Monthly Archives: July 2020

The club would like to wish Greg Asquith, our current Under 10 SAP Coach, all the very best in his new position at the prestigious Scots College in Bellevue Hill, as the Assistant Head of Preparatory School.

Greg, with partner Alison and son Jack will make the move in September, and head down to work and live in Sydney.

The Asquith family have been an integral part of the Olympic family over the last few years. Greg was an essential part of our Senior Coaching squad, and coached our Under 20s squad for a number of years, winning the title during his time with the club. Son Jack played with the club from Under 7s, and his effervescent personality has seen him a much loved boy around Darling Street, often attending training with his dad, and interacting with all so eloquently.

Good luck Asquiths in your future down in the “big smoke.” You will always be welcome back to Olympic.

Source: Tom Tsamouras

Adamstown coach Ryan Campbell described her as “the difference” and Newcastle Olympic mentor Harmonie Attwill declared she could play for the Jets after Jemma House produced her third hat-trick in four games with a seven-minute goal blitz at Darling Street Oval on Sunday.

House’s first was on the counter attack. Attacking player Laura Hall had plenty of time to carry the ball up field before releasing a perfectly weighted pass through Adamstown’s back line for House to pick up in space and charge towards the box with only Young to beat. Her left-footed shot was low and hit the far post before going in.

The second came after House won the ball off an Adamstown defender and slotted in a one-v-one situation. The third came on the counter with Georgia Amess running the ball on the right, drawing a defender and passing to an unmarked House for another left-footed strike.

Hall made the most of a defensive error to score a goal of her own in the 40th minute.

House also scored hat-tricks against Mid Coast in round one and Warners Bay in round three.

Olympic moved to nine points with the win, two clear of Adamstown in third and one ahead of United.

“They’re a physical side and what our girls showed was a lot of maturity,” Attwill said.

“We did have a game plan. We stuck to it and … did everything right. We probably could’ve scored more. We created a lot of opportunities but we had to work hard for it.

“They obviously had a pretty serious injury and that definitely changed the game unfortunately for them.”

Campbell said the six-goal rout would prove “good learning” for his young side.
“They were better than us. They deserved to win. They were probably more powerful than us,” Campbell said.

“There were signs of it last week where the girls don’t 100 per cent think that they can compete with those teams.

“It was good learning for us and, I said to the girls, one day can’t affect the whole season. Our main focus this week will be trying to be a bit more resolute and not get caught where we give away too many chances.”

Adamstown opened the season with wins over Thornton and defending champions New Lambton before drawing 0-0 with league heavyweights Merewether in round three. They face Magic in round five.

“I said to the girls if we want to get results, we need someone to step up like [House] does because individuals make a big difference,” Campbell said.
“Tara [Andrews] scored 40-odd last year and Jenna [Kingsley] 30 the year before. If it’s going to be close, you need to have someone who dominates the comp.”

Ellie Brown scored a double as Warners Bay came from behind to beat Thornton 3-1 at Thornton Park on Sunday. The Redbacks led early after Taleah Mountford scored. The match was locked 1-1 at the break.

Tomeeka Davies was the other scorer for the Panthers, who back up Wednesday night against Magic before rounding out a tough seven-day period by playing New Lambton at Alder Park next Saturday.

Warners Bay were without experienced defender Airlie Davies due to injury on Sunday but coach Craig Atkins hoped she would be cleared to play Wednesday night and was also still sweating on an international clearance for American Jen Hoy.

“We gave Thornton the first goal and it was another soft goal that we conceded, so that’s something we really need to work on,” Atkins said.

“It could have easily been eight or nine-one, so we’ve got a bit of work to do in the final third to make sure we capitalise on all of our chances.”
Defending champions New Lambton are still yet to win a match this season after losing 3-0 to Mid Coast at Alder Park on Sunday. All three goals came in the second half and Mid Coast coach Michael Grass said: “In the end I think we were probably just the fitter team.”

Jess James scored twice and Layni Fens also got on the scoresheet as Mid Coast notched their second win of the season and moved to six points, level with Warners Bay.

The Eagles suffered a blow before kick-off when goalkeeper Ruby Jones was taken to hospital after sustaining a leg injury in the reserve-grade match. They then lost co-captain Toria Campbell around 20 minutes in to a knee injury and were without utility player Kaitlin Radstaak due to injury.

New Lambton coach Brad Jones was happy with what he described as “an arm wrestle” of a first half but said in the second half “we were just not up to scratch”.
“[After the first goal] our heads dropped, and I guess that’s the difference between having a team full of experienced players and a team, well both grades last year, that didn’t have to pick themselves up usually,” Jones said.

“Then we lost our composure and, to Middies credit, they felt that. They weren’t three goals better but we gave them three goals and they were good enough to finish them so they deserved it.
“For us, it’s just a lesson. The girls have got to understand that they’ve got to maintain their composure. I’ve asked for a response this week and that’s what I expect we’ll get.”

Pointscore: Olympic 9, Merewether 8, Adamstown 7, Warners Bay 6, Mid Coast 6, Magic 3, New Lambton 1, Thornton 0.

Round 4 results
Merewether 4 (Tamara Nash, Katy Gray, Ellie Butler, Jamee Ellis) defeated Broadmeadow 3 (Adriana Jones 2, Lucy Jerram) at Arthur Edden Oval on Friday night. Half-time: 3-3.
Olympic 6 (Jemma House 3, Stacey Day, Georia Amess, Laura Hall) beat Adamstown 0 at Darling Street Oval on Sunday. Half-time: Olympic led 2-0.
Warners Bay 3 (Ellie Brown 2, Tomeeka Davies) defeated Thornton 1 (Taleah Mountford) at Thornton Park on Sunday. Half-time: 1-1.
Mid Coast 3 (Jess James 2, Layni Fens) beat New Lambton 0 at Alder Park on Sunday. Half-time: 0-0.

