NPL NSW season preview: Every club previewed, players to watch ahead of 2024 season
The 2024 NPL season is gearing up to be one of the most exciting competitions yet. Ahead of kick-off, we’re previewing all 16 sides and picking out the players to watch.
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The new NPL NSW season is right around the corner and is set to be bigger and better than ever.
Clubs will once again be pushing for a position in the finals after it was scrapped last season, with the top six teams to play for the championship.
Two new teams in Hills United and St George FC have been promoted to the top tier, with Hills topping the League One ladder and St George beating out Mt Druitt Town Rangers in the play-offs.
Ahead of the season kick-off on February 16, we’ve previewed each of the 16 clubs.
Stay up to date with signings, call-ups and coups with our NPL signings trackers.
APIA Leichhardt FC
Coach: Franco Parisi
Captain: Adrian Ucchino
Last season: Premiers (20-5-5)
Players to watch: The ‘double Jack’ pairing of Jack Armson and Jack Stewart were a formidable pairing last season, scoring 14 goals between them and will be pushing up the front again this year. Themba Muata-Marlow is heralded as the best defender in the league by Parisi and will be a key component to the side’s backline again this season. The Symons brothers of Joshua and Sean Symons are set to be a formidable pairing, while former Newcastle Jets player Rory Jordan was impressive in his first year with the club.
Season expectations: Winning nearly everything there was to win last season, coach Parisi is confident his team can back it up in 2024.
“I’ve known this competition for longer than most of these players have been alive, and I know the teams that are most prepared, most dedicated and work the hardest are the ones that will get the result,” Parisi said.
“It takes a lot to win this competition and we know that we just have to be pushing to the highest level each week.
“We don’t expect to be fighting for the premiership just because we did last year, we expect to be fighting for it because we put in the effort every week and know how to follow through on that goal.”
Blacktown City FC
Coach: Mark Cittenden
Captain: Mario Shabow
Last season: 3rd (17-6-7)
Players to watch: Attacking midfielder Martin Fernandez has been brought in from Marconi Stallions and is expected to be one to watch as the season progresses. Striker Joey Gibbs is back from a stint in Iceland, while Mitch Mallia has come out of retirement for another season. Regulars Danny Choi and Travis Major will likely be in the spotlight once again, but Cittenden said at the end of the day he’s confident at the quality and talent throughout the whole squad.
Why they will be competitive: Cittenden has highlighted consistency as a main focus for City this year, along with a strong attacking side.
“We didn’t start very well last season, we had a few injuries early on but I think we have depth now in those positions and we can try and maintain some good consistency,” Cittenden said.
“We have a very attacking side with completely different playing styles for each player, bringing different attributes to the game.
“I think that we’ll be very hard to defend against as a result.”
Season expectations: Cittenden said City goes into every competition looking to win, and 2024 will be no different.
“We always go out to win everything we play, that’s never changed since I’ve been coaching this team,” he said.
“We want to be the winners, we want to be premiers, we set those goals from day one.
“We went undefeated in our last 12 games last season and our pre-season so far has looked really strong so we’re looking to continue from where we left off.”
Central Coast Mariners Academy
Captain: Andrew Parks
Coach: Lucas Vilela
Last season: 12th (9-6-15)
Players to watch: Similar to other academy teams, the Mariners side is stacked with future stars. Keeper Jack Warshawsky, Nicholas Duarte, Sasha Kuzevski and Bailey Brandtman have all made senior Mariners appearances and will likely continue to be in the mix throughout the season. Former Sydney FC youth player Luka Smyth has been brought into the squad and was a consistent scorer for the club’s U20s side last season. Dylan Peraic-Cullen, Jude and Will Rankin and Jordan Small have all made the jump from the U18s squad and may pull double-duty with the first grade and U20s teams.
Season expectations: The Mariners have seen a high turnover in players for this season with coach Vilela calling it almost a brand new team and will likely face unavailability due to A-League call-ups throughout the season.
