RAA NPLSA | Season 2021 Preview

Here we go. Season 2021 gets underway on Friday night with champions Campbelltown City hosting Adelaide City at Steve Woodcock Sports Centre at 8.15pm. 

We've taken a look at how each club is looking ahead of the new campaign. 

Fixtures NPLSA

 

NPL TV

Download the NPL.TV App today!

📲 IOS ➡️ bit.ly/npltv_iOS

📲 ANDROID ➡️ bit.ly/npltv_android

🖥 DESKTOP ➡️ www.npl.tv/sa

 

Please note, information in this article is referred to the 2021 Football SA Media Guide, which is sourced from information sent directly from clubs.


ADELAIDE BLUE EAGLES

Mullen


Last season: 9TH

Blue Eagles were unfortunately unable to build on their impressive 2019 season, which saw them finish in the top half and only miss out on securing a finals victory after extra time, as they slumped to ninth on the ladder after the minor round.

Despite this, though, they managed to pick up impressive results throughout the season, such as wins over top-half sides MetroStars and Croydon Kings, and rarely looked in any danger of returning to State League One.

There were plenty of bright spots in their side, too, with star Japanese forward Yohei Matsumoto continuing to sparkle and star midfielder Hamish McCabe finishing equal fourth in the Sergio Melta Medal in another strong season.

In terms of those coming and going for the upcoming season, Blue Eagles have had a reasonable squad turnover. Long-standing leader of the club Christopher Annicchiarico headlines the list of outs, joining West Adelaide for the upcoming season. Coming in the opposite direction is Tomas Maricic, who returns to Adelaide from Thai second division side Lampang FC and Isaac Mullen following his departure from Para Hills Knights.

Blue Eagles will be keen to hit the ground running in 2021 with a strong start, as they struggled to string results together last year, and challenge for finals football once again.

Coach: Vojo Gluscevic

Captain: TBC

Squad: 1 Paul Riely, 15 Christian D'Angelo, 17 Raffael De Lucia, 18 Yohei Matsumoto, 10 Hamish Mc Cabe, 7 Liam Mc Cabe, 20 Isaac Mullen, 6 Brylon Nthoane, 4 Christian Sotira, 9 Hamish Anderson, 16 Yuta Chinen, 8. Stefan Gluscevic, 23 Tomas Maricic, 25 Nikolas Harpas, 22 Taki Tsialafos, 21 Alexander Tsavalas, 14 Stanisa Velinov, 12 Anik Warnakulasuriya, 11 Dylan D’Agostino.

Ins: Isaac Mullen (Para Hills Knights SC), Dylan D'Agostino (Mackay & Whitsundays Magpies Crusaders United, QLD), Tomas Maricic (Lampang FC), Hamish Anderson (Vipers), Yuta Chinen (Eastern United), Stefan Gluscevic (Sturt), Nikolas Harpas (Olympic), Taki Tsialafos (Comets), Alexander Tsavalas (Reserves), Stanisa Velinov (Reserves), Anik Warnakulasuriya (Reserves)

Outs: Christopher Annicchiarico (West Adelaide SC), Damien Crettenden (Para Hills Knights), Paul Espina (West Adelaide), Richard Goss (West Adelaide), Sheku Hutton-Addy (TBA), Hirofumi Kochi (Adelaide Olympic FC), Evan Kounavelis (White City), Tatenda Nyaruwe (TBA), Stefan Valentini (Avondale, VIC), Dante Isla-Cacciavillani (Bangor City, Wales, UK)



ADELAIDE CITY

Halliday


Last season: 3RD

It was a topsy-turvy season for City who, after rebounding from a disappointing 2019 to scrape into the top six on goal difference, ended up falling just short of an unlikely Grand Final berth following a burst of form at the right time.

City flirted with the top half all season, often dropping in and out of the finals places, before dismantling third-placed MetroStars 4-1 and the fourth-placed Kings 3-1 in the first two weeks of the finals. Their season ultimately ended in a resounding defeat to eventual champions Campbelltown in the Preliminary Final, but that shouldn’t take away from their amazing achievement.

Despite struggling to consistently find the back of the net, City’s finals charge was built on their rock-solid defence led by Club Best and Fairest winner and Team of the Year player Aladin Irabona. The Black and Whites conceded just over a goal per game, boasting the stingiest defensive record in the league last season.

