NewsLocal looks at the 40 most memorable NSW football moments in 2022
2022 was an eventful year for football with memorable team victories and sometimes controversial moments. Check out NewsLocal’s big 40 moments of NSW football in 2022.
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2022 was an eventful year for football, both at home and abroad.
The FIFA World Cup highlighted the talent of Australian footballers, while competitions at home unveiled a new generation of future Socceroos and Matildas.
Championships were won, protests were held and the Australian football community came together.
It was a year where football fans had plenty to cheer about and Australia continued to make its presence felt on the world stage.
Check out NewsLocal’s most memorable moments from NSW players and teams in what was a massive year of football.
Sydney United 58 make the Australia Cup final
The newly rebranded Australia Cup (formerly FFA Cup) was full of outstanding performances and shock upsets.
The biggest surprise was NPL club Sydney United going all the way and reaching the grand final, eventually losing to A-League men side Macarthur.
It marked the first time an NPL club reached the decider of the knockout competition and caused amazing scenes for the local supporters.
Despite going down to the Bulls 2-0 and settling as runners-up, the fact that they made it that far was a huge moment for Australian football.
Garang Kuol off to the English Premier League
Central Coast forward Garang Kuol only made his A-League men’s debut at the start of the 2021/22 season but the teenager instantly made a splash.
He scored on his debut for the Mariner’s and added a goal in their 6-0 thrashing of APIA Leichhardt in that year’s FFA Cup, and found the back of the net in his league debut against Wellington.
However, Kuol made international clubs take notice following his superb showing in the A-League All Stars friendly with Barcelona in May
From there it was only a matter of time before the 18-year-old was snatched up by a big club, with EPL giant Newcastle taking him on from January 1.
The Central Coast club was disappointed to see him go, but a standing ovation in his last ALM clash on New Year’s Eve from the Mariners faithful showed they always knew he was destined for big things.
APL sells A League Men’s grand final to Sydney
The Australian Premier League’s decision to sell the ALM grand final to Sydney for the next three years sent outrage through to nation’s football community.
The decision seemed to be made without discussion with clubs, despite the hosting rights previously being awarded to the highest-placed team.
Protests from active support members quickly followed, with the majority of fans peacefully walking out - bar the now infamous Melbourne derby - to make a point that football is nothing without its supporters.
Even in the new year, the debate looks far from over, but it was definitely a huge moment in 2022.
Rockdale incredible quintuple
Another young girls team taking the area by storm was the Rockdale City Suns 12 Girls.
They capped off a staggering 2022 season by picking up their fifth piece of silverware with a Champion of Champions title.
Prior to that the young guns had clinched both the Premiership and Championship of their local association, as well as the Proctor Cup and Kanga Cup.
A 1-0 victory over Terrigal United thanks to a lone goal from Genevieve Estmore completed the massive quintuple.
A truly special group of girls that are no doubt forcing Rockdale City Suns to invest in a bigger trophy cabinet.
Grand Final protests take dark turn
The generally peaceful protests took a dark turn at the Melbourne Derby when Victory fans stormed the pitch at the 20 minute mark and assaulted City goalkeeper Tom Glover, along with an official and a camera operator.
The Sydney-born shot stopper was hit with in the face with a metal bin, resulting in a wide gash on his cheek.
Central Coast Mariners skipper Danny Vukovic took to social media to slam the actions of the fans, labelling the incident an “absolute disgrace” and the “darkest day for football in Australia”.
Sydney FC Academy player makes EPL debut
Northern Beaches footballer Cameron Peupion came on for Brighton in the second round EFL Cup against Forest Green with the young Australian off the bench in the 80th minute and making an assist in his club’s 3-0 win.
In doing so the former Pittwater House student from Curl Curl became the first Sydney Academy graduate to represent a Premier League club in a first team game with his old coach thrilled for the teenager.
NSW Metro U14 girls claim the National Youth Championships
The NSW Metro under 14 girls side dominated the National Youth Championships for girls in Coffs Harbour, going into the grand final with a 100 per cent win record.
There they faced Queensland, who they previously defeated 3-1 in the group stages of the tournament.
