Illawarra Premier League: Your ultimate guide and season preview ahead of the 2023 season
The 2023 Illawarra Premier League kicks off in early March, with the excitement building as the 12 teams begin to finalise their squads. SEE THE PLAYERS TO WATCH AS EVERY SQUAD IS PREVIEWED.
Illawarra Star
Don't miss out on the headlines from Illawarra Star. Followed categories will be added to My News.
FOOTBALL is beginning to get back underway around New South Wales, meaning the countdown is on for the return of the Illawarra Premier League.
The league comprises of 12 teams from the South Coast of New South Wales, who will battle for a top five finish to progress to the finals series.
The 2022 season was taken out by Wollongong Olympic, who broke a 37 year drought when they defeated cross-town rivals Wollongong United in last season’s grand final.
Helensburgh Thistles are the newcomers to the league, replacing Woonona FC.
The season kicks off on Friday the 3rd of March, with Cringila Lions and Coniston FC opening the season with their clash.
Check out the full previews below for each team.
Albion Park White Eagles
Coach: George Antoniou
Captain: Brendan Fordham
Players to watch: Captain Brendan Fordham has been at the club since 2020 and is a highly talented central midfielder. Described by his peers as a great person on and off the field, he brings experience and a good football head to the White Eagles midfield.
How competitive they will be: Coach Antoniou believes he has tinkered his side well in the off-season and is happy with how they’re looking. A couple of fresh signings have bolstered the squad that ended mid-table last season, so they’ll be looking to crack into semi-final football this season.
Last season: 6th
Bellambi Rosellas FC
Coach: Steven Dimitrievski
Captain: TBA
Players to watch: Leo Hirose is a talent Japanese central midfielder who has signed for his second year at the club. Michael Brownsea is another invaluable player for Bellambi who has excelled in the amateur leagues. Brownsea can play in an attacking midfielder or striker role and is no stranger to goals.
Surprise package: Jake Webster brings a lot to the Bellambi side and personifies the unsung hero role. A defensive midfielder who puts in the hard yards and cleans up for his side every week. Still young and raw, but has the potential to grow into a great player.
How competitive they will be: Coach Dimitrievski isn’t playing down the fact that his side is working on a lower budget and will undoubtedly be underdogs for a lot of their fixtures this season. This isn’t deterring him however, he’s relishing the chance for his boys to prove people wrong. There’s a lot of fresh faces in the team this year and the squad has a lot more depth. Morale is high in pre-season and Dimitrievski thinks if they can keep injury-free, the top five isn’t out of the question.
Last season: 12th
Bulli FC
Coach: Julio Miranda
Captain: Ben McDonald
Players to watch: Lewis Grimshaw is invaluable to the Bulli FC side with his versatility to play anywhere across the front three. A good player and a good kid, with a bit of speed and great finishing ability making him hard to stop. Kyle Jackson is another looking to excel even further this season. The centre back was Player of the Year for the Bulli side last season. Tall and steady, he’ll be looking to keep up last season’s form
Why they’ll be competitive: A solid season last year saw the side reach the semi-finals, but coach Miranda thinks both he and his side can do better still. They’ve retained the majority of their squad plus made a couple of key additions. Top five is the target and they’ve got the squad to achieve it.
Last season: 3rd on ladder, eliminated in semi-finals
Coniston FC
Coach: Rob Jonovski
Captain: Lukas Stergiou
Players to watch: Captain Lukas Stergiou brings a lot of leadership and ability to the side. A holding midfielder who really controls the tempo for his side, while also possessing great playmaking ability. Van Elia is another midfielder of great quality to watch this season. Playing in an attacking role, he brings the magic to the side, an exciting player to watch who was the league’s player of the year a few years back at Corrimal FC.
How competitive they will be: Despite a strong top four finish last season, the Coniston boys were slightly disappointed with how they closed their season and are driven to improve this year. The boys have been working hard in pre-season to iron out a few creases, and will be looking to push further in the finals this season.
