NSW NPL season review: Grades, top performances and standout players from men’s season
APIA Leichhardt have been crowned NSW NPL men’s champions after 30 rounds of incredible football action. Check out every team’s grades, best performances and top goalscorers.
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The expansion of the NSW NPL Men’s from 12 to 16 teams for 2023 turned the competition on it’s head, with APIA Leichhardt claiming the premiership in the final round.
St George City were exceptional after winning League One last year and moving up to the NPL, while fellow newcomers Bulls FC Academy’s time in the top tier has come to an end after claiming the wooden spoon.
Last year’s premiers Sydney Olympic struggled throughout the season to finish outside the top eight and runners-up Manly United faced similar issues, however found their form at the back end to secure eighth.
Rockdale Ilinden striker Alex Urovski claimed the golden boot with 27 goals, 10 goals more than Blacktown’s Jak O’Brien and Sydney Olympic’s Roy O’Donovan in second.
Check out the top scorers, grades and best performances for all 16 teams below.
APIA Leichhardt FC
League position: 1st
Grade: A+
Season review: Only losing five matches this season, APIA’s biggest strength was it’s consistency in results and in it’s domination of the league. APIA didn’t drop from the top spot on the ladder after falling to second behind Rockdale in Round 10 and never looked in doubt to claim the premiership, despite only wrapping it up in the final round.
Best performance: APIA demolished NWS Spirit in Round 14, with Sean Symons scoring a hat-trick and Rory Jordan and Jack Stewart adding their own goals for a 5-0 victory.
Top scorers: Jack Armson (14), Jack Stewart (14)
Blacktown City FC
League position: 3rd
Grade: B-
Season review: Blacktown City were a superb comeback story after sitting in seventh midway through the season. They were unbeaten in their final 12 matches, turning around a frustratingly slow start to the year.
Best performance: The 5-1 win over Sydney Olympic should be counted as their best performance, where Jak O’Brien and Travis Major each scored a brace. However their best football came in a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Rockdale Ilinden. City created 27 chances on goal, only managing to place one in the back of the net.
Top scorers: Jak O’Brien (17), Travis Major (11)
Bulls FC Academy
League position: 16th
Grade: D-
Season review: The Bulls had an extremely frustrating season and will consequently be relegated after claiming the wooden spoon.
Best performance: The Bulls shocked the league when they downed eventual runners-up Rockdale Ilinden 2-1 in Round 10. Mason Wells and Ali Auglah both found the back of the net to secure the team’s second of three total victories for the season.
Top scorers: Ali Auglah (5)
Central Coast Mariners FC Academy
League position: 12th
Grade: C+
Season review: Starting off the season with a mix of draws and losses, the young Academy side found it’s groove midway through, boasting a six-game undefeated streak highlighted by a shock 3-1 win over Rockdale Ilinden. However the Mariners’ season ended poorly with a seven match winless run, including a demoralising 5-0 loss to Sydney Olympic.
Best performance: Two A-League Men call-ups in Lachlan Bayliss and skipper Cameron Windust recorded goals in the upset win over Rockdale. Though unable to get the win over Marconi Stallions in the final round, the nine-goal thriller at Marconi Stadium to end the season was a must-watch and a testament to the team’s never-say-die attitude.
Top scorers: Lachlan Bayliss (9), Aydan Hammond (6)
Manly United FC
League position: 8th
Grade: B
Season review: Manly took a while to find it’s groove with new coach Patrick Zwaanswijk, staying in the bottom half of the ladder for much of the season before finally making it up to eighth by the end the year. It was shocking to see last year’s premiership runners-up struggling like they were and it raises the question whether next year will have similar issues with the retirement of veteran Matt Sim and the departure of Bruno Mendes. Harry McCarthy was a solid player for Manly on his day, but was wholly inconsistent.
