The Junior Football season has just come to a close in South Australia, with over 250 teams competing across 26 leagues in 2016.

With Junior Football participation continuing to rise, the Premier & State Leagues promise to keep raising the bar in terms of Junior Football Development in South Australia. It was a very successful year for Junior Football with many young talents working hard in training during the week and showcasing their skills on gameday every weekend.

The JPL Under 12 Blue & Red Divisions were fiercely competitive, with only a few points proving to be the difference at the top.

Para Hills Knights managed to secure top place over Adelaide Olympic by a single point in the Blue Division, whilst Adelaide Hills held off Noarlunga United for top place in the Red.

It was a slightly different story at the top in the JPL Under 12 Yellow Division, however, with MetroStars having a very successful season finishing comfortably on top.

It was also very close at the top across the three Under 12 Junior State League competitions, with Para Hills Knights Black, Modbury Vista and Fulham United claiming glory in the Blue, Red & Yellow Divisions respectively.

The FFSA U13 Girls showcased their talent in the U12 JPL Blue Division, finishing fourth after a very successful season, whilst it was Raiders who ended up taking the U12 Cup home after a 2-0 victory against Adelaide City in the Cup Final. 

Raiders & MetroStars battled it out for top spot in the Under 13 JPL A Division, with the former edging out the latter by less than a handful of points to take home the Premiership at the end of the season.

MetroStars Under 13’s also won silverware in 2016, however, they overcame Adelaide City 4-2 in an exciting Cup Final.

The Under 13 JPL B Division was extremely competitive in the mid-table, with only five points separating third and eighth.

It was Adelaide Blue Eagles who ended up on top, by quite a comfortable margin against second placed Noarlunga United. I

t was a nail-biting end to the season in the U13 JPL C Division, with Gawler Eagles finishing just inches ahead of Adelaide Comets and Fulham United by one and two points respectively.

MetroStars JSL, Modbury Vista and Cumberland United Green all comfortably secured their spot as Premiers in the U13 Junior State League Red, Yellow and Blue Divisions.

In the Under 14 Junior Premier League A Division, it was MetroStars finishing on top, just two points clear of the FFSA Under 13 Boys, who should not be disappointed with their efforts after an amazing season.

Adelaide Comets finished the season on top by just two points in the U14 JPL B Division over a resilient Adelaide Cobras team.

Fulham United Under 14’s fought their way to become champions in the C Division, after a close battle with Adelaide Victory over the latter course of the season.

SA Central Gold championed the Junior State League Red Division after a stellar season, which was a phenomenal achievement for the new up and coming club.

In the U14 JSL Blue Division, Cumberland United Gold ended the season on top; five points clear of nearest rivals Adelaide University. In the U14 Cup it was that team MetroStars again who were victorious, with an emphatic 8-0 win against Modbury Jets.

Adelaide Comets were the Rremiers of the Under 15 JPL A Division, on the back of an impressive eleven wins in their last twelve games in the second half of the season.

West Torrens Birkalla and Adelaide Vipers FC finished the year as Premiers in the U15 JPL B and C Divisions respectively, with Adelaide City getting a taste of glory in the Cup. Another Adelaide City team claimed victory in the Under 15 age group this year, this time it was their JSL squad who finished as Champions in the Under 15 Junior State League Competition. 

Campbelltown City were the stars of the show in the Under 16 JPL A Division, winning all but two games along their road to the Premiership.

Para Hills Knights also had an extraordinary year, finishing second to Campbelltown City after losing just one game this season and taking home the Cup after overcoming Cumberland United 2-1 in the Final. 

In the Under 16 JPL B Division, Gawler Eagles flew high above their competition, finishing the season comfortably on top.  In the State League competition, it was Modbury Vista 16’s securing another Junior Premiership for the Club, who have had a very successful year in 2016.

Para Hills Knights Under 17 A Squad had a tremendous season, taking home the top honours in both the League and the Cup.

It wasn’t easy for the Knights however, as Croydon Kings were hot on their heels throughout the entirety of the season.

Adelaide City also proved to be no push-overs in the Cup Final back in August, forcing Para Hills to hold onto a 2-1 lead late in the game.

The FFSA NTC Boys Squad also put the pressure on the Knights throughout the season, finishing the year off in 3rd, just a few points behind the boys in Black & White. In the B Division, it was Para Hills Knights again finishing on top, this time thanks to the work put in by their JSL team who were able to hold off Salisbury United and Sturt Lions in the second half of the season.

Overall it was a very exciting and successful year for all those involved, that couldn’t have been made possible without all the work put in from behind the scenes from parents and volunteers working at the clubs.

By Christian Roschi