However Vilela said the changes will allow different players to shine, especially during home matches.
“I think if we can manage to get some points at home early it will help set us up for the season,” Vilela said.
“We need to make Pluim Park our fortress, that’s what we did last season , and I’m confident we can keep that momentum going this year.
“We will be relying heavily on our U20s players as well so we make sure we all work together, make those players feel like first team players so they’re ready when they need to come up.”
Hills United FC
Captain: Glen Kelshaw
Coach:Luke Casserly
Last season: 1st in League One
Players to watch: Thomas Lopez has been brought in from the Wanderers U20s squad, where he scored 24 goals in 26 starts and will bring some strong attack to his new team. Tommy Macko was a standout player for Hills last season and is expected to provide similar performances this year. German international and former A-Leagues player Nicolai Muller has also been earmarked as one to watch, but coach Casserly said he believed it will be a true team effort to bring results this season.
Why they will be competitive: Moving up from League One, coach Casserly said he knows being competitive will be a real challenge.
“Last year we had a fantastic spirit among the group, a great camaraderie and that’s what ultimately led to us winning the league,” Casserly said.
“We’ve been effective in the front line, we know how to score goals which is always important.
“The players understand the game plan and how we want to play.”
Season expectations: The jump up to the NPL will likely prove difficult at first, and Casserly said it may take some time for the team to be able to take it to the big teams.
“We’ll be working as hard as we can to be as competitive as we can,” he said.
“It’s a massive challenge for us to come into this competition.
“We know it’s a massive jump from the league below, and we’ll be doing our best to hold our own in this competition.
“It’s hard to predict where we want to be by the end of the season, we are just focusing on our first game against Sydney Olympic and trying to take it one game at a time.”
Manly United FC
Captain: TBA
Coach: Patrick Zwaanswijk
Last season: 8th (12-6-12)
Players to watch: Joint-top goal scorer for the club last season Harry McCarthy is always an exciting player to watch while Saxon Hillyer has been promoted from the U20s side. Midfielder Joe Fox is back at Cromer park after a stint with the Northern Tigers while Zac Sfiligoi makes the move up to the top tier after a solid season with League One side Bonnyrigg.
Season expectations: Despite finishing the season in eighth, coach Zwaanswijk was proud of his team’s performances in the latter stages and hopes to build on that for 2024.
“I could see the improvements at the end of the season with players adapting to the style of play that we wanted,” Zwaanswijk said.
“This year we’re planning on being competitive from the first round and I think we have the team to do it.
“We kept the majority of the team from last season because they wanted to stay and they have the work so we’ve just added some signings that can improve what we already have.”
Marconi Stallions FC
Captain: Marko Jesic
Coach: Peter Tsekenis
Last season: 4th (17-6-7)
Players to watch: Former Mariners Academy captain Cameron Windust is a new addition to the Stallions for 2024 and will be looking to make his mark at his new team. James Tamelovski will be a big addition to the attacking stocks, moving to Stallions after claiming the golden boot in the South Australian NPL last season. A versatile in both attack and defence, skipper Marko Jesic will be key for the side’s climb up the ladder.
Season expectation: The pre-season has been a bit disjointed for the Stallions, with trials and late signings impacting training as a full team.
“Having a reasonably new team, it makes it hard to gauge where the team is when we haven’t had a consistent pre-season,” Tsekenis said.
“From what I have seen, I’m pretty confident we’ll be able to hit the ground running in round one.
“My expectation every year is to win the competition, no matter the budget or experience of the team.
“It’s very easy to say we want to win it all, but I know the hard work that has to go into it to get the results we want.
“We’re striving to finish as high as we can and we know that’s out goal.”
NWS Spirit FC
Captain: Grant Conwell
Coach: David Perkovic
Last season: 11th (11-6-13)
Players to watch: The Spirit made a big signing at the end of last year, securing New Zealand NPL golden boot winner Gianni Bouzoukis. English central midfielder Bradley Whitworth has only recently joined the team and is expected to make a real impact in the midfield. Corey Kavanagh impressed last season in his 27 starts, while Richard Darko and Ollie Wiggin will be crucial again on the wings.
