Despite Victory’s history and fanbase, the Melbourne derby so far belongs to the Heart. Here are our top five moment’s in Victoria’s cross-town rivalry.
Despite Victory boasting more history and a fanbase their younger rivals can only envy, the Melbourne derby has truly belonged to the Heart since hostilities began in 2010. For whatever reason, they turn up for the match, even when they-re completely out of form.
That could be the case again this weekend as John Aloisi-s men search for form and the ability to break out of their form slump.
The record currently stands at played 7, Heart 3, Victory 1, drawn 3.
The Victory though will be hoping history doesn-t repeat yet again and that they can score just their second win in the fixture. So let-s whet the appetite with our pick for the top five moments in the derby-s brief history.
5. Heart-s half-price heroes, 5 October, 2012
Both Dylan Macallister and David Williams-s careers looked to be in some form of turbulence before the start of the season.
Williams had been on the outer due to his lack of fitness and after the folding of Gold Coast United, Macallister was without a club. John Aloisi threw him a lifeline and implored Williams to get fit for the sake of his career.
Neither man-s talent had ever been in question and in the opening match of the current season both showed they still had a lot to give.
On this night, in front of 42,000 and change Williams dominated like the Fury player of old and Macallister proved he wasn-t done with via a brilliant performance up front.
As the game opened up both came into their own and found the chinks in a Victory defence that was at that stage incapable of employing the new tactics of Ange Postecoglou, allowing the Heart to come away with a shock derby win.
4. Clint Bolton-s penalty save, 23 December, 2011
Earlier in the season the two sides fought out a dour 0-0 draw but just weeks later a then-record crowd turned out at AAMI Park for the next battle, and it was on from the get-go.
It took just four minutes for a penalty to be awarded to the Victory and when talismanic Victory midfielder Carlos Hernandez stood up, Bolton read him like a book – lunging high to his right to palm away the penalty.
The Heart went on to win 3-2 with Hernandez finding the net for the Victory in stoppage time, but by then it was all too late.
3. Aloisi at the double
John Aloisi has more special moments than this one in his highlight reel but the veteran has twice helped lift the Heart to important derby triumphs.
Down 2-0 at the half hour mark, someone needed to kick-start the Heart – enter Aloisi. The former Qantas Socceroos and Osasuna star struck in first-half injury time and six minutes into the second half to bring the Heart level and once again thwart the Victory.
2. That tackle
A lot of negativity is directed towards Victory legend Kevin Muscat; just how much of it is deserved depends on which team you support. For all his faults he was a talented footballer who represented his country on more 50 occasions – not that that-s enough to convince any Melbourne Heart fans.
But the then Victory captain put his own mark on the third Melbourne derby – a mark that left an ugly scar and ultimately ended Muscat-s playing career.
His scissor tackle on Adrian Zahra left the Heart youngster on the sidelines for more than a year and had the football community up in arms.
Muscat did his best to help Zahra through a tough time but it-s fair to say that incident will remain one of the Melbourne derby-s talking points for years to come.
1. Heart Terra-rise Victory
There was plenty of hype leading up to the first ever Melbourne Derby. At the time, Victory were a powerhouse and were coming off a season where they finished second in both the race for the Premier-s Plate and the Grand Final.
The newly formed Heart were very much the poor cousins looking to carve out their own piece of turf.
The upstarts would require something very special do outdo their bigger neighbours – and they got it from Alex Terra.
John Aloisi got the Heart off to a flying start and scored the first goal in derby history, but it was the Brazilian who turned the game in Heart-s favour. He whipped in the cross for the first goal and volleyed home the match-winner at the far post to send the red half of Melbourne home in raptures.
Agree? Disagree? Leave you comments and best Melbourne derby moments below.
