By Mat Fox

Edgeworth FC v Newcastle Jets Youth
Jack McLaughlan Oval
Friday 4 April, 7.00pm
#EFCvNEW

Edgeworth Eagles FC and Newcastle Jets Youth provide the opening fixture of the revamped National Premier League at Jack McLaughlan Oval on Friday night.

All are expecting a great opening match of football under lights between two very competitive sides eagerly anticipating the start of the new competition.

The corresponding fixtures last season produced four goals a piece with Edgeworth and Newcastle Jets Youth playing out a 2-2 draw in their first meeting and the Eagles came from a goal down to defeat the Jets Youth 3-1 in their second encounter.

Newcastle Jets Youth come into the opening round having a new look squad with many of their former players signing with other National Premier Leagues clubs for the 2014 season.

Coming off their best ever finish in the National Youth League, the Newcastle Jets Youth will be looking to improve on the four wins they recorded in the local competition last season as they finished a disappointing ninth.

After being the team to beat in their inaugural season in 2012 recording eleven wins and sitting at the top of the table for a large part of the season, the Jets Youth will be out to show their strength again in the competition amongst seasoned first grade teams and it will be interesting to see how they fair with a new squad.

Edgeworth stand in their way to get off to a good start and themselves will be looking for a blistering start to the season after tasting finals football last year.

Edgeworth has also bolstered their squad for the upcoming season signing Spanish player Hector Mendez on an international visa, along with the likes of Bray Smith, Adam Boulter, Cameron Hughes and Nick Pepper and will line up fairly differently themselves.

After winning the 2010 Grand Final with a 4-2 win over premiers Weston Workers, it was the Bears who knocked Edgeworth out of the finals last year winning 6-5 on penalties after the scores were locked at 1-1 after 120 minutes of play.

The home side will again be looking to improve on their form from last year after returning to the finals format for the first time since 2010.

Edgeworth Coach Gary Wilson and Newcastle Jets Youth James Pascoe will be looking for their new look squads to gel together on the night.

There should be goals on offer in the opening match in a pretty free flowing game of football, it will be interesting to see how too very good and fairly new squads will come together and execute what they need to get a result, looking forward to it on Friday night.

Hamilton Olympic FC v South Cardiff FC
Darling Street Oval
Saturday 5 April, 2.00pm
#OLYvSCG

Hamilton Olympic will host South Cardiff at Darling Street Oval Saturday in what is expected to be a highly competitive fixture.

Just one goal separated these sides last season as Hamilton Olympic emerged narrow 1-0 winners in the opening fixture along with the 0-0 draw that these sides played out later in the season.

South Cardiff brings a change in coaching staff with Greg Asquith joining the club and he said his side are ready for the weekend after a long pre season getting acquainted to the club.

Asquith is looking forward to the opening match and said “there’s a bit of history between the clubs and there will be a decent crowd so it should be a great night. After a long pre-season we are buzzing to start and play week to week football.”

Hamilton Olympic will be hoping to make the most of the home game first up and continue to be a force in the competition after having the chance to make two grand final appearances in a row last season before bowing out to Lambton Jaffas in a penalty shootout.

The Gunners have kept the nucleus of the squad that finished seventh last season just a point shy of a top five finish minus experienced defender Phil Bures and Dino Fajkovic which are huge losses.

With some fresh faces and change at the helm they are sure to come out firing to prove themselves against tough opposition on the weekend.

Hamilton will again look to the experience of Brad Swancott, the Swan brothers, David Hodgson and Greg Anderson, with the likes of Clayton Poole and Ben Koina also returning to retain much of the same squad from last season.

Hamilton Olympic will look to take control of the match and use their experience as a unit to maintain possession and then breakdown the opposition to create opportunities while I expect the Gunners to come out with an energetic performance looking to unshuffled that.

I expect it to be a great game as many between the two sides have been in the past, well worth watching.

Lambton Jaffas FC v Charlestown City Blues FC
Arthur Edden Oval
Saturday 5 April, 2.45pm
#JAFvCCB

2013 Grand Finalists Lambton Jaffas welcome Charlestown City Blues to Arthur Edden Oval on Saturday.

Lambton Jaffas impressed during their first season after recruiting some big names in the off season and all eyes will be on them again this season after a busy pre season.

Peter McPherson joins the club to partner Jobe Wheelhouse in the middle of the park offering a wealth of experience in the engine room for the Jaffas.

Young talent such as Dino and Dennis Fajkovic, Kale Bardbury, Alex Palozzi and Luke Remington have also joined them during the off season.

With what looks to be an even stronger side on paper Coach David Tanchevski knows it may take his side time to gel with the new signings. 

 Tanchevski said “we are aware of the second year syndrome that other teams have suffered after being promoted and we want to back it up this year. We’ve had a big turnaround in players and we’ll get better as the season goes on, we’ll have to work hard for the first four or five weeks.”

