Current Season to Date
Firstly
please note that the UK pools will refer to Bunbury Forum Force as South West
Phoenix and Olympia Warriors as Hobart Olympic. Why they refuse to change the names
is beyond me as they have had two months of knowing of the name changes but
have still ignored them.
Victoria Division One
As
predicted in my piece on the close season the Preston Lions are struggling in
this division after being relegated from the Premier League. To date they have
no points on the board and rumours this week are that the club, founded in
1949, is in serious financial difficulties and could fold before the end of the
season. At the top are Whittlesea Zebras who, under coach Gianfranco Impellizzeri, have won four out of six matches but
they have a chasing pack of four sides just a point behind them. St Albans
Saints would have been up there in the mix too had it not been for a three
point deduction before the season started for irregularities at the end of the
2009 season. The competition at the top for the two promotion places is very
hot and not one side is pulling away.
This is an open division with more away wins to date than home wins.
Victoria Division Two
Unbeaten
Port Melbourne Sharks are three points clear of the chasing pack having played
two of them and facing the third, Werrribee City, this coming Saturday in a
game which, if they win, will make them look pretty unassailable at the top and
the automatic promotion spot to Division One. By contrast Sydenham Park are
propping up the table with only one point gained at fellow strugglers Ballarat
Red Devils. Werrribee City are still looking for that top place and started
positively with four wins which they will hope to extend at Galvin Park against
the Sharks and spoil their party. Joe Spiteri has already popped in five for
them and with his experience they will be there come the finish in early
September.
Victoria Division Three
Southern
Stars have had a great start to the season and sit three points clear of
Diamond Valley United. The two meet at Ross Reserve in a couple of weeks in
what could be the crunch match of the division so far. This division has
produced nine draws so far and the remaining games have gone mostly with the
home sides. The other Southern named side, Suburbs, are firmly at the bottom
and there have been some reported punch ups at the training ground and major
disagreements with the coach.
Victoria Division Four
Four clubs
head the table separated by just two points in the tightest division so far
reviewed. Twelve draws have come so far with Lalor being involved in five of
them. Maribyrnong Greens started the season with a three point deduction for
irregularities at the end of the 2009 season while newly promoted Essendon
United are, as predicted, struggling in the division.
Victoria Division Five
South
Springvale lead by a couple of points from Noble Park United but Kingston City
squandered the chance to go top when they lost on Monday night 2:0 to Mornington
at The Grange. This could be a costly error come September. On field discipline
has been bad in this division with red cards issued like confetti in a few
games. Springvale City and Waverley Wanderers have had their fair share of
these problems and suspensions will play an important part in the results. Once
more a dearth of draws here with only five so far and the remaining games split
between home and away wins making forecasting somewhat tricky.
Victoria Division Six
Romping
away at the top are Avondale Heights whilst fellow promoted team, North City
Lions, have yet to score a point. With a 100% record Avondale visit second
placed Corio this Saturday at Hume Reserve in Geelong. Again we have only five
draws to date here and another even mixture of home wins and away wins.
Victoria Division Seven
This
divison will feature sparingly on the coupons and currently has two of the Old
Boys teams at the top in Scotch and Camberwell Grammer. Draws have been more
abundant here with twelve so far with Warragul United having a quarter of them
along with joint leading scorer Paul Cooper.
West Australia Premier
The two
power houses, Western Knights and Perth SC, are fighting it out at the top
after nine games with Floreat Athena and Balcatta (yes Balcatta) just a few
points back. Graham Normanton’s Perth
side have wobbled recently losing 5:1 to Balcatta and drawing last Sunday 1:1
at Swan United. David Onoforo has struggled this season after taking the Golden
Boot in 2009 and Branimir Mukulic is the current leader with ten goals for
Athena followed by Ashley Rosendale of Balcatta who topped the scorers in
Division One in 2009. At the bottom three teams are currently looking
relegation candidates for the one place and this league has produced a good
measure of draws so far with fourteen with three teams being involved in four
each – Armadale, Joondalup and Swan. Meanwhile Stirling Lions have already
changed their coach and appointed Paul Lincoln in a move which has been highly
successful for them despite losing captain Jordy Rhodes and star player David
Dugdale to other clubs in a shake up at Macedonia Park. Newly promoted Balcatta
have been the big surprise so far and are now looking to consolidate their
excellent start and look for a top five finals place.