Terence Christopher Carter also lit up Adelaide City Park on more than one occasion, finishing equal fourth in the Golden Boot and most notably netting an incredible hat-trick in their Elimination Final demolition of MetroStars. With Carter heading interstate for the 2021 season, City will need a new striker to emerge from their list of new signings, potentially Cristian Aloisi who joins from Olympic, or Jai King from the AUFC Youth team.

City will be hoping for more of the same from their star players in 2021 but will be aiming to recapture the commanding form of years gone by that has netted them titles. A Preliminary Final from sixth represents a very impressive achievement, but they’ll want to go one better this season.

Coach: Paul Pezos

Assistant Coach: Steve Gelekis & Angelo Paul

Captain: Matthew Halliday

Squad: Nicholas Harpas, Lachlan Barr, Nicholas Bucco, Matthew Halliday, Asad Kasumovic, Aladin Irabona, Thomas Brown, Charlie Devereux, Zakariah Waters, Kur Kur, Bradley Corbo, Markus Orchard, Alexander Woodlands GK, James Boffa, Cristian Aloisi, Sebastian Scalzi, Joseph Costa, Jai King-Byrne, Massimo Caiazza, Noah Benouzekri, Jonathon D'arrigo, Cosmo Groff

Ins: Cristian Aloisi (Adelaide Olympic), Lachlan Barr (Heidelberg United), Thomas Brown (Adelaide Olympic), Joseph Costa (Croatia Raiders), Jonny D’Arrigo (Adelaide United Youth), Charlie Devereux (Adelaide Olympic), Cosmo Groff (Fulham United), Matthew Halliday (Adelaide Olympic), Nick Harpas (Adelaide Olympic), Asad Kasumovic (West Adelaide), Jai King (Adelaide United Youth), Kur Kur (Modbury Jets), Sebastian Scalzi (WT Birkalla)

Outs: Terence Carter (Avondale), Awal Dut (South Adelaide), Fabian Garuccio (retired), Evan Kostopoulos (West Adelaide), Thomas Love (White City), Jordan Maricic (Hume City), Perry Mitris (Adelaide Omonia Cobras), Adriano Pellegrino (retired), Jackson Stephens (South Adelaide).



ADELAIDE COMETS

Welsh


Last season: RUNNERS UP

It was another impressive season for Comets who were consistently one of the best sides in the division, if not the best. Securing the minor premiership was just reward for their commanding form and a Semi-Final victory saw them win through to the Grand Final, only to stumble at the final hurdle in a 3-1 defeat to Campbelltown.

Comets had started slowly after the resumption of the season following the pandemic-enforced break, but quickly established a seven-match winning run that lifted them to the top of the league and held them there for the remainder of the season, staving off challenges from MetroStars, Campbelltown and the Kings throughout the year.

They were once again led by their captain and talisman Allan Welsh, who won his third Sergio Melta Medal in five seasons and even took out the league’s golden boot with 18 goals from midfield. He was ably supported by his teammates throughout the year, as Jack Bladen and Ninko Beric also polled strongly in the Medal count.

One major loss for Comets ahead of the 2021 season is talented youngster Tete Yengi, whose form and promise up forward saw him sign for the Newcastle Jets and has since made his A-League debut to follow in the footsteps of his older brother, Adelaide United forward Kusini.

However, with their squad otherwise wholly intact, Comets are firmly in their championship window and are well poised for another tilt at South Australian football’s biggest prize.

Coach: Barney Smith

Captain: Allan Welsh

Squad: 22 Allan Welsh, 31 Daniel Vaughan, 5 Adam Le Cornu, 9 Andreas Wiens, 10 Anthony Mavrolambado, 77 Chris Christofilos, 12 Harry Keramidas, 6 Jack Bladen, 11 Jayden Lobasso, 15 Kosta tsalamangos, 3 Manley Barnett, 14 Nathan Andijanto, 21 Niko Ikonomopoulos, 16 Ninko Beric, 8 Ryan Yates, 23 Scott Nagel, 18 Tommy Giannakopoulos, 24 Stelios Zacharakis.

