A highlight of the west’s sporting calendar kicks off this week with the staging of the fourth Brimbank Cup.
The three-day event will pit some of local soccer’s oldest and proudest clubs against each other as they vie to raise the coveted trophy.
This year’s competition will also put Derrimut-based club Balmoral Park in the limelight.
The state league 5 club beat higher-ranked rivals to earn the right to host this year’s event.
Balmoral Park president Elvir Malkić said everyone was looking forward to going toe-to-toe with some top talent.
“It is very exciting to be mixing it with the big boys now,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity to play against state league 1 clubs and see where we are compared to those sides.
“Most of the players have come through the club’s junior ranks, so it will be a very exciting time for them. To be able to play under lights will make it even more interesting.”
As well as the cup matches, there will also be an exhibition game that will pit a Victoria Police team against a Youth Junction representative team. Hosting the Brimbank Cup couldn’t have come at a better time for Balmoral, which is celebrating its 20th year.
There have been plenty of changes in that time for the club, originally known as the West Footscray Soccer Club. In 1997 it made the move to Sunshine and became Brimbank City. That remained home until 2012 when the club settled in Derrimut under the name Balmoral Park.
“Our club has a Bosnian background and we have staged a few tournaments throughout the years,” Malkić said. “This will be the biggest.”
While this year’s Brimbank Cup will miss National Premier League duo Melbourne Knights and Green Gully and NPL1 pair Sunshine George Cross and St Albans, there is no lack of strength.
State league 1 clubs Western Suburbs, Keilor Park, Westgate, Cairnlea and Sydenham Park are among sides lining up in the 24-team men’s competition.
In the eight-team women’s event, Cairnlea will be hunting its fourth straight Brimbank Cup title.
Cairnlea coach Mustafa Fehmi says this year’s cup is vital for his squad which has had a number of player changes in the off-season.
“Every year, we train hard and then use the Brimbank Cup as a starting point,” he said.
“It lets us get a few games up and we are ready for the season. It’s really important this year. With so many new players it gives us a chance to see how they are going.”
The Brimbank Cup will kick off Friday and continue all weekend.