Season expectations: Finishing a disappointing 11th last season, coach Perkovic said making a climb up the table is the minimum expectation for his side.
“There’s a new energy to the squad and we’ve been adjusting our playing style as well,” Perkovic said.
“Pushing for finals is definitely on the cards, I don’t want to put any limitations on this squad.
“We’ve definitely still got a lot of work to do in the preseason, with new players there’s always a bit of an adjustment, but we’ve got a new, youthful energy to the squad and I’m confident we’ll be ready for kick-off.”
Rockdale Ilinden FC
Coach: Paul Dee
Captain: Alec Urosevski
Last season: 2nd (18-5-7)
Players to watch: After a season overseas, former A-League player Moudi Najjar has signed on with Ilinden in the hopes of bringing a stronger attacking force. Skipper Alec Urosevski will be at the forefront of the side’s attack after scoring 27 goals in 30 games in 2023, easily claiming golden boot honours. Speranza brothers Giorgio and Roberto are major additions to the squad after moving across from Marconi Stallions.
Why they will be competitive: Dee’s main focus in the off-season has been to recruit players that bring more depth to the squad in an effort to keep the side as strong as possible when injuries and suspensions inevitably hit.
“The new players we’ve brought in are young, fit, willing to work hard and bring something to their respective positions,” Dee said.
“We’ve now got a squad that fits our style of play and the type of football we want to adopt.
“We’re always looking for continuous improvement and we always want to go that step better.”
Season expectations: Dee has big hopes for his side after just falling short of the premiership in 2023.
“We have clear expectations going into every season,” he said.
“We want to play finals football, we want to win that premiership and we want to qualify for the Australia Cup round of 32.
“We use that as a benchmark and work from there, but in saying that we know how tight the competition is.
“A lot of clubs have recruited really well and we know that’s going to be a challenge, but it’s one that’s motivating us.”
St George City FA
Captain: Tarik Ercan
Coach: Mirko Jurilj
Last season: 5th (14-9-7)
Players to watch: Jurilj highlights the firepower that St George have in the attacking third as a strength ahead of this season. Jason Romero returns to the club from 203 premiers APIA, having been St George City’s top goalscorer in the season prior to Covid, adding some class up top. He’ll join last season’s top scorer in the attacking line, Presley Ortiz, who netted 11 in 2023. Brothers Yerasimakis and Kosta Petratos are a dynamic duo to keep an eye on as well.
Season expectation: It was a terrific season for St George City following their promotion to the NPL First Grade in 2023, finishing in fifth and setting the bar high for 2024.
It’s been a big pre-season for the club as they look to maintain this standard, with eight trial matches already.
Coach Jurilj isn’t getting ahead of himself though after a terrific campaign last season.
“You might think I’m joking, but I said it last year, the first thing to do is make sure we don’t get relegated,” Jurilj said.
“We probably caught a lot of teams by surprise last year … goalscoring wise, only APIA and Marconi bettered us.
“Luck plays a big part, losing happens, we just have to make sure we’re as ready as we can be for round one.
“We have eight or nine new signings, so it takes time for them to gel as well.
“We’re under no illusions, we know this year will be tough … Our aim will be to equal last year’s position and hopefully better it. Whether that’s achievable is up to the players.”
St George FC
Captain: TBA
Coach: Jané Talcevski
Last season: 2nd in FNSW League One (17-7-6)
Players to watch: Conor Quilligan was Player of the Year in NPL2 a few years back, showing his dedication to the club when it was revealed he played the last 10 rounds of last season with a dislocated shoulder. The attacking midfielder is on the path to recovery right now, but will be a welcome return. Patrick O’Shea is a defensive midfielder who has experienced NPL level football in the past with Sutherland, an invaluable figure of experience who “exemplifies what the club is about”.