Ins: John Karatzas (from Adel Olympic 2019), Jaiden Diamantis (Adel Utd Youth)

Outs: Tete Yengi (Newcastle Jets A-League), Tom Dittmar (Cumberland Utd), Lansana Smith (Adel Raiders), Taki Tsialafos (Adelaide Blue Eagles)



ADELAIDE CROATIA RAIDERS

Kirk


Last season: 6TH

Raiders endured a season of peaks and troughs, which eventually ended in a fifth-place finish on the ladder. Mirroring their previous season, though, they were unable to progress past the first round of finals football, enduring a 2-0 defeat at the hands of the Kings.

It’s been a fantastic pair of seasons for Raiders, who only returned to the top flight ahead of the 2019 season after a two-year absence and have hardly missed a beat since. They’ve made the step-up look easy, which countless others have not found to be the case. Their form immediately post-pandemic break and their end to the season were both imperious.

Alun Webb was one of Raiders’ main star men last season, the Welsh forward netting 11 times in the league. The Welsh Alun also finished runner up to Allan Welsh in the Sergio Melta Medal. Fellow Brit Jacob Lever took out the club’s Best and Fairest last season thanks to his consistency week in, week out in the centre of defence.

However, Raiders will be without Webb for the upcoming season after he signed on with the Melbourne Knights. They’ve topped up their team with title-winning talent in the form of former Campbelltown players Dion Kirk and Matthew Mullen, both of whom will bolster their squad.

Raiders have taken to life back in the NPL better than most promoted sides, so there’s more than just a slim chance that they’ll bring their competitive form into the 2021 season.

Coach: Terry Westwood

Captain: Nicholas Munro

Squad: Nicholas Munro, David Carosi, Aaron Bannister, Thanasis Lesi, Jackson Walls, Dylan Pickert, Omari Didero, Dion Kirk, Matthew Mullen, Massimo Falco, Lansana Smith, Nathaniel Hancock, Jacob Williams, Harley Gepp, Kelvin Kamburu, Dean Saverino, Mark Ulaj, Vincent Barbaro

Ins: Information not provided by the club

Outs: Information not provided by the club



ADELAIDE OLYMPIC

Pounendis

Last season: 8TH

Olympic got their 2020 season off to a flying start before faltering and gradually dropping further down the ladder. Despite this, though, they managed to stay in contention for a finals berth until the very last round, owing to the closeness of the competition last season.

Having finished fourth in 2019 and exiting the finals in its second week, an eighth-place finish for Olympic wasn’t what they were after in 2020. Their season wasn’t without highlights, though, and completing a league double over eventual champions Campbelltown, including a 5-2 thrashing, was certainly one of them.

Olympic proved to be productive in front of goal, too, with 32 goals over the course of the season ranking them as the highest scorers outside the top four. Their defence was effective, too, conceding the same number as they scored despite losing two more matches than they won.

Defender Matt Halliday proved to be one of the high points for Olympic throughout the 2020 season, contributing to their solid defensive record and ultimately being recognised for his consistent efforts with selection in the Team of the Year. With Halliday returning to boyhood club Adelaide City this season, who will fill the void in the middle of defence remains to be seen.  

With the 2021 season on our doorstep, Olympic will have a point to prove following a disappointing campaign last year. New coach George Konstandopoulos will be hoping that the remaining talent in his squad that helped the club reach the top six just two years ago, will reignite this season and fuel their rise back up the table.

Coach: George Konstandopoulos

Captain: Fausto Erba

Squad: Lewis Moss, Benkert Abdija, Will Hendon, Panagiotis Manidakis, Mohammed Donzo, Cliff Maina, Kristin Konstandopoulos, Alex Dimasi, Hiro Kochi, Tito Bontor, Christos Pounendis, Fausto Erba, Ioannis Simosis, Samuel Dweh, Luka Chikwuba, Jacob Jones, Chol Wel, Ian Kamau, Josh Kavenagh

Ins: Lewis Moss, Will Hendon, Mohammed Donzo, Alex Dimasi, Hiro Kochi, Tito Bontor, Samuel Dweh, Luka Chikwuba, Chol Wel, Ian Kamau

Outs: Nicholas Harpas, Matthew Halliday, Jacob Butler-Bowdon, Charlie Devereux, Julian Ionni, Jason Konstandopoulos, Dimi Toumazos,



ADELAIDE UNITED

Yaya Dukuly

Last season: 10TH

The Young Reds showed more than a few glimpses of their impressive potential throughout an interrupted 2020 season. Their eventual finish a place above the relegation zone perhaps didn’t tell the full story, although their eight-point buffer shows that they weren’t in too much danger at the pointy end of the season.