Source: https://www.newcastleherald.com.au

NPL SENIORS:
On Saturday 18th July Newcastle Olympic took on Valentine at Darling St Oval and recorded two victories and a draw.

1st Grade drew 2-2
Goals: Kent Harrison 2 (2 pens)
Reserve Grade Olympic won 2-1
Under 18s Olympic won 6-0

WPL:
On Sunday 19th July Newcastle WPL teams played against Adamstown Rosebud at Darling Street Oval and recorded emphatic wins.
1st Grade Olympic won 6-0
Goals:
Jemma House 3, Stacey Day, Georgia Amess, Laura Hall.
Reserve Grade Olympic won 6-1
Under 17s Adamstown won 0-1
Under 14s Olympic won 3-1

YOUTH NPL:
Newcastle Olympic took on Lake Macquarie in Round 4 of the season at Macquarie Field on Sunday 19th July and won in all four age groups.

U16s Olympic won 3-1
U15s Olympic won 8-1
U14s Olympic won 16-0
U13s Olympic won 13-0

ZONE LEAGUE:
Newcastle Olympic Zone League teams were scheduled to play Merewether Advance on Saturday 18th July at Jesmond Park but both games were washed out.

SAP/NET:
SAP u9s, u10s and u11s as well as NET u12s continued this weekend with our teams playing at LMFF, Johnston Park and Islington Oval against Wallsend, Jets Girls, Charlestown, Edgeworth and Maitland with all teams playing well and continuing their development.

OVER 35s:
Newcastle Olympic Over 35s kick were to play at Croudace Bay Complex2 vs Valentine on Friday night but this game was washed out.

Community Juniors:
Newcastle Community juniors played Round 3 of the season on Saturday 18th July at Darling St Oval against Meryland Fletcher, South Wallsend, Hamilton Azzuri and Fletcher and recorded great performances in all the matches played.

source: Tom Tsamouras

MATCH OF THE ROUND
NEWCASTLE OLYMPIC V ADAMSTOWN ROSEBUD
DARLING STREET OVAL – SUNDAY 3PM

It will be a case of youth versus experience at Darling Street Oval on Sunday as the star-studded Newcastle Olympic face off against a young Adamstown, with Rosebud top spot of the Herald Women’s Premier League table.
A win to Olympic on Sunday would see them jump Rosebud at the top but Olympic coach Harmonie Attwill said it was not something her side were putting too much focus on.
“At this point the focus is just on us,” Attwill said.
“Looking at the situation, we’ve only got a number of sessions under our belt and one or two games tackling and playing in our desired style so I wouldn’t say we’re focusing too much on anyone else, other than just trying to execute the things we’ve been working on at training.”
Olympic are expected to be without changes for the top of the table clash. Georgia Little had been under an injury cloud early in the week but has since been given the all clear to take the field.
The inclement weather earlier this week has proved a challenge for both sides in the lead up to the match, though neither coach believed it would impact the quality of play come Sunday.
“The weather has made it difficult to do any real tactical preparation leading into the weekend,”Adamstown coach Ryan Campbell said.
“We are still training our three sessions but only one of those we will get area to do larger scale tactical work.”
Rosebud appeared well structured against an experienced Merewether side at the weekend, with Campbell predicting a similar performance from his young squad.
“This weekend we are aiming to be more composed in possession in order to progress with the ball,” he said.
“Last week we were rushed at times which meant that we turned over the ball too often in dangerous areas.
“All players are fit and ready to go for the weekend which is great… it gives me lots of options in relation to the starting 11.”
Kick-off is scheduled for 3pm.

MEREWETHER UNITED V BROADMEADOW MAGIC
ARTHUR EDDEN OVAL – FRIDAY 8PM

WPL football makes a return to Friday night this weekend as Merewether do battle with newcomers Broadmeadow Magic at Arthur Edden Oval.
United head into the showdown having recorded just the one outright win across the first three rounds of the competition alongside two draws including last weekend’s scoreless clash with Adamstown.
“I’m pretty keen to go up against Magic and see where they’re at… I don’t think they’ve played any of the teams we’ve played yet, so it’s a little bit unknown,” Merewether coach Scott Ellis said.
The wet weather has done little to impact the Lammas preparations, despite the shorter than usual turnaround.
“We didn’t train on Tuesday. We had an indoor session on Wednesday. I think we’re going to be fine for Friday,” Ellis said.
“The girls as a whole are at a pretty good fitness level. We didn’t really have anyone who struggled through the game on Sunday… [we’ve had] no injuries and we’ve got a pretty strong bench.”
Friday’s match will be Merewether’s first visit to Arthur Edden Oval in season 2020, as the side switches match-days from its traditional home at Myamblah Crescent.
“Arthur Edden is a fantastic venue and the Jaffas have been great in helping us out,” Ellis said.
Meanwhile, Broadmeadow Magic will be buoyed by the return of Kalista Hunter as they look to make it two-in-a-row following their late win over New Lambton in round three.
“Kalista will be back this week after suspension which will strengthen the depth of the squad,” Magic coach Jake Curley said.
As for what to expect from the women in red, Curley said they would not change the formula which saw them defeat New Lambton 2-1.
“Similar to our performance on the weekend, good defensively and hopefully we create scoring opportunities,” he said.
“I have watched a replay of their game [Merewether v Adamstown] on the weekend looking for things we may be able to capitalise on. They look to be a strong team.”
Friday night’s clash is the first in a hectic 10-day window for Magic, who play Warners Bay in a deferred round one fixture next Wednesday, before heading to Adamstown to take on the Rosebuds the following Sunday.
“The girls have a big schedule coming up but they will have this weekend off which will give them a good rest in preparation for the upcoming weeks,” Curley said.

