Last weekend saw the Boys, Girls and Womens Academy teams reach the half-way point in the 2012 Season. It is timely to provide an overview of how all the teams are doing in their Football NSW Competitions.
Last weekend saw the Boys, Girls and Womens Academy teams reach the half-way point in the 2012 season. It is timely to provide an overview of how all the teams are doing in their Football NSW Competitions.
While the 9, 10, 11 and 12 Boys play in their respective Football NSW development programs, there are no points or scores recorded for these age groups. However it is clear that all teams have been progressing well with the standard of football being played improving throughout the season. The younger boys teams welcome the Western NSW Mariners teams to Pluim Park on Monday of the coming long weekend for a morning of Skills Acquisition League and Skills Acquisition Program games.
The Girls and Womens Academy teams compete in the top level of New South Wales Competition, the Womens Premier League.
All Girls teams have been performing well with the stand out being the Grade 16 Girls coached by John Blanco. The Grade 16 Girls sit one point off the lead in the competition, from frontrunners Illawarra Stingrays. The Academy girls still have a game in hand on Illawarra and will this weekend welcome Illawarra to Pluim Park to contest top spot on the table. After 10 games, the Academy and Illawarra teams have both achieved an impressive eight wins each with the only difference being Illawarra has two draws while the Academy girls have had one draw and one loss. The Academy Girls’ only loss was last time the teams met, Round 1 back in March on Illawarra-s home turf. This time the Coast teams hope to use the home ground advantage and secure top spot on the ladder.
Coach Jennifer Tatum-s Grade 12 Girls sit in tenth spot on the ladder chasing Sydney teams such as Marconi Stallions, Sydney University and NWS Koalas at the top of the table. With two wins and three draws, the 12 Girls sit on nine points and with a close 1-0 loss in their first Round encounter with Illawarra Stingrays, the Girls will be keen to turn the tables on the southern rivals and secure three points which could see them move up the ladder in to eighth position.
The Grade 14 Girls now have four wins on the board and two draws and sit in seventh position just behind Northbridge FC and Manly United FC. A win on the weekend could see the Grade 14 Girls leap into fifth position in the run up to the finals through the second half of the season.
Steve Roche-s Womens First Grade team have been hit with cancellations (due to wet weather) and abandoned games in recent times, somewhat disrupting their normal routine. The Academy First Grade Womens team now have three games in hand. Positive results in all those games would see them move up the ladder in front of their Sydney counterparts%t: Super League war II looming
This weekend-s game for the Senior Women First Grade against Illawarra is sure to be a tough one for the Coast Girls with Illawarra sitting second on the table behind the New South Wales Institute of Sport Womens team.
The Reserve Grade Womens team sit just below mid-ladder after four wins and one draw in the ten games they have played. The weekend challenge for the Academy Reserve Grade team will again be a tough one with Illawarra sitting in second position, with Marconi Stallions leading the way on the Reserve Grade table.
In the overall Girls and Womens Football NSW Club Championship, the Academy sits in 8th position just behind Blacktown Spartans. Illawarra Stingrays are clearly in front with 36 wins and eight draws from the 56 games that they have been played whist the Academy teams have a total of 20 wins and nine draws out of the 52 Academy games that have so far been contested.
The Boys Grade 13 to Grade 18 Boys compete in the Football NSW Boys Super Youth League. All eyes are on the current review of the Competitions Structure by Football NSW for Season 2013 to see how this affects both the Girls and Boys Competitions next year.
After finishing a close second in the 2011 Boys Club Championship, the 2012 Academy teams currently sit in first position on the 2012 Club Championship. The Academy teams have played a total of 55 games and out of that have taken 38 wins and nine draws putting them on 123 points after 11 Rounds. However, Sydney University sit closely behind on 119 points after having played 53 games.
The Grade 18 Boys sit in third position on their ladder, only one win behind the News South Wales Institute of Sport and two points behind the Western NSW Mariners. Paul Waters- Grade 18 Boys have managed seven wins from their eleven games and with two games this long weekend, against 12th placed Dulwich Hill and ninth placed Bankstown Berries, the team will be hoping to challenge for the top spot on the table.
Steve Finch-s Grade 16 Boys continue their charge to be 2012 Premiers with nine wins and two draws from 11 games. The team sits seven points clear of both Spirit FC and Fraser Park FC. The Academy Boys will be hoping to add to their winning tally this weekend when they meet 12th placed Bankstown Berries and ninth placed Dulwich Hill.
The Grade 15 Boys sit in second position in their competition closely behind last week-s opposition, Sydney University. The 15s have only recorded one loss after a positive first half of the season that has seen them secure seven wins and three draws.
Second position is also where the Grade 14 Boys find themselves after eleven rounds. Again, Sydney University are sitting top of the table with the Academy boys again only having recorded one loss.
The Boys Super Youth League teams youngest members, the Grade 13 Boys find themselves in third position after playing twelve games. Leading the Grade 13 Boys is Dulwich Hill who the Academy boys will face this Saturday. A win for the Academy team would see them skip ahead of Dulwich Hill and depending upon the results for Sydney University on the weekend could see Mark Pratt-s Grade 13 Boys take the lead again.
At the half-way point for season 2012, the Academy teams are showing their ability to perform and be competitive at all levels whilst developing the best local football talent.
