MELBOURNE -- Basking in the glow of winning the Australia Cup, South Melbourne players and coaches can see "no excuse" as to why their attempts to join the A-League should continue to be denied.
Grabbing a dramatic 117th-minute equaliser through Max Mikkola after Denis Genreau put Melbourne Victory ahead in the 95th, South sent their contingent of the record 29,911 supporters at AAMI Park into raptures when they triumphed in the resulting penalty shootout, becoming the first side from outside the A-League to win the Cup.
In doing so, they secured a place in next year's Asian Champions League Two and added a crowning achievement to a 12-month period that has seen them win the inaugural Australian Championship and make the final of the first-ever OFC Pro League.
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And with the club, which counts the likes of Ange Postecoglou, Ferenc Puskas, and Alan Davidson amongst its luminaries, having already signalled their intent to pursue the licence left vacated by the collapse of Western United, victorious coach Siniša Cohadzić said that the club's achievements couldn't be ignored.
"What else can I say after this result?" Cohadzić said. "I think the football, not just the result in itself, but look at the atmosphere, look at the support of this club behind it; we've really got to be turning a blind eye if we don't give an opportunity to clubs that have got a setup like South Melbourne does.
"I really cannot find any excuse not to see this club play A-League. Support, infrastructure, resources; the people are passionate. There are people that have history at this club, and that history makes the passion what you're seeing tonight.
"Sometimes reality surpasses even the most beautiful dreams, and tonight was one of those nights."
Cohadzić's players were just as adamant.
"I think we made our statement out there," Mikkola said. "I think we don't have to say much anymore.
"We have the facilities. We have the fans. We have the talent, we have the squad. I don't know what more we can do to put our name forward for the A-League."
"You've got the fan base," added Thomas Giannakopoulos. "You've got the culture, and it's gonna take Australian football to the next level."
In punching their ticket to the Asian Champions League Two, South qualified for continental football for the first time since they qualified for the 1999 OFC Club Championship, which they won to secure subsequent passage to the 2000 FIFA Club World Championship.
It means that South, despite being unable to earn promotion from the second-tier NPLM Victoria to the top-tier A-League, will achieve the rare feat of playing in both Oceanian and Asian competitions in 2027, with their next OFC Pro League campaign to commence next January.
"To be honest with you, we view ourselves as an NPL team," Mikkola said. "The amount of competitions we play, nearly 60 games. We're in Asia; [we've] been to Fiji, the Solomon Islands.
"I don't feel like the boys think of us as an NPL team. It's a full-time gig, which sometimes does suck. But in moments like this, I think we're pretty grateful for the club to put us in a position to perform and everything for us."
The newly won Australia Cup represents the 10th top-tier national trophy won by Hellas since their 1959 founding by Greek migrants, joining their four NSL titles, three NSL premierships, and two NSL Cups.
"This is for the people that we wear black armbands for every second week, the old ones," said Mikkola. "Jimmy [ Lambropoulos] has been here for 60-odd years.
"This is for people who dedicate their lives to South. I don't think they could have imagined this, let alone me or us boys imagining it."