Best performance: Manly’s best performance was easily the 4-0 demolition of premiers APIA Leichhardt in Round 25. Manly were sitting 12th on the ladder heading into the match, a full 27 points behind APIA who was also on a six-game unbeaten run. Harry McCarthy shone for Manly in the upset, recording a hat-trick which included a goal in the fourth minute.
Standout players: McCarthy was a solid player for Manly this year on his day, but was wholly inconsistent. Goalkeeper Levi Kaye did his job well and was one of the better keepers for the season.
Top scorers: Harry McCarthy (7), Matthew Sim (7)
Marconi Stallions FC
League position: 4th
Grade: B+
Season review: Marconi were easily premiership contenders on their day, but a string of shock losses and inconsistent form left them in fourth. Their games were often goal fests, with the Stallions boasting the second-highest goal tally this season with 64, just behind premiers APIA Leichhardt with 65. Without the upset losses to teams struggling at the bottom of the table, the Stallions could have been taking the fight to APIA at the end.
Best performance: The Stallions rarely had a boring game, averaging just over two goals per match. Their biggest win came in the second round, scoring five goals over Sydney FC while also keeping a clean sheet.
Top scorers: Jordan Swibel (14), Domenic Costanzo (10)
Mt Druitt Town Rangers FC
League position: 15th
Grade: D
Season review: Mount Druitt struggled through the majority of the season, only recording six wins and placing them in a playoff for relegation. They were mostly unable to find their form, with any hint of momentum from wins quickly snuffed out. It’s in stark contrast to their current Australia Cup run, where they defeated Canberra FC to book a spot in the Round of 16.
Best performance: A 4-1 win over the Mariners Academy was the Rangers’ biggest result for 2023, with Kotaro Katsuta claiming a brace and Anthony Frangie and Nikola Skataric recording a goal each.
Top scorers: Nikola Skataric (5), Anthony Frangie (5)
NWS Spirit FC
League position: 11th
Grade: C-
Season review: The Spirit were consistently inconsistent this year, cycling through wins, draws and losses seemingly every week. They picked up a shock 2-1 win over the premiers in the penultimate round, despite getting thrashed by APIA 5-0 earlier in the season. Ending the year in 11th with 13 losses, the Spirit could have easily moved up the ladder with more consistent results.
Best performance: The aforementioned win over APIA was one of the most thrilling results of the season, putting the premiership battle on ice for another week. Sitting level at 1-1 for most of the match, Peter Kekeris stunned the premiers in the dying minutes of the match to secure the upset.
Top scorers: Richard Darko (7), Matthew Cahill (7)
Rockdale Ilinden FC
League position: 2nd
Grade: A
Season review: It was a year of ‘almosts’ for Rockdale, falling just shy of the premiership in the final round to APIA Leichhardt. Rockdale were leading the league at the beginning of the year, but once APIA knocked them off the top spot in Round 10 they weren’t able to take it back. Captain Alex Urovski was pivitol in keeping Rockdale in the title battle, with his golden-boot winning 27 goals totalling nearly half of the team’s season tally.
Best performance: Rockdale’s 5-1 thumping of the Wanderers was only dampened by an 80th minute own goal by William Mutch. It was a masterclass in teamwork, with four different goal scorers including a brace for Urovski.
Top scorers: Alex Urovski (27), Jaden Casella (7)
St George City FA
League position: 5th
Grade: A+
Season review: St George’s first season in the NPL after winning the second division last year has been nothing but astounding. The club has recruited well to stock up their side with good all-round players, which is evident by the spread of goalscorers. St George were a constant in the competition’s top eight all season and will be ones to watch in the future.
Best performance: A shocking 3-2 win over Marconi Stallions away from home in round four was where St George really made their mark. Kosta Petratos and Marley Peterson gave the side the lead early, and despite a strong comeback from the Stallions, St George were able to solidify their place in the competition.
Top scorers: Presley Ortiz (11), Kosta Petratos (10)
Sutherland Sharks FC
League position: 14th
Grade: C
Season review: After finishing 12th and last in 2022, it was much of the same in 2023 for the Sharks. Despite only recording eight wins on their way to a disappointing 14th, the Sharks still boast one of the lowest goals against in the competition with 35, equalling APIA and Marconi Stallions. The team have avoided the relegation playoff, but have a long way to go to be consistently competitive in the competition.