Wins against premiers Comets (4-0) and top-six sides Raiders (3-0) and the Kings (1-0) highlighted that the boys in red were no easy beats, despite what their position on the ladder might suggest. Only Blue Eagles were defeated on fewer occasions of the sides in the bottom half than United, who were also the only side to concede fewer goals than the Young Reds of those who missed out on finals football.

The challenge for the young, inexperienced bodies that occupy the United squad is to continue to match it with more experienced campaigners in the top level of football in South Australia. They’ve been able to bring up a group of players from NTC, alongside Olympic youngster Jason Konstandopoulos.

However, United will be without several of their young stars in 2021. Lachlan Brook is the highest-profile departure that featured for the Young Reds last season, who has joined English Championship side Brentford, while Taras Gomulka has departed to pursue opportunities with Melbourne City.

All eyes will be on Adelaide United’s youth team in 2021 as more young stars work their way up the ranks in the hope of making a name for themselves at the highest level. The Young Reds know that raw talent can win matches, and they’ll be aiming to do so this season.

Coach: Airton Andrioli

Captain: Louis D'Arrigo

Squad: 40 Ethan Cox, 31 Daniel Bressan, 42 Fergus Lynch, 43 Alex Popovic, 44 Arbi Mollas, 45 Noah McNamara, 47 Nicolas Pedicini, 48 Michael Cittadini, 49 Keshav Shrestha, 51 Binyam Kebede, 52 Adam Leombruno, 53 Jason Konstandopoulos, 54 Joseph Macheda, 55 Ethan Alagich, 56 Kane Vidmar, 57 Panashe Madanha, 58 Giuseppe Bovalina, 59 Vinnie Carbone, 61 Calum Campbell

Ins: Giuseppe Bovalina (NTC), Calum Campbell (NTC), Vinnie Carbone, Steven Hall (NTC), Nestor Irankunda (Raiders), Panagiotis Kikianis (NTC), Jason Konstandopoulos (Adelaide Olympic), Joseph Macheda (Croydon FC), Jean Paul Mbembe (NTC), Nicholas Pedicini, Kane Vidmar (NTC)

Outs: Lachlan Brook (Brentford, UK), Jaxson Bullen, Jaiden Diamantis (Adelaide Comets), Massimo Falco (Adelaide Croatia Raiders), Taras Gomulka (Melbourne City), Coopers Nunn (USA), Jackson Walls (Adelaide Croatia Raiders)



CAMPBELLTOWN CITY

Mullen


Last season: CHAMPIONS

Campbelltown completed their NPL three-peat in stunning fashion, running over the top of premiers Comets to claim a resounding 3-1 victory in the 2020 Grand Final under lights at Coopers Stadium. It capped off another strong season which saw them finish second.

Their title defence got off to a shaky start with just one win from their opening five matches but found their feet with 12 wins from their last 17, a run which included only three losses. Campbelltown were actually quite fortunate to secure a double chance position, as they had to rely on a MetroStars loss in the final round, but certainly made the most of it in the finals series.

Marc Marino and Joshua Barresi led the line with aplomb throughout the season, with defender Blake Carpenter finishing as their top scorer with a remarkable eight goals in 13 minor round matches. Daniel Mullen and Jake Halliday were both named in the back four of the NPL Team of the Year in recognition of their fantastic form throughout the season, while Joel Allwright polled strongly in the Sergio Melta Medal and took out their Best and Fairest.

Carpenter will be a massive loss for Campbelltown, having departed for Avondale FC in the Victorian NPL, as will Joshua Baressi who also moves back interstate. Dion Kirk and Matthew Mullen have also left the club, joining Raiders for the upcoming season.

With their championship-winning squad remaining largely intact, there’s no reason why Campbelltown can’t flex their muscles and make it four league titles in a row in 2021.

