State League One soccer 2020 season preview: Damian Mori, West Adelaide headline second tier
A legendary coach, a fallen giant, local rivals and division newcomers are among the headline acts this season for the entertaining and often unpredictable State League One.
Local Sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local Sport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Eagles spread wings and join State League from amateurs
- How to get the most out of your Advertiser digital subscription
A legendary top-flight coach, a fallen giant, local rivals and division newcomers are among the headline acts this season for the entertaining and often unpredictable State League One.
SA’s second-tier soccer competition kicks off under lights this Friday night and 12 clubs will battle to not only be crowned champions, but reach the Premier League.
Adelaide City legend Damian Mori returns to coaching at White City – his first job since leaving the Black and Whites at the end of 2018.
But he will not be the only big name in the league after 11-time top-flight champion West Adelaide suffered relegation from the Premier League last season.
DUAL Johnny Warren medallist Mori said he had not planned on returning to coaching this early until the Warriors job was presented.
“The club has ambition to get back up and obviously I would like to be back up in the NPL as well,” Mori said.
“So it was probably a good fit and a challenge.
“I’d been at Adelaide City for 15 years and this was just a good challenge for myself and everyone involved at the club.
“When you ask every club at this level they will give you the same answer – we all want to win and go up a level.
“The mentality for any club I want to be at is we want to win every game.”
White City, which will be captained by Chahine Noujaim this season, finished third on the State League One ladder last year but crashed out 1-0 to Western Strikers in the first round of the finals.
The club announced Mori in November after Adelaide United great Cassio, who originally signed to coach the Warriors in 2020, left to join A-League club Melbourne City’s academy set up.
“After Cassio left, I’ve tried to stamp my philosophy and method of the way I want us to play on the team,” Mori said.
“It’s a good bunch of boys, we’ve had some new inclusions and some that have left.
“Deale Chamberlain (Northern Demons) came in before I arrived and we’ve got Shannon Day (Cumberland United) and Stefan Simic (Adelaide Comets) – about seven new starters and a couple of good young boys that I’m happy with.”
WEST Adelaide coach Vas Parhas said this season would be a huge challenge for the club.
“(State League One) is a tough, tough competition and we’re under no illusion about that,” Parhas said.
“We’ve had to revitalise a lot of the squad … we’ve had to bring in quite a few players to replace the quality that we’ve lost.
“But we’re also looking forward to promoting the youth of the club. We’ve got some great young players who deserve an opportunity and will get an opportunity to play this year.”
West lost captain Perry Mitris to Adelaide City but has added a swath of experience, including luring former playmaker and reigning Sergio Melta Medallist Ricardo Da Silva back to the club from Adelaide Olympic.
Ex-Para Hills captain Tyler Bailey, Jacob Williams (Campbelltown City), Yaz Sudic (Raiders), Andrej Rastovac (Western Strikers) and Peter Eleftherakis (Para Hills) are among the signings.
Parhas flagged Matthew Di Matteo and Asad Kasumovic as young players to watch.
West will play its home games at MetroStars’ TK Shutter Reserve this season with the club’s long-awaited new base at Kilburn still not ready for action.
But Parhas said Hellas were hopeful they may be able to play at their new $6 million home before the end of the campaign.
SOUTH Adelaide, which will be led by new coach Andrew Calderbank, joins West in relegation after the Panthers managed just on win in the top flight in 2019.
Calderbank said there was no pressure for the club to win promotion straight back to the Premier League as it returns to life in State League One.
“We would be kidding ourselves if we said it was going to happen overnight, because it’s not,” said Calderbank, who coached Adelaide City to the treble in the women’s Premier League last season.
“It will take three or four years of planning so when we do go back into the Premier League – whether it’s next year or three years time – we’re going to be ready.
“There’s no pressure on me to get the club promoted straight away and there’s definitely nothing from me to the players saying that is what has to happen.”
The club’s additions include Mitch Nicholson (Adelaide Comets) and Jack Rudge (The Cove) while brothers Alex and Jonathon Rideout return from Seaford Rangers.
Former club captain Chris Reed has hung up the boots and Brayden Micallef (Adelaide Olympic), Sam Carmichael (Croydon Kings) and Doni Pollock (Modbury Jets) all moved to remain in the top tier.
A SOUTHERN derby is due in round two when the Panthers take on Seaford Rangers at Karingal Reserve.
Rangers just missed finals last season and coach Steve Reed was not ready to rule out another run at the top six, despite a significant turnover of his squad.
“I think it’s going to take time with the new squad to get everyone on the same page with what we want to do,” Reed said.
“At the same time I think the league is going to be really tight so there’s no reason anyone can’t break into the finals spots.”