Season expectation: It’s been an incredible journey for St George to get to the NPL. On the brink of bankruptcy in 2021 in the NPL2, to reaching the pinnacle of semi-pro NSW football three years on.
Coach Talcevski has been at the club throughout this journey, and is committed to getting the best out of this squad in the upcoming season to continue the club’s upward momentum.
“The expectation is players arrive at training motivated, focused and prepared to win the next match, the rest takes care of itself,” Talcevski said.
“The players know what is expected of them, when we go out there, we’ll be true to ourselves against these experienced teams.
Sutherland Sharks
Coach: Steven Zoric
Captain: Mitch Stamatellis
Last season: 14th (8-7-15)
Players to watch: Captain Mitch Stamatellis is a big retain for the Sharks, a reliable force out of defence and a strong leader on the park. Fresh recruit between the sticks is Bosnia’s Nenad Vekic, who arrives from the Wollongong Wolves and will look to make the no. 1 jersey his own. Kotaro Katsuta is another exciting prospect to watch, with the Japanese midfielder making the move from Mt Druitt Town.
Season expectation: Fresh to the helm and looking to bring the Sharks back to the top of the NPL, coach Zoric says it’s “probably the most excited I’ve been with a new squad.”
“We’ve got a lot of young players who are eager to achieve things for Sutherland,” Zoric said.
“The future is definitely bright if we can hang on to these players, there’s a lot of talent there.
“A lot of the experienced players have stayed as well which helps massively.
“Being such a young side, we’ve got speed all over the park and a lot of good ballplayers, so our transitions will be quite quick.
“Transitions, mobility and speed of play on the ball will definitely be focuses for us.”
Sydney FC
Coach: Jim Van Weeran
Captain: TBA
Last season: 6th (14-4-12)
Players to watch: Tiago Quintal is a creative force from no. 10 for the Sky Blues, a great creator and dangerous goalscorer. Lachlan Middleton is a box-to-box midfielder to watch, who can be invaluable in setting up goals or scoring them himself. Versatile fullback Richard Nkomo is another to watch with his killer left foot and impressive technical ability.
Season expectation: Sydney FC are in the “unique situation” where a large portion of their NPL squad are involved with the A-League men’s squad.
“Obviously for us it depends on who’s available week by week, but that’s ultimately our aim, to help players achieve professional contracts,” Van Weean said.
“We’re quite young this year, a lot of players under 17 and 18.
“We have a lot of dangerous attacking players, and not just those who are in attacking positions.
“We believe the strength of the academy as a whole puts us in a position to compete for the title.”
Sydney Olympic FC
Coach: Labinot Haliti
Captain: TBA
Last season: 9th (10-9-11)
Players to watch: Coach Haliti is playing his cards close to his chest in 2024 in regards to his players to watch, believing strongly in the team-first mentality.
“Individuals will rise, but they’ll only rise with the help of the group,” Haliti said.
Roy O’Donovan will no doubt be a key threat in the attacking line for Olympic again, with the Irish striker netting 18 goals last season, the second highest in the league.
Experienced defender George Timotheou returns to Olympic after stints in the A-League Men’s with Adelaide United and Melbourne Victory, and most recently in Capital Football NPL with Gungahlin United.
Jaden Casella is another fresh acquisition from Rockdale Ilinden, where he netted seven goals from the wing last season.
Season expectation: Coach Haliti recognises the shift in focus at Sydney Olympic, following its announcement as one of the inaugural National Second Tier clubs for 2025.
With that being said though, he’s sticking true to the club’s culture and environment, ensuring anyone who puts on the jersey does so understanding their responsibility as a Sydney Olympic player.
“We’ve changed the way we did things of course, in the way of recruitment,” Haliti said.
“It’s a very young squad with a lot of potential … they’re young so we have to be patient and work with them.
“There’s a bigger project in our minds there, there’s six or seven players that are under 20 still.
“We want to make sure we’re heading in the right direction and that players are here for the right reason. We believe in building a strong club culture and a mentality of respect, while working hard and being competitive on the pitch as well.”
