Wolves to host Lions FC in NPL Finals Series Finale
The Wollongong Wolves will host Lions FC in the National Premier Leagues (NPL) 2019 Grand Final next weekend.
Lions FC earned their second consecutive NPL Grand Final berth after defeating Maitland FC 2-0 at Cooks Square Park on Saturday afternoon.
The Wollongong Wolves booked their berth after also accounting for Perth SC 2-0 at Albert Butler Park this afternoon.
Throughout the NPL 2019 Finals Series the Wollongong Wolves accrued 24 points to the Lions FC 16 (see points system below for calculation details) which gave them the hosting rights for the NPL 2019 Grand Final.
Full match details for the NPL 2019 Grand Final will be announced in the coming days.
The NPL 2019 Finals Series brings together the eight teams who finished top of their respective NPL standings at the end of their regular seasons to determine Australia’s best NPL side.
Once again, Mitre is the Official Match Ball Supplier of the NPL 2019 Final Series.
2019 marks the seventh edition of the NPL Finals Series, which was won last year by South Australian club Campbelltown City SC. Sydney United 58 FC won the inaugural competition in 2013 and in 2016, while MetroStars SC from South Australia (2014), Blacktown City FC from New South Wales (2015) and Heidelberg United FC from Victoria (2017) have also been crowned Champions of the series in the past.
The winner of the NPL 2019 Finals Series will receive automatic entry into the FFA Cup 2020 Final Rounds, providing an added incentive for the eight clubs taking part.
Every match in the NPL 2019 Finals Series will be streamed LIVE on www.nationalpremierleagues.com.au as well as via the official Hyundai A-League Facebook page (www.facebook.com/aleague).
National Premier Leagues 2019 Finals Series
| MATCH | National Premier Leagues 2019 Elimination Finals | Venue | Kick-Off (Local) | |||
| 1 | Sunday 22 September 2019 | Lions FC (QLD) | 2:1 | Campbelltown City SC (SA) | Lions Stadium, Richlands, QLD | 1:00 PM AEST |
| 2 | Saturday 21 September 2019 | Maitland FC (NSW) | 3:2 | Devonport Strikers (TAS) | Cooks Square Park, Maitland, NSW | 1:00 PM AEST |
| 3 | Saturday 21 September 2019 | Wollongong Wolves (NSW) | 5:1 | Canberra Olympic (ACT) | Albert Butler Park, Primbee, NSW | 3:00 PM AEST |
| 4 | Sunday 22 September 2019 | Heidelberg United FC (VIC) | 2:3 (aet) | Perth SC (WA) | JL Murphy Reserve, Port Melbourne, VIC | 4:30 PM AEST |
| National Premier Leagues 2019 Semi Finals | Venue | Kick-Off (Local) | ||||
| 5 | Saturday 28 September 2019 | Maitland FC (NSW) | 0:2 | Lions FC (QLD) | Cooks Square Park, Maitland NSW | 2:30 PM AEST |
| 6 | Sunday 29 September 2019 | Wollongong Wolves (NSW) | 2:0 | Perth SC (WA) | Albert Butler Park, Primbee, NSW | 2:30 PM AEST |
| National Premier Leagues 2019 Grand Final | Venue | Kick-Off (Local) | ||||
| Grand Final | 5 or 6 or 7 October 2019 | Winner of Match 5 | vs | Winner of Match 6 | TBC | TBC |
*Please note this schedule is subject to change
POINTS SYSTEM TO DETERMINE HOSTS OF SEMI FINALS AND GRAND FINAL:
To determine the host Member Federation clubs for the Semi Finals and Grand Final, the following points system will apply.
- Win within normal time (i.e. 90 minutes) = 3 points
- Win during extra time = 2 points
- Win on penalties = 1 point
- Goals scored by home team (excluding penalty shootouts) = 3 points
- Goals scored by away team (excluding penalty shootouts) = 4 points
- Goals conceded (excluding penalty shootouts) = -1 point
- Yellow cards = -1 point; and
- Red cards = -3 points
The host of the NPL 2019 Grand Final will be determined by the club with the highest accumulation of points across the Elimination Finals and Semi Finals.
