NPL Queensland 2021: Ultimate guide to Gold Coast Knights, Gold Coast United seasons
Meet the two squads, hear from the key players and bookmark the fixture – NPL Queensland action returns this weekend and The Bulletin has you covered.
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ON THE eve of the 2021 NPL Queensland season, Gold Coast United skipper Justyn Mckay chose to finally address the long-unanswered question: Do Knights and United hate each other?
“Do you want the honest truth? We all get on quite well actually,” Mckay said, with a nod to Knights rival Max Brown.
“I guess when it comes to game time (the rivalry) adds to those occasions, and you put your friendships aside for 90 minutes. (But) It’s a friendly rivalry.”
United and Knights open their 2021 campaigns on the road this weekend, away to Olympic FC and Lions FC respectively.
United have welcomed a host of new faces, including four from their cross-town rivals, one of whom is former Knights boss Grae Piddick.
“Grae’s a winner,” Mckay said. “Our identity will be ‘hard to beat’ … a combination of lots of goals and, hopefully, a tough defensive unit.
“For me, top four is definitely our aim.”
Knights won’t settle for top four – not again.
After bowing out at the semi-final stage in 2020, Brown said the goal this season, under Adem Poric, was all-or-nothing.
“We’re here to win the league, it’s that simple,” Brown declared.
“The skeleton of our squad is the same as last year. That’s where a lot of our strengths are. The more we play we’ll only get better, and get better results to last year.”
GOLD COAST UNITED
Piddick puts faith in pair of teenage full backs
GOLD Coast United boss Grae Piddick has entrusted two talented teenagers with one of the most important roles in his system.
Young fullbacks Zahi Addis, 17, and Lachlan Remmers, 19, will start against Olympic in United’s season opener on Sunday, in what shapes as a trial by fire against a perennial title contender.
Piddick’s fullbacks typically play high up the pitch, providing overlap run with the wingers and peppering the opposition box with crosses.
They’re asked to race forward and track back dozens of times a game, involved in both attack and defence, and Piddick has handed the pivotal role to the two youngest players in his squad.
“It suits my game,” Addis said. “I like to get forward a lot and his system gives you a lot of opportunities to have the ball at your feet.
“Defensively (Piddick’s system) has extremely good structure. I know where I have to be and what I have to be doing. He’s laid everything down to us – now it’s up to me to perform.”
Addis, a Year 12 student at Byron Bay High School, is a former Newcastle Jets Youth Academy product who gave the game away for a few years before rediscovering his love of football with United two years ago.
He played a handful of senior games last season but hopes to play a bigger role in a better United side in 2021.
“Last year we experienced a lot of lows – losing streaks and some fighting in the changerooms … it would be nice to experience the other side (of football), by winning and making it a habit,” Addis said.
“We have a good group of boys this year; no big egos. I think this will be a different year for us. We have pretty high expectations and with confidence, I think we can make top four.
“I’m looking forward to this season, especially with Grae as coach. He’s added a new dimension to our club.”
Remmers played predominantly as a defensive midfielder for United’s U20s last season, but has been converted into a right back under Piddick.
His first competitive minutes in the new position will come opposed to Olympic’s Jez Lofthouse, one of the best wingers in the competition who has been dubbed the ‘NPL Messi’ in some circles.
“Nervous and excited I guess,” Remmers said of his impending senior NPL debut.
“(Olympic) might be the biggest challenge we face all year. But I think we’re ready.
“Right back is a new position for me. I’ll be up against Jez Lofthouse, one of the best in the league … but I’m excited (to test myself).”
Addis boasts supreme pace and technical quality, while Remmers brings precision crossing and defensive nous to the position.
Piddick’s plan is for the two youngsters to terrorise the opposition’s flanks and provide top-tier service to United’s slate of quality forwards.
“With Sam Smith, Jarrod Kyle, (Shane) Smeltzy … they’re all tall and fast players, so crosses into the box will pay dividends for us this season,” Remmers said.
“If we can continue our pre-season form and beat Olympic first-up that will be a big boost for us.”
UNITED FIXTURE
ROUND 1 –March 7 (6pm)V Olympic FC (A)ROUND 2 –March 13 (6.30pm) v Moreton Bay United (H) ROUND 3 –March 21 (6.30pm)v Peninsula Power (A) ROUND 4 –March 26 (8pm) v Eastern Suburbs (H) ROUND 5 –April 11 (4pm)v Sunshine Coast Wanderers (A) ROUND 6 –April 17 (6.30pm) v Lions FC (H) ROUND 7 –May 2 (6pm) v Brisbane Strikers (A) ROUND 8 –May 8 (6.30pm) v Gold Coast Knights (H) ROUND 9 –May 15 (7.15pm) v Capalaba FC (A) ROUND 10 –May 23 (6pm) v Brisbane Roar Youth (H) ROUND 11 –May 29 (6.30pm) v Logan Lightning (A) ROUND 12 –June 5 (6.30pm) v Redlands United (H) ROUND 13 –June 12 (7.30pm) v Magpies Crusaders (A)
ROUND 14 –June 25 (7.30pm) v Olympic FC (H) ROUND 15 –July 4 (4pm) v Moreton Bay United (A) ROUND 16 –July 10 (6.30pm) v Peninsula Power (H) ROUND 17 –July 17 (7pm) v Eastern Suburbs (A) ROUND 18 –July 24 (6.30pm) v SC Wanderers (H) ROUND 19 –July 31 (6.30pm) v Lions FC (A) ROUND 20 –Aug 7 (6.30pm) v Brisbane Strikers (H) ROUND 21 –Aug 13 (6.30pm) v Gold Coast Knights (A)
ROUND 22 –Aug 27 (8pm) v Capalaba FC (H) ROUND 23 –Sep 4 (6.30pm) v Brisbane Roar Youth (H) ROUND 24 –Sep 10 (7.30pm) v Logan Lightning (H) ROUND 25 –Sep 19 (6pm) v Redlands United (A) ROUND 26 –Sep 25 (6pm) v Magpies Crusaders (H)
GOLD COAST KNIGHTS
Tipaldo tips plenty of goals in 2021
THE LOFTY standards of the Gold Coast Knights have already rubbed off on young gun Cai Tipaldo.
