With eleven rounds gone we are at the midway point of the 2017 Illawarra Mercury Premier League season. Here are the midseason report cards for all twelve clubs including a grade which takes into consideration a number of factors including league results, cup results, last season’s results and preseason expectations. Click here to see the league table.

 

Note - These are the views of Football South Coast match reporter Dylan Arvela with input from other match reporters.

 

Albion Park White Eagles - 7th with 13 points

 

Key stat - Albion Park are yet to win against a team in the top five.

 

Albion Park has been the most disappointing side this season with the talented squad failing to deliver on numerous occasions. Their talisman Shohei Okuno is their joint leading scorer, however, he has struggled to dominate matches like he did on countless occasions last season.

On a positive note, they have scored more goals than any side outside the top five and their FFA Cup run was only halted in the sixth round by NPL 1 outfit Hakoah Sydney City East after 120 minutes and a penalty shoot. The White Eagles are on the same points total they were on after eleven rounds last season and we all know how that turned out…

 

Grade: F

 

Bulli FC - 1st with 28 points

 

Key stat - Bulli has the best attack in the league having scored 35 goals.

 

With Ben Smith being replaced by rookie coach Matt Bailey, many saw this season as the one Bulli would drop out of the top two for the first time since 2011. At the midway point, this hasn’t transpired with the ‘I leading the division thanks to a ten match unbeaten run to start the season.

Bulli has managed seven points from losing positions against Kemblawarra Fury, Albion Park Eagles and Wollongong United which is a testament to their fighting characteristics. Along with being the league’s top scorers, they have four of the league’s top goalscorers in Marcus Beattie, Ben McDonald, Guy Knight and Dylan Lewis.

Bailey’s side also featured prominently in the FFA Cup falling a game short of the national draw after going down 3-0 to NPL Champions Blacktown City. They are also the first team through to the Bert Bampton Cup quarter-finals.

Click here to listen to the Football South Coast In Focus interview with Marcus Beattie.

 

Grade: A+

 

Corrimal Rangers - 10th with 7 points

 

Key stat - Corrimal have 4 draws which is the most in the league.

 

Corrimal swept all before them in District League last season and after making the final of the Fraternity Cup expectations were perhaps over inflated. They failed to record a win in their first ten matches during which they parted ways with coach John Fleming. Gavin O’Brien has been picked out of the starting eleven to fill the void left by Fleming and the side has performed admirably under his tutelage, highlighted by a dominant 2-0 over Cringila in round eleven.

The Rangers have drawn four matches which is the most in the league, however, three have come against Wollongong Olympic, Wollongong United and Tarrawanna - games they would have been expected to lose. Mark Picciolini’s partnership with the imposing Save Treneski continues to yield dividends with seven goals between them.

 

Grade: C-

 

Cringila Lions - 8th with 12 points

 

Key stat - Cringila have conceded 22 goals against the current top five.

 

Cringila came close to relegation last season and conceding ten goals in the opening two rounds did not leave much room for optimism. Since, coach Wally Savor has managed to get some creditable results out of his side, most notably a stirring 3-2 win against Albion Park.

After conceding a staggering 77 goals last season, the defence has improved but has still be shown to crumble against the league's better sides. Former SD Raider Milan Atlagic has done a serviceable job upfront for the Lions with five goals in ten matches, as has goalkeeper Alexander Boullosa who has produced a few noteworthy performances.

 

Grade: C

 

Kemblawarra Fury - 3rd with 25 points (a game in hand vs Wollongong United)

Key stat -  Kemblawarra are the only team to have scored in all their matches.

 

Kemblawarra Fury were most people’s tip to win the league and so far so good for if they win their game in hand they are equal with the top two. Offseason recruit Anthony Proia has lit up the league and leads the goal scoring chart with thirteen goals while Matthew Mcnab remains more than useful with eight.

The methodical nature of Luke McGuire’s set up has seen the Fury account for every side other than the top two who they will face in the next month of football. The Fury made it to the seventh round of the FFA Cup where a poor first half against Hills Brumbies prevented them from reaching the national draw.

The Fury are performing at about par and given their position, I consider them favourites for the title.

Click here to listen to the Football South Coast In Focus interview with Anthony Proia.

 

Grade: B+

Picton Rangers - 11th with 7 points

 

Key stat - Picton have conceded 3 or more goals in 64% of their matches.

 

It was always going to be tough for Picton to replicate the form that saw them reach the finals in their return season to the top flight. For much of the first half of the season, the Rangers have been level with Woonona at the bottom of the league but their 1-0 win over Wollongong United puts immense pressure on the Sharks.

The major concern for Picton has been their inability to find the back of the net - having not scored more than once in a match this season. They have scored five goals so far with Ben Roberts the only player to have scored more than one.

Brett Morley has had to navigate a scattered schedule with the first three home rounds being washed out. That meant their FFA Cup exploits were their main source of match practice for the first month of the season and the Rangers made it to the fifth round where they lost of NPL 1 side Sydney Olympic.

