The Youth League Report (Premier Youth League) Easter Review

Overview
While there is no Youth League Club Championship in this competition again this season, I can tell you that the best performed clubs at this stage are, in order, Blacktown City Demons, Marconi Stallions, Manly United, Wollongong FC and West Sydney Berries. As you would expect, there is not a lot between these clubs in terms of the points they have earned to date.
The next best performed clubs are Penrith Nepean United and Sydney United while Sydney Olympic, Sutherland Sharks, Sydney Tigers, Bonnyrigg White Eagles and Bankstown City have yet to hit their straps.
This information is provided to you as a guideline and it is not meant to imply anything other than the fact that, as long term observer and reporter on all things Youth League, I do keep an eye on the overall performances of the clubs.
Now we can have a look at the various age group competitions to see how the teams are performing.  I must say that I cannot remember a time when the competition tables at this stage of the season have been a true reflection of the final tables for the season but they are nevertheless interesting.
Grade 13
This competition is shaping up as one that could well go down to the wire at season?s end. At the moment only nine points separate the top nine teams with only six points between first and sixth and another three between sixth and ninth. It is anybody?s guess about which team will win the competition, let alone which five teams will compete in the finals series.
West Sydney Berries began the season like a house on fire as they collected wins from all of the first five matches before they tasted defeat in their last outing but they still lead the table by four points while second placed Marconi Stallions started with three wins, followed that with two draws and they have a game in hand.
Blacktown City Demons are one point further back at third with three wins, a draw and a loss plus a game in hand to show for their season so far and Manly United are only a point behind the Demons at fourth after they posted three wins and two losses from the five games they have played and they also have one in hand.
Sydney United are placed fifth on goal difference thanks to their two wins, three draw and one loss from the full ration of six matches while Wollongong FC are sixth on goal difference after they also registered two wins, three draws and a loss over the same period.
Bonnyrigg White Eagles are only a point behind those three teams and they are placed seventh with two wins and two draws from their first four matches, followed by losses at their last two outings Sydney Olympic are one point further back at eighth with two wins, a draw and two losses from five games, meaning that they have a game in hand.
Then there is a gap of one more point to ninth placed Sutherland Sharks who lost their first two games and since then they have not been defeated with a win and three consecutive draws to show for their efforts. Two points behind the Sharks are ninth placed Sydney Tigers who have recorded a win, a draw and three losses and they have a game in hand.
Bankstown City and Penrith Nepean United are in eleventh and twelfth places respectively and both have posted only one draw so far. The Lions have a game in hand.
Best Grade 13 attack: Manly United with fifteen goals from five matches, eight of which came on the opening day of the season but they are still averaging three per game. Next best are Wollongong FC who have scored thirteen goals from six matches.
Best Grade 13 defence: Blacktown City Demons and Marconi Stallions, both of whom have conceded a miserly two goals from the five games they have played. Next best are West Sydney Berries who have conceded only four goals from six matches, two of those coming from their last game loss.
Grade 14
This competition is showing great early promise with just nine points between the top team and the team placed ninth while there are only six points between the top four teams. With so many games in hand and such a long way to go in the season, the level of interest could be very, very high right up to the last day of the competition.  
Penrith Nepean United are enjoying a fantastic start as they have established a lead of three points at the top of the ladder after they produced five consecutive wins after a draw on the opening day.
Blacktown City Demons are sitting in second spot with four wins, a draw and a loss and they have a game in hand while Marconi Stallions are third on goal difference with four wins and a draw from five games and they also have one in hand. That game in hand is against each other.
Manly United are three points further back at fourth with three wins, a draw, and two losses from their six matches and Sydney United are two points away at fifth thanks to their record of two wins, two draws and two losses from the six matches they have played. 
Sydney Tigers are only a point behind United at sixth with their record showing two wins, a draw and two losses while NSWIS Girls are seventh on goal difference after they posted two wins, a draw and a loss from the four matches they have played so far.
Sydney Olympic are in eighth position on goal difference after they registered two wins, a draw and two losses from five games while West Sydney Berries are placed ninth on goal difference with two wins and a draw from six matches.
Tenth and eleventh placed Sutherland Sharks and Wollongong FC are two points behind the Berries thanks to a win and two draws each from six matches while Bankstown City are a point further adrift at twelfth with a win and a draw from six matches and Bonnyrigg White Eagles are thirteenth after they posted only a draw from their first seven games.
Best Grade 14 attack: Sydney Tigers have scored eleven goals from five matches and next best is shared by Penrith Nepean United and Blacktown City Demons who have netted eleven from six games
Best Grade 14 defence: Marconi Stallions have been very stingy indeed as they have conceded just two goals from five games and next best are Blacktown City Demons who have conceded three from six matches.
Grade 15
While there is still a very long way to go, the top five are currently separated by nine points and then the rest are a bit further back. It is far too early for the so-called experts to declare the winner or the top five as so much can still happen and it probably will.