Last season: 4th on ladder, eliminated in semi-final
Corrimal Rangers
Coach: Phil Matias & Manny Mavridis
Captain: TBA
Players to watch: Corrimal have acquired a top talent in Japanese import Shunjiro Shibuya, who has a multitude of experience that will hopefully compliment and guide the youth among the Corrimal ranks. The Agno twins, Harrison and James, will also be important to the Corrimal side this year in holding down the midfield.
Surprise package: Harrison Matias is to be one of the youngest goalkeepers in the league this season, but shows ability and intelligence beyond his years.
How competitive they will be: Coach Matias is optimistic with the side that has been slowly building over the past few years. It’s a very youthful team full of energy and ability, ready to bounce back from the disappointing result of last season and challenge for a top five spot this year.
Last season: 11th
Cringila Lions
Coach: Jorge de Matos
Captain: Peter Simonoski
Players to watch: Michael Mendes has had a terrific pre-season, becoming one of the players of the tournament in the recent Maso Cup. The wide forward is high on confidence coming into 2023, very energetic and dangerous in the front three. Anthony Krsteski is another to watch this season. The former Coniston man is also a dangerous part of the Cringila front line that was successful last year. He’ll be looking to keep the momentum from last year going.
Surprise package: Harrison Taranto gets his first taste of Illawarra Premier League action this season, having come from the Wollongong Wolves. His coach describes him as a class above, with plenty of quality in the holding central midfield role. He could be the missing piece in the Cringila puzzle.
How competitive they will be: Jorge de Matos is determined to continue the upwards trajectory the club has been taking since he came to the club. His side will be out to prove that last year was not a ‘one season wonder’, with De Matos saying that success comes with repeatability. The Cringila side had an excellent undefeated run at the back end of last season prior to their semi-final defeat, and having retained the bulk of that squad, as well as bolstered a few areas with new signings, Cringila are a force to be reckoned with this season.
Last season: 5th on ladder, eliminated in preliminary final
Helensburgh Thistle
Coach: Andrew Paine
Captain: Vaughan Patterson
Players to watch: Blake Currey is a talented young prospect who has come through the A-League youth program. A big centre back who loves a good challenge and has a great cultured passing game developed through his experience in Australian junior levels. Charlie Jones is another fresh talent acquired from Sutherland Sharks. The centre attacking midfielder is rapid and dangerous, with plenty of potential at the age of just 21.
Surprise package: Jordan Paull is a goalkeeper of just 19 years but this is to be his third year of senior football. He continues to surprise with his maturity and ability for a keeper of such youth, as he shows great talent beyond his years.
How competitive they will be: Coach Paine sees a lot of potential among his very youthful squad. Pushing youth talent has been an emphasis of the club always and Paine has made sure that has remained the case even after promotion. There’s a healthy mix of retained squad and new talent to bolster their ranks, so there’s certainly a bright future ahead of the Helensburgh side.
Last season: Promoted from District League
Port Kembla FC
Coach: Stuart Beedie
Captain: Jordan Nikolovski
Players to watch: Captain Jordan Nikolovski is stepping into the armband role for the first time this season, showing his loyalty to the club by remaining there over the break. A versatile player that can go anywhere across the front line and do damage to opposition defenders. Oli Carrasco is another to keep an eye on. Started his Port Kembla career as a midfielder, but after showing his goal scoring ability moved into a no. 9 role, ending last season as the leading goalscorer. He’ll be looking to continue along this path this season.
Surprise package: Jordan Kizi is a former Wollongong Olympic junior with plenty of potential. Playing in the holding midfielder role, the youngster will look to make that role his own and can really grow into an important player for the side this year.
How competitive they will be: Despite finishing in the lower half of the league last season, coach Beedie is quietly optimistic with the way his squad has been shaping up. There is a mix of good team spirit and ability among the Port Kembla ranks and Beedie believes they have the potential to challenge for a top five spot.
Last season: 8th
South Coast United
Coach: Greg Valic
Captain: Jason Bleakley
Players to watch: Lucas Loncar is an exciting prospect for the side, having come through the youth grades at the club and established himself in the first grade towards the end of last season. Now he has a full year to prove himself. He can play both as a central midfielder or a centre back. Adam Farkas is another to have come up towards the end of last season. A very talented and intelligent central midfielder with great on-ball quality, excellent at retaining possession and moving the ball up the field.
