The senior men’s team of Newcastle Olympic begin pre-season training on Monday 10th November at Darling St Oval!
Michael Bolch will be the head coach of First Grade for the 2025-26 season and will hope the team will improve on their 6th position last season.
Payton Tagaroulias will oversee the 2025 Premier Reserve Grade team and will hope to repeat the achievement of last season, winning the Premiership by 9 points difference!
Players will begin training at Darling St Oval on Monday night and at the University of Newcastle on Wednesday night.
Newcastle Olympic bowed out of the 2025 Reserve Grade NPL Finals after being defeated 3-0 by Cooks Hill United on Sunday. This brings their season to an end after they won the Premiership 9 points clear from second placed Cooks Hill and Maitland FC.
The match was played in dry and warm conditions at the Rockwell Automation Park in Weston. Olympic began the game with a cautious approach paying more attention to their defence than being adventurous in attack. The pattern that developed was a midfield battle with occasional Cooks Hill attacks which were repelled by the Olympic defence.
The first goal came in the 42nd minute when Kobe Bailey lobbed in a high ball from the left which caught the Olympic goalkeeper off his line and despite back peddling to reach the ball, he was unable to keep it out. While the boys in blue were recovering from the shock of falling behind a corner kick by Cooks Hill resulted in Jemila Oko winning a header under pressure and making the score 2-0!
In the second half Olympic began to dictate play and pressed Cooks Hill for an equaliser that never came. Cooks Hill were almost content to give Olympic possession of the ball but with every attack they were quick to counter. During one such occasion they were able to score a third goal in the 61st minute!
The Olympic bench tried to help by introducing fresh legs but to no avail. The Olympic attack didn’t even have luck on their side and the score remained 3-0 until the end.
Despite the disappointment of missing out from playing in the Grand Final at Darling St Oval, the Newcastle Olympic reserve grade team had a very successful season. They won the Premiership with 9 points difference from the second placed team and were the most consistent side of the season.
Congratulations to the players and coaching staff once again and happy holidays.
After conquering the Premiership with nine points to spare, Newcastle Olympic take on Cooks Hill on Sunday for a place in the 2025 Preliminary Reserve Grade NPL Final! They missed the opportunity of qualifying for the Grand Final last week after sustaining a 2-1 defeat by Maitland FC in the Major Semi-Final of the competition.
As in the case with the game between Olympic and Maitland, very little separates the two teams and the result of the match will be determined by small details or flashes of brilliance by the players of both teams.
During the season the teams met twice and Cooks Hill were victorious on each occasion. In Round 1 of the competition Olympic were defeated at Darling St Oval by 2-0. The two teams crossed swords again in Round 12 at Speers Point. In torrential rain Olympic lead 2-0 in the first half only to lose 3-2 by the end of the match.
The strength in both teams is their midfield with some outstanding players in attack as well as defence. Cooks Hill finished the season in 2nd place on the table, 9 points behind the Premiers Newcastle Olympic. To reach the Preliminary Final they were beaten by Maitland FC 3-1 in the Qualifying Final but a week later were able to defeat Broadmeadow Magic 3-1 in the Minor Semi Final. Newcastle Olympic, as Premiers, faced Maitland FC in the Major Semi Final last Sunday and despite taking the lead, were defeated 2-1.
The Preliminary Final at Rockwell Automation Park, Weston on Sunday will determine which of the two teams will face Maitland FC in the Grand Final on 7th September.
Newcastle Olympic will have to battle it out with Cooks Hill United to make the 2025 NPL Reserve Grade Grand Final after going down 2-1 to Maitland FC at the LMRFF on Sunday.
Playing in warm and dry conditions both teams put on a good display for the healthy crowd in attendance. The deciding factor which led to all three goals were slight defensive errors and luck!
Olympic drew first blood in the 19th minute when Aswin Gurung of Maitland slipped inside the edge of his box when attempting to receive a pass. Oliver Steinerts from Olympic seized the opportunity and upon controlling the ball, unleased a curling shot to the far post which left the Maitland goalkeeper without any chance of saving.
Leading 1-0 Olympic played with confidence but could not find free channels for the attacking moves they are used to enjoying against other teams. Maitland, who usually play a 4-4-2 formation were playing 4-5-1 against Olympic. They overloaded the midfield, outnumbering Olympic 5 to 3, and in doing so reducing their time and space on the ball. Added to this was a consistent movement of the ball and the use of the full width of the field and the match was balanced in both possession and shots on goal.
Four minutes before half time Maitland won a free kick between the half-way line and the Olympic box. Harrison Swan floated a free kick which was deflected back to him and finding no one to challenge him, he lined up a curling drive that ended in the top corner of the Olympic goal!
Both teams went into the half time interval locked at 1-1 and with Maitland having 5 shots at goal to Olympics’ 4.
With the start of the second half Pharrell Trainnor fired a shot from just outside the box on the left which caught everyone by surprise. The ball hit the bar and rebounded back into the six-yard box and to Maitland’s luck, at the feet of Jayden Ritchie who just tapped it over the line!
