Posts by Mark Stavroulakis
NPL Men’s and Under 20’s NSW Championship Series Format Confirmed
The 2026 NPL Men’s NSW Championship Series is set to deliver three rounds of finals football across both the First Grade and Under 20s competitions, with the state’s best clubs preparing for a dramatic conclusion to the season. With the regular season nearing its conclusion, the Championship Series format has been confirmed, with the First…
Read MoreRound 29 Review – NPL Men’s NSW
Let’s take a look back at all the action from Round 29 of the National Premier Leagues NSW competition. Sydney FC 1 v Rockdale Ilinden 0 @ Ilinden Sports Centre Sydney FC kept their finals hopes alive with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Rockdale Ilinden at Ilinden Sports Centre, ending their seven-game winless run and…
Read MoreAPIA Leichhardt Crowned 2026 NPL Men’s NSW Premiers
APIA Leichhardt have been crowned the 2026 NPL Men’s NSW Premiers with a round to spare after securing the point they needed in a tense 0-0 draw against Sydney United 58 at Sydney United Sports Centre. The point was enough for the famous Italian club to secure yet another trophy during a special spell under…
Read MoreWolves keep finals dream alive with win over Wanderers
Wollongong Wolves FC kept their NPL Men’s NSW finals hopes alive with a hard-fought 3-0 victory over the Western Sydney Wanderers at Macedonia Park on Sunday afternoon. The Wolves produced a clinical display, with goals from Sebastian Hernandez and Marcus Beattie and an Emile Katrib own goal securing all three points. Both sides made a…
Read MoreElhelou The Hero As Marconi Condemn Olympic To Relegation
Marconi Stallions defeated Sydney Olympic 1-0 on Sunday afternoon in the penultimate round of the NPL Men’s NSW regular season, with substitute Ahmad Elhelou scoring a late winner in a tight encounter at Belmore Sports Ground. The two sides were separated by just one goal, with Elhelou finding the decisive strike only minutes after coming…
Read MoreSaints Dig Deep To Keep Survival Hopes Alive
St George FC have kept their survival hopes alive after a remarkable 1-0 victory over Blacktown City in their penultimate fixture of the NPL Men’s NSW season. The Saints faced a must-win contest as they continue their battle to avoid automatic relegation and secure a place in the promotion/relegation play-off, but they could hardly have…
Read MoreNWS Spirit Take Major Step Towards Finals With Raiders Victory
NWS Spirit FC have taken a major step towards securing finals football in 2026 after a tense and fiery 1-0 victory over SD Raiders FC at Valentine Sports Park. From kick-off, the contest felt destined for drama, and there was plenty of it during an eventful first half. SD Raiders had an excellent opportunity just…
Read MoreManly United Keep Finals Destiny In Their Own Hands
Manly United have ensured their hopes of playing NPL Men’s NSW finals football remain in their own hands on the final day after a crucial 2-0 victory over UNSW FC at The Village Green on Saturday evening. Luke Nieuwenhof and Saxon Hillyer provided the decisive moments as Manly secured three vital points and maintained their…
Read MoreSharks Swim Into History With Victory At Seymour Shaw
utherland Sharks FC made history on Saturday afternoon, securing their first-ever place in the Australian Championship whilst cementing a top six spot with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over St George City in front of another bumper crowd at Seymour Shaw. The result also secured the Sharks’ place in the NPL Men’s NSW finals, capping off…
Read MoreGlasson Strikes Late To Keep Sydney FC’s Finals Hopes Alive
Sydney FC defeated Rockdale Ilinden 2-1 on Friday night in Round 29, the penultimate round of the regular season, in what was a highly entertaining encounter under lights at Ilinden Sports Centre. The three points for Jimmy Van Weeren’s young academy side keep their chances of a Top Six finish and a place in the…
Read MoreRound 29 Preview – NPL Men’s NSW
The penultimate round is upon us in the National Premier Leagues Men’s NSW competition, with the Premiership, Australian Championship place, finals football and relegation playoff all still up for grabs. With just two rounds remaining, every point is becoming increasingly valuable. The Premiership could be decided this weekend, while the race for the Top Six…
Read MoreRockdale Ilinden Appoint Abbas Saad As 2027 Head Coach
Rockdale Ilinden have confirmed that current First Grade head coach Paul Dee will depart the club at the conclusion of the 2026 NPL Men’s NSW season, with championship-winning coach Abbas Saad appointed as his successor for 2027. Dee, a former Rockdale Ilinden player, has spent the past four seasons as head coach and oversaw a…
