NPL Victoria finals preview: every team’s X-factor, star player revealed

There are just six teams left standing at the end of a marathon NPL Victoria season. Check out the players to watch and every team’s championship hopes.

After a marathon 26-week campaign the NPL Victoria finals have arrived.

Six teams are left to battle for the championship crown, which will be decided on Sunday, September 11.

We’ve cast our eye over South Melbourne, Port Melbourne, Oakleigh, Green Gully, Bentleigh Greens and Heidelberg United.

Who are the star players to watch and the X-Factors that could win your club the title?

Plus, every club’s path to the championship and we rate their finals chances.

SOUTH MELBOURNE

Finished: First (20-2-4)

Offence: 1st (59 goals) Defence: 1st (20 goals)

Star Player: Alun Webb

A former Welsh Premier League player who has built up good experience in the NPL competition following a stint with Melbourne Knights last season before arriving at South. Webb has had another good year providing a number of assists and impacting the scoresheet himself with seven goals from 26 matches.

X-Factor: Pat Langlois

A young attacking midfielder who has shined bright this season and will become even more important in the front third following the departure of golden boot winner Harrison Sawyer to the Indian Premier League. Langlois, 22, has scored 10 goals from 26 matches this season, the sixth equal highest in the league.

Premiership path: With Sawyer in the side, South have averaged 2.4 goals a game this season, without him the club is averaging one goal a game. The success of South’s finals campaign will certainly be influenced by how they play without Sawyer. The output of Pat Langlois, Marcus Schroen, Alun Webb and Maximilian Mikkola in the front half, who have each hit the scoresheet five or more times this season, remains crucial. They will have the week off in the first week of finals. They will play either Green Gully, Bentleigh or Heidelberg for their first final.

Verdict: The mystery remains for the title favourites as Bentleigh Greens have been the only team in the top six who South have been able to defeat in both their two meetings this season. South’s four losses this season came against Port Melbourne, Heidelberg United, Oakleigh Cannons and Melbourne Knight in which the score was 2-1 in all of those loses. They drew to Green Gully and Dandenong Thunder. The blue and white certainly are no surety of the premiership as other teams have been able to conquer them. Their record suggests that they should at least make it to the final game of the season. Finishing a clear first however, they are definitely one of the favourites for the title.

PORT MELBOURNE SHARKS

Finished: Second (17-5-4)

Offence: 6th (45 goals) Defence: 2nd (23 goals)

Star Player: Chris Duggan

The Aussie striker spent seven years plying his trade in Scotland before returning to Australia and joining the Sharks ahead of the 2020 season. He scored a brace in his debut before the season was called off. With his first full season now behind him, Duggan netted 14 times – fourth most in the competition – in 20 appearances and is the focal point of the Port Melbourne attack.

X-Factor: Andrew Withers

The goalkeeper has been a wall at time this season and a major factor in the Sharks holding the second best defensive record in the competition. Port Melbourne finished ninth in 2019 and it’s no surprise the New Zealander’s arrival has coincided with Port Melbourne’s rise up the ladder. Finished the home-and-away season with 11 clean sheets and more than two goals just three times.

Premiership path: The Sharks will enjoy a week off after finishing second, six points behind South Melbourne, before a preliminary final against the higher ranked elimination final winner. That could be any of Oakleigh, Green Gully or Bentleigh Greens.

Verdict: The Sharks are in rare air, the club hasn’t been this close to a title since winning the State League Division 1 premiership in 2012. It’s the club’s second NPL finals appearance after an elimination final in 2018. They say defence wins titles and Port Melbourne have one of the best in the competition. The Sharks will be hard to beat in a sudden-death final no matter who they come up against.

Tyson Holmes gets the Oakleigh Cannons defensive line to move up.

OAKLEIGH CANNONS

Finished: Third (16-3-7)

Offence: 2nd (58 goals) Defence: 3rd (29 goals)

Star player: Joe Guest

The former national league Englishman has starred for the Cannons this season, featuring on the scoresheet 11 times on top of the assists he has provided. The 28-year-old has the equal fifth most goals in the league alongside teammate Joseph Knowles.

X-Factor: Daniel Clark

The midfielder-forward has stood up in big matches this season having scored the most goals against top six sides for his team. He has scored eight goals this campaign with five coming against final’s teams. He is a player to watch.

Premiership path: The Cannons play Heidelberg United in their first final. The Cannons have lost to them in both their encounters this season. They lost 3-2 in their latest meeting in round 17 and 2-0 earlier in the season.