The match continued with Olympic trying to break the stalemate but finding all the channels blocked by a well-structured Maitland team. Frustration resulted in a total of 8 yellow cards, four for each team but the 2-1 scoreline remained until the end.
Maitland booked themselves into the Grand Final which is scheduled on 7th September at Darling St Oval while Olympic will have to beat Cooks Hill United next Sunday at Rockwell Automation Park Weston to be able to join them.
After a difficult start to the season, Newcastle Olympic are your NPL Men’s Reserve Grade Premiers.
Kicking off the year with two consecutive losses, this young squad showed plenty of grit and resilience to get their season back on track with a 10-match win streak.
The season had it all – goals galore, comeback wins, first grade debuts, youth players stepping up amidst an injury crisis. It’s a testament to the squad’s unwavering commitment to the cause that once they found themselves at the top, they never gave in.
They now set their sights on the Championship and a potential home Grand Final. We wish them all the best in their finals quest.
Newcastle Olympic FC will meet Maitland FC next Sunday for a place in the 2025 Νorthern NSW NPL Grand – Final! Broadmeadow Magic eliminated Weston in the Elimination Final by 2-0 on Sunday while Maitland FC defeated Cooks Hill United 3-1 on Saturday.
Cooks Hill United took on Maitland FC at Jack McLaughlan Oval in Edgeworth and hit the lead in the 38th minute from a goal scored by Jemila Oko. By the 40th minute Maitland drew level through midfielder Jayden Ritchie.
Upon the start of the second half the same player increased the score to 2-1 for Maitland and Tatenda Goora put it beyond reach in the 61st minute. Ten minutes before full time and while Maitland were leading 3-1 the game was abandoned due lightening caused by a huge storm.
Cooks Hill didn’t appear to be in the game and Maitland were deserved winners on the day.
The following day at Arthur Eden Oval Broadmeadow Magic put Weston to the sword 2-0 with the goals being scored by Jesse Hill in the 2nd and 14th minutes of the game. Magic dominated the match and were deserved winners.
Broadmeadow Magic will face Cooks Hill United at Jack McLaughlan Oval on Saturday 23rd of August while the Premiers, Newcastle Olympic will take on Maitland FC at Magic Park on the Sunday.
Olympic defeated Maitland in Round 5 of the competition 1-0 at Cook Square Park in Maitland and were defeated by them 1-0 at Darling St Oval in a controversial game during which the home side had a player sent off!
Both teams are very strong and only minor details will probably determine the result of the match. The winner will qualify for the Grand Final which will be played at Darling St Oval on the 7 September. The loser will player the winner of the fixture between Broadmeadow Magic and Cooks Hill the following week. The winner of this game will be the second team to qualify for the final.
Minor Semi-Final:
Cooks Hill Utd vs Broadmeadow Magic kick off 11:30am on Saturday 23rd August 2025 at Jack McLaughlan Oval, Edgeworth. If the match is affected by wet weather, it will be transferred to the LMRFF at Speers Point.
Major Semi-Final:
Newcastle Olympic FC vs Maitland FC kick off at 11:30am on Sunday 24th August 2025 at Magic Park, Broadmeadow. If the match is affected by wet weather, it will be transferred to the LMRFF at Speers Point.
Newcastle Olympic Reserve Grade Men, as 2025 Northern NSW Premiers, have a bye in the first week of the Finals series. There will be action however for the other four teams that made the top 5, Cooks Hill United, Maitland FC, Broadmeadow Magic FC, and Weston Bears FC.
The Qualifying Final will be held at Jack McLaughlan Oval at Edgeworth and will be contested between 2nd placed Cooks Hill United and 3rd placed Maitland FC.
The Elimination Final will be held at Arthur Edden Oval in Lambton and will be contested between 4th placed Broadmeadow Magic FC and 5th placed Weston Bears FC.
The winner of the Qualifying Final will play Newcastle Olympic the following weekend for a place in the Grand Final! The loser will play the winner of the Elimination Final.
QUALIFYING FINAL:
Cooks Hill United FC vs Maitland FC kick off 1:00pm on Saturday 16th August 2025 at Jack McLaughlan Oval at Edgeworth.
ELIMINATION FINAL:
Broadmeadow Magic FC vs Weston Bears FC kick off 12:00pm on Sunday 17th August at Arthur Edden Oval in Lambton.
Newcastle Olympic returned victorious from their Round 22 fixture against Belmont Swansea with Reserve Grade winning 3-1 and First Grade, 3-2. Reserve Grade have won the Premiership and First Grade will contest a place in the top five of the competition during the final game of the season against New Lambton!
Newcastle Olympic Reserve Grade were crowned 2025 NPL Reserve Grade Premiers of Northern NSW when on Saturday night, second placed Cooks Hill were beaten by Broadmeadow Magic. This defeat meant that Olympic could not be caught on the points table regardless of their results in the final two games of the season.
