With the RAA National Premier League season less than three weeks away from its historic season opener, four of South Australia’s top tier teams continued to hone their skills against Victorian opposition over the weekend in some final pre-season friendlies.
The teams set out with clear objectives that they wanted to achieve over the weekend, beyond the result on the scoreboard. MetroStars Senior Men's Head Coach, Danny Graystone indicated it was the club's view to explore the benchmarking of Victorian teams against their own:
[It gave us the] ability to gauge our physical competencies against a strong, hard-working team to ascertain any areas to improve. It gave the club the opportunity to network with other ambitious clubs targeting the B-League and discuss club philosophies.”
Speaking on behalf of the club, Danny did not shy away from the importance the overall experience provided the players, emulating that of a professional football team schedule:
We were provided the opportunity to build team morale and expose players to the realities of professional football and what the B-League would look like; the travel, accommodation, team meals, team walk and ability to focus on the game with no distractions.”
A heroic James Temelkovski brace put MetroStars in good stead to secure a 3-4 win against 2022 Victorian NPL champions and former home of Craig Goodwin, Oakleigh Cannons. Although Oakleigh managed a 5-0 win in their 2022 Victoria NPL grand final, they were no match for MetroStars, who took a one-goal advantage into half time through Temelkovski’s first contribution to the scoreboard. A rampant second half saw both sides find the back of the net on several occasions, including James adding to his tally once more. Jackson Walls also bagged a brace to ensure MetroStars brought bragging rights back over the border at the weekend’s end.
2022 preliminary finalists, Campbelltown City took on hefty competition in NPL Victoria grand-finalists, South Melbourne at Lakeside Stadium on Saturday 28th January. Hellas used their home-ground advantage to take the lead early through Brad Norton’s left-foot drive straight down the centre of goal from the top of the box. However, the blue and white couldn’t hold on, with Campbelltown City’s Alex Mullen securing a late equaliser. Mullen pounced on a poorly headed clearance with swift ball control and a beautiful turn to guide the ball into the back of the net from well outside the box.
Footage courtesy of South Melbourne FC
The draw capped off a positive pre-season for Campbelltown City, who are yet to lose a pre-season match. Captain, Alex Mullen will be hoping to take that momentum straight into the start of the RAA NPL season:
The trip to Melbourne was an excellent opportunity for us to test ourselves against one of the top NPL sides in the country. We identified areas for improvement, but it also highlighted that we have the talent and depth in our squad to be successful this season.”
Adelaide Comets set themselves a challenge, taking on two Victorian sides across the weekend to expose their young side to strong opposition. Comets started their long weekend on Friday 27th against 2022 6th-placed, Heidelberg United. The Warriors opened the scoring in the opening half but had their advantage cancelled out by a perfect Jaiden Diamantis' penalty, sending the keeper the wrong way to even the score before the half-time break. Comets were able to hold Heidelberg to a 1-1 draw at the full-time whistle in hot conditions.
Footage courtesy of Adelaide Comets FC
The 2022 grand-finalists backed up Friday’s effort on Saturday by taking on NPL Victoria 2 outfit, Northcote City. Zac Bates opened Northcote’s account with a neat finish after his defensive pressure caused the ball to be turned over within the box. However, Comets didn't drop their heads and were able to turn the score-line around with goals from Jaiden Diamantis; his second for the weekend, and Ryan Cook to cement the 2-1 win.
FK Beograd rounded out a dominant weekend of South Australian sides in Victoria with a mammoth performance against recently promoted Victorian State League 1 North-West contingent, Westgate Sindjelic, securing a 6-0 win. Maksim Ivanic's hattrick, alongside a brace from Peter Akot and a strike from Andoni Natsiopoulos silenced the opposition, who could not find a reply.
2022 Sergio Melta medallist, Alex Mullen was complimentary of the overall experience for all attending South Australian sides on both a skills and team-building level:
Interstate trips can benefit our SA sides by exposing players and coaches to the different styles of play, tactics, and strategies used by other federation teams. The NPL Victoria is probably considered the benchmark in Australia, so these trips provide an opportunity for our SA teams to gauge their quality and identify areas for improvement. Also, being away together is a great way to build team camaraderie among players, coaches, and staff.”
With pre-season in its final stages, the South Australian RAA National Premier Leagues’ curtain raiser sees treble winners Adelaide City face West Adelaide, who re-enter the top tier after a 3 year hiatus on Friday 17th February.