The Melbourne A-League Men's clubs get their Hahn Australia Cup 2026 campaigns underway on Sunday, taking on opposition from Northern NSW and Tasmania in two intriguing contests.
Read our preview of the Round of 32 action below.
Weston Bears v Melbourne City
Kick-off: 2pm AEST
Venue: Hunter City Motor Group Stadium
Broadcast: 10.com.au, YouTube
Tickets
Northern NSW’s Weston Bears return to the national stages of the Hahn Australia Cup for the second consecutive year, taking on A-League Men’s side Melbourne City on Sunday afternoon.
The Bears defeated the Edgeworth Eagles 1-0 in qualifying, a goal for Brock Beveridge proving the difference. Weston has had a good season in the league, challenging for the title, and will be hoping to continue the growth they have shown as a club over the past few seasons with a ‘Cupset’ victory in the Round of 32.
Melbourne City are one-time winners of the competition, having lifted the trophy in 2016. The team started pre-season on July 7 ahead of this game and will be hoping to snap a poor run of losses in the Round of 32 for the last two campaigns.
Aurelio Vidmar is expected to play a mixture of youth and experience as the team begins their 2026/27 season.
Kingborough Lions United v Melbourne Victory
Kick-off: 5pm AEST
Venue: Kitchen Centre Park
Broadcast: Paramount+
Tickets
Sunday afternoon sees another Hahn Australia Cup debutant on the national stage, with Tasmania’s Kingborough Lions United taking on A-League Men’s opposition in Melbourne Victory.
The Lions earned their place in the Round of 32 after winning their first-ever Lakoseljac Cup in June. They staged a dramatic late comeback against Devonport City, equalising with the final kick of regulation time, before overcoming their opponents in a penalty shootout.
Kingborough are currently second in the Tasmanian NPL behind South Hobart and are well and truly challenging for the title. Joel Badger is their top scorer on 15 goals and will be the key man if they are to put the ball in the back of the net against Victory.
For Melbourne Victory, this match marks the beginning of the Giovanni Savarese era, with the new Head Coach announced in June. That adds a significant layer of intrigue for the two-time Hahn Australia Cup winners.
They will be hoping to go at least one better than last year, where they fell in the Round of 32, while also beginning to stamp a new style of football on their play in their first competitive fixture of the season.
