National Premier Leagues Thread

[VicMariner]

Couldn't find a thread on this topic so I made one.

Any interest here?
Who do you follow?

 

[VicMariner]

http://www.fourfourtwo.com/au/news/ffv-axes-finals-its-npl

FFV abolishes finals football! First past the post goes into the national finals.

Could this be the beginning of the end for finals football?
I hope so, it will give proper weight to the league winners and the FFA cup winners.

Thoughts?

 

[kevrenor]

http://www.fourfourtwo.com/au/news/ffv-axes-finals-its-npl

FFV abolishes finals football! First past the post goes into the national finals.

Could this be the beginning of the end for finals football?
I hope so, it will give proper weight to the league winners and the FFA cup winners.

Thoughts?

Given that most states are using Cup competitions, I think this is poor for level 2 teams, and a sop to the stroppy Vic clubs that have taken 2 years to come on board.

http://back-of-the-net.com/2014/02/2014-national-premier-leagues-npl-cup-launched/

Eg. See NNSW arrangements for north coast groups here: http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=htt...=3766eb2ad770d33f6a8819ffcb3998bb&h=mAQHBQYDA

 

[VicMariner]

Given that some states are using Cup competitions, I think this is poor for level 2 teams, and a sop to the stroppy Vic clubs that have taken 2 years to come on board.

I'm not sure what you're getting at with regard to level 2 teams?? I think you mean with the cup format qualification a lower league team has a shot at a national title and first past the post qualification takes this away.

Victoria has promotion relegation, so a lower league team can get into the national finals after first winning promotion.
I don't see why lower teams need a shot at the NPL title, it is the National Premier Leagues after all.
The FFA cup will be the level playing field for all teams where the minnows can shine.

 

[eenfish]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but even though Club Marconi won the Playoffs cup finals last season, Sydney United were the ones that competed in the PL finals.

Also, VicMariner, do you know when the Vic NPL will start? And do you know if the old teams have been acepted yet or is the infighting still going on? I just wanna see a South Melbourne vs Knights match...

 

[kevrenor]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but even though Club Marconi won the Playoffs cup finals last season, Sydney United were the ones that competed in the PL finals.

Also, VicMariner, do you know when the Vic NPL will start? And do you know if the old teams have been acepted yet or is the infighting still going on? I just wanna see a South Melbourne vs Knights match...

Correct - FNSW only used NPL1 and its finals series 'champion' to go through to the NPL finals. Exact arrangements for 2014 don't appear to be out.

Victoria's teams were listed in the link that VicMariner posted above.
http://www.fourfourtwo.com/au/news/ffv-axes-finals-its-npl

No news it seems on the full FFA Cup, which is of greater interest to most.

 

[dibo]

I'm split between Sydney University and CCMA in the NPL2 comp this year (where the real men play their football, none of this poncy-arsed NPL1 rubbish for me).

 

[VicMariner]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but even though Club Marconi won the Playoffs cup finals last season, Sydney United were the ones that competed in the PL finals.

Also, VicMariner, do you know when the Vic NPL will start?

Kicks off on the weekend starting March 14.

And do you know if the old teams have been acepted yet or is the infighting still going on? I just wanna see a South Melbourne vs Knights match...

Yeah, the dust has settled. South Melbourne and Knights are both competing.

Here is the list:
NPL comprises: Ballarat Red Devils, Bentleigh Greens, Dandenong Thunder, Goulburn Valley Suns, Green Gully Cavaliers, Heidelberg United, Hume City, Melbourne Knights, Northcote City, Oakleigh Cannons, Pascoe Vale, Port Melbourne Sharks, South Melbourne and Werribee City.

Vic info from here:
http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/news-display/FFV-announces-NPL-structure-for-2014/85816

And general NPL info here:
http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/news-display/FFA-launches-National-Premier-Leagues-2014/85707

 

[VicMariner]

I don't really follow anyone in particular in the NPL but I am interested in how some of the teams go.

Teams wanting admission to the A-League:
South Coast Wolves NSW NPL
Northern Fury QNPL
Sunshine Coast QNPL
Western Pride QNPL (terrible name)
It will be interesting how their results and crowds go.
If one or two of these teams can hit good numbers they make a good case for the next expansion phase.

I like to see how a couple of coaches fare too:
Branko Culina-Rockdale City Suns NSW NPL
Mark Rudan-Sydney United NSW NPL
Miron Bleiberg-Oakleigh Cannons VIC NPL
Will they make a case for a top flight job?

