose between an amateur league game and watching their country at a World Cup didn't seem reasonable, and some things are simply more important than three points.
The decision went national. President Thomas Burchsmith spoke to ABC Melbourne about amateur clubs around the country weighing up the same call. The story ran on 3AW in Melbourne and on 6PR in Perth, and the club joined Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo live on The Today Show. It even made it overseas, picked up by French sports media.
As for the game that mattered, the Socceroos beat Turkey 2-0, with goals from Nestory Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe.
[Add: where the squad watched the game, how Old Scotch and the league responded, and any outcome from Football Victoria.]
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