We’re already within the second month of the new year and the new football season of the National Premier Leagues (NPL) is getting ready to begin. The teams of Greek origin that are participating in the championships across Australia have already started their preparations for what promises to be a difficult season ahead. Here’s what happened last year and and how the 2019 season will begin for each team.

FLOREAT ATHINA

The “Athenians” were the first to kick off the season with the NPL Night Series in Western Australia, which they actually managed to win in the previous season. They seem to be off to a good start at defending their title, as they defeated Bayswater City 5-0 at “Litis Stadium”. Goals came from Stynes (40′), Ambrogio (48′), Ninkovic (51′), Santalucia (66′) and Whitney (90’+2′). Tomorrow (3 February) they will host Balcatta. Floreat will hope for a better season in the actual NPL, as last year they finished seventh with 44 points, not managing to find a spot in the play offs.

OLYMPIC FC

Next in line to start the 2019 season are the team from Queensland. They have a bye on the first round of their respective NPL, which means that they will start off on 9 February with the away game against the Magpie Crusaders. On round three Olympic FC will host Western Pride. Last season can be considered more than successful for Ben Cahn’s men, as they finished second in the normal season, reaching the play-off final, were they were defeated by the Brisbane Lions 2-1.

ADELAIDE OLYMPIC/WEST ADELAIDE

A few weeks later, the NPL of South Australia begins, where we find two Greek clubs. More specifically, for the first round Adelaide Olympic will welcome South Adelaide, while West Adelaide plays away from home against the Adelaide Comets. These games will take place on 23 February. On day two of the league, West Adelaide goes to Croydon, with Adelaide Olympic hosting the NE Metrostars. Last season wouldn’t be considered as a good one for either team, since West Adelaide finished seventh with 27 points and failed to enter the play offs, while Olympic who were sixth with 28 did make it to the finals but were knocked out in the first round by the NE Metrostars.

OLYMPIA WARRIORS

Even more of the NPL championships begin in March, like the one in Tasmania where Greece is represented by the Olympia Warriors. Kenny Weston’s men will want to leave the previous season behind them, as they finished fifth in a total of eight teams and make a fresh start. Their first game is on the first of March against South Hobart, while on the ninth they will travel to Devonport to face the local team.

HAMILTON OLYMPIC

On 8 March the season kicks off for Hamilton Olympic with round one of the NPL of Northern New South Wales. The Newcastle club faces the Weston Bears in their first away game while a week later they host Lambton. Last year they just barely missed out on the play offs, as they finished the season in fifth place with 33 points, just one less than the Lambton Jaffas who had 34.

SYDNEY OLYMPIC

The Olympic hopes to have a similarly great season as the last one, where they not only managed to finish top of the table in the NPL of New South Wales with 48 points, edging out the APIA Tigers who had 45, but they also defeated them in the play off final 3-1, winning the entire league. The road to defend their trophy will begin on 10 March at home against Sutherland, while six days later they will go to Druitt Town to face the local Rangers. Abbas Saad will need to find a satisfactory replacement for Max Burgess, who chose to continue his career in the A-League and the Wellington Phoenix, while the club aims for even higher success and the NPL Australia play off trophy.

CANBERRA OLYMPIC

The last of the NPL competitions to begin will be the one in the capital, where Canberra Olympic plays. They start off the season with a very difficult away game against their bitter rivals, Canberra FC. It was the same club that not only held them back from first place last season (they had 33 points against Canberra FC’s 38), but also managed to steal the title from them in the play offs final, defeating them 2-1. This season however, Frank Cachia’s men will only be satisfied with the trophy.