NEW LAMBTON V MID COAST
ALDER PARK – SUNDAY 3PM

Mid Coast will look to continue its strong form when they travel to Alder Park on Sunday to take on a New Lambton side hurting after a narrow loss to Broadmeadow Magic.
“Whilst the girls were hurting on Sunday afternoon, no one likes to lose in the 89th [minute]… I take a lot of positives from that,” New Lambton coach Brad Jones said.
“We did a recovery session in the gym on Monday night. There was a fair few battered and bruised bodies.”
The focus for the Eagles ahead of the clash with Mid Coast will be ensuring polish in the final third.
“I think we were pretty good. I’ve watched the game back. The chances we created were good, we just at the end of the day [rued] our finishing,” Jones said.
“We won’t change our approach. The football we played was good.
“We should be [unchanged]. [A] couple of girls [are] still a little bit sore but I expect everyone to be okay.
“We’ve got individual roles for our midfielders and a group task for the midfielders… so those guys have got to do a job there.”
Mid Coast head into the clash full of confidence despite a week interrupted by wet weather.
“We got washed out on Tuesday night… it cuts down the time we get together during the week. Wednesday will be it basically,” Mid Coast coach Mick Grass said.
“I don’t know how New Lambton are going to set up… it’s basically us concentrating on us.
“Getting our style, our processes. Get that right, we’ll be right.”
Courtney Anderson netted four goals for Middies at the weekend, with Grass confident she would have a similar impact this weekend.
It presents another challenge for young Eagles keeper Ruby Jones, who last week looked right at home matched up against Magic strike-weapon Adriana Jones.
“One of the things Rugby’s got is she is very quick over 10 metres, which is nice to have as a goalkeeper. If someone tries to put a ball through, we know she can get up and out really fast,” Jones said.
Heading into the clash New Lambton sit seventh on the table, while Mid Coast sit two points clear of the defending champions in sixth.

THORNTON REDBACKS V WARNERS BAY
THORNTON PARK – SUNDAY 3PM

Thornton will look to bounce back from a disappointing result at the weekend when they host Warners Bay on Sunday afternoon.
Mid Coast outclassed the Redbacks at Taree but coach Alan Primmer was not reading too much into the result given the shortened preparation.
“Everyone’s a little sore after the weekend, understandably. You can do lots of ball work and running [at training] but games are completely different and by following the rules we had only really had 10 days to properly prepare,” Primmer said.
Thornton will also be without Susan Randall and Thysje Hattaway.
“We will again try and knock the football around and get good numbers forward like last weekend. We have to remain alert at the back though, so we do not get countered like last Sunday,” Primmer said.
Thornton face a Warners Bay side also out to improve after a disappointing clash against Newcastle Olympic.
“We had a good indoor session on Tuesday and everyone’s pulled up okay and looking forward to making amends this weekend,” coach Craig Atkins said.
“The focus is still on us. We played some really good football last weekend so hopefully looking to build on that and just fix a few little areas.
“We know those areas we need to work on and looking forward to hopefully working on that on Thursday night.”
Star signing Jen Hoy is yet to receive an international clearance but Atkins is hopeful the 29-year-old will be able to take the field come Sunday.
“She’s training with us… she looks extremely fit and extremely sharp,” Atkins said.
“We want her out there and she wants to be out there playing.”
Sunday’s clash will be the first of three games in seven days for the Panthers, who face Broadmeadow Magic on Wednesday, before they meet New Lambton the following Saturday.
“Hopefully we’ll look to do some sort of recovery session next Tuesday, nice and light in preparation for the Wednesday night fixture,” Atkins said.
“It’s going to be a pretty hectic seven days.”

Source: https://northernnswfootball.com.au

NPL SENIORS:
On Saturday 18th July Newcastle Olympic are at home to Valentine at Darling St Oval.
U18s kick off at 10:15AM
Reserves kick off at 12.15PM
First Grade kick off at 2:30PM

WPL:
On Sunday 19th July Newcastle WPL teams play against Adamstown Rosebud at Darling Street Oval.
U14s kick off at 9:00AM
U17s Kick off at 10:50AM
Reserve Grade kick off at 12:50PM
First Grade kick off at 3:00PM

YOUTH NPL:
Newcastle Olympic take on Lake Macquarie in Round 4 of the season at Macquarie Field on Sunday 19th July.
U13s kick off at 9:00 AM
U14s kick off at 11:00 AM
U15s kick off at 1:00 PM
U16s kick off at 3:00 PM

ZONE LEAGUE:
Newcastle Olympic Zone League teams play Merewether Advance on Saturday 18th July at Jesmond Park.
Reserve Grade kick off at 1:00PM
First Grade kick off at 3:00PM .

