Melbourne City FC commences its inaugural PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues (NPL) campaign on Saturday afternoon against Moreland City FC at JL Murphy Reserve, Port Melbourne.
Following the Club’s title-winning Foxtel National Youth League (FNYL) season, the Club’s youth system will be boosted by the inclusion of two Melbourne City FC youth development teams – in the NPL1 – Victoria’s second tier club competition – and at under-20s level.
Melbourne City FC will compete in the West conference, with the competition split across East and West, with 10 teams in each conference.
The competition will provide the Club with a ‘year-round’ youth pathway to the Hyundai A-League, with the additional inclusion of a Melbourne City FC team at the under-20s level.
FNYL title-winning Head Coach Joe Palatsides, who has been with the Club for three consecutive seasons, will oversee the operations of both teams as the Club’s Head of Academy Coaching.
“The NPL sides are crucial for our development of the next generation of National Youth League and A-League players,” Palatsides said.
“The Club is also proud of fostering local coaching talent and now has six local coaches from the Victorian football community involved across the youth and senior teams.”
The NPL1 team will be led by proven youth and former W-League coach Joe Montemurro, while Lachlan Armstrong has been appointed as the senior team’s Assistant Coach. Sam Frangos has been appointed as the NP1 Goalkeeping Coach.
Montemurro has a UEFA Pro Licence, and has vast experience within the Victorian youth system, having coached young boys and girls through the National Training Centre (NTC) program and youth teams at Victorian clubs Green Gully, Melbourne Knights and South Melbourne.
Montemurro has also coached at senior positions and said he was excited about the challenge of helping develop Melbourne City FC’s next generation.
“This is a great development for football at a local and youth level and I feel privileged to be able to be part of this program,” Montemurro said.
“With dedicated youth facilities at our new home at the City Football Academy, we are confident that we can get the best out of the young boys we have selected in a great environment.”
Both the NPL1 and under-20s teams will train at Melbourne City FC’s Academy Pitches, which are considered Hyundai A-League standard training pitches, located at the Club’s new headquarters at the City Football Academy, Melbourne.
Axia Building Group will be the team’s front of shirt partner, while City in the Community will be the team’s back-of-shirt which will raise further awareness of the Club’s award-winning Community program.
The top team from each NPL 1 conference will meet in the NPL 1 Grand Final on September 20, with the runner-up of each NPL 1 conference to play off for the chance to face the 12th-placed NPL team for a spot in the top-tier NPL in 2016.
About the PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues
The National Premier Leagues (NPL) is a new national second tier competition in Australia which underpins the Hyundai A-League. The NPL operates in each Member Federation under a single national banner.
About Axia Building Group
Axia Building Group is a residential construction company that prides itself on building high-quality best-value-for-money family homes. In addition to building custom designed luxury homes, a key element of the business is land development (subdivision) and the provision of affordable housing options (such as town houses) in relatively high-cost inner-city suburbs (multi-dwelling development & knockdown rebuild). Whether you are building a family home or investment property Axia provides a comprehensive Project Management Service that encompassing the entire spectrum from project conception, feasibility and financial analysis, design, town planning and construction. Website: www.axiagroup.com.au
Melbourne City FC NPL Squad
- Marko Stevanja
- Yaren Sozer
- Nicholas Symeoy
- Matthew Millar
- Tyler James
- Phil Petreski
- Luka Prelevic
- Luke Gallo
- Hernan Espindola
- Wade Dekker
- Marc Marino
- Anthony Rizk
- Tomislav Fadljevic
- Baki Efe
- Joseph Monek
- Leo Athanasiou
- Trey O’Sullivan
- Anthony Taranto
- Stefan Zinni
- Haralambos Stamboulidis
- Ratip Cileli
- Nick Morton
- Tom Podaridis
- Mehdi Sarwari
- Ali Eiygun
- Jack West-Astuti
- Morgan Filer
- Baley Row
- Michael Yoseski
- Tom Barforosh
- Alex Petropoulos
- Yianni Skliros
- Steven Lechowicz
- Denis Genreau
- Gerrie Sylaidios
- Mersim Memeti
- Dylan Pierias
- Nicholas Georgiou
- Connor Metcalfe
- Nicolas Gonzalez
- Darby Dexter
Melbourne City FC Fixtures
| Round | Opponent | Date | Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Moreland City | Sat 7 Mar | 3pm | JL Murphy Reserve |
| 4 | Brunswick City | Sat 21 Mar | 3pm | Dunstan Reserve |
| 5 | Springvale White Eagles | Sat 28 Mar | 3pm | White Eagles Stadium |
| 1 | Whittlesea Ranges | Wed 1 Apr | 8:30pm | Epping Stadium |
| 6 | FC Bulleen Lions | Mon 6 Apr | 8:30pm | David Barro Stadium |
| 7 | Nunawading City | Sun 12 Apr | 3pm | Mahoneys Reserve |
| 8 | Melbourne Victory | Sat 18 Apr | 3pm | TBC |
| 9 | Ballarat Red Devils | Sat 25 Apr | 3pm | Morshead Park Stadium |
| 10 | Box Hill United | Sat 2 May | 3:15pm | Wembley Park |
| 11 | Moreland Zebras | Sat 9 May | 4pm | CB Smith Reserve |
| 12 | Sunshine George Cross | Sat 16 May | 3pm | Chaplin Reserve |
| 13 | Murray United | Sat 23 May | 3pm | Diamonds on La Trobe |
| 14 | Whittlesea Ranges | Sat 30 May | 3pm | Epping Stadium |
| 15 | Bendigo City | Sat 6 Jun | 3pm | Epsom Huntly Reserve |
| 16 | Richmond | Fri 12 Jun | 8:30pm | Kevin Bartlett Reserve |
| 17 | St Albans Saints | Sat 20 Jun | 3pm | Churchill Reserve |
| 18 | Moreland City | Sat 27 Jun | 3pm | Campbell Reserve |
| 19 | Dandenong City | Sat 4 Jul | 3pm | Frank Holohan Soccer Complex |
| 20 | Bendigo City | Sat 11 Jul | 3pm | Epsom Huntly Reserve |
| 21 | Eastern Lions | Sat 18 Jul | 3pm | Gardiners Creek Reserve |
| 22 | Brunswick City | Sat 25 Jul | 3pm | Dunstan Reserve |
| 2 | St Albans Saints | Sat 1 Aug | 3pm | Churchill Reserve |
| 23 | Goulburn Valley Suns | Sat 8 Aug | 5pm | John McEwen Reserve |
| 24 | FC Bulleen Lions | Mon 27 Aug | 8:30pm | David Barro Stadium |
| 25 | Ballarat Red Devils | Sat 22 Aug | 3pm | Morshead Park Stadium |
| 26 | Kingston City | Mon 31 Aug | 8:30pm | The Grange Reserve |
| 27 | Moreland Zebras | Sat 5 Sep | 4pm | CB Smith Reserve |
| 28 | Sunshine George Cross | Sat 12 Sep | 3pm | Chaplin Reserve |
