Koulizakis Ready For One Final Hurdle In Season To Remember

For Demi Koulizakis, an already memorable 2026 season comes down to one final hurdle.

In a UNSW FC squad stacked with top-quality talent, the experienced midfielder has asserted herself as one of the standout performers in the NPL Women’s NSW competition, producing a season to remember as the Students prepare for Sunday’s Grand Final against Bulls FC Academy.

Koulizakis has been a lynchpin in Zoran Naumovski’s side, which suffered defeat just once during the regular season and pushed the Bulls all the way in the Premiership race.

In what has been a historic year for the club, Koulizakis has dominated the middle of the park while also contributing an impressive nine goals.

Her influence was on full display in the Semi-Final, when she scored twice to help UNSW overcome APIA Leichhardt 3-1 and book their place in the decider.

Ahead of Sunday’s monumental clash, Koulizakis reflected on the ingredients behind UNSW’s remarkable campaign and why the squad has been able to maintain such a high level throughout the season.

“We have a lot of experience in the team, as well as some really exciting youngsters coming through; the mix of our experience and youth is a huge positive for us,” she said.

“We’ve essentially stuck with the same team from start to finish, and it just shows how strong we’ve been this season.”

That continuity has been one of UNSW’s greatest strengths.

Rather than constantly changing their combinations, the Students have developed an understanding across the pitch, with experienced players and emerging talent combining to create one of the competition’s most consistent sides.

While the players have produced at an incredible level, Koulizakis was quick to praise the influence of coach Naumovski and his management style.

“Zoran’s been such a good coach and he’s a great person as well, he allows us to be free and allows us to express ourselves on the field,” she said.

“He takes each strength from every single person and encourages us to explore what we are good at and what we can do, everyone just works really well together.”

That freedom has helped UNSW develop an identity of their own, with the Students now one game away from adding another major piece of silverware to a trophy cabinet that already includes this year’s Sapphire Cup.

Koulizakis admitted UNSW entered 2026 with high expectations, but the group has continually found ways to deliver.

“When preseason started, we got together and discussed what our goals were, being in the Grand Final and winning it was one of them,” she said.

“We’ve achieved a lot of our goals already, including the Sapphire Cup, but obviously winning the Grand Final is the ultimate goal.”

The Grand Final will see UNSW face a Bulls side they know extremely well.

The two finalists split their regular-season meetings, with one victory apiece, although it was the Bulls who claimed the most recent encounter, securing a 1-0 win in June.

For Koulizakis, that result has only added to the motivation heading into Sunday.

“We’ve seen throughout the season what both teams are capable of, I believe we are capable of a lot more and hopefully everyone will see that this weekend,” she said.

“You have some good and some bad games, that wasn’t one of our best games. I think we’ve all accepted that, but we’re ready to come out and show everyone that we can do it.”

While the historic Sapphire Cup run was a special occasion for the players and the club, Koulizakis made no attempt to downplay the significance of what a Grand Final victory would mean.

“Winning an NPL Grand Final would mean so, so much to me.”

“Obviously we won the Sapphire Cup, but that doesn’t compare to this in terms of how long it took to get here, we’ve worked so hard all season long for this.”

“We’ve played 30-plus games this season to get to this point, it just shows how hard we’ve worked, and it would mean so much to me, the team and the whole club if we won it.”

That hard work has brought UNSW to the biggest stage of the season.

The Students have already achieved plenty in 2026, from their Sapphire Cup triumph to their second-placed league finish and a place in the Grand Final.

But Koulizakis and her teammates know there is one final piece of the puzzle.

Standing in their way is the reigning Champion and Premiership-winning Bulls FC Academy, who are chasing their own piece of history.

For UNSW, however, this is the opportunity they have worked towards all season.

UNSW FC and Bulls FC Academy will do battle this Sunday at St George Venues Jubilee Stadium, with kick-off at 12:00pm in a mouth-watering Grand Final double-header.

By Dominic Criniti