Verdict: The Cannons have lost four of their last five games heading into finals. This game looks like a real 50/50 but based on this season, you can’t blame anyone tips United to win this game.

Luke Adams keeps his eye on the ball for Green Gully.

GREEN GULLY

Finished: Fourth (14-3-9)

Offence: 7th (43 goals) Defence: 4th (30 goals)

Star Player: Josh Hope

The former Melbourne Victory player made his return to football this season after stepping away from the game in 2020 and been a catalyst in Gully’s finals charge. Hope has been a creative force in midfield and netted five times himself in an impressive campaign.

X-Factor: Luc Jeggo

The brother of Socceroos midfielder, James, Jeggo is Gully’s leading scorer this season. Luc’s ability to get forward from midfield and deliver a timely goal will be critical to the Cavaliers’ championship hopes having scored eight times in 24 appearances. After a quiet start to the season, he has netted seven times in the last 14 games.

Premiership path: Green Gully’s season goes on the line when they host Benteigh Greens in an elimination final on Friday night. The Cavaliers will have to reserve two horror losses this season to progress. Bentleigh claimed 3-0 and 4-0 wins in their two regular season meetings. However, if Gully can emerge victorious it will earn a preliminary final berth against either South Melbourne or Port Melbourne depending on other results. In the four matches against the top two teams, the Cavaliers took just one point.

Verdict: Comes into finals with mixed form having knocked off Heidelberg West and thrashed Eastern Lions 7-0 but also lost to Melbourne Knights and Dandenong Thunder. A 3-0 loss to the Thunder in the final round isn’t ideal but Gully’s Australia Cup campaign would have taken a mighty toll – reaching the Round of 16 before bowing out against Queensland’s Peninsula Power. With a chance to rest up and recover, expected an improving showing this week but history doesn’t bode well given this season’s results against Bentleigh.

Pierce Clark in action for Bentleigh Greens against Sydney FC.

BENTLEIGH GREENS

Finished: Fifth (12-6-8)

Offence: 5th (47 goals) Defence: 5th (33 goals)

Star Player: Ken Krolicki

The 26-year-old defensive midfielder has spent several years in America applying his trade in the Major League Soccer competition. The Tokyo-born footballer has played in 22 matches this season and remains a key part of their side heading into this finals series.

X-Factor: Ajak Riak

The athletic striker was praised by a 247-game A-League star after he played against him in an Australia Cup game. Riak is a threat in the air and can be damaging in set plays with a header that earns him goals. Riak can also bang a ball with power and find space with his pace and dribbling. A player to watch this finals campaign.

Premiership path: The Greens will face the other Green in Green Gully for their first final. Bentleigh have shown they can match it with the best this season which they proved against A-League side Sydney FC who they played in an Australia Cup game and were “the better team” in the first period of the game.

Verdict: Injuries have played a part for Bentleigh but their latest meeting against Green Gully in round 20 gives them great belief heading into their first final. The Greens won 4-0 away from home in that match. Both teams have won two matches from their last four games heading into finals so it should be a tight encounter.

Kosta Petratos scores a goal for Heidelberg United against Brisbane Roar.

HEIDELBERG UNITED

Finished: Sixth (13-3-10)

Offence: 3rd (50 goals) Defence: 11th (43 goals)

Star Player: Ivan Franjic

Hard to go past the former Socceroos defender. Has been a key player in defence for Heidelberg United this season, playing 20 of 26 matches. Provides an experienced head at the back but can quickly turn into an attacking weapon down the flank when given the chance.

X-Factor: Yerasimakis Petratos

Only played the seven games this season but has helped spark the Warriors’ top-six push in the second half of the season. Scored two goals in the finals-clinching Round 26 win over Eastern Lions and will need to step up if United is going to make a championship run.

Premiership path: It begins with an elimination final clash with Australia Cup quarter-finalist Oakleigh Cannons on Friday night. Heidelberg United won both meetings this season – 2-0 at home and 3-2 away – and will be hoping to replicate those performances. The match will see two of the competition’s top scorers go head-to-head with the Cannons’ Wade Dekker and the Warriors’ Kaine Sheppard both netting 15 goals this season. Sheppard scored in both meetings this season. Victory would set up a mouth-watering preliminary final clash against newly-crowned premier South Melbourne for a place in the grand final.

Verdict: United’s home-and-away form has been patchy at best but finals are a different ball game. Despite a hat-trick of premierships, the Warriors have only gone on to win the championship once but having battled just to make the top-six could work in their favour. The team is battle-hardened after playing a month of elimination finals. A win over Oakleigh would not surprise given the regular season results but it’s hard to see them knocking off South Melbourne the following week.