In part one of this two-part series, we will take you through the first eight fixtures in the Round of 32, to look at the location of the sides competing as well as where and how far they’ll be travelling to face their opponents.
Bentleigh Greens SC vs Broadmeadow Magic FC
Bentleigh Greens SC will take on Broadmeadow Magic FC to jointly begin the Australia Cup on Thursday.
The home side for this match plays in the NPL Victoria Men’s competition and is based in Cheltenham, a suburb southeast of Melbourne’s central business district.
Cheltenham has a population of 22291 residents and is famous for its racecourse.
Broadmeadow Magic are namely based in Broadmeadow, a suburb of Newcastle, and competes in the Northern NSW NPL Men’s league.
Geographically, the distance between the home grounds of Bentleigh and Broadmeadow is the ninth furthest apart - 822.22 kilometres separate the two sides.
Bonnyrigg White Eagles FC vs Oakleigh Cannons FC
In another Thursday night 7:30pm matchup, Bonnyrigg White Eagles FC will come up against Oakleigh Cannons FC.
Bonnyrigg plays in NSW League One Men in the suburb attached to their name, which is based 36 kilometres west of Sydney’s CBD.
It’s part of the Greater Western Sydney region and is on the Aboriginal land of the Dharug Nation.
Oakleigh meanwhile is a suburb south-east of Melbourne in Victoria.
Their footballing side plays in NPL Victoria Men, and the town has a population of 7,893 while featuring a big Greek community.
This fixture is the ninth furthest apart, with the team from New South Wales coming up against a Victorian side - a distance of 685.47 kilometres, or the length of 30009.72 football fields, using the average measurement of the pitch as 105 metres in length.
Mindil Aces vs Avondale FC
In the third and final Thursday 7:30pm matchup, Mindil Aces will take on Avondale FC.
Mindil Aces play in the NorZone Competition of the Northern Territory, with their local area being Darwin.
The city was named after British evolutionist Charles Darwin, despite him never setting foot in the area.
Avondale FC, on the other hand, is based in Parkville, an inner city suburb of Melbourne, and plays in the NPL Victoria Men’s competition.
A lot of ground separates Darwin and the suburb of Parkville, with the 3151.02 kilometres (30009.72 football fields) being the second biggest distance between two teams’ home grounds in the round of 32.
Armadale SC vs Modbury Jets
In a later match on Thursday at 8:30pm, Armadale SC will take on Modbury Jets.
Armadale plays in Forrestdale, which is a suburb of Perth in Western Australia - the club plays in the NPL WA Men’s competition.
Forrestdale is located within the City of Armadale and is named after John Forrest, who was the first Premier of Western Australia.
Modbury, meanwhile, is a suburb in Adelaide, with the Jets currently competing in South Australia’s State League One Men’s competition.
The town is a major business district in the northeast, and is home to 5245 people, according to the 2016 census.
The distance between Armadale and Modbury is the fourth longest of the 16 fixtures in this round of the Australia Cup - the two towns are located 2127.21 kilometres apart.
Brisbane City vs Cockburn City
In a new fixture date to move on within the matches of the round of 32, Brisbane City will play Cockburn City on Wednesday, the 27th of July.
Brisbane City is based in Newmarket, a suburb within Brisbane, and currently plays in the NPL Queensland Men’s league.
Their nickname, as an Italian-based club, is The Azzurri, while Newmarket, a suburb northwest of Brisbane, contains a population of 4979 people according to the 2016 census.
Cockburn City plays in Spearwood, which is located in the City of Cockburn.
The Spearwood side plays in NPL WA Men, and the town derived its name from the Spearwood bush, which is a common shrub located in the area.
The fixture between Brisbane and Cockburn represents the furthest distance of the 16 matches in this stage of the Australia Cup - the two home grounds are located 3615.20 kilometres away from each other (34430.5 football fields).
Adelaide City FC vs Logan Lightning
In another Wednesday 7:30 match, Adelaide City will take on Logan Lightning.
Adelaide City plays in the city of Adelaide and was historically known as Juventus when founded in 1946.
They currently play in NPL SA Men.
Logan Lightning, on the other hand, operates in Logan City and plays in NPL QLD Men - Logan City is situated south of Brisbane in southeast Queensland.
Adelaide City vs Logan Lightning represents the fifth furthest matchup, with the two home grounds 1592.79 kilometres apart.
Wollongong United vs Green Gully
Wollongong United will take on Green Gully in another fixture on the 27th at 7:30.
The home side for this match play in the Illawarra Premier League, and played a singular season in the National Soccer League, under the name of Wollongong Macedonia in 1991.
Green Gully is also featured in the NSL, playing between 1984-86 and is based in Melbourne, Victoria.
Wollongong United vs Green Gully features the fourth closest fixture - the two home stadiums are only 649.10 kilometres apart - a drive would take 10.8 hours if operating at 60 km/h, albeit the route will be different with roads.
Heidelberg United FC vs Brisbane Roar FC
Heidelberg United FC will take on A-League Men side Brisbane Roar in the fourth and final 27th of July 7:30 game.
Heidelberg United plays in NPL VIC Men’s and is located in the suburb of Heidelberg West.
The town is a short drive north-east of Melbourne CBD, and the Heidelberg Heights area has a population of 5,252 according to the 2021 census.
Brisbane Roar has returned to Suncorp Stadium after a season away in Redcliffe, so their measurement of their home ground is from the ground situated in the suburb of Milton.
Heidelberg vs Brisbane is the seventh furthest fixture in distance, with 1363.66 kilometres separating the two home grounds.