SAP/NET:
U9s White kick off at 8:45AM at LMFF Field 2B vs Wallsend, Sunday 19th July U9s Blue kick off at 8:45AM at LMFF Field 2A vs Jets Girls on Sunday 19th July
U10s White kick off at 3:15PM at LMFF Field 2B vs Wallsend, Sunday 19th July U10s Blue kick off at 3:15PM at LMFF Field 2A vs Jets Girls on Sunday 19th July
U11s White kick off at 12:00PM at Johnston Park vs Charlestown on Sat. 18th July U11s Blue kick off at 12:00PM at Johnston Park vs Lake Edgeworth on Saturday 18th July
U12s NET kick off at 9:00AM at Islington Park vs Maitland on Saturday 18th July

OVER 35s:
Newcastle Olympic Over 35s kick off at 8:00 PM at Croudace Bay Complex2 vs Valentine on Friday night 17th July.

Community Juniors:
Newcastle Community juniors play Round 3 of the season on Saturday 18th July.
U6s/01 kick off at 8:30AM at Darling St Oval 1 against Meryland Fletcher.
U6s/02 kick off at 8:30AM at Darling St Oval against South Wallsend.
U6s/03 kick off at 8:30AM at Darling St Oval against South Wallsend.
U7s/01 kick off at 8:30AM at Darling St Oval against Hamilton Azzuri.
U7s/02 kick off at 8:30AM at Darling St Oval against Hamilton Azzuri.
U8s/01 kick off at 10:30AM at Darling St Oval MiniRoos against Hamilton Azzuri.
U8s/02 kick off at 9:30AM at Darling St Oval MiniRoos against Hamilton Azzuri.
U8s/03 kick off at 8:30 AM at Darling St Oval MiniRoos against Fletcher.

source: Tom Tsamouras

Newcastle Olympic FC Under 14 YOUTH NPL, that currently sit on top of the Youth NPL 14s ladder, have a vacancy in their current 2020 team due to a recent long term injury.

If any player/ players are not committed to another NPL club, and interested in joining a very competitive, well coached team, please contact either the Technical Director Alex, ( 0497897716) or Ass. TD and Under 14 Team Coach George on ( 0403420425) for any questions and further enquiries.

source: Tom Tsamouras

NEWCASTLE OLYMPIC V VALENTINE PHOENIX
DARLING STREET OVAL – SATURDAY 2:30PM

Two clubs who got off to differing starts last round will collide for the first NPL match at Darling Street Oval for the new season.
Newcastle Olympic fought back from a goal down and a missed penalty to down Weston on their home turf 2-1, with Blake Green grabbing both goals in a match-winning performance.
New head coach Alex Tagaroulias enjoyed the fruits of an opening day win and will look to replicate that showing in front of the Olympic faithful on Saturday.
With so much optimism in the air surrounding Valentine, the Phoenix suffered a disappointing 5-0 defeat at the hands of Broadmeadow Magic to deflate some expectations with a poor defensive performance.
But the orange and navy will be desperate to atone for their previous showing and shake off the defeat with a victory this weekend.
Olympic introduced new signings Anthony Marenghi, the Fajkovic brothers and Nate Cavaliere in their win over Weston, while recruits Danny Ireland, Adam Hughes and Alex Read all featured for Valentine.
In the previous encounter between the two sides, Newcastle downed Valentine 4-0 in the final round of last season, although the last two meetings at Darling Street Oval have been tense affairs with the games ending in draws.
The order is more of the same from Tagaroulias as the new coach was highly impressed with his side’s previous effort.
“It was fantastic [against Weston last week]. I had very little time with the guys before the game and the manner of the victory, to go 1-0 down and there was chances for us to lose the battle. But the guys stepped it up even further,” Tagaroulias said.
“The boys do have some fight in them. I think [last week’s result] will hold them in good stead for the weeks to come.
“It’s very good to be back at Darling Street and Valentine have some great experience and you can’t deny their line-up and be very wary of them.
“I would like to see the same kind of fight and stick to whatever game plan we come up with. I think we’re in with a chance.”
The bounce back factor will be on the agenda for Valentine to quickly rebound from their opening loss and co-coach Sam Griffin said he believed his side was more than capable.
“I think we realised we had been effected by the break a bit more than we thought. Obviously the scoreline doesn’t help but it wasn’t all doom and gloom as we found some positives,” Griffin said.
“We’re aiming for a bit of success and the players want to show that what happened on the weekend doesn’t represent them properly. The loss wasn’t what we’re about and prove to themselves they’re up for the competition.
“Hopefully nice and flat conditions and we play without any fear, so we need to turn up and play to our capacity.”