Best performance: The Sharks produced a shock win early in the season against Marconi Stallions, downing the top team 2-0 at the Stallions’ home ground.
Top scorers: Alexander Brown (4), Jesse Photi (3)
Sydney FC
League position: 6th
Grade: B
Season review: Sydney pulled off some solid wins but also recorded some massive losses on their way to sixth place. They finished the season with the worst goal difference of the top eight with -3, resulting from their 53 conceded goals during the year. The side could have been fighting for the higher positions if it could manage it’s consistency and record more draws, with it’s four throughout the season the lowest in the competition.
Best performance: Sydney FC handed APIA one of their five losses this year in spectacular fashion, downing the eventual premiers 4-0 in Round 13. Ben Gibson netted a brace in the first half alongside a goal from Alen Harbas in the opening 10 minutes, while Clayton Taylor added insult to injury just after the break to end APIA’s unbeaten run.
Top scorers: Alen Harbas (9), Clayton Taylor (6)
Sydney Olympic FC
League position: 9th
Grade: C-
Season review: Last year’s premiers left a lot to be desired in 2023, finishing outside the top eight with only 10 wins from 30 matches. Their solid 51 goals throughout the year was overshadowed by 53 conceded, with Olympic seemingly unable to find any momentum or consistency. Olympic featured a star-studded team including former A-League Men talents Ziggy Gordon, Nick Fitzgerald and Roy O’Donovan, but were still unable to make any true impact.
Best performance: Olympic’s final round draw against local rivals Sydney United 58 was a showcase of grit and determination, coming back from a 3-1 deficit late in the match to steal a point for a 3-3 draw.
Top scorers: Roy O’Donovan (17), Oliver Purflett (7)
Sydney United 58
League position: 10th
Grade: C-
Season review: Sydney United 58’s historic Australia Cup run and controversial final ensured all eyes were on them in 2023. United 58 started the season off strong, sitting in fourth after the first 15 matches and still in contention for a premiership challenge, but eight losses in the remaining games and only four wins to round out the year left them scrapping in the middle of the ladder.
Best performance: United 58 handed premiers APIA Leichhardt their first home defeat in round 18, going over 2-1 at Lambert Park. Their most entertaining match was likely the nine-goal thriller against Western Sydney, where United 58 came back from a 3-1 deficit to score three unanswered goals and claim the victory 4-3.
Top scorers: Patrick Antelmi (14), Christopher Payne (9)
Western Sydney Wanderers FC
League position: 13th
Grade: C-
Season review: It definitely could have been worse for the Wanderers Academy, with the side staring down relegation after the mid-season point. The side only got out of the bottom two in the final few rounds, after recording just three wins in 15 matches. Ending the season undefeated in five games ensure the Wanderers jumped up the ladder slightly and avoid relegation play-offs.
Best performance: Finding some form in the later stages of the season, the Wanderers destroyed the soon-to-be-relegated Bulls FC Academy 5-0. The match featured a brace from leading goalscorer Zachary Sapsford, as well as individual goals from Alexander Badolato, Aidan Simmons and Adam Bugarija.
Top scorers: Zachary Sapsford (9), Ariath Piol (6)
Wollongong Wolves FC
League position: 7th
Grade: B-
Season review: Despite finishing in seventh, the Wolves were one of the more consistent teams this season. They recorded the most draws with 10 and were taking the fight to Sydney FC for sixth place, despite having three less wins. Jake Trew was a solid addition to the team after moving from Wollongong Olympic in the off-season.
Best performance: The Wolves produced a final round goal fest against Mt Druitt Town Rangers, destroying the side 5-0. The match featured four different goal scorers, which included a brace by Chris McStay.
Top scorers: Lachlan Scott (13), Jake Trew (10)
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