Surprise package: Lachlan Cook has the potential to be a damaging left winger this season. Played in the reserves last year but earnt a couple of call-ups to the first team, and given ample opportunity to play this year he has the potential to shine and prove a difference maker.
Why they’ll be competitive: There has been quite a hefty turnover in the squad since last season after a rather disappointing year. Coach Valic sees this as a positive though, as the newly assembled collective of players has gelled well and consists of a number of highly talented and youthful players. Everyone has been looking sharp in pre-season and Valic thinks the side can be much more competitive this year and look towards a top five finish.
Last season: 9th
Tarrawanna Blueys
Coach: Jason Wenig
Captain: Kyle Kirkland
Players to watch: Captain Kyle Kirkland brings a lot of passion and ‘white line fever’ to the team. Playing in the holding midfield role, he’ll be central to the boys success this year through his playmaking and communication in the middle of the park. Jamie Wakeling is another to keep an eye on. In the attacking midfielder role, Wakeling brings a lot of passion and a creative spark in the upper third.
Surprise package: Riku Nano is a young Japanese player who goes under the radar due to his small frame. Not to be deceived though, he is a very sharp and agile player who can do damage from wide attacking areas.
How competitive they will be: It’s a new challenge for coach Wenig this year, having come up from the U20s into the spotlight of the Premier League for the first time though. His boys are fired up and raring to go though, with a number of new signings bolstering the squad. The goal is no doubt to find a way into that top five.
Last season: 7th
Wollongong Olympic
Coach: Matt Bailey
Captain: TBA
Players to watch: Coach Bailey understandably struggled to pick out any individuals among a very gelled Wollongong Olympic unit that has retained much of the same champion squad from the 2022 season. Chris Price however is definitely one that is naturally a marquee name on the team sheet every week. Leading the line in 2022, the versatile Price plays anywhere across the midfield and defence, crucially scoring a goal in the 2022 IPL Grand Final against Wollongong United. Price was awarded the George Naylor Medal for the 2022 IPL Player of the Season.
Surprise package: Brendan Low is an outstanding young talent who had a disrupted season last year due to injury and suspension. However, the versatile left-sided player has returned this year with unbelievable fitness as he looks to nail down a consistent spot in the team.
How competitive they will be: The benchmark was set for the side when they ended their premiership drought last season. Coach Bailey says no doubt the expectations are just as high this year, but is aware of the effort the squad needs to put in and sustain throughout the season, recognising the disruptions that occurred across the league last season. The Olympic side has retained the bulk of last season’s squad, plus added some more important components, so no doubt they’ll be right up there again this season.
Last season: 2nd on ladder, grand final winners
Wollongong United
Coach: Billy Tsovolos
Captain: Danny Lazarevski
Players to watch: Wollongong United have retained their talented Japanese midfield duo of Seiji Kawakami and Mitsuo Yamada. Both have been at the club for around three years now and are a staple of the side. Yamada is more of an attacking midfielder, while Kawakami adopts more of a defensive role.
Surprise player: Jayden Makowski is a homegrown talent for the Wollongong side, having produced big things in some of the lower grades. This will be his first year in first grade, but is expected to slot right in and make an impact. He also plays in a central midfielder role.
Why they’ll be competitive: First on the ladder last year but pipped in the final by cross-town rival Wollongong Olympic. No doubt the Wollongong United side will be out to finish what they looked to start last season. Tsovolos thinks his side has performed well in pre-season so far and they undoubtedly have a talented group of boys that’ll be right up there this year.
Last season: 1st on ladder, defeated in Grand Final
CUT: Credits roll on long-awaited cinema
Furious movie buffs are pegging their popcorn buckets at developers who have closed the curtain on plans for a long-awaited cinema in favour of a high-rise hotel.
From last place to glory: Swans’ remarkable title victory
They had to withstand a mighty comeback, but the Southern Swans put Illawarra cricket on the map with a grand final victory for the ages in the U18s Brewer Shield. Wrap, 40+ photo gallery.