LAMBTON JAFFAS V WESTON WORKERS
ARTHUR EDDEN OVAL – SATURDAY 2:30PM
After a scintillating return of football last weekend, NPL Northern NSW football is back for round two with a huge clash between Lambton and Weston the highlight. Many have touted the Jaffas as a premiership contender this season and the side, who placed second last year, enjoyed an opening round 1-0 win over Lake Macquarie.
The side registered 12 shots on target during the game but could only register the sole goal through a fantastic Kale Bradbery effort to seal the all-important three points, while introducing new faces Mitch Oxborrow, Matt Thompson and Bradbery to the line-up.
Weston on the other hand were leading for a period in their opening encounter against Newcastle Olympic only to eventually fall to two late goals and come up short in coach Leo Bertos’ first game in charge.
The Bears were without a couple of key players including late recruit Marcus Duncan but will be eager to get off the mark on Saturday.
Chris Hurley scored an incredible solo goal in their narrow loss to Olympic and will be a danger again in this fixture while new signings Connor Heydon, Aaron Niyonkuru and Jarryd Sutherland all featured in a new-look Weston attack last week.
Bradbery and Hurley were included in the opening round’s Team of the Week due to their notable performances and goals for their sides, which shapes as an intriguing contest in this fixture.
Arthur Edden Oval isn’t a happy hunting ground for the Bears having not won on the Jaffas’ home patch since 2014, the year the two clubs featured in the grand final when Lambton came out on top.
Lambton have had a great record against Weston in recent seasons while they could not be split last season in their two fixtures, with both teams winning their home games against each other respectively.
It will be the first opportunity for Lambton to run out at Arthur Edden Oval this year and coach James Pascoe said looked forward to the occasion.
“Pre COVID, we had some severe issues with our ground that forced us to play all of our pre-season games away from home, so it really has been quite a long time,” Pascoe said.
“We had a lot of individual unforced errors [last week] from very good footballers in my team so I don’t think I’ll see that two weeks in a row. So I expect to see an improvement, although in saying that I think we had 12 shots to three last week so I think there will be a natural improvement.
“I saw that after four or five rounds last year [Weston] were going to be really competitive and they were a pleasure to watch. I think Leo Bertos has the potential to do the same sort of thing for them, so I expect it to be a real tough game.
“Hopefully it pans out to be a good game for people to watch.”
After a disappointing loss and a surprise home defeat, Bertos and his side will be hungry to chalk up their first points of the season.
“I think it will be good to get our starting line-up on the field this weekend which is something we didn’t get to do for round one,” Bertos said.
“The opposition doesn’t get any easier with Lambton with the quality they have. A very proven, all-round defence and some lethal attackers backed up by some great midfielders that can dictate the game. So it will be a great challenge for us.
“We didn’t keep the ball as well as we would of liked [against Olympic] and our defensive structure needs to be more disciplined as we need to give them as few chances as possible.
“I think they had the best defence of last season so we need to take advantage of our opportunities.”

ADAMSTOWN ROSEBUD V EDGEWORTH EAGLES
ADAMSTOWN OVAL – SUNDAY 2:30PM
Adamstown will be tasked with toppling the high-flying Edgeworth Eagles but will be optimistic after their positive opening round win.
Both sides acquired the three points in their first outing, although it could be said Edgeworth’s giant 4-1 victory over premiers Maitland was a massive statement of intent.
The Eagles were in fine goal scoring form in the grand final rematch with four different goalscorers getting on the scoresheet including off season recruit and former Newcastle Jet, Kristian Brymora.
Captain Josh Evans also grabbed a goal to be announced in the Team of the Week but was accompanied in the opening round 11 by Rosebud defender and skipper Luke Rutledge, who was instrumental at the back for Adamstown.
The red and green held on for a clean sheet against Charlestown Azzurri which is something they failed to do during the entire 2019 season.
The last time Adamstown kept a clean sheet was round nine of 2018, intriguingly against upcoming opponent Edgeworth.
The result was a huge step moving forward for the side who finished last in 2019 and Sunday’s opponent, being the reigning champions, will be a great test to see where the Rosebuds are at.
The two historic clubs met in the annual Heritage Cup at the start of the year, with the Eagles running out 4-1 victors on that day to lift the pre-season silverware.
Adamstown were not flashy against Azzurri however ground out a result but coach Shane Cansdell-Sherrif said the side can go to another level.
“My approach has always been one game at a time. Last week, although a great win, it wasn’t a great game and we weren’t at our best so this week we will try to get that right and be firing,” Cansdell-Sherrif said.
“Edgeworth are a good team and club and we will show them their respect. We have a game plan but my focus is on more about what we do.
“The boys are excited to play at home. Let’s hope the weather has not affected the pitch too much.
“We invited as many of the local fans as possible to come down and support the boys.”
Edgeworth are a team all about consistency and interim coach Keelan Hamilton said the team would not get carried away with their latest outing.
“I think it’s going to be a different type of match for us this week. Obviously with the grand final rematch and everything surrounding the week, I think this week will be a standard match week and our mentality and approach will be key,” Hamilton said.
“We definitely have to improve. The result was great [against Maitland] but the performance probably wasn’t as good as we would of liked particularly around retaining possession in key areas.
“Last week was a physical match so there is a few little knocks but we’ll see how they come up and go from there.
“As a young coach it’s hard to get opportunities and the pathway for young coaches who didn’t have a big profile as a player is twice as difficult. So it’s exciting to get an opportunity [with Edgeworth]. Over the next couple of weeks I want to prove that I’m more than capable to do a job at this level and successfully.”