So there is plenty to be interested in. Just wish SBS or ABC would televise a couple games.

 

[eenfish]

ABC should have a highlights package or one game live/shoved light night a la W-League, Shute Shield, VFL, SANFL and WAFL. That would be tops. As far as I know, all there is at the moment is YouTube highlights.

Hey Dibo, isn't NPL2 the third division? (As in it goes NPL, NPL1, NPL2) A bit harsh on the CCMA, I reckon, but the important thing is proper affiliation between club and academy, not the opponents (and they were severely outta dept in the NSWPL anyway)

I got no team, but I just moved to Melbourne and looking for a place in the inner city, closest team by the looks of it will be South Melbourne but I'm about as Greek as Seamus Finnigan from Harry Potter. Bit spooked that there is both a Ballarat AND Goulburn Valley team, aint they a bit far from all the others? But no Geelong team… and they were trying to get a team for the A-League.

 

[dibo]

In NSW, there's no NPL alone - NPL1 is first division (the old NSW Premier League), NPL2 is second division (the old NSW Super League).

So the pyramid for NSW goes:

• A-League;
• National Premier League - NSW Men's 1;
• National Premier League - NSW Men's 2;
• State League - Men's 1;
• State League - Men's 2, and;
• local association comps.

I reckon there ought to be regional comps between association and MSL2 - somewhere for big, successful association sides to graduate to before the MSL comps.

 

[dibo]

There's always Richmond? Northcote? Port Melbourne?

 

[sydmariner]

In NSW, there's no NPL alone - NPL1 is first division (the old NSW Premier League), NPL2 is second division (the old NSW Super League).

So the pyramid for NSW goes:

• A-League;
• National Premier League - NSW Men's 1;
• National Premier League - NSW Men's 2;
• State League - Men's 1;
• State League - Men's 2, and;
• local association comps.

I reckon there ought to be regional comps between association and MSL2 - somewhere for big, successful association sides to graduate to before the MSL comps.

like an english style system i.e. promotion/relegation playoffs

 

[dibo]

The steps between levels are too big at the moment. NPL1 and 2 are close, MSL1 and 2 are close, but NPL to HAL is massive, MSL to NPL is fairly big, association to MSL is still very big.

It's not just about play; it's about money, organisation, facilities...

 

[eenfish]

Agreed. Fair go, teams like Olympic haven't been top tier since 2003, but they still have a proper stadium and training ground and stuff. Even APIA, one of the minnows of NSWPL, have just redone their stadium (which is severely needed).

 

[eenfish]

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/feb/26/national-premier-leagues-malaysian-team

Interesting read: Why does the National Premier League have a Malaysian team?

 

[VicMariner]

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/feb/26/national-premier-leagues-malaysian-team

Interesting read: Why does the National Premier League have a Malaysian team?

Well worth reading.
A few dollars probably helped get them in.
Not sure about a Malaysian team but I think Phoenix should have some sort of youth squad playing over here since they're in the HAL.

I didn't like this bit,

Malaysian officials have one eye on the 2015 Asian Cup, held in Australia, as well as entering a team in the A-League in the future.

I don't agree with countries other than NZ playing in our top comp. It's different for NZ because we are so close we're like a double country or they are an extra state.
I don't know, yet to be convinced anyway. Perhaps there is a good argument to be made in favour.

 

[eenfish]

Well worth reading.
A few dollars probably helped get them in.

I don't agree with countries other than NZ playing in our top comp. It's different for NZ because we are so close we're like a double country or they are an extra state.
I don't know, yet to be convinced anyway. Perhaps there is a good argument to be made in favour.

As mentioned in the article, it is conflicting with the supposed vision of the NPL to be the development of the local game, local players and local coaches. I know there is a fair bit of coin in it (the article mentions over $1m being spent), and the vision of their's to get into the A-League I'm sure will be good for their national team, whether it will be good for the A-League...

 

[VicMariner]

and the vision of their's to get into the A-League I'm sure will be good for their national team, whether it will be good for the A-League...

I don't think it would be good for the A-League. They will stack the team with the best players in the country. Imagine an HAL side with the best Aussie HAL players - would win all the time.

 

[eenfish]

I don't think it would be good for the A-League. They will stack the team with the best players in the country. Imagine an HAL side with the best Aussie HAL players - would win all the time.

The NPL team will be domestically playing under 23s. Every single player in their national team proper plays domestically according to wiki. Their national team is ranked 150th.

I doubt that would be a serious challenger to an A-League like, say, Melbourne Victory, who boast Australian internationals and former internationals for foreign squads.