The side has already shown their hunger for silverware in 2024, taking out the Greek Herald Cup in January with victory over South Melbourne FC.
Sydney United 58
Captain: Adrian Vlastelica
Coach: Zeljko Kalac
Last season: 10th (11-6-13)
Players to watch: Senior players will be key in leading by example for Sydney United this season. The likes of captain Adrian Vlastelica, Tariq Maia and Anthony Tomelic are all important leaders within the squad. On the other side of things are young guns like Matt Hatch, a midfielder who has come into the club from Marconi this season and has impressed so far with the way he’s “bought into the club culture.”
Season expectation: It’s a welcomed return for head coach and former Socceroo Zeljko Kalac, who comes back to the club he used to play for in his juniors and manage up until 2020.
For Sydney United 58, 2024 is about best preparing themselves for a National Second Tier berth in 2025, something which has factored into their off-season recruitment.
“We’ve brought in a lot of younger players as the club’s next generation, so they can be at the club for a year, develop under our way of playing before the B-division kicks in,” Kalac said.
“I’m very happy with our preseason, we’ve been competitive in all our matches, the boys are really buying into what we’re doing.
“Our key this year will be our experienced players that we’ve kept guiding the younger players.
“There’s lots of pressure and demands when playing for a club like Sydney United … it makes it easier as a coach when everyone is in good form.
“We’ll just look at this season game by game. There can be lots of inconsistencies with younger players, we’ll just be looking to play an attacking brand of football and see where it takes us.
“As we know in football, it comes down to moments.”
Western Sydney Wanderers
Captain: TBA
Coach: Andrew Christiansen
Last season: 13th (8-7-15)
Players to watch: Coach Christiansen highlights that the NPL is yet to get a glimpse of the bulk of his players, with only a couple of boys playing first team minutes last season. He was able to identify a couple of names that have impressed in preseason though, players he expects to transition to NPL level smoothly. Edmun Haddad is one of the players who has played a bit of first team football, an exciting young attacking midfielder who can create and score himself. Adam Bugarija has been a preseason standout, another talented attacking midfielder / forward. Nathan Barrie is a calming presence from the back, safe in possession from centre back, but also brave and aggressive while defending. Ryley Hollingdale is another who’s expected to feature heavily in this campaign. A big influence from midfield, he operates box-to-box and has stood out for the side in preseason.
Season expectation: The Wanderers’ preseason has been long and featuring a lot of games, with the club wanting to be in line with the A-League season, as well as preparing for the NPL season.
“It’s a very young group, lots of boys moving up from the academy, sprinkled with a couple of players who have played NPL before,” Christiansen said.
“Every fixture will be challenging, that’s the beauty of exposing young players to mens football. Each team poses a threat, so hopefully the boys can step up.
“We’re excited about the group we’ve got, the players have been stepping up in a big way, which has been fantastic to see so far.
Wollongong Wolves
Captain: Lachlan Scott
Coach: David Carney
Last season: 7th (11-10-9)
Players to watch: Coach Carney expects Japanese winger Takumi Ofuka to elevate his game to another level this year. In his debut year with the Wolves last season, he netted 10 goals. Dylan Ryan is a fresh signing from Dutch side FC Den Bosch, bringing a lot of experience and quality to the side, as well as room for development at the age of just 23.
Season expectation: With a National Second Tier season on the horizon in 2025, Wollongong Wolves are building for the future and hoping to end a final season in the NPL on a high.
“Players are fighting for a contract for next year, it’s an exciting time,” Carney said.
“There were a lot of changes over the past year, refreshing the group, getting a lot of young new faces in, players who really hit their straps towards the end of last season.
“We’ll just be taking it a week at a time, we’ve got Marconi up first and we’ll be looking to start well.
“Fullbacks have always been a strength of mind, bombing on and allowing players to come play in the pocket. Defensively, I think we’re solid at the back as well. As long as we can do the business at the top end, we should be good.”
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