Having claimed the first title of the season, Olympic began the match against Belmont at an intensity level that reminded a training session than a competitive game. Belmont, having been beaten 5-0 at the same venue four weeks earlier played compact and with every player behind the ball.
The celebration tempo of the game was disturbed in the 19th minute when Belmont fired a shot from outside the box which rebounded off the goalpost and into the Olympic net! Six minutes later a teasing corner by George Tsamouras found the head of Jed Hornery at the near post who taking advantage of the power and bend in the ball, flicked it on and buried the ball at the back of the net of the far post! The score remained 1-1 until half time despite the pressure of Olympic and the opportunities created.
In the second half Olympic continued to press and Belmont refused to come out of their shell. In the 69th minute a corner by Oliver Steinerts found midfielder George Tsamouras on the edge of the box who unleashed a thunderbolt to put Olympic 2-1 in the lead. Celebrations over the goal were not over before a cross by Lucas Walshe from the right found Jesse Fitzgerald inside the six-yard box who had little difficulty increasing the scoreline to 3-1.
The score remained 3-1 until the end and Olympic can have a rest until the finals. The scheduled wash out game against New Lambton on Tuesday night will not go ahead as it has no bearing on the points table for either team.
The First Grade fixture between Newcastle Olympic and Belmont Swansea had a similar start as that of Reserve Grade. Belmont opened the score in the 13 minute with a penalty when Olympic defender Luke Rutledge was judged to have fouled an opponent. Olympic tried to equalise but the stalemate lasted until the 60th minute when Ben Hay scored from a free kick from a very narrow angle.
Olympic bombarded the Belmont goal continuously but it wasn’t until the 68th minute that Marcus Duncan rose higher than any other player to send a header into the net from a Ben Hay corner. By the 76th minute a sustained attack by Olympic resulted in Kale Bradbery receiving the ball from a rebound off the cross bar by a Roy Donovan header and a shot that gave the keeper no chance.
With the cushion of a 3-1 lead Olympic continued to pressure Belmont. A late consolation goal by Belmont four minutes from the end was too little, too late! Olympic now face New Lambton again, in the wash out fixture of a previous wash out fixture at the LMRFF at 8.00pm on Wednesday night.
For Olympic to make it in the top five, they need to win against relegated New Lambton and for Belmont to defeat Maitland!
Newcastle Olympic have won the 2025 NPL Reserve Grade Premiership of Northern NSW two games before the end of the season!
Newcastle Olympic are on top of the table on 46 points, 5 points ahead of 2nd placed Cooks Hill United and 10 points ahead of 4th placed Broadmeadow Magic. Newcastle Olympic are scheduled to play their second last game of the season on Sunday night at the LMRFF in Speers Point but tonight Cooks Hill took on Broadmeadow Magic and were defeated by 4-0.
Mathematically, Newcastle Olympic can’t be caught on the points table regardless of the results in their final two matches against Belmont and New Lambton!
Congratulations to the players, coaching staff, supporters, administrators and sponsors. Newcastle Olympic led the competition from Round 7 and deserve winning the 2025 NPL Reserve Grade Premiership of Northern NSW. One title won, one to go!
Newcastle Olympic take on Belmont Swansea FC at the LMRFF on Sunday night. A win for Reserve Grade crowns them 2025 Reserve Grade NPL Premiers of Northern NSW! First Grade need to win this game as well as the last game against New Lambton and hope that Lambton Jaffas lose their last remaining game to capture 5th place!
Newcastle Olympic Reserve Grade put in a gutsy performance at Weston midweek and came away with a 2-0 victory. They lead the competition by 5 points from second placed Cooks Hill United on 46 points. With a win against Belmont on Sunday night they win the Premiership. The round 11 fixture between the two teams was washed out and played four weeks ago also at the LMRFF. On that evening Olympic won 5-0. On paper Olympic are too strong and should prevail with the 3 points.
There is a possibility they may be crowned Premiers on Saturday night depending on the result between Cooks Hill United and Broadmeadow Magic which is also being held at the LMRFF. If Cooks Hill draw or lose to Broadmeadow Magic, Newcastle Olympic win the Premiership regardless of the results in their final two games against Belmont and New Lambton.
Kick off 8:00pm at the LMRFF Speers Point on Sunday 10 August 2025.
Newcastle Olympic First Grade are in 6th place, 5 points behind Lambton Jaffas who occupy 5th spot. To frog leap the Jaffas, Olympic need to win both games against Belmont and New Lambton and hope Jaffas lose against Maitland.
On paper Olympic have a stronger squad than both Belmont and New Lambton but this hasn’t always translated on the field this season! In both matches played at Darling St Oval both Belmont and New Lambton were able to come away with draws!
Olympics’ biggest problem is being disciplined in their play and avoiding gifting goals to opponents. If they overcome this part of their game they are capable of securing 6 points from their last two games and then it’s up to the result between Lambton Jaffas and Maitland.
Kick off 6:00pm at the LMRFF Speers Point on Sunday 10 August 2025.
George Tsamouras Football Journey 