The girls completed their perfect tournament with a 1-0 win to seal the title, with Talia Younis netting the only goal and also securing the under 14 Player of the Tournament.
Blacktown City contributes five players to the Socceroos World Cup squad
Blacktown City FC once again proved to be one of the greatest clubs in the country for nursing young footballing talent, when five of its former players were selected for the Socceroos FIFA World Cup squad in November.
That’s just under 20 per cent of the entire 26-man squad, and included big names such as skipper and goalkeeper Mat Ryan and midfielder Keanu Baccus.
It‘s a record that is unlikely to be matched or beaten across the world, and is a huge source of pride for the Western Sydney club.
Newcastle Croatia’s shock grand final win
After 27 years in the footballing wilderness, Newcastle Croatia FC managed to conjure up mass excitement not normally scene in Newcastle’s Zone League 3 competition.
The club pulled off one of the most remarkable sporting comeback stories when it defeated Cardiff City 5-0 in the first grade grand final.
The feat came after the club was re-established in 2021 as part of the Croatian Wickham Sports Club in the wake of the Croatian National team’s success in the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the rest is now history.
Footballing civil war for NNSW
Late in 2022, a power struggle for Northern NSW Football commenced when a number of member zones sent a letter of intent to oust the majority of the board’s members.
It resulted in a month long battle where the zones eventually prevailed, with five out of the six board members either voted out or resigning and CEO David Eland leaving his role after more than 13 years at the helm.
The new board is hopeful 2023 will be a new era and has indicated its plans to reintroduce promotion-relegation, and redevelop its junior development.
Mitch Duke’s heroic Socceroos goal
Another Blacktown City alumni, Mitch Duke, forced the country onto its feet when he scored the sole goal in the Socceroos World Cup group stage win against Tunisia.
The Australian side hadn’t won a World Cup match since 2010 but Duke’s stunning header in the middle of the first half delivered what football fans had been dreaming about for over a decade.
The scenes at Al Janoub Stadium in Qatar were reflected in homes, pubs and venues across Australia, with the former Wanderers skipper’s celebration dedicated to his son going viral as a result.
NSW clubs miss out on the A League Men finals series
The 2021-22 A-League men’s season featured some amazing moments on its way to the finals but the biggest shock was only one NSW club making the top six.
The Central Coast Mariners were the only ones representing the state for the premiership, with Sydney FC, Western Sydney, Macarthur and Newcastle all failing to slot into a finals position.
For Sydney FC, it was just the second time in five years they didn’t make it to the decider, and the first time in six seasons they didn’t qualify for the finals.
Nail-biting Central Coast Premier League final
Terrigal and Killarney Vale put on a football grand final for the ages in the Central Coast Premier League.
After their respective sides battled it out in the Aussie rules Black Diamond Cup, with the Bombers emerging the victors, Terrigal wasn’t keen on letting their rivals get the best of them again.
The Panthers came back from a 3-1 halftime deficit to claim a stunning come from behind 4-3 victory, crushing Killarney Vale’s hopes of an undefeated season.
Blacktown City win the NSW NPL Men’s Premiership
The climax to the 2022 NSW NPL season between Blacktown City and Manly United was played out at CommBank Stadium in front of nearly four thousand fans.
Despite Blacktown just missing out on the Premiership in the final match of the regular season, they came into the decider determined to redeem themselves.
A header from Lachlan Campbell gave City the lead heading into the break, and a historic 100th goal for veteran Travis Major secured Blacktown the trophy.
A League Women’s expansion
Women’s football got a massive boost mid-year, with the A Leagues announcing an expansion to the women’s competition.
The Central Coast Mariners were set to rejoin the competition for the 2023/24 season and Western United kicked off their inaugural season at the end of 2022.
The later season would be expanded to a full 22 round home and away season, bringing the league in line with other domestic football leagues across the globe.
Though the changes won’t be seen until the end of 2023, its an exciting prospect to grow the competition ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup to be jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
NSW Metro claim the under 15 National Youth Championship
NSW Metro White and Queensland White went into the decider of the National Youth Championships in Coffs Harbour previously undefeated.