West Australia Division One
Newly
named Bunbury Forum Force (South West Phoenix still on the coupons) are joint
leaders with surprise outfit Gosnells City. Both have lost only one match so
far and they meet this Saturday in what will be a thrilling match. SWP have
banged in 33 goals in just seven matches with David Rogers contributing 11 of
them to lead in the Golden Boot race. Queens Park, as suggested, are looking
favourite to drop back in to the amateur Sunday league with only three points
so far on the board but just above them are Fremantle who have not won a game
yet but have four of the division’s five draws so far to their credit.
South Australia Super League
Last
seasons champions and grand finalists MetroStars are three points clear of the pack
at the top dropping only four points but snapping at their heels are Blue
Eagles, Galaxy and Campbelltown. Scott Tunbridge has been the rock for
MetroStars netting eight times to lead the Golden Boot table jointly with Chad
Bugeja who Galaxy signed from Adelaide City in the summer. Galaxy, meanwhile,
are unbeaten but have four draws in seven games and will be looking to sharpen
themselves in the coming games. Their star striker is James Markham on whom
great hopes will be pinned if they are to take the title. Disappointing season
so far for the great Adelaide City who were beaten 3:1 last Monday evening at
home by Para Hill Knights in a surprise result which underlines city’s demise in
recent years. Promoted Cumberland United are struggling at the bottom along
with fellow promoted side Adelaide Cobras who are only a point above them.
Cobras had three red cards last weekend and will not be in much shape for their
next game. Draws have not been too frequent here.
South Australia Premier League
By contrast
the two relegated Super League sides Modbury Jets and Adelaide Hills are
running amok in their bids to return to top flight football and these two meet
at Hawks Nest in a weeks time in a clash of the titans. Sam Bowman and Nathan
Elliot spearhead Hills attack scoring nine of the 15 goals between them whilst
the Jets have top scorer Shayne Pearce to thank for seven goals. Newly promoted
Enfield are doing well but White city Woodville, after a few off season
changes, are struggling at the bottom of the table. Only six draws here in the
35 games played so maybe a division to avoid.
South Australia State League
In a
reduced division of only nine clubs there is a fascinating three-way tussle for
the lead with Northern Demons (from the city of Port Pirie), Noarlunga and
Toros all locked on 13 points. Toros though rely on two strikers in Adrian
Cazzetta and James Anic-Kaliger who have scored 12 of their 15 goals this
season. A key game here will be Demons trip south to Noarlunga in a weeks time.
Tasmania North Premier League
This is
the league for predictable results and few draws. Devonport City are a point
clear of champions Northern Rangers who are battling it out this season as they
did in 2009. They meet at Valley Road for the first time in a couple of weeks
in a match that could determine the title winners come late August. Only three
draws to date and an amazing 13:0 win by Burnie on the opening day. Some other
high scores here too and with both Launceston sides, City and United, becoming
whipping boys the forecasting of results is not that difficult. The North is
the weaker of the two leagues a fact epitomised by the abysmal failure of their
four sides in last seasons Statewide finals. The 2010 cup has been unkind to
the northern teams as well with Somerset losing to a non league side last
weekend from the south whilst Northern Rangers went out to southern champions
South Hobart. Devonport flew the flag with a 5:0 win over Kingborough Lions.
Tasmania South Premier League
A one
horse race here with South Hobart on 25 points some eight point clear of
nearest challengers Glenorchy Knights who do have a match in hand. Hobart
Olympic, despite their name change to Olympia Warriors, prop up the table with
just two draws after nine matches and must be favourite to drop to division
one. Draws here have been up on previous seasons with nine to date. This
division will though not be featured that often on the coupons.