Coach: Iain Fyfe Assistant Coach: Les Pogliacomi

Captain: Shaun Harvey

Squad: 2 Shaun Harvey, 20 Nicholas Harpas, 23 Jake Halliday, 16 Daniel Mullen, 7 Joel Allwright, 11 Joshua Baressi, 9 Marc Marino, 8 Alex Mullen, 14 Adam Piscioneri, 10 Lui Ditroia, 15 Antony Piscioneri, 4 Connor Centofanti, 12 Nicholas Francese, 1 Jamie Signorello.

Ins: Liam Miller (TTG Amateurs)

Outs: Dion Kirk (Raiders SC), Matthew Mullen (Raiders SC), Blake Carpenter (Avondale FC)



CROYDON FC

Klimek


Last season: 4TH

It was a strong season for the Croydon, who were spurred on by missing out on a top-half finish by a solitary point in 2019 to finish fourth in 2020 and win through to the second week of finals football. Their season was ended by City after going down to ten men, but it represented a major improvement by the club overall.

Only Comets and MetroStars found the back of the net more often than Croydon in 2020, while their goal difference of +10 also ranked above every other club bar those two. Domenic Costanzo played a major role as their primary attacking outlet, scoring 14 times to finish third in the Golden Boot.

The efforts of the man between the sticks, John Hall, shouldn’t be overlooked either. His form in goal saw him take out the Peter Nikolich Trophy as the best goalkeeper in the NPL for the second year running, establishing himself as one of the league’s premier shot-stoppers.

Costanzo’s departure for Adelaide United, alongside Joseph Macheda, represents a massive loss to the Kings but a ringing endorsement of their development of the young star. New coach Travis Dodd has beefed up their squad with NPL talent, though, with Luis Benedetti (MetroStars), Tatenda Nyaruwe (Adelaide Blue Eagles) Manny Katopodis and Gianni Tramontin (Adelaide Olympic FC) all signing on for this season.

With the marked improvement they experienced last year, the Kings know that they’ve got what it takes to mix it with the big boys at the highest level and will be eager to stamp their authority early in the season.

Coach: Travis Dodd

Captain: Luke Klimek

Squad: 5 Luke Klimek, 21 John Hall, 2 John Panagaris, 3 Filimon Asefa, 6 Chris Vivian, 7 Adam Trimboli, 8 Adam Martinello, 9 Nathan Munro, 10 Rocco Visconte, 11 Luis Benedetti, 12 Tatenda Myaruwe,14 Peter Mercurio, 15 Chikondi Nyierenda, 16 Paul Pavlou, 17 Manny Katopodis, 18 Jarrod Brazzale, 20 Jared Clark, 23 Patrick Caraccia, 1 Gianni Tramontin.

Ins: Luis Benedetti (Metro Stars), Tatenda Nyaruwe (Adelaide Blue Eagles) Manny Katopodis (Adelaide Olympic FC), Gianni Tramontin (Adelaide Olympic FC)

Outs: Raymond Muhoma (nil), Joseph Macheda (Adelaide United FC), Domenic Costanzo (Adelaide United FC)



CUMBERLAND UNITED

Briscoe

Last season: 7TH

Promoted to the NPL from State League One in 2020, Cumberland defied many people’s expectations throughout the year to finish agonisingly short of an improbable finals appearance. They remained in the hunt for a sixth-place up until the very last matchday but couldn’t quite snatch it away from City.

It was a tough start to life back in the top tier, conceding 12 goals and scoring none in their opening three matches (including a 0-8 demolition at home against MetroStars). Fortunately for them, though, they eventually found their scoring boots, racking up 31 goals to rank second amongst the sides outside the top four.

Midfielder Thomas Briscoe adapted to top tier football again perfectly, netting 13 goals to finish in the top five in both the Golden Boot and the Sergio Melta Medal as well as earning selection in the Team of the Year. Ayom Ayom Majok was also a key man for Cumberland in 2020, winning the Club Player of the Year for his efforts over the course of the season and going on to secure a scholarship deal with A-League club Western United.

Cumberland haven’t had many coming and going entering the 2021 season, with Majok (Western United) Christopher Skull (retired) and Callum Elms (Adelaide Hills) the only players to fly the coop. They’ve added Tom Dittmar (Comets) and Cohan Morris (MetroStars) as further NPL talent to bolster their squad, while also picking up Stav Bakopanos and Jumar Oakley from State League One and Two respectively.