This led to a bitter neck and neck battle for the title, with NSW leading early from an Oliver Steinerts header and a converted penalty.
Queensland were able to put themselves on the scoresheet following a late penalty but were unable to stop their rivals, with NSW winning 3-1.
Sydney Football Stadium finally reopens
Following years of construction the new Sydney Football Stadium finally reopened at Moore Park in August.
It ended years in the wilderness without a home for Sydney FC, who had been relegated to playing at the SCG, Jubilee Oval and Leichhardt Oval during the rebuild.
The Sky Blues lined up for their first match at Allianz Stadium in October, in a losing effort to Big Blue rivals Melbourne Victory.
So far the club’s new home has failed to produce results, with only one win coming out of the stadium for Sydney since it’s homecoming.
Macarthur Bulls crowned Australia Cup Champions
Despite a controversial decider against Sydney United 58, Macarthur FC put on a brilliant display to claim the 2022 Australia Cup.
Dwight York had only been managing the Bulls for a short time, but he made an immediate impact as he led the side to the final.
The 2-0 win over Sydney United 58 marked the club’s first piece of silverware in just their third season, after only joining the A-League men’s competition in 2020.
Lilli Pilli girls make history
Football NSW introduced the 13s Girls age category for the first time in 2022, meaning the victorious Lilli Pilli side will go down in history as the inaugural Champion of Champions victors.
A proud moment for the Sutherland Shire football side, as the majority of the girls were homegrown.
A 1-0 victory over Manly Allambie United ensured the historic piece of silverware was going south.
Joel King Socceroos call-up
A proud moment for Shellharbour.
In doing so he joined a crew of past and present Illawarra talent to have donned the famous green and gold in Scott Chipperfield, Mile Sterjovski and current Socceroo Kye Rowles.
While he didn’t get on the field in Qatar, being a part of that record-breaking Socceroos team must have been a great moment for the youngster, and he’ll be hopeful he will play a greater role in 2026.
Wollongong teen lands Villarreal move
Another great football story from the Illawarra area.
Young footballing sensation Liam Hoyn made a massive move in 2022, securing a season-long scholarship at top-flight Spanish club Villarreal.
An incredible opportunity for the 18-year-old young gun from Wollongong who became the first player from any Villarreal Academy worldwide to be presented with a scholarship opportunity.
All going to plan, the former Cringila Lions attacker hopes to climb up the ranks at the club and play first-team football some day.
Check out Liam’s full story and how he grinded to get his major break.
Bitter A League defection
Sydney FC took a massive blow in the 2022 off-season when veteran Milos Ninkovic rejected a contract extension and opted to end his time with the club following seven seasons.
Adding insult to injury, the Serbian then sent shockwaves through Australian football by defecting to bitter rivals Western Sydney Wanderers.
This set up a tense atmosphere when the two sides finally faced off in the A-League men in November, with Sydney’s active supporters The Cove producing a banner labelling Ninkovic a traitor.
The Wanderers were able to best Sydney thanks to a goal from Kusini Yengi.
Wollongong Olympic break drought
Thirty seven years of suffering came to an end for Wollongong Olympic in late October, as they finally became the Illawarra Premier League champions.
To make the occasion all the more sweet, they pulled off the victory against rivals Wollongong United.
The dramatic game ended 2-1, with Chris Price opening the scoring with a header, before a Wollongong United own-goal proved pivotal.
The celebrations would be great and highly emotional for the historic club.
Shellharbour JFC triple grand final victories
A trifecta of victories for Shellharbour in the Champion of Champions tournament is undoubtedly one of the best days in the history of the club.
Two late goals from Richard Niyukuri and Daniel Robinson snagged a dramatic late 2-1 victory for the U14 boys against Pitt Town FC.
Then, an extra time penalty from Matias Valenzuela sealed a 1-0 win for the U15 boys against Bankstown Sport Strikers.
Finally, the U16 girls capped off Shellharbour’s day of dominance with a more comfortable 4-1 victory over Terrigal United, with two goals apiece from Jessica Bell and Ariana Fleming.