Expecting a tough opening match Tanchevski said “they are always tough opposition and are tough coming forward so we are expecting a difficult match.”

Charlestown City Blues Coach Shane Pryce is expecting much of the same from the contest and said “it’s got to make them one of the top two sides with the squad they’ve got; they are one of the bench mark sides.”

Charlestown City Blues has added former Newcastle Jets, Wellington Phoenix, and Central Coast Mariners player Troy Hearfield to their roster which is sure to add some class to the competition and will add invaluable support to Kane Goodchild and Scott Smith.

Pryce added “I’ve got a solid bunch of guys here with a lot of experience but still a relatively young side, we play with a lot of spirit and we’ll be looking for discipline and some good performances.”

With both sides playing a very attacking brand of football, and a lot of new faces taking the park for their respective clubs it is sure to be an entertaining fixture.  

If the Jaffas can link the experience and ability of their midfield featuring McPherson and Wheelhouse with the attacking threat of Bradbury, Fajkovic and John Majurovski, they are sure to be a formidable attacking threat and all eyes will be on them this year.

Weston Workers FC v Lake Macquarie City FC
April Rockwell Automation Park
Sunday 6, 2.45pm
#WWBvLMC

Weston Workers welcome Lake Macquarie City to Rockwell Automation Park on Sunday.

Weston are looking to back up this season after finishing in the top five and seeing finals football for the first time since they ran out premiers in 2010.

Lake Macquarie City is looking to build from last season where they finished 8th and use most of their young squad to impress this year.

Lake Macquarie City Coach Gary Rowe said “we have had a positive pre season; we’ve made ten new signings so it’s going to take time to gel together but we are confident we will put on a good show.”

The Roosters have added Rob Ambrogetti from Lambton Jaffas and Nathan Archibold from Valentine Phoenix to their roster in what Rowe says is a very young squad “full of enthusiasm”.

Weston Workers welcomed former South Cardiff Coach Steve Piggott to the club over the off season and it will be interesting to see how their style of play develops with his arrival.

Weston has lost experienced players Rob MacBeth travelling overseas and also club captain Chris Cousins to retirement but has also brought in Connor Evans from Lambton Jaffas, young recruits Brock Oakley and Jye Mckellar are also expected to do well.

Piggott is enjoying the experience and said “it’s a breath of fresh air after five years at the same club, we’ve done well in preparation and changed our style a bit and also focused on the youth infrastructure.”

“I think it will be a great season and you will see some surprises, it’s hard to pick at the moment until you see some matches being played” Piggott added.

Again two sides with a new look and will also be looking to make their mark with a good start to the season.

Adamstown Rosebud FC v Broadmeadow Magic FC
Adamstown Oval
Sunday 6 April, 2.45pm
#BUDvMGC

Adamstown Rosebud will enter the National Premier League this weekend facing premiers Broadmeadow Magic at Adamstown Oval on Sunday.

After gaining promotion under the guidance of Coach Glen Chapman who is now the Broadmeadow Magic Coach, Chapman will line up against his former club for the first time.

Chapman said “after a few years away from the club (Broadmeadow Magic), there a big shoes to fill with the success they have gained here; we know the importance of showing up each week to keep that going this year.”

Broadmeadow Magic has won three grand finals in a row and has retained much of that winning roster for the upcoming season.

Returning are former players Murray Fletcher and Matt Paul which is a big boost for the club.

Chapman added to the prospect of facing his former club “We have the utmost respect for Adamstown, I’ve seen the work that’s been put into the club, and there’ll be nothing better for them to knock us off, it’s a big occasion for them and they’ll be up for it.”

Adamstown Coach Anthony Richards is looking forward to the fixture and said “the club is buzzing, it’s the 125th year as a club, we are back in the top flight, the players and committee who have put in the work behind the scenes are all looking forward to it.”

“It is a tough ask against the title holders, but we have to face them eventually so why not first game” Richards added.

Adamstown have added the experience of Sean Matthews to their roster, along with young talent such as Abe Wheelhouse and Matthew Comerford to form a squad that Richards says is “a good combination of youth and experience.”

Broadmeadow Magic will be without Luke Virgilli who is awaiting results of another possible long term injury which is a huge blow after recovering from injury last season and enjoying a fruitful pre season.

Always an exciting platform to have the newly promoted side up against the previous champions in the opening round and is sure to provide plenty of excitement in a local derby.

The added excitement of Adamstown Rosebud not only facing the premiers but also the Coach who helped get them promoted adds another dynamic to the already eagerly anticipated fixture. 

However the only thing on show will be the football and it will be great to see how Broadmeadow continue as a winning formula and how Adamstown fair in the top flight. Looking forward to it.