Well the Summer Series is in the book for 2017. Hobart Zebras emerged as the champions with Peter Savill picking right up where he left off, by adding yet another trophy to his resume. The battle for the real prize begins on March 10 though when the PS4 NPL TAS season begins. So what can happened in the Summer Series that will carry over into the season proper? And  conversely what can be dismissed with that old favourite throwaway line of ‘its just the preseason.” Let’s dive in and take a look at what we learned from each of the sides over this past month and what to expect moving forward.

Hobart Zebras- Reports of their demise have been greatly exaggerated  

There was no shortage of doom and gloom around Zebras a month ago. It seemed like everyone was ready to write them off after a number of last years playing list departed the club. Yet after their Summer Series victory it has become increasingly evident that such predictions were utterly hyperbolic. Peter Savill has brought in some quality players to replace those who have left and quickly got this side playing effective football. They look like a side that carries a significant goal threat to them. Chris Downes swinging in his unerringly accurate set pieces onto the heads of Huigsloot and Sanders has already unlocked multiple defences this season and you get the impression it won’t be the last we see of it. The Zebras who were right in the thick of the title race in 2016, should be there once again this year.

Olympia- First team members should be on their toes.

We only got 60 minutes of the Olympia first team in the Summer Series, turning out in a 1-0 win over Devonport. As such we didn’t learn a whole lot about the Warriors and how they will play this season but what we did witness was some very impressive performances from the young players at the club. That they finished in third position despite playing such a young side is a real warning not only to the rest of the competition but also to their first XI players. They will want to be on their toes because the performances from Mark Ortmann, Tom Little and Brayton Allan show that they are more than ready to be playing senior football this season. If you aren’t performing there is going to be a talented youngster underneath just waiting for their chance. Don’t be surprised if a couple of the kids have forced their way into that perceived starting XI off the back of their Summer Series efforts.

Devonport- This is not the same side from 2016, but that doesn’t mean they can’t contend. 

It’s quicker to count the number of players still at the club from last year’s title winning squad than the ones who have departed, but new gaffer Chris Gallo is quickly turning heads for his work in quickly rebuilding the Coastal powerhouse. Despite the mass change in player personnel, Devonport looked well structured and disciplined at the back for the most part of the Summer Series. New Canadian import Raphael Reynolds has the big shoes of Joe Zupo to fill but his class stands out on the ball and he looks set for a big year. When Brayden Mann stops hitting the cricket ball around and begins smashing footballs into the back of the net to join Michael Holden up front, they should be potent in attack too. They won’t resemble the 2016 version, they’ll be a whole lot younger! But they should still be a handful.

Clarence- They could be the big improvers of 2017.

Withdrawing from week 1’s fixtures because they didn’t have enough players available was not the most auspicious of starts and not the type of problem you would expect from an NPL side, but thankfully it got better from there for the Reds. Four points from the final day saw them jump into fourth spot and there were plenty of signs over the last 2 weeks that they are set for an improved showing in their second year of NPL football. Matthew Lewis is a genuine coup who looks set to line up in their midfield with a new import Odaine set to play with Grant Malcolm at Centre back. Add in Nathan Rees, Rowan Heggie and a now available every week Paul Bremner and there is plenty of reasons for optimism around this Clarence side this season. They’ve maintained their core form last year and added a number of quality starting level players, which is the usual recipe for improvement.   

Launceston City- Brookfield backs up attacking talk.

Their 11 goals was second only to Hobart Zebras for the Summer Series and is as many as they scored in the entire second half of the 2016 season.  Ben Brookfield arrived at the club promising attacking football and so far that is what he has delivered. Their 2-2 tie against Olympia on Saturday was probably the most entertaining game of the whole Summer Series. It was open and flowing football, the type that the fans love and attracts people to the game. Whether this approach extends to the regular season remains to be seen, defensive pragmatism often gets in the way when there is more at stake! But with Campbell, Williams, Linger, Hancox and O’Connor this is a squad that has some bright young creative talent that should make things happen and could make City one of the most entertaining teams to watch this year.

Kingborough- The Lions have kept their powder dry 

For much of the pre-season new manager Garbriel Markaj has kept his cards close to his chest. He has kept his big weapons in reserve, just waiting for the main battle ahead and not tipping his hand to anyone. We did get a look at the highly touted Benny Kovaido at Riverside and he appeared very much as advertised, a player who is going score a lot of goals and cause defenders all sorts of problems with his explosiveness. We’ve seen a lot from the Lions in the Summer Series, periods of good play, periods of bad play, some very creative formations, but we’ve not seen anything resembling their best XI. This pre-season has been all about experimentation for them with Markaj has offering youngsters no shortage of chances throughout the three weeks. The thinking makes sense, his star players were a known quantity, the youngsters were not. Now he must mesh them together and see what they can produce. The picture at the Den isn’t a whole lot clearer after 3 weeks though and the Lions remain a mystery.

Northern Rangers- Devonport victory shows that the potential is there

2016 was nothing short of a disaster for Northern Rangers and after failing to win in their first four Summer Series games it was looking like 2017 might be heading down a similar path very early on. In their first game of the final match day they showed that there is reason to be more optimistic though with their best performance of the Summer Series culminating in a 2-0 win over Devonport. Nick Lanau Atkinson looked good, spraying dangerous long range passes about the pitch and Harry Thannhauser, who had a down year in 2016, looked back to his best and showed some goal scoring touch by scoring a brace. With promotion and relegation on the horizon this is a rebuilding season of major importance for Rangers and the win over Devonport showed that new manager Lino Sciulli is already making strides in getting them back on the right track.

South Hobart- Morton manages Castaneda coup

With South Hobart opting out of the Summer Series there was no game action to assess them on but what we can look at is their work off the pitch. Having added Adam Gorrie, Jacob Leaman and Graham Wright into their ranks earlier this summer, manager Ken Morton has now further strengthened his squad with the addition of Eduardo Castaneda. Castaneda is a former Captain of the Australian Under 16 team who will add an infusion of attacking flair into the South midfield. Despite being just 16 years of age, his signature is a real coup and should serve to improve a squad that is already bristling with young talent. South will once again have a very young squad this year but anything less than a title challenge would be a surprise.