 

Grade: D

Port Kembla - 5th with 16 points

 

Key stat - Port Kembla have won all 4 matches they have kept a clean sheet.

 

After topping their Fraternity Cup pool over the likes of Wollongong United and Kemblawarra Fury, there were a few whispers that Noel Spencer’s side could make an assault on the title. This hasn’t transpired with a rocky start to the season, proliferated by a number of short to medium term injuries forcing Port into playing catch up.

They have managed to win their last two “must win” matches and along with Wollongong United’s drop off in form they have snuck into the top five on goal difference. Kody Maude and Sandy Lowcock have combined for half a dozen goals and star signing Ben Zucco is starting to look the goods in the middle of the park. A team with ability, but perhaps fortunate to be as high as they are.

 

Grade: C+

South Coast United - 9th with 9 points

 

Key stat - South Coast are the only side yet to keep a clean sheet.

 

South Coast United were many people's tip, including my own, to finish at the bottom of the table due to the player exodus over the offseason. However, the have defied these grim expectations and have been truly competitive, forcing the opposition to be on their game in order to beat them.

Player-coach Greg Valic leads a rigid defensive unit but despite the difficulty in breaking them down they are yet to keep a clean sheet. Josh Brookes has been impressive for United upfront, along with the wily Ricky Bertakis. Valic has also given a number of teenagers an opportunity, including Jason Pappas and Ivan Bratjanscak who have put in some encouraging performances.

 

Grade: B

Tarrawanna Blueys - 4th with 21 points

 

Key stat - Tarrawanna have kept a league-high 6 clean sheets.

 

Tarrawanna has been the most impressive side across the two divisions in the first half of the season. Not many people apart from the true Bluey faithful had them as a chance of finishing in the top five but at the midway point, they sit firmly in fourth place.

Peter Willis has had to manage a potentially debilitating injury list which includes star signing Jared Fish. These injuries have given him the opportunity to play the likes of 16-year-old Caleb Grace who scored a dramatic winner against Port Kembla in round nine.

There is little doubt that the key to the Blueys’ success has been their defence which has conceded less than a goal a game. Their form at Tarrawanna Oval has been almost impeccable with the only two points dropped at the ground they lost seven games at in 2016.

It wouldn't be right to single out one key performer as their results represent the success of the team.

 

Grade: A++

Wollongong Olympic - 2nd on 28 points

Key stat - Olympic have the best defence in the league having only conceded 7 goals.

 

Wollongong Olympic has continued on from their impressive finish to last season and they are only three goals away from being on top of the table. Some of their headline results include a 3-1 win over Kemblawarra Fury and a 4-1 win over Wollongong United.

The cornerstone of Wollongong Olympic’s success has been their defence which hasn’t conceded more than one goal in a match this season. Hayden Durose has been immense, as has the mountainous Jake Duczynski at centre back. The unit is tied together by Brendan Fordham for whom captaincy is more than just an armband.

Rob Birkin’s acquisitions this season have been exceptional with John Martinoski, Shun Tokuno and Lukas Stergiou becoming vital cogs in Olympic’s incredible fast half of the season. Birkin has also picked up Stefan Dimoski in the past month with the former Wollongong Wolf bagging three goals in his first two matches.

Their striker Yusuke Ueda also deserves a mention after scoring in nine separate matches, his goal tally of eleven is just one less than his 2016 total.

Click here to listen to the Football South Coast In Focus interview with Lukas Stergiou.

 

Grade: A

Wollongong United -  6th on 16 points (a game in hand vs Kemblawarra Fury)

 

Key stat - United are the only side outside the top five with a positive goal difference.

 

Wollongong United seemed to have put a disappointing 2016 behind them with a strong start to the season which included retaining the Fraternity Cup. Their attacking options have been below par so far this season with Bradley Acev, Matthew Floro and Ricky Zucco combining for two goals - putting a significant burden on talisman Daisuke Yuzawa.

While United have been disappointing they only sit one goal outside the top five so they still have every chance of featuring in the finals. They also put together a strong FFA Cup run, reaching the sixth round where they fell to Hills Brumbies.

 

Grade: C-

Woonona Sharks - 12th on 4 points

 

Key stat - Woonona have failed to score in a league-high 8 matches.

 

Woonona has endured a horrendous first half of the season which sees them propping up the rest of the Premier League. The Sharks have scored only four goals which is the fewest in the league, combine that with the 28 goals they have conceded and they have the worst goal difference in the division.

Geoff Foster has had to deal with a number of injuries, and despite this, they have managed a couple of creditable 1-0 defeats to Wollongong Olympic and Tarrawanna. Woonona has missed a number of big chances this season and if they do not improve their attack they are destined to finish at the bottom of the league.

 

Grade: D-

 

Report by Dylan Arvela, on Twitter @dylanarvela