Read MoreRound 28 Review – NPL Men’s NSW
Let’s take a look back at all the action from Round 28 of the National Premier Leagues NSW competition. Sydney FC 0 v St George City 2 @ Ilinden Sports Centre St George City strengthened their finals credentials with a 2-0 victory over Sydney FC at Ilinden Sports Centre, making it four straight wins and…
Read MoreMarconi Stallions Back In Premiership Hunt With Vital Sharks Victory
Marconi Stallions have ensured they remain in the NPL Men’s NSW Premiership race after a crucial 1-0 victory over Sutherland Sharks at Marconi Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Cameron Windust’s first goal of the season proved enough for the Stallions to end their four-game losing run and keep their Premiership hopes alive with just three rounds…
Read MoreFujita’s Stoppage-Time Strike Breaks Rockdale Hearts
Wollongong Wolves kept their slim finals hopes alive in dramatic fashion, defeating an out of sorts Rockdale Ilinden 2-1 at Ilinden Sports Centre with a stoppage-time winner from Yuto Fujita. Wollongong still had a mathematical chance of reaching finals football, while Rockdale Ilinden, despite having been deducted three points earlier in the campaign, held the…
Read MoreBlacktown City Held To Goalless Draw As Finals Push Fades
Blacktown City FC’s finals hopes are hanging by a thread after they could only take one point from a 0-0 draw against UNSW FC at a chilly Valentine Sports Park on Sunday afternoon. Both sides looked to attack quickly in the opening stages, but neither was able to gain a clear upper hand as the…
Read MoreSt George FC Rise From The Foot Of The Table With Wanderers Victory
St George FC have moved off the bottom of the NPL Men’s NSW ladder with an impressive 2-1 victory over Western Sydney Wanderers at Wanderers Football Park on Saturday afternoon. It was the away side who made the brighter start to the fixture, with striker Nikola Skataric looking particularly threatening with his first few involvements.…
Read MorePetratos hat-trick fires NWS Spirit FC to dominant win over Manly
NWS Spirit FC produced a dominant display at Cromer Park on Saturday night, cruising to a 4-0 victory over Manly United FC to end the hosts’ nine-match unbeaten run. Kosta Petratos was the star of the show, scoring a hat-trick as NWS Spirit moved to within one point of the top six on the NPL…
Read MoreAPIA Too Strong For Raiders As Premiership Race Tilts Their Way
APIA Leichhardt are now in an extremely strong position to claim the 2026 NPL Men’s NSW Premiership after a 3-1 victory over SD Raiders on Saturday. It was a massive contest at Lambert Park given what was at stake and, in the end, APIA claimed all three points thanks to three first-half goals, with Presley…
Read MoreUnited 58 Rally At Belmore To Keep Premiership Dream Alive
Sydney United 58 held their nerve to secure a vital 2-1 comeback victory over bottom placed Sydney Olympic at Belmore Sports Ground on Saturday evening, significantly strengthening their hopes of a top-two finish while keeping their Premiership aspirations alive. United 58 produced a clinical second half to claim all three points against Olympic, taking their…
Read MoreSt George City Continue Stunning Run With Victory Over Sydney FC
St George City strengthened their finals credentials with a 2-0 victory over Sydney FC at Ilinden Sports Centre on Friday night, extending their winning run to four matches and keeping their late-season charge firmly on track. It was a cagey start to a game that could have a major say in the make-up of the…
Read MoreFootball NSW Returns To Jubilee Stadium For 2026 Grand Final Double-Header
Football NSW is pleased to announce that the 2026 National Premier Leagues Men’s and Women’s NSW First Grade Grand Finals will be held at St George Venues Jubilee Stadium on Sunday, 13 September. The Grand Finals will once again come together for a spectacular double-header, following the success of the inaugural NPL NSW Men’s and…
Read MoreRound 28 Preview – NPL Men’s NSW
As the 2026 NPL Men’s NSW competition enters its final three rounds of the regular campaign, the pressure is mounting at both ends of the table, with eight crucial fixtures set to shape the Premiership, finals and relegation races. With just nine points left to play for, the margins are becoming increasingly fine. The Premiership…
Read MoreRound 27 Review – NPL Men’s NSW
Let’s take a look back at all the action from Round 27 of the National Premier Leagues NSW competition. Manly United 3 v Marconi 1 @ Cromer Park Manly United continued their remarkable late-season surge with a 3-1 victory over Marconi Stallions at Cromer Park, moving into the NPL Men’s NSW Top Six for the…
Read MoreSydney United snatch stoppage-time win to deepen Wolves’ finals woes