Promising signs for the South Coast club coming into 2023.
A-League star heads to Scotland
Socceroos midfielder Aaron Mooy ended longstanding speculation in July when he confirmed his signing with Scottish champions Celtic after leaving Chinese club Shanghai Port earlier in the year.
The 31-year-old inked a two-year contract with the side, managed by countryman Ange Postecoglou, and made his official debut in the opening round of the Scottish Premiership off the bench against Aberdeen.
The former Western Sydney Wanderers star also recorded his first goals for the side in December, picking up a brace in Celtic’s 4-0 win over Hibernian.
Teen extends contract with Manchester City
On October 22 Maroubra star Alex Robertson announced his contract extension at Manchester City.
The young star has been training with the first team at Manchester City for two years, rubbing shoulders with footballing superstars such as Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland.
The central midfielder is currently playing in the Premier League U21s where he has found the back of the net once.
He was also on the bench for Manchester City’s 3-2 victory over Liverpool in the EFL Cup, in the club’s first match after the FIFA World Cup.
Robertson is yet to pledge his allegiance to a national side, but Australians will be hoping to see him in Socceroos colours in the near future.
Birth of the M-League
An exciting new women’s league was born in 2022, pitting together 12 teams from the Macarthur Football Association and the Southern Districts Soccer Football Association.
With both leagues wanting growth for local women’s football, the expansion succeeded in creating a bigger and more competitive environment for women football players.
The league was a success, with one game per round even being streamed live online.
Illawarra star captains U20 Matilda’s at World Cup
Former Illawarra Stingrays forwards and now Western Sydney Wanderers starlet Sheridan Gallagher has a massive 2022.
Gallagher captained the Matilda’s at the U20s World Cup in Costa Rica in August in a big moment for the now 21-year-old.
Australia would fail to make it out of the group, with tough competition in the form of Spain and Brazil, but did manage to pick up a win against hosts Costa Rica.
Darling Harbour draws the crowds for World Cup
After the success of Melbourne’s Federation Square live site for the group stages of the World Cup, NSW jumped on the Socceroos bandwagon for their Round of 16 clash against Argentina, opening up a live viewing site in Darling Harbour.
Despite the hard-fought eventual loss for the Socceroos, it was a great sign for the future of Australian football to see eight-thousand odd fans packing into Tumbalong Park in the early hours of the Sunday morning.
Premier Dominic Perrottet was overwhelmed by the success of the event given its short notice, so you’d imagine the live sites will make a resurgence for the next World Cup in four years time.
Macarthur club legends go out on a high
A fairytale ending to the career of two long-term Rams, as Macarthur defeated the Northern Tigers 6-5 on penalties following a 0-0 draw.
Club legend Kylie Ledbrook, as well as club administrator Rob Laws both called their time on their footballing day with the victory, going out on the ultimate high.
A dramatic game with some standout keeping from Morgan Aquino on the Tigers side but it was the Rams that would be crowned champions of the NPL.
Player of the tournament for Sydney FC youngster
It’s been a wild year for 16 year old Shay Hollman, having debuted for Sydney FC in the A-League in January.
The former Seaforth FC and Manly United junior was then a part of the Australian national team that competed in the AFF U18 women’s championship in Indonesia in which Australia were victorious.
Hollman would take home the Player of the Tournament award following Australia’s 2-0 victory over Vietnam in the final.
Hollman is on the way up and is a name to watch for sure.
NSW represent in four continents tour
NSW had a strong contingent of representatives in Australia’s squad to play in the U20s Costa Calida Supercup in Spain.
While the young side unfortunately lost all three group games against tough oppositions in Morocco, Chile and eventual winners England, it was still a great opportunity for the young players to play on the international scene.
The representatives in the squad who played junior football in NSW were: Alexander Badolato (Sylvania Heights FC), Archie Goodwin (Cooks Hill United FC), Alessandro Lopane (APIA Leichhardt FC), Paul Okon-Engstler (Marconi Stallions FC), Jordan Perez (Bangor Brumbies FC), Gabriel Popovic (Sydney United 58 FC), Adrian Segecic (Lidcombe Waratah FC) and Nectarios Triantis (Strathfield Strikers FC).
