Gawler Eagles coach calls for a South Australian NPL club in northern suburbs

The first coach of Socceroo Riley McGree has called for Football South Australia to align with the SANFL and SACA in having a top-division club from the northern suburbs.

The first coach of Socceroo star Riley McGree has called for Football South Australia to include a team from the northern suburbs of Adelaide in the NPL following the rise of three Socceroos in the region.

In the current Socceroos squad who are taking part in a massive World Cup campaign, three players McGree, Craig Goodwin, Awer Mabil all came from the northern suburbs of Adelaide.

Craig Goodwin began his career with Munno Para City and Awer Mabil started with Saint Augustines.

Riley McGree played a little further north for Gawler Eagles where he spent eight years as a junior.

All three footballers have gone on to have highly successful careers including Goodwin who is the main man at South Australia’s A-League club Adelaide United.

Amid the rare feat, Gawler Eagles technical assistant and McGree’s first junior coach Chris Hodgen has called for a change in the NPL set up so a team in the northern suburbs can be included.

Riley McGree with his first coach Chris Hodgson at Gawler Eagles, Evanston Gardens. Picture: Bianca De Marchi

Hodgen said it would be similar to the SANFL who have Central District playing in the area and the SACA who have Northern Districts playing in the premier cricket competition for now.

“All around Adelaide, they should set themselves with a club or two in each area and then their junior clubs feed into those clubs,” Hodgen said.

“But it just happens to be that the clubs have to get promoted to get into the NPL.

“It’s hard, a lot of the time we have to rely on our locals which Galwer has always been, we get some outsiders but (most of the time) they don’t want to travel to Gawler.

“And that’s the big issue, they don’t want to travel and because we are a state league two club, they think that maybe they would be better at another club.

“But we’re getting there.

“It would be great if the club did (play in the NPL).

“Adelaide United train not far from Gawler, about 20 minutes, so that is a good thing for the area.”

Hodgen said there has been problems with not having a top division NPL club in the northern suburbs area including the transportation that is required by families.

“That’s always been an issue that once players with a little bit of talent or their parents think they are better than what they are and they take them to the so called bigger clubs,” he said.

“And then they get lost in the system unfortunately.

“The parents are the ones that have to take them and whether they do or they don’t, that becomes a bit of an issue.

“Maybe if they zoned areas that if you wanted to play you have to play here and then when you get to a certain age or join a development squad or something, then you can move out of that area.

“But that will never happen here I think.”

The next South Australian NPL season is set to begin in February 2023.