Blacktown City Demons have exploded out of the starting blocks with a remarkable six wins from as many matches to hold their place at the top of the ladder by a margin of four points. Second placed Manly United also unbeaten in this age group with four victories and two draws from their opening six games.
Marconi Stallions complete the unbeaten trio with four wins and a draw from five matches and they are only one point behind Manly while Wollongong FC are three points further away with three wins and a draw to show for their six outings.
Fifth placed Sydney United have registered three wins from six matches to be just one point behind the Wolves and Sutherland Sharks are one point further back at sixth thanks to their two wins and two draws from six games.
Another point down the ladder finds Penrith Nepean United at seventh after they have posted two victories and a draw from six games and Bonnyrigg White Eagles are two points behind them at eighth with a win and two draw from seven matches.
Sydney Tigers are ninth on goal difference with a win and two draws to show from five games while West Sydney Berries are right behind the Tigers at tenth on goal difference thanks to their win and two draws from six matches.
A point further back at eleventh are Bankstown City who have registered a win and a draw from six outings while Sydney Olympic are twelfth on goal difference and they also have a win and a draw but theirs have come from five matches. NSWIS Girls are three points further back at thirteenth after they recorded one draw from four games.
Best Grade 15 attack: Blacktown City Demons with twenty-one goals from six games and the next best are Marconi Stallions with seventeen goals from five games.
Best Grade 15 defence: Blacktown City Demons with four goals conceded in six matches and the next best are Manly United who have conceded five goals in six games and Marconi Stallions with five goals conceded in five matches.
Grade 16
Well, this competition should be interesting to say the least. Already the top three have made a break on the rest but then positions four to twelve are separated by only six points. That really means that everyone is still well in the running for a place in the finals series at this stage. We?ll have to wait and see how the teams fare in the coming weeks.
Unbeaten West Sydney Berries have established a lead at the top of the table of a single point following their four wins and two draws from six matches but second placed Wollongong FC have four victories and a draw to show for the first five games before their last match loss.
Manly United are placed third on goal difference after they recorded four wins and a draw from their five outings while Blacktown City Demons are four points further back at fourth after they recorded three wins from five games.
Marconi Stallions are fifth and two points behind the Demons with two wins and a draw from the five games they have played and Sydney United are in sixth spot on goal difference with one win and four draws from their six matches.
Penrith Nepean United are right behind United at seventh on goal difference thanks to two wins and a draw from six outings while one point further back at eighth are Bonnyrigg White Eagles who have recorded two wins from six games.
Bankstown City are one point further adrift at ninth with a win and two draws to show for their five matches and Sydney Olympic are one point behind the Lions and they have posted a win and a draw from five games.
Eleventh placed Sydney Tigers have won only one of their five matches and twelfth placed Sutherland Sharks have registered three draws from six games played so far.
Best Grade 16 attack: Wollongong FC have produced fourteen goals from the six games they have played and the next best is Manly United with nine goals from five matches.
Best Grade 16 defence: Manly United have the tightest of defences so far as they have conceded just one goal from five games while West Sydney Berries are next best with only two goals conceded in six matches.
Grade 18
With only eight points separating first and ninth positions, this competition is still wide open and at least a place in the finals series is well within the grasp of all those teams. Time will tell which of them will succeed and which will fall away.
Wollongong FC are currently three points clear at the top of the ladder after they registered five consecutive victories before they tasted defeat for the first time in their last match while second placed Marconi Stallions had won four games straight before they went down at their last outing.
West Sydney Berries are a point behind the Stallions in third place with three wins and two draws from six games to their credit and Blacktown City Demons are a point further back at fourth following their three wins and a draw from their six matches.
Two points behind the Demons are fifth placed Manly United who have registered two wins and two draws from five matches while Penrith Nepean United are sixth on goal difference after they took two wins and two draws from seven games.
Sydney Tigers are a point further back at seventh with two wins and a draw to show for their five games while NSWIS Boys are eighth on goal difference thanks to the two wins and a draw they have collected from their four matches.
Bankstown City are placed ninth on goal difference after they too have recorded two wins and a draw from six games and Sydney Olympic are two points further back at tenth with a win and two draws from five matches while Sutherland Sharks are eleventh on goal difference after producing a win and two draws from six games.
Bonnyrigg White Eagles are twelfth on goal difference as the third of the teams to post a win and two draws from their seven matches and Sydney United are two points further back at thirteenth after they have only one win to show for their six games.
Best Grade 18 attack: Blacktown City Demons have scored thirteen goals in six matches and the next best is Marconi Stallions with eleven goals from five games while West Sydney Berries and Sutherland Sharks have scored eleven goal from six games and Penrith Nepean United have netted eleven from seven matches.
Best Grade 18 defence: West Sydney Berries have conceded five goals from six games and the next best are Manly United and Sydney Tigers who have both conceded five goals from five games.
-By Barry Davis