Jankovic: The gap between the A-League and NPL is really not that big
Just over six years ago, Marco Jankovic scored the only goal of the game as his Bentleigh Greens team stunned Wellington Phoenix in the Australia Cup Round of 32.
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Bentleigh would go on to reach the Semi Finals of the tournament that year, marshalled by Jankovic at the back, before ultimately falling at the hands of Adelaide United.
Earlier this month, Jankovic enjoyed an eerily similar success, as his South Melbourne team eliminated Wellington Phoenix in the Australia Cup Round of 32 by a 1-0 score line.
“It was pretty weird to be honest, to know that it was almost exactly six years ago to the day that my Bentleigh team beat Wellington,” Jankovic said.
“A lot has changed for me personally (since then). I’ve learned a lot in terms of the amount of football I’ve played.”
The win against Wellington is just one of several impressive feats achieved by Jankovic’s South Melbourne in recent weeks.
Just days prior to the Australia Cup game, South Melbourne defeated Oakleigh Cannons to win the Dockerty Cup, before going on to secure the NPL Men’s Victoria Premiership later in the month.
“It feels like a bit of a blur,” said Jankovic.
“It has been incredible.”
South will look to secure what has been an elusive Championship win as they venture into another Finals series in the coming weeks, whilst also preparing for their Round of 16 Australia Cup tie against Olympic FC.
Jankovic has been an integral component of the South Melbourne machine since arriving at the club in 2021, a machine led and perfected by head coach Esteban Quintas.
Quintas has employed a physical playstyle at South, an approach very much suited to a strong and tall defender like Jankovic, but equally prompting much scrutiny in football circles.
“It does have a lot of critics,” Jankovic said.
“We play a certain style of football that’s very hard to beat.”
That South’s style is tough to beat cannot be denied, with consecutive Grand Final appearances in NPL Men’s Victoria attesting to that fact.
“People have this perception of football that it needs to be the same thing. If you’re at the top of the league you need to be playing a certain style. I think that’s completely wrong,” Jankovic said.
“Football can be played in so many different ways and I think people need to respect the different ways of playing.”
The strengths of the South Melbourne approach were on full display against Wellington, nullifying their opposition after an early goal scored by Harrison Sawyer.
The win was impressive in and of itself, but for Jankovic and his teammates, it took on an even greater significance as a reflection of the quality within the NPL.
“We’ve worked so hard to get the opportunity to play on the national stage and show what we can do,” he said.
“All of us that played the game played incredibly well and showed the gap between the A-League and NPL is really not that big.”
In the midst of discussions regarding an impending National Second Tier competition, the result came at an opportune moment for South Melbourne and its players.
“I know the club have wanted to be an A-League team for a few years now, so it was pretty amazing to be able to get it done, not just for the club but for all the players,” Jankovic said.
“It really shows that the second division needs to be there. Consistently NPL clubs are doing really well against A-League opposition, but the opportunities just don’t seem to be there for the quality of NPL players that we have.”
Jankovic’s calls for more opportunities at a professional level are hardly driven by self-interest.
Compared to his days breaking through at Bentleigh over half a decade ago, the Queensland-born defender admits his motivations have somewhat shifted, away from his own career and towards the future.
“It’s a little bit different now. I’m nearly 30 so the likelihood of becoming an A-League player is small,” Jankovic said.
“For me it’s about the players coming through now, we have so many incredible young players at South Melbourne just as an example,”
“They deserve just as much as anyone to be playing at a professional level. Whether that’s second division or A-League, the opportunity needs to be there.”
The 29-year-old has embraced taking on more of a leadership role in recent years.
Jankovic believes his experience will be crucial as the season nears its conclusion, especially in the Australia Cup.
“It means everything,” he said of his previous Australia Cup experiences.
“I had the guidance of senior players at Bentleigh like Jack Webster and Tyson Holmes who really pushed me through.”
“For me, that’s my role now within the club. Making sure that the standards are really high for every single person.”
Mentorship of younger players is an area that Jankovic is perhaps unsurprisingly adept, having benefitted from a supreme mentor of his own.
Discussions of Marco’s father, Milan Jankovic, who played for several famous European clubs including Real Madrid and Red Star, have followed the South Melbourne man throughout his career.
However, the times in Jankovic’s career when such a legacy might have burdened him have thankfully passed.
“My dad has played such a massive part in my career and still does, but the pressure that I used to feel, it’s definitely not there anymore,” he said.
“I’m really lucky to have him as my dad and my mentor for all of these years.”
Nonetheless, the family ties will be inescapable for a Queenslander like Jankovic in the lead-up to South’s Round of 16 tie against Olympic, as he prepares to line up against some familiar faces.
“I was actually an Olympic junior for a year, back when I lived in Brisbane,” he said.
“There’s a few boys that I used to play against as well when I was at Lions.”
“There’s also my little brother who plays for Olympic.”
Being drawn against his younger brother, Luka, makes for quite the occasion for Marco and his family.
“When [the draw] came out, me and the whole family were pretty shocked,” he said.
“There’s definitely been a lot of banter going back and forth (between me and Luka).”
Jankovic is relishing the prospect of the match-up.
“He’s obviously a young player who’s coming through and has had a few starts this year,” he said.
“We’ll see how he goes. Hopefully he comes on and does a little bit, but not too much.”
Jankovic though is not the only player in his team eagerly anticipating the arrival of the Queensland club.
"I think we have six or seven Queenslanders at South,” he said.
"We’re all really excited about that clash.”
Whilst the circumstances provide ample cause for distraction, Jankovic and his teammates are remaining intently focused on their own club's ambitions.
South have surprisingly only made it past the Round of 32 in the modern era (since 2014), once prior to this year.
The club did however reach the Semi Finals in 1965 and 1966 during the previous iteration of the competition from 1962-1968.
Nonetheless, his team's current level of performance is giving Jankovic plenty of reasons for optimism.
“We’re just going on the success that we’ve had this year and the confidence that has got us to this point,” he said.
“We’re in a really good place right now and it’s going to take a lot to stop us.”
Match Details
South Melbourne FC v Olympic FC
Date: Sunday 25 August
Kick-off: 5.30pm AEST
Lakeside Stadium, Victoria
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