Sydney United 58 secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over the Wollongong Wolves FC in a thrilling encounter on Sunday afternoon at Macedonia Park. The Wolves looked on course for a share of the spoils after Kazuya Yamamura’s first-half opener, however Michael Krslovic struck twice, including a stoppage-time winner, to seal all three points for the…
Read MoreBedleg Strike Ignites St George City City’s Late Finals Charge
St George City have surged into the finals conversation after producing another impressive result against a Top Six opponent, defeating Rockdale Ilinden 1-0 at Penshurst Park on Saturday night. The victory came in St George City’s final home game of the regular season and continued their remarkable late-season form, with the result their third consecutive…
Read MoreSpirit Back In The Finals Hunt After Classy Blacktown City Win
NWS Spirit FC have reignited their finals hopes with a convincing 3-1 victory over Blacktown City at Christie Park on Saturday, moving to within four points of the Top Six with just three rounds remaining. Callum Kealy’s first-half brace set the hosts on their way before Corey Kavanagh sealed the three points late, as Spirit…
Read MoreGoalless At Barton Park As St George FC And APIA Share The Spoils
NPL Men’s NSW League leaders APIA Leichhardt were held to a goalless draw by relegation threatened St George FC at Barton Park in Round 27, with the result ultimately benefiting the visitors more as the Premiership race moves towards its conclusion. APIA travelled to Barton Park looking to extend their lead at the top of…
Read MoreSharks Held By Young Sky Blues In Tense 1-1 Draw
Sutherland Sharks and Sydney FC shared the points in a hard-fought 1-1 draw in Round 27 of the NPL Men’s NSW competition, with both goals coming early in the second half after a tight and scoreless opening period. Zac Fowler opened the scoring for Sydney FC before Jordan Perez produced a superb free-kick to restore…
Read MoreSD Raiders Finish Strong To Sweep Aside Wanderers
SD Raiders FC strengthened their push for finals football with a commanding 3-0 victory over Western Sydney Wanderers FC at Ernie Smith Reserve on Saturday night. The hosts controlled much of the contest and finished strongly, with Jakov Malbasa scoring twice late in the match to seal a comprehensive victory ahead of their important midweek…
Read MoreManly United’s Finals Charge Continues With Win Over Stallions
Manly United continued their remarkable late-season surge with a 3-1 victory over Marconi Stallions at Cromer Park, moving into the NPL Men’s NSW Top Six for the first time since the early stages of the season. The victory was headlined by a standout performance from Manly youth product Cai Evans, who scored his first senior…
Read MoreThree Points, Fresh Hope: Olympic Keep Relegation Battle Alive
Historic NPL Men’s NSW side Sydney Olympic kept their survival hopes alive with a battling 3-1 victory over UNSW FC at The Village Green, securing three crucial points in their fight against automatic relegation. UNSW entered the contest knowing a point would all but secure their place in the top flight for 2027, while Olympic…
Read MoreA Decade Of Success: Marconi Stallions Farewell Tsekenis And Papoythis
Marconi Stallions FC have confirmed that Head Coach Peter Tsekenis and Peter Papoythis will conclude their respective roles with the club at the end of the 2026 NPL Men’s NSW season and the 2026 Australian Championship campaign. The decision marks the conclusion of a remarkable 10-season era for the pair, who have played a significant…
Read MoreRound 27 Preview – NPL Men’s NSW
With only four rounds to go in the National Premier Leagues Men’s NSW competition, only six points separate 5th place all the way down to 14th with the final two play-off positions well and truly alive. UNSW FC v Sydney Olympic 3:30pm, Saturday 8 August – The Village Green The action kicks off at 3:30pm…
Read MoreRound 26 Review – NPL Men’s NSW
Let’s take a look back at all the action from Round 26 of the National Premier Leagues NSW competition. WSW 2 v UNSW FC 1 @ Wanderers Football Park Western Sydney Wanderers FC secured a crucial 2-1 victory over UNSW FC at Wanderers Football Park, with Awan Lual reaching a major milestone by scoring his…
Read MoreKonestabo Hat-Trick Sends APIA Five Points Clear At The Summit
APIA Leichhardt FC have strengthened their grip on the 2026 NPL Men’s NSW Premiership race, moving five points clear at the top of the table after Michael Konestabo’s sensational hat-trick inspired a 3-1 victory over Sydney Olympic at Belmore Sports Ground. The result marked APIA’s fourth consecutive victory and continued their outstanding late-season form, with…
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