Club history for Seaforth women
A record-breaking year for Seaforth FC Women’s Premier League side.
The side were crowned Women’s Premier League champions following an undefeated season of 14 wins and two draws.
The team conceded just five goals and scored 45 throughout the season.
This is the first time the club had ever topped the division, and to add to their success, the reserve grade side also took out the title.
This was a proud moment for the club, with many of the squad members Seaforth juniors who had grown up with the club.
The Grey Wiggle’s World Cup qualifying heroics
Sydney FC goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne became a household name in June after becoming an unlikely hero in the Socceroos successful World Cup qualification.
Coach Graham Arnold made the shocking decision late in extra time in the final match against Peru, to substitute out number one goalie and captain Mat Ryan for Redmayne ahead of the imminent penalty shootout.
The Sky Blues shot-stopper was known for his unconventional methods in penalty situations, though many fans back home were wary of it all going wrong in such a high-stakes scenario.
But Redmayne didn’t waver, and successfully denied a Peruvian shot to seal the win for the Socceroos and qualification for Qatar later that year.
His heroics earned him the moniker of the Grey Wiggle, and his stunning performance when it really counted became ingrained in Australian football culture.
Sky Blues fall short in A League Women grand final
Sydney FC’s A League women’s side claimed the Premiers Plate on their way to a blockbuster 2021-22 grand final clash against reigning champions Melbourne Victory.
The Sky Blues had done all they could to enter the decider with the winning edge in front of a home crowd, but it wasn’t enough to stop Victory claiming back to back titles with a 2-0 victory.
It was the second straight year Sydney were unable to convert their regular season form into grand final success, losing both times to Victory.
Central Coast contributes record number of players to Socceroos squad
When the Socceroos squad was named in November ahead of the FIFA World Cup, all eyes were on the Central Coast, who had a record three current players named.
Teenage sensation Garang Kuol was no surprise to be included after his breakout year in the A League Men, alongside cult favourite Jason Cummings and goalkeeper Danny Vukovic.
It was a massive source of delight for the club, who prides itself on being a community club who invests in its grassroots and academy football.
ParaMatildas recognised for international success
A proud moment for the ParaMatildas in November when awarded the ‘Team of the Year with a Disability’ award at the NSW Champions of Sport Ceremony.
This comes off the back of a terrific performance by the team earlier in the year, picking up silver medals in the International Federation of Cerebral Palsy Football Women’s World Cup which was held in Spain.
The bulk of the squad is NSW based, and had some terrific performances at this tournament, dispatching of traditional footballing powerhouse nations such as the Netherlands and Spain.
Bright signs for the future of the para-sports system in NSW and Australia.
Return of First Nations Football Festival
After missing two years due to Covid, the First Nations Football Festival returned to NSW in November this year.
The Festival was held in South Nowra this year, celebrating the proud Indigenous culture within the footballing community of NSW and Australia.
The Festival featured high-quality but well-spirited football from all ages, with the men’s Newcastle All Stars and the women’s Central Coast Mariners coming out victorious at the Festival’s conclusion.
91-year-old referee still has the goods
A feel-good story to come out of the Manly Warringah Football Association.
Peter Robson, 91, is still an active referee for the juniors at the MWFA and is undoubtedly one of the oldest referees in Australia - possibly even the world.
Robson has been refereeing for the association for 45 years now, and you’ll find him in the action for the U12-16s most weekends before heading off to play bowls in the afternoon.
To show their appreciation for Robson, the Association had the great man conduct the coin toss for the Grand Final of the Premier League at Cromer Park in August.
University break Albion Park’s era of dominance
Six consecutive grand final victories for Albion Park White Eagles came to end in October, as the University of Wollongong triumphed in the Women’s Division 1.
Three of the previous six grand finals had been this exact matchup, with all of them going the way of Albion Park.
Finally, in the fourth meeting of these arch rivals on the biggest stage, UOW came out on top, with goals to Kate Sebben and Amy Morrell sealing a 2-1 victory and breaking the losing streak.
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