The 22-year-old forward ended the 2020 NPL season as one of the premiere goalscorers in the competition; 13 goals in 23 games was good for fifth-best in the state league – but Tipaldo wants more.
Returning to Knights, where he played a handful of senior games in 2019, the Brisbane Roar Youth and Newcastle Jets Youth product has set his sights on winning the golden boot race.
“Last season I was up there in the fop four of the golden boot race for most of the season until the end. This year, we have a very experienced team around me, so I think I can score more than last year,” said Tipaldo, who moved from Roar Youth in the off-season.
“I’m aiming to be up there in the race for the golden boot every year. I’ve always scored goals, and I want to continue to score goals.
“I don’t have a maximum or minimum. I just want to help the team how I can, and that’s by scoring goals.”
Knights found the back of the net 57 times last season, second only to Lions for most goals in the competition, led by Jheison Macuace (15 goals) and Harrison Sawyer (15 goals).
Sawyer has since departed for the NPL Victoria, but Macuace remains and is joined by Tipaldo and former Peninsula Power goalsneak Marek Madle to form a potent goalscoring triumvirate.
Madle managed just four goals for Power last season, but in 2019 bagged 20 with Lions.
If Madle can recapture his form of two seasons prior, the Knights will boast perhaps the most dangerous attack in Queensland.
“With the way (coach Adem) Poric wants us to play, it’s going to be quite direct. We’re definitely going to have a lot of exciting games this year in terms of attacking football,” Tipaldo said.
“We’re expecting a lot of goals and a lot of goalscoring opportunities.”
Knights finished third last season and bowed out in a 2-1 loss to Olympic at the semi-final stage.
For many clubs such a season would be cause for celebration but at Knights, it ultimately ended short of the club’s expectations.
Tipaldo has embraced the drive for competitive excellence since returning to Knights.
“Adem has the drive to win and be successful and I think that’s an overall club culture thing,” he said.
“It comes from the players, the staff and everyone above that. We want to win not only the grand final, but the league as well.
“In our first year in the NPL we won the grand final and nearly won the league – we want both, that’s our goal.”
Knights open their NPL Queensland campaign away to fellow premiership aspirants Lions FC.
“It’s probably the perfect game to start off to be honest. If we win that we’ll have a heap of confidence to continue from there,” Tipaldo said.
“We’re not afraid of anyone. We’re up for anything this year. We have some of the best players in the NPL and everyone is excited for what we can do this season.”
Tipaldo will miss the Lions match as he serves the second of a two-game suspension carried over from a red card last season.
KNIGHTS FIXTURE
ROUND 1 –March 6 (7pm) v Lions FC (A) ROUND 2 –March 13 (4pm) v Brisbane Strikers (H) ROUND 3 –March 20 (6.30pm) v Magpies Crusaders United (H) ROUND 4 –March 28 (4pm) v Capalaba FC (A) ROUND 5 –April 9 (7.30pm) v Brisbane Roar Youth (H)ROUND 6 –April 17 (4.15pm) v Logan Lightning (A) ROUND 7 –May 1 (4pm) v Redlands United (H) ROUND 8 –May 8 (6.30pm) v Gold Coast United (A) ROUND 9 –May 15 (6.30pm) v Olympic FC (H) ROUND 10 –May 22 (6pm) v Moreton Bay United (A) ROUND 11 –May 29 (6.30pm) v Peninsula Power (H)ROUND 12 –June 5 (7pm) v Eastern Suburbs (A) ROUND 13 –June 13 (4pm) v Sunshine Coast Wanderers (H) ROUND 14 –June 26 (6.30pm) v Lions FC (H) ROUND 15 –July 4 (6pm) v Brisbane Strikers (A) ROUND 16 –July 10 (7.30pm) v Magpies Crusaders United (A) ROUND 17 –July 17 (4.15pm) v Capalaba FC (H) ROUND 18 –July 23 (7.30pm) v Brisbane Roar Youth (H) ROUND 19 –July 20 (7.45pm) v Logan Lightning (H) ROUND 20 –Aug 7 (7.30pm) v Redlands United (A) ROUND 21 –Aug 13 (6.30pm) v Gold Coast United (H)
ROUND 22 –Aug 29 (6pm) v Olympic FC (A) ROUND 23 –Sep 4 (6.30pm) v Moreton Bay United (H) ROUND 24 –Sep 11 (5pm) v Peninsula Power (A) ROUND 25 –Sep 19 (6pm) v Eastern Suburbs (H) ROUND 26 – Sep 25 (6pm) v Sunshine Coast Wanderers (A)
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