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jw1739
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Melbourne City’s Youth will return to action on Sunday, taking on Nunawading City in round one of the 2018 NPL2 Season at Mahoneys Reserve.

Coming off a Y-League season that concluded with a Grand Final defeat at the hands of the Western Sydney Wanderers two weeks ago, NPL Head Coach and Head of Academy Joe Palatsides’ will be hoping that his side will be able to improve on their exceptional performance in last years NPL season, where they finished in third position in the NPL2's Eastern Conference behind the Dandenong Thunder and Dandenong City.

City, who boast superior match fitness to their opponents by lieu of entering the NPL season almost immediately after the conclusion of the Y-League season, have a history of starting strongly in NPL season’s gone by, having lost only once in the first five weeks of the season for two straight years.

This year’s NPL squad will feature some of the most exciting young talent in the country, with three players – Dylan Pierias, Connor Metcalfe and Denis Genreau – having already appeared in A-League competition for City.

They will be joined by the likes of Australia U19 representatives Josh Cavallo and goalkeeper James Delianov, newly signed scholarship player Moudi Najjar and returning 2017 Rising Star Award Winner Yusuf Ahmed as part of a strong City squad.

Opponents Nunawading City come into Sunday’s season opener  off a year in which they finished ninth in the ten team NPL2 Eastern Conference, only securing their survival in the second tier in the second last week of the season.

They made a significant recruiting splash this offseason however, recruiting the likes of former Perth Glory forward Borbor Sam, former West Sydney Wanderer Tahj Minniecon and former City star – and reigning FFV Gold Medal winner - Massimo Murdocca to their squad.

The last time City and Nunawading clashed was in round 25 of the 2017 NPL2 season.

On that day an undermanned City, which handed senior NPL debuts to a number of youngsters, went down 4-1 to Nunawading, with Nuna striker Mitch Cooper – now at Green Gully – scoring a 60-minute hattrick to put City to the sword.

Sunday’s game will take place at Nunawading’s home ground of Mahoneys Reserve, with kick-off set for 3.00pm.

An U20s curtain-raiser is set for a 1.00pm kick-off, with City’s U20s under new Head Coach Petr Kratky looking get their pursuit of a three-peat of U20 titles off to a good start against the U20s of Nunawading.

Elsewhere, City’s new U15 and U18 sides will get their first NPL hit outs, both traveling to Gardiners Creek Reserve to take on the Eastern Lions, with kick-off set for 12.00pm and 1.30pm respectively.

Match Details

National Premier Leagues Victoria – NPL2 - Round 1
Nunawading City v Melbourne City
Sunday, 18 February 2018
Venue: Mahoneys Reserve, Forest Hill, Melbourne
Kick-off: U20s – 1pm, Seniors – 3pm

https://www.melbournecityfc.com.au/news/npl-preview-city-v-nunawading-city-0

Edited by jw1739
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4 minutes ago, haz said:

Im waiting for all this success from the Women's and youth teams to flow into the mens.... still waiting

I was thinking about that walking home from the station this afternoon. What is it that is different for the men's team that has them - in many people's opinions - underperforming? Is it a greater expectation? Is it the recruitment? Is it the management of the men's squad?

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44 minutes ago, jw1739 said:

I was thinking about that walking home from the station this afternoon. What is it that is different for the men's team that has them - in many people's opinions - underperforming? Is it a greater expectation? Is it the recruitment? Is it the management of the men's squad?

I think its just because the other teams mens squads were already 'established'. Whereas for Youth and Womens, we are the first team to take them seriously, spending the cap, providing facilities etc.

If VISAs were unlimited or the cap was removed, I think we would see the same story with the mens

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2 hours ago, jw1739 said:

I was thinking about that walking home from the station this afternoon. What is it that is different for the men's team that has them - in many people's opinions - underperforming? Is it a greater expectation? Is it the recruitment? Is it the management of the men's squad?

With the women's league is the level of competition. Men's game has been semi-pro and pro for a far longer time. Then I do think that managers have a lot to do with it as well. As for youth, I think that can be all over the place but definitely recruitment.

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4 hours ago, jw1739 said:

I was thinking about that walking home from the station this afternoon. What is it that is different for the men's team that has them - in many people's opinions - underperforming? Is it a greater expectation? Is it the recruitment? Is it the management of the men's squad?