MAITLAND MAGPIES V LAKE MACQUARIE CITY ROOSTERS
COOKS SQUARE PARK – SUNDAY 2:30PM

Lake Macquarie will travel to play Maitland at Cooks Square Park, with both clubs looking to get on the board with points and kickstart their 2020 campaign.
Last season’s premiers, Maitland, suffered a tough 4-1 defeat to Edgeworth on opening day although showed positive signs with a handful of chances in attack but a couple of lapses in concentration at the back cost the black and white.
The Magpies introduced new signing Braedyn Crowley against the Eagles and last year’s Golden Boot winner showed glimpses of the damage he can cause defenders this season in his new colours, scoring a remarkable backheel goal to open his account for the year.
On the other hand, Lake Macquarie went down narrowly to Lambton 1-0, but certainly had their own moments to win the game with a couple of one-on-one opportunities.
Stuart Plant was monumental in goal for Lakes pulling off some impressive saves to earn an entry into the Team of the Week while the Englishmen and the entire Roosters defence will need to be on their game against Crowley, Joel Wood, James Thompson and co.
Maitland boast a tremendous record at their home ground remaining undefeated at Cooks Square Park on their way to their maiden premiership last season, which is a stat they would love to maintain this weekend.
It is a new look side for the Roosters this year under head coach Josh Rufo but Lakes showed their defensive nous to almost come away with a draw against Lambton.
Maitland will be keen to make amends for their opening day defeat and coach Mick Bolch said the Maitland side will be raring to go.
“We’ve got to compete more in the contest. We created enough chances against Edgeworth,” Bolch said.
“I think [Lakes] will be hard to break down which I expect from Josh as he sets his sides up fairly well and we’ve got to be patient and have a bit of composure on the ball.
“That was our best starting eleven ([ast week] and we’re happy with that. One bad result shouldn’t change a great deal and I’m sure if anything it will galvanise the boys and give them a point to prove this weekend.
“The boys enjoy playing [at Cooks Square Park] so it will be good to have the young guys and the youth up there watching to spur the boys on again this week.”
It doesn’t get any easier for Lakes to take on a wounded Magpies team on their home turf but Rufo said if his side stick to their guns, they can walk away with their first points of the year.
“NPL realistically every team is a challenge. Obviously Maitland are one of the top teams around but every week will be challenging and an exciting one,” Rufo said.
“To win stuff you have got to beat the good teams so that’s the mentality we have.
“In terms of the setup and principles of play nothing will change. We’ve just got to make sure we’re prepared to work harder than the opposition.
“Every game our work rate and attitude needs to be no different to what we put in against Jaffas. We do that every week we’ll score a goal and win a game.”

BROADMEADOW MAGIC V CHARLESTOWN AZZURRI
MAGIC PARK – SUNDAY 2:30PM

It will be the form side of round one in Broadmeadow Magic playing host to a wounded Charlestown Azzurri looking for a shot at redemption this weekend.
With both clubs vying for a coveted top four spot last year, it came down to the final match day between these two clubs and it was Magic who ended Charlestown’s season with a 1-0 win over Azzurri to move into the playoffs and end the blue and white’s hopes of a semi-final shot.
This season, the red and yellow are hot off a 5-0 thumping of Valentine and are excited for their return to Magic Park for the first time in 2020.
James Virgili hit the ground running scoring a double against the Phoenix while new recruits Sam Walker and Mitch Rooke also slotted straight into the line-up, with Rooke scoring a debut goal and earning a spot in the Team of the Week alongside the Virgili brothers and Jon Griffiths.
Along with the blow of losing their opening game against Adamstown, Azzurri will be without proven NPL goalscorers Scott Smith and Kane Goodchild for an extended period of time, while pre-season recruit Regan Lundy is still a couple of weeks away from a return.
Smith was the leading goal scorer in the league in 2013 while Goodchild has won that award three times and picked up the Player of the Year in 2016.
The significant losses won’t deter a determined Charlestown side who have had to blood a couple of younger players but will be desperate to show their quality and knock over Magic this weekend.
It will be tough though with Magic scoring over two-thirds of their league-best 46 goals last season at Magic Park, a stat they would love to reproduce this year.
Broadmeadow would have been jubilant with their opening showing and coach Anthony Richards knows the sign of a great side is to reproduce it the next week.
“That’s the challenge with the young team that we’ve got to back up a good result week in, week out and that’s our challenge to get to that level,” Richards said.
“It’s a terrific venue [Magic Park]. It is really good to play there, even for a visiting team it’s always good to play there.
“They’re a good side [Charlestown] Don’t be fooled by round one. They’ve got some good experienced players in Matt Tull, Rene Ferguson and Nathan Archibold. They will be tough to beat.
“We’ll have the same squad. We might try and rotate it this week but everyone got through last week injury free so we should be good to go.”
After a tough start to open the season with injuries and a loss, Charlestown coach Graham Law said he thoroughly believed his squad had enough quality to still compete.
“The guys are going to have to share the load. We’ve lost two of the most prominent goalscorers in the league, so we need to be able to replenish that across the park,” Law said.
“I’ve got a lot of belief in this squad. I know what they’re capable of and there is still a strong squad there and we’ll give it a crack.
“I will look to the youth and give these guys a chance over this year.
“There is an expectation for Magic to take the game to you [at home] and we’ll plan accordingly. And if we compete at our potential we can get a result.”

Source: https://northernnswfootball.com.au

NPL SENIORS:
On Sunday 12th July Newcastle Olympic seniors played away to Weston at Rockwell Automation Park and came away with three wins!

First Grade defeated the Weston Workers Bears in the first round of the competition by 2-1. Both goals for Olympic were scored by Blake Green.

Olympic reserve grade won 1-0 while our u18s won 4-0.

Herald Women’s Premier League:
On Sunday 12th July Newcastle WPL teams played against Warners Bay at John Street Oval and came away with four wins in as many matches.

First Grade won 4-0 with three goals scored by Jemma House and one by Georgia Amess. Reserve Grade won 6-0, our u17s won 3-1 and our u14s won 7-0!

YOUTH NPL:
Newcastle Olympic took on Adamstown in Round 3 of the season at Darling St Oval on Sunday 11th July and dominated in all four games.

U13s won 4-0, u14s won 7-0, u15s won 7-1 and u16s won 8-0!

ZONE LEAGUE:
Newcastle Olympic teams had a bye.

SAP/NET:

SAP teams did not have any scheduled matches.

U12s NET played at 10:30AM at Darling St Oval on Saturday 11th July and lost 1-0.

OVER 35s:
Newcastle Olympic Over 35s played at 7:00 PM at Islington Oval vs Dudley Readhead on Friday night 10th July and won by 11-1.

Community Juniors:
Newcastle Community juniors played Round 2 of the season on Saturday 11th July at Darling St Oval and played some outstanding football against teams from Meryland Fletcher, South Wallsend, Cooks Hill, and Mayfield.

