The New South Wales National Premier League season returns this weekend and Sydney FC will be giving some of the most talented youngsters the chance to play at the state’s best level.
The NPL is the regionalised 2nd tier of Australian football and the Sky Blues Academy compete against teams based in the Greater Sydney and Illawarra region.
This season, Sydney FC will play their home games at Rockdale Illinden Sports Centre and will go through the 30 week competition, playing 15 home matches and 15 away matches. The top six at the conclusion of the regular season will qualify for the Finals series and compete for the Championship.
Last season, with a very young side, the Sky Blues finished 6th which was a fantastic achievement considering the number of players that departed halfway through the campaign. This time around, Sydney FC have an even younger side and will be in for tough matches each week.
The goal of the NPL season for Sydney FC is always to develop players to their maximum potential and this will be the case again. With plenty of players eligible for U16’s and U17’s playing first grade this season, Head Coach Jimmy van Weeren knows the task ahead will be tough.
READ MORE: JIMMY VAN WEEREN PREVIEWS THE SEASON
St George FC and Hills United both made the leap from FNSW League One to NPL this season with Bulls Academy and Mt Druitt Town Rangers being relegated. Last season, APIA Leichhardt won the title above Rockdale in second by six points.
This season’s NPL squad will contain a couple of the younger members of the Isuzu UTE A-League team along with plenty of talented youngsters who have come through the Academy.
| Name | Position | DOB |
| Nathan AMANATIDIS | Attacker | 23/01/2006 |
| Jacob BRAZETE | Attacker | 20/01/2006 |
| Bailey CALLAGHAN | Attacker | 10/09/2005 |
| Joseph CALUSIC | Defender | 13/03/2004 |
| Zac DE JESUS | Defender | 04/02/2006 |
| Marin FRANCE | Attacker | 01/02/2007 |
| Oscar FRYER | Midfielder | 16/04/2006 |
| Mitchell GLASSON | Attacker | 04/05/2006 |
| Gus HOEFSLOOT | Goalkeeper | 13/03/2006 |
| Wataru KAMIJO | Midfielder | 17/04/2006 |
| Will KENNEDY | Midfielder | 14/02/2005 |
| Joe LACEY | Attacker | 22/06/2007 |
| Noah MATIE | Defender | 10/01/2007 |
| Lachlan MIDDLETON | Midfielder | 22/02/2006 |
| Hayden MATTHEWS | Defender | 19/06/2004 |
| Richard NKOMO | Defender | 02/06/2007 |
| Adam PAVLESIC | Goalkeeper | 30/07/2002 |
| Tiago QUINTAL | Attacker | 16/06/2006 |
| Dylan ROSE | Midfielder | 20/04/2006 |
| Matthew SCARCELLA | Midfielder | 04/03/2004 |
| Tyler WILLIAMS | Defender | 22/12/2007 |
This weekend, Sydney FC will travel to NWS Spirit FC to take on their local Macquarie rivals in the first game of the new season on Saturday night.
For the full fixture list, please click here.
Tickets Prices
This season access to Sydney FC Academy home matches will be ticketed with prices as follows:
Adults: $15
Concessions: $10
Under 16’s: Free
Tickets can be purchased at the gate and payment is via card only.
We look forward to tracking the progress of the new generation of Sydney FC stars as they compete against the best the state has to offer.