This upcoming season will be a true test for Cumberland, who’ve proved that they’re more than capable of holding their own in the top flight. The challenge for them will be to avoid the second year blues and show the rest of the competition that they’re here to stay once again, which they’ll be excited to prove on the pitch.

Coach: Neil Young

Captain: Jack Schoen

Squad: Luke Schoen (GK) #1, Jack Schoen #2, Josh Harvey #3, Declan Gray #4, Sam Carmichael #5, David Signore #6, Joseph Wright #7, Harry Thannhauser #8, Juan Gutierrez #9, Jumar Oakley #10, Thomas Briscoe #11, Cohan Morris #14, Ryan Wood #15, Tom Dittmar #17, Antoni Panaggoulis #18, Matt Charalambous #23, Meni Haralampopoulos #22, Brayden Micallef #34, Alex Redman #21, Stav Bakopanos #20.

Ins: Jumar Oakley (Seaford Rangers), Cohan Morris (MetroStars), Tom Dittmar (Adelaide Comets), Stav Bakopanos (West Adelaide), Alex Redman (Cumberland United Reserves).

Outs: Christopher Skull (Retired), Callum Elms (Adelaide Hills)



METROSTARS

Barbiero

Last season: 5TH

In a year that showed such promise for MetroStars, the way in which it ended will have stung over the offseason. Ceding second place and a spot in the Semi-Final to Campbelltown in the final round thanks to a loss to the lowly Blue Eagles, the boys in red and yellow crashed out in the first week of the finals with an emphatic 4-1 defeat to sixth-placed City.

Their early finals exit shouldn’t take away from what was an impressive season, scoring more goals than anyone else in the league and spending large parts of the season occupying the top two spots. Their exhilarating 5-4 victory over premiers Comets in Round 16 and 5-1 humbling of champions Campbelltown proved beyond any doubt that MetroStars have the talent to match it with the best.

Such was the depth of talent in their squad that they had three players named in the NPL Team of the Year, with former Red Fabian Barbiero named in midfield and forwards Christian Esposito and Nahuel Bonada earning selection through sheer weight of goals with 26 between them.

Bonada is the biggest loss for MetroStars this season, with the Argentine forward signing for Dandenong Thunder in the Victorian NPL after earlier impressing on trial with the Central Coast Mariners. Cohan Morris and Luis Benedetti have also departed the club in the off-season, signing for Cumberland and Croydon respectively.

With the spine of the squad remaining together in 2021, though, MetroStars will no doubt be challenging for higher honours once again this season and are certain to do it in style.

Squad: 1 Isaac Carmody, 25 Jayden Sruyt, 18 Fabian Barbiero, 26 Stefan Cali, 8 Rocky Castillo, 16 Kyle Crout, 7 Michael D'Aloisio, 4 Justin Davis, 17 Matthew Dawber, 23 Christian Esposito, 14 Dylan Smith, 22 Hamish Gow, 5 Tim Henderson, 68 Kalilou Kamara, 10 Anthony Solagna, 20 Joshua Mori, 19 Cooper O'Donnell, 9 Tom Strain, 2 Oliver Zafridis.

Ins: Oliver Zafridis (Raiders SC), Kalilou Kamara (Raiders SC), Ariath Piol (MetroStars SC Reserves), Luke Frangakis (MetroStars SC Reserves), Alessio Melisi (MetroStars SC Reserves), Jayden Spruyt (MetroStars SC Reserves)

Outs: Cohan Morris (Cumberland United FC), Luis Benedetti (Croydon FC), Ben Head (Para Hills Knights SC), Nahuel Bonada (Dandenong Thunder SC)



SOUTH ADELAIDE PANTHERS

South Adelaide Logo 600x300


Last season: PREMIERS (STATE LEAGUE ONE)

The first State League One club to qualify for promotion to the NPL in 2021 was the Panthers, who topped the league in a dominant season that saw them lose just once all year. No side lost fewer matches, nor won more than the 14 that they racked up in their 22 fixtures.

While their finals campaign ended in a straight-sets exit, Panthers and their players won’t have been too concerned given their already guaranteed passage to the highest competition in state football. Few could argue that they didn’t deserve it, either, also boasting the league’s most productive forward line (62 goals) and third-meanest defensive record (26 conceded).