Source: Tom Tsamouras

NPL SENIORS:
On Sunday 12th July Newcastle Olympic are away to Weston at Rockwell Automation Park.
U18s kick off at 10:15AM
Reserves kick off at 12.15PM
First Grade kick off at 2:30PM

WPL:
On Sunday 12th July Newcastle WPL teams play against Warners Bay at John Street Oval.
U14s kick off at 9:00AM
U17s Kick off at 10:50AM
U20s kick off at 12:50PM
First Grade kick off at 3:00PM

YOUTH NPL:
Newcastle Olympic take on Adamstown in Round 3 of the season at Darling St Oval on Sunday 11th July.
U13s kick off at 9:00 AM
U14s kick off at 11:00 AM
U15s kick off at 1:00 PM
U16s kick off at 3:00 PM

ZONE LEAGUE:
Newcastle Olympic Zone League teams have a bye.

SAP/NET:

U12s NET kick off at 10:30AM at Darling St Oval on Saturday 11th July

OVER 35s:
Newcastle Olympic Over 35s kick off at 7:00 PM at Islington Oval vs Dudley Readhead on Friday night 10th July.

Community Juniors:
Newcastle Community juniors play Round 2 of the season on Saturday 11th July.
U6s/01 kick off at 8:30AM at Darling St Oval 1 against Meryland Fletcher.
U6s/02 kick off at 8:30AM at Darling St Oval against South Wallsend.
U6s/03 kick off at 8:30AM at Darling St Oval against Cooks Hill.
U7s/01 kick off at 8:30AM at Darling St Oval against Meryland Fletcher.
U7s/02 kick off at 8:30AM at Darling St Oval against Mayfield Junior
U8s/01 kick off at 10:30AM at Darling St Oval MiniRoos against Mayfield Junior
U8s/02 kick off at 9:30AM at Darling St Oval MiniRoos against Mayfield Junior
U8s/03 kick off at 8:30 AM at Darling St Oval MiniRoos against Maryland Fletcher
Source: Tom Tsamouras

The wait is finally over and the first round of the National Premier Leagues Northern NSW will get underway this weekend. Season 2020 was originally scheduled to kick off in late March but was forced to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

WESTON VS NEWCASTLE OLYMPIC
SUNDAY 2:30PM – ROCKWELL AUTOMATION PARK

Weston will take on Newcastle Olympic in a match that appears even on paper with both sides boasting quality that can turn any game.
The Bears narrowly missed out on a finals spot last year and this year the agenda is firmly set on returning to the finals mix.
The black and white have brought in ex-Kiwi international Leo Bertos to the head coaching position to replace Kew Jaliens. Bertos will look to have an immediate effect on his side when they take on Newcastle Olympic.
The Bears also hold a great home record at Rockwell Automation Park and will look to continue that stat against Olympic, having not been beaten there since round one last season.
Newcastle Olympic are back this year under their original name and are also a team looking to improve on their showing last year.
The club parted ways with Peter McGuinness before their round one clash with Alex Tagaroulias stepping in as interim coach.
Newcastle has signed Brazilian Rudnei Sheldon from the Western Australian NPL, while they have lost Shinichi Kawachi and Reece Petit before the start of the campaign.
The Bears held the upper hand in the previous games between the two sides, coming off a draw and a win against Olympic last year. But Bertos is still unsure how it will play out and believes his side must be aware of Olympic.
“It’s going to be interesting. We’re not too sure what to expect but I do know from being there traditionally Olympic are a team that like to score goals and that’s what we’re trying to be this year,” Bertos said.
“I just want to see the effort and competing for the full 90 minutes and get through the game ok, players staying disciplined in their roles.
“At this point in time, it’s just really getting through the first couple of rounds.
“Our aim is to improve on last year. Kew did a great job last season. They just fell short and the guys are really hungry to go further.”

EDGEWORTH EAGLES VS MAITLAND F.C
SUNDAY 2:30PM – JACK MCLAUGHLIN OVAL

Heavyweights Edgeworth and Maitland will do battle at Jack McLaughlin Oval on Sunday almost 10 months since the Eagles were crowned champions after their 2-0 triumph in the 2019 decider.
The fixture looms as another colossal encounter between the two sides with both clubs returning with strong squads looking to pick up where they left off in 2019.
The biggest story of the suspension sees the Eagles without long-time head coach Damian Zane after Zane stood down from his role at the club.
Keelan Hamilton will take the reigns as interim coach and boasts an impressive coaching record having guided the New Lambton Eagles WPL outfit to the double last season.
Edgeworth have been bolstered by the return of centre-back Ayden Brice and have also acquired former Newcastle Jets striker Kristian Brymora to the red and black.
Defending premiers in Maitland will be gunning for more of the same this season with the challenge laid before them to repeat their commendable success of last year.
The Magpies picked up last year’s Golden Boot winner Braedyn Crowley while they welcome back Matt Comerford to their squad.
Maitland have lost key midfielder Matt Thompson from their premiership winning side but look to have assembled another star studded line-up.
Edgeworth boast a tremendous home record at Jack McLaughlin Oval, having only lost a handful of fixtures at their beloved home ground in the last three seasons.
With the shortened season in 2020 reduced to 13 rounds, both sides will view the game as an ideal opportunity to hit the ground running and gain an advantage on a potential premiership rival.
In the 2019 fixtures between the two sides, both sides shared the points in the two regular season games including a 3-1 win to Edgeworth at Jack McLaughlin Oval.
Although few can forget last year’s enthralling grand final spectacle, with two late Daniel Fabrizio goals the difference between the sides.
Both squads are largely similar to those that played in the 2019 grand final so the game shapes up as another must-watch between these proud teams.
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LAKE MACQUARIE CITY VS LAMBTON JAFFAS
SUNDAY 1:45PM – MACQUARIE FIELD

