Melbourne Derby replay: Date, time, why it was suspended and how it will work

Joshua Thomas

Melbourne Derby replay: Date, time, why it was suspended and how it will work image

Over three months after the original fixture was abandoned, Melbourne City's match against Melbourne Victory will soon resume. 

This fixture was scheduled to be played on Saturday, December 17 in 2022 but lasted only 21 minutes before being suspended and eventually abandoned

With Melbourne City leading 1-0 prior to the suspension, the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) decided the match should be replayed rather than abandoned all together. 

A fiery fixture at the best of times, this replay will be quite unusual with a win vital for both teams as we approach the end of the regular season.

MORE: How will A-League expansion work and which teams could be added?

When is Melbourne Derby replay?

The Melbourne Derby has been rescheduled to kick off at 7:00 p.m (AEST) on Wednesday, April 5 at AAMI Park. 

The match will be televised on 10 Bold across Australia with live streams available on 10 Play and Paramount+.

Date Time Match Stadium TV Stream
Wed,
April 5
7:00pm Melbourne City vs
Melbourne Victory
AAMI Park 10 Bold 10 Play,
Paramount +

Why was Melbourne Derby suspended? 

This fixture was originally suspended after a pitch invasion saw Melbourne City goalkeeper Tom Glover left bleeding with a head wound. 

Glover had angered Victory fans for throwing a flare back in their direction and a section of supporters descended on the field to confront him. 

A bucket was ultimately thrown at Glover, striking him in the head, and leaving the nearby referee covered in smoke. 

As players and officials were escorted from the field, City's goal was targeted by fans on the pitch and it took several minutes for them to be removed from the field of play. 

The game was ultimately abandoned after match officials decided it wasn't safe to resume play. 

Victory were sanctioned in the aftermath of the incident with a number of fans handed lifetime bans from professional football matches in Australia and a smaller number charged by police.

How will Melbourne Derby replay work?

The Melbourne Derby replay will see play resume from the 21st minute, which is when the match was suspended the first time around, with a scoreline of 1-0 in favour of Melbourne City. 

Both teams are allowed to name different lineups from December 17 and will be allowed to make the usual five substitutes at three different windows. 

Play will restart with a drop ball to the Melbourne City goalkeeper and injury time will be only be calculated based on stoppages from that point onwards. 

Any yellow cards from the original fixture will stand.

Melbourne Derby ticket details

Original ticket holders for the Melbourne Derby on December 17 will be able to redeem new tickets for the replay via Ticketek. 

There will be an exclusive window to redeem new tickets from 11 a.m. Friday, March 31 before all remaining tickets are released to the public at 12 p.m. on Monday, April 3.

Joshua Thomas

Joshua Thomas Photo

Josh has been covering sport for nearly a decade now having fallen in love with football at a young age. A UTS graduate, Josh has previously worked for GOAL and now covers football closely for The Sporting News.