There are a number of factors but most importantly is recruitment. Hands down easier to get right for both youth and women. The women in particular for our first season was like shooting fish out of a barrel. We spent up to the cap, had the fascilities and basically attracted the best players for these reasons. Clubs have begun to be aware of this hence why we have had much stiffer competition the last two seasons. Then there's our youth for which can do the same hence why we have some of the best talent going around. Whereas with the men its clubs like Sydney, Tards, WSW etc. that have similar capabilities of attracting the same player. Never forget when Ange finished up in the aleague and he made the comment that championships in the aleague are won and lost with a clubs ability to recruit the right players. 

Edited by n i k o
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  • 3 weeks later...
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1-1 here at Latrobe stadium. Tell you what, I have seen a few y league games but it’s a much better idea to have the youth players play in the NPL

 

murray have Zac walker playihg for them. Former heart player from up here.

 

lets just say he doesn’t seem to like us much 

Edited by Dylan
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59 minutes ago, Dylan said:

1-1 here at Latrobe stadium. Tell you what, I have seen a few y league games but it’s a much better idea to have the youth players play in the NPL

murray have Zac walker playihg for them. Former heart player from up here.

lets just say he doesn’t seem to like us much 

Ah, the "start Walker" campaign. I saw a fair few matches when Zac was playing. He was a good goal-poacher, but not much otherwise. Goodwin and Jezza Walker also played for Heart Youth in those days - we had a good side. Aloisi's introduction to coaching...

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1 hour ago, Dylan said:

1-1 here at Latrobe stadium. Tell you what, I have seen a few y league games but it’s a much better idea to have the youth players play in the NPL

 

murray have Zac walker playihg for them. Former heart player from up here.

 

lets just say he doesn’t seem to like us much 

Isn't the coach on record as saying he prefers Youth league as a development tool ? 

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4 hours ago, Dylan said:

1-1 here at Latrobe stadium. Tell you what, I have seen a few y league games but it’s a much better idea to have the youth players play in the NPL

 

murray have Zac walker playihg for them. Former heart player from up here.

 

lets just say he doesn’t seem to like us much 

Do you mean that Murray were playing dirty? 

How was the team looking, any standout players? Some of these young ones are training with the first team ATM from the looks of cities web page. 

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9 hours ago, citymad said:

Do you mean that Murray were playing dirty? 

How was the team looking, any standout players? Some of these young ones are training with the first team ATM from the looks of cities web page. 

Was hard to tell any stand outs besides Rami. The defender Portelli looked comfortable and Ahmed played well. The whole team were a level above the murray players IMO, just interms of technical skills. 

Murray wernt dirty, both sides were giving niggle and going in hard. Didnt see that in the yleague. Think it will be good for the long term development of young players.

12 hours ago, Chris p said:

Isn't the coach on record as saying he prefers Youth league as a development tool ? 

No idea, but playing in the NPL has young players up against men who seem to like to try to take our players down a notch, which is understandable since they play for an Aleague club.

I think having them exposed to this sort of treatment at a young age and still having them play a certain style is going to benefit them in the long run IMO. Rather than just the Yleague which is what it used to be, where it was no where near as physical. 

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7 hours ago, Tommykins said:

No idea where this belongs, but the Melbourne City College of Football is playing a tournament in China at the moment.

 

How many other HAL Youth/School teams get to do this?

And people still find reasons to hate on CFG

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  • 3 weeks later...

I was there. My first NPL game this season. He didn't do much in the first half and overall we lacked structure, especially early in the game. But that goal at end... I went a bit crazy amongst some very upset Georgie supporters. The goalkeeper was atrocious!! Hopefully he never comes anywhere near the senior squad.  

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There’s a good match report here. 

https://www.melbournecityfc.com.au/news/npl-report-city-3-2-langwarrin-sc

Palatsides selects a 4-3-3 and plays every player in their strongest position. It’s probably the strongest squad we could put out but they got the job done away against a team of men. 

Najjarine the stand-out but you’d expect that from a senior-listed player. He needs to bring those types of performances to the senior team though. 

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5 hours ago, Harrison said:

Good to see the departure of Palatsides hasn’t affected the team. 

If he is as good as I suspect he is then we probably won't see much of a drop for a few weeks then depending on who takes over the wheels will fall off.

I just don't get this club.

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28 minutes ago, bt50 said:

Don't particularly have an opinion either way, but wasnt there a fair bit of backroom talk about him being lucky to survive the axe a couple seasons ago?

There was. Something about Petrillo trying to push him out.

My informant today told me that Rado Vidosic was appointed to take charge of youth football over Joe Palatsides and that's why the latter left.

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