American striker Jumar Oakley and English midfielder Jarrod Smalley headline Seaford’s inclusions.
WEST Torrens Birkalla senior coach Chris Goddard is unveiling an English recruit this season as the club strives to return to the top tier.
Birkalla kicks off its 2020 campaign with a clash against Adelaide Victory at home this Friday night, aiming for a better finish this year after losing a knockout final in 2019.
Goddard lured Trey Williams, a former Queens Park Rangers junior, to the club and said the midfielder had slotted into the side well.
“Trey is a creative midfielder and looks to be a good player,” Goddard said.
“He’s only been with us for about two weeks and the first (practice) game he played for us was in stifling heat and he wasn’t used to that.
“But the next one against Raiders was much better conditions, and he played extremely well.”
Birkalla spent last season in State League One after being relegated from the Premier League at the end of 2018.
Goddard, who was entering his second year at the helm, said his team was focused on starting this season better than it did in 2019.
He was confident Birkalla would return to finals action and had what it took to get back to the top tier.
“We like to play good, creative, attacking football,” Goddard said.
“We had a fairly poor start last year but we had a completely brand new team.
“With a bit more quality, a little bit more of a settled side, which is what we got, hopefully there will a few more points (won).
“Birks is a really good club and I think the club feels it should be in the Premier League but we’ve got to earn our right to be there.”
VIPERS will enter State League One for the first time this season – five years after joining Football SA from the amateur league.
The club, which is based at St Clair but will play home games at Birkalla’s Jack Smith Park this season, finished fourth on the third-tier ladder in 2019 and made it all the way to the grand final.
Vipers lost the decider 3-1 to Adelaide Hills, but still achieved promotion and will now look to consolidate in the top their.
The Hawks, who last played in SA’s top tier in 2009, will be hoping to return to former glory.
Club stalwart Craig Leith will again coach the club.
However there is a change at the top for Western Strikers with Mauro DeMarco taking over from Dino Paris.
Paris stepped down in September due personal and work commitments after leading Strikers to a semi-final but will stay on as senior football manager.
DeMarco previously coached Pirates and was Paris’ assistant in 2019.
Sturt Lions is another club with ambitions to return to the top tier and will continue with Lino Fusco at the helm.
Lions were relegated from the Premier League in 2018 and came close to bouncing straight back last season, losing 3-2 against Cumberland United in the preliminary final.
Adelaide Victory finished 10th last season and avoided relegation by nine points.
But the Blair Athol-based club lost its last four games of the campaign after losing players late in the season and could be a team to watch in the race for the top six.
Victory are in a group of teams – including Playford City and Fulham United – which will be keen to pick up early wins to avoid getting stuck in a relegation battle.
Fulham just fell short of the finals last season, finishing seventh, while the Patriots ended the campaign in ninth.
CLUB-BY-CLUB
ADELAIDE HILLS
Last season: State League Two champion
Ground: Hawks Nest (Woodside)
Coach: Craig Leith
ADELAIDE VICTORY
Last season: 10th
Ground: Rushworth Reserve
Coach: Yianni Stamatopoulos
FULHAM UNITED
Last season: 7th
Ground: West Beach Parks
Coaches: Michael Salerno and Joe Lagana
PLAYFORD CITY
Last season: 9th
Ground: Ramsay Park
Coach: Ben Moore
SEAFORD RANGERS
Last season: 8th
Ground: Karingal Reserve
Coach: Steve Reed
SOUTH ADELAIDE
Last season: 12th (Premier League)
Ground: O’Sullivan Beach Sports Complex
Coach: Andrew Calderbank
STURT LIONS
Last season: 2nd
Ground: West Beach Parks
Coach: Lino Fusco
VIPERS
Last season: State League Two runner-up
Ground: Jack Smith Park
Coach: Andrew Burgess
WEST ADELAIDE
Last season: 11th (Premier League)
Ground: TK Shutter Reserve (temporary)
Coach: Vas Parhas
WESTERN STRIKERS
Last season: 6th
Ground: Carnegie Reserve
Coach: Mauro DeMarco
WEST TORRENS BIRKALLA
Last season: 5th
Ground: Jack Smith Park
Coach: Chris Goddard
WHITE CITY
Last season: 3rd
Ground: Frank Mitchell Park
Coach: Damian Mori
ROUND ONE
Friday, February 21
White City v Adelaide Hills @ Frank Mitchell Park
West Torrens Birkalla v Adelaide Victory @ Jack Smith Park
Saturday, February 22
Western Strikers v Vipers @ Carnegie Reserve
South Adelaide v Sturt Lions @ O’Sullivan Beach Sports Complex
Playford City v West Adelaide @ Ramsay Park
Fulham United v Seaford Rangers @ West Beach Parks