In the highly-anticipated first game of the season, Lake Macquarie will host Lambton Jaffas to kick off their campaign on Sunday.
Both squads look vastly different to this time last year after strong recruitment drives from both clubs.
The Roosters were disappointed with their 2019 finish of ninth and have brought in some quality acquisitions in Chris Berlin, Cal Lewis and Reece Newton.
But Lakes have lost key player and captain Sam Walker to Broadmeadow, with Walker scoring 12 goals last term for Lake Macquarie.
Josh Rufo will also take to the dugout for his first match in charge of the historic club and will look to reel off a huge opening day win over a strong Lambton side.
Lambton were only one game away from a grand final last season and have brought in some high-quality personnel to bolster their stocks including reigning Graham Jennings Medal winner Mitch Oxborrow along with former Newcastle Jets midfielder Matt Thompson, exciting attacker Kale Bradbury. Riley McNaughton also returns to the Jaffas.
The big out for Lambton is last year’s leading goal scorer Braedyn Crowley after his move to Maitland but the Jaffas will feel they have strike all over the park. It was their defence that was their biggest asset last term only conceding a league best 18 goals, a stat they would love to reproduce with former A-League goalkeeper Ben Kennedy between the posts.
James Pascoe is again at the helm of the 2014 and 2017 champions and will look to produce a quality display to get off on the right foot in 2020.
Both teams played a number of trial games in the build up to round one after the long lay-off but will be eager to fire up the competitive engines and play for points at Macquarie Field.
Lambton held the edge over Lakes last campaign with two wins from two in their games against each other, including a 5-1 victory over Lakes in last year’s opening round clash.
With the new-look squads and extended pre-season, the team that can find their feet early and produce fluency will go a long way to winning this opening encounter.
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VALENTINE PHOENIX VS BROADMEADOW MAGIC
SUNDAY 2:30PM – CB COMPLEX

It will be Valentine Phoenix to take on Broadmeadow Magic in a mouth-watering opening day match at CB Complex.
Both sides are quietly optimistic about their chances in season 2020 and believe they can be there at the pointy end of the season.
Valentine were left disappointed with their 10th-placed finish last season having only picked up three wins but now they believe they have the right group of players to turn the tide.
Former A-League player Adam Hughes has come in to strengthen the Phoenix backline while they have also locked in experienced goalkeeper Danny Ireland to reassure a defence that leaked 60 goals last term.
Co-coaches Darren Sills and Sam Griffin have set high ambitions for the Phoenix and will desire a win to start their campaign.
As for Broadmeadow, Magic continually strive to be the best team in the area and were on the cusp of a grand final last season only to be denied by a resurgent Maitland.
That season-ending heartbreak will fuel Broadmeadow this year as they look to return to the top of the mountain.
Assistant coach from last year Anthony Richards has taken over from Ruben Zadkovich as head coach but already has a familiarity with the players after spending the last couple of seasons at Magic Park and was part of the 2018 championship-winning coaching staff.
Richards has brought in prolific goal scorer Sam Walker to partner James Virgili in attack and has signed Tom Smart from Charlestown.
The losses of Mitch Oxborrow and Kale Bradbury to Lambton and Josh Piddington’s retirement will hurt Magic with the exit of so much experience.
Broadmeadow have a superior record over Valentine in recent years which includes an emphatic 9-1 win over the Phoenix last year. But Richards said his team were prepared to face a tough assignment on Sunday.
“We had the news that the players weren’t getting paid nice and early but to their credit they all turned back up. They all just enjoy each other’s company,” Richards said.
“Even before COVID we were travelling in the right direction and starting to get things happening. It gave time for boys with niggling injuries to get over them.
“You can’t let the big teams get away from you and it is important to get off to a good start. Valentine are a good side who have recruited well and with some good players from last year still. So it will be a good game.”
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CHARLESTOWN AZZURRI VS ADAMSTOWN ROSEBUD
SUNDAY 2:30PM – LISLE CARR OVAL

Charlestown Azzurri and Adamstown Rosebud will lock horns in a fierce round one battle at Lisle Carr Oval.
The wait is over for both clubs who were eagerly awaiting the 2020 season after not reaching the finals the previous year.
Charlestown is back under the Azzurri name and looking for a change in fortune having finished sixth the last two years.
The club appointed Graham Law to the head coaching position after a successful tenure with Cooks Hill United and Charlestown look to have put together another determined squad.
They have lost key players though from the initial line-up including Lachlan Pasquale and Scott Smith and will likely feature a lot of younger players this season.
Nathan Archbold remains between the sticks for the blue and white having picked up the Bill Mahoney award for Goalkeeper of the Year last year.
Adamstown endured a tough season last year to finish last but put together an impressive Heritage Cup campaign before the season was postponed, finishing runners-up to fuel some optimism ahead of the season for Rosebud fans.
The red and green have been boosted by the return of Shane Cansdell-Sherriff who will be player-coach this year, bringing a wealth of experience to the backline.
The historic club have not featured in the finals for a long time and the youthful Adamstown will be eager to atone for their showing last season and fight for a place up the ladder.
Charlestown beat Adamstown both times last season with comfortable 3-1 and 3-0 wins in their fixtures.

source: https://northernnswfootball.com.au