Jonathon Rideout will be the one to watch for South Adelaide after scoring a scarcely believable 34 league goals last season, making up more than 50% of his side’s total output for the season. His incredible form in front of goal netted him the Bob Telfer Medal for State League One Player of the Year, while goalkeeper Ryan Veitch scooped the Les Avory Trophy for his efforts between the sticks.

The Panthers have added talent to their squad in preparation for the coming season, signing Jackson Stephens and Awal Dut from City and Jagajeet Shrestha and Anyoun Kuol from recently relegated clubs Para Hills Knights (State League One) and Vipers (State League Two) respectively. Brett Rayner, Jake Dowsett and Jordan Watson have all left the club to sign for Seaford Rangers.

With perhaps one of the hottest properties in South Australian football right now on their books in Rideout and a squad who dominated the second tier, the Panthers have every chance of causing a stir in the NPL this season.

Coach: Andrew Calderbank

Assistant Coach: Mitchell Daly

Captain: Robbie Parker

Squad: 4 Robbie Parker, 1 Ryan Veitch, 2 Michael Goode, 5 Declan Finney, 6 Liam Wooding, 8 Jagajeet Shrestha, 9 Jack Rudge, 10 Jonathon Rideout, 11 Alex Rideout, 13 Jai Conroy, 14 Scott Gobec, 15 Jackson Stephens, 20 Jack Walker, 21 Jack Ellis, 22 Joel Smith, 23 Mitch Nicholon, 25 Callum Nissen, Blake Lindsay, Awal Dut, Anyoun Kuol.

Ins: Jagajeet Shrestha (Para Hills Knights SC), Liam Wooding (Time-off), Jackson Stephens (Adelaide City FC), Anyoun Kuol (Vipers FC), Awal Dut (Adelaide City FC), Daniel Evans

Outs: Brett Rayner (Seaford Rangers FC), Jake Dowsett (Seaford Rangers FC), Jordan Watson (Seaford Rangers FC), Jordan Pegoraro (retired), Jeven Beck, Jared Daly (Adelaide Hills FC)



STURT LIONS

Sturt


Last season: CHAMPIONS (STATE LEAGUE ONE)

The Lions recovered from the disappointment of missing out on automatic promotion to the NPL by putting together a fantastic finals series to win the State League One Grand Final and confirm their return to the NPL after a two-year absence.

Recovering from a 4-3 loss in the first leg of their Semi-Final against the Panthers, the Lions smashed their opponents 3-0 in the reverse tie to win their way through to the decider. There, they ground out a 2-0 victory over White City thanks to a double from top scorer Gonzalo Rodriguez.

However, the foundation for the Lions’ success last season was built around their defensive prowess. They conceded just 18 goals in the minor round, five fewer than any other side in the top three leagues of South Australian football (the next least being Adelaide City’s 23).

Retaining their championship-winning squad almost in its entirety should hold the Lions in good stead, whose signings also include Tom van der Hoeven from champions Campbelltown City, Brandon Centofanti from the relegated Modbury Jets and Caden Yates from South Adelaide.

Retaining their target man in Rodriguez is a major boon for the reigning State League One champions as they move into the NPL, who will enter the season with a point to prove as the new boys on the block. Their matchup against the Kings this Saturday will prove a stern test first up, but they’ll no doubt be up for the challenge.

Coach: Lino Fusco
Assistant Coach: Frank Tibalidi

Captain: John Fusco

Squad: #1 James Klappers, #13 Cooper Mullins, #17 John Fusco, #2 Caden Yates, #3 Daniel Guastella, #4 Akira Kobaishi, #5 Anthony Taylor, #6 Sam Voigt, #7 Ben Woollard, #8 Jacob Atkinson, #9 Gonzalo Rodriguez, #10 Alex Sortini, #11 Toby Nelson, #12 Michael Gravas, #14 Luke Fusco, #15 Tom Van der Hoeven, #16 Brandon Centofanti, #18 Daniel Solari, #19 Samed Altundat, #21 Val Esposito, Brad Davey, Cale Nagle.

Ins: Brandon Centofani (Modbury Jets), Tom Van der Hoeven (Campbelltown City), Caden Yates (South Adelaide), Daniel Solari (WT Birkalla), Brad Davey, Luke Fusco (Benevento Calcio)

Outs: Thonasis Morakis (Vipers FC)