The Youth League Report (Premier Youth League) Pre-Finals Preview

Regular readers will know that I am not in the business of making predictions so you won?t be seeing any here. My intention is to simply provide a realistic analysis of what the current situation looks like.
In the analysis of each age group I have provided as much information as possible such as the number of points each team has collected, the number of matches remaining in their season and the opponents they will face (with the catch-up games in italics)
Overview
Before you start screaming at me through your computer screen or begin to think that I have finally gone crazy, let me explain that I really do know that there is no such thing as a Club Championship table for Premier Youth League.
However, I also know through many, many conversations with coaches, administrators, players and supporters that there is a great deal of interest and pride in the overall performance of the clubs and so I have taken the trouble to keep my own unofficial records which I am happy to share with you.
Blacktown City Demons are currently the best performed of the clubs, continuing a trend that has seen them placed in the top two clubs for ten years or more. Four of their teams are occupying places in the top five of their competitions.
Marconi Stallions are right behind the Demons and they have also been one of the top two clubs for at least the past five or six seasons. They currently have four teams in the top five.
Wollongong FC are in third position on my rankings and while that may come as a surprise to some, it is perhaps inevitable given the vast pool of playing talent that has traditionally come from the south coast. At the moment they have four teams in the top five.
Manly United are rated fourth on performance and that will hardly cause any shock waves as they have enjoyed a position among the top company for the past few seasons. Three of their teams are placed among the top five.
Sydney United are placed fifth, a fact that will scarcely raise an eyebrow among long term Youth League followers as it is well known that they have, perhaps more than any other club, produced players for the senior levels of the game and for the Socceroos. They have three teams in the top five at this stage.
Sydney Olympic are ranked sixth and that may well be in part due to the more settled nature of the club who have been somewhat nomadic in the past. Two of their teams are currently sitting in top five positions.
Sutherland Sharks are in seventh position which may seem to be a bit strange for a club placed inside Australia?s biggest junior Association but they do appear to be engaged in a rebuilding process. They have three teams placed in the top five so far.
West Sydney Berries are eighth and slowly establishing themselves as a potentially serious force at this level. One of their teams is currently placed in the top five.
Penrith Nepean United are presently rated at ninth on performance and they are also believed to be in the throes of rebuilding so they may well be a stronger force in the coming seasons.
Sydney Tigers are placed tenth and they are continuing their long held tradition of being very difficult to beat without setting the world on fire. They have one team sitting in the top five at this stage.
Bankstown City will be disappointed to be raked at eleventh but they are another club who have commenced a rebuilding plan aimed at taking them back up the ladder in future seasons.
Bonnyrigg White Eagles are the competition newcomers and they have not fared as well as they might have hoped in their first season back in the top company but it is understood that they have already made plans to strengthen for next season and beyond.
Grade 13
It looks as though only the top two teams can claim the Premiership and they are both certain to maintain a highly competitive level of play. It will be interesting to see which of them will take advantage of their opportunities over the next three weeks.
That leaves three places in the finals series and there are six teams vying for those spots. Good form in the remaining scheduled matches plus some points from the catch-up games will be the ultimate decider.
Sydney Olympic (40 points, 3 games to play) are two points clear at the top of the table and assured of a place in the finals but they still have a battle on their hands for the Premiership title. They have the best attacking and defensive figures in this competition and they have not been beaten in their last four games.
Remaining matches: SU, SS, MS 
West Sydney Berries (38, 3) are the other team in this age group that cannot miss out on playing in the finals and they will be keen to challenge Olympic for the title in the coming weeks. They have remained unbeaten in their last three games.
Remaining matches: WW, ST, BWE
Marconi Stallions (30, 4) are placed third on goal difference and they will obviously be looking for maximum points from their remaining games to be assured of a position in the play-offs. They have lost three of their last four matches.
Remaining matches: ST, BWE, SO plus BCD
Sydney United (30, 3) are fourth on goal difference and they will be eager to amass the greatest possible number of points to secure a place in the finals and to overhaul the neighbouring Stallions. They have not lost in their last five outings.
Remaining matches: SO, PNU, MU
Wollongong FC (29, 5) are placed fifth and chasing loads of points as they under lots of pressure from the teams behind them. The fact that they have five matches to play could be handy only if they can take something from most of them.  They have lost their last two matches.
Remaining matches: WSB, BCD, ST plus MU and BCD
Manly United (27, 4) are sixth on goal difference and two points outside the top five so there can be no doubt that they will be pushing hard for points in the next three weeks. They have won three of their last four games.
Remaining matches: BCD, BCL, SU plus WW
Bonnyrigg White Eagles (27, 3) are in seventh position on goal difference and two points outside the top five. They are under a bit more pressure that the teams around them because they do not have any matches in hand so they will need to make the most of their opportunities. They have posted a win and a draw from their last four games.
Remaining matches: SS, MS, WSB
Blacktown City Demons (22, 6) need to make up a lot of ground but they have six matches in which to do it and only three weeks in which to play them.  While it is far from an impossible assignment, the task is nevertheless daunting for them. They have produced a win and two draws from their last four games.
Remaining matches: MU, WW, BCL plus MS, WW and ST
Sutherland Sharks (18, 3) are ninth and four points behind the Demons so they are out of contention for the finals series. They can still have an impact on two of the teams that are vying for places in the play-offs.
Remaining matches: BWE, SO, PNU
Penrith Nepean United (15, 3) are in tenth place and three points adrift of the Sharks. They have to play only one of the teams in contention for a finals berth so they can still make a difference.
Remaining matches: BCL, SU, SS
Bankstown City (13, 3) are two points behind Penrith are they are placed eleventh. They are scheduled to play two of the teams that are looking for places in the top five and they can affect the chances of those teams. They will also be keen to avoid the wooden spoon position.
Remaining matches: PNU, SU, BCD
Sydney Tigers (11, 4) are in twelfth position and two points behind the Lions. All their remaining matches are against teams pushing for berths in the finals so the outcomes will be very interesting, especially with the Tigers looking for ways to avoid the wooden spoon.
Remaining matches: MS, WSB, WW plus BCD  
Grade 14
The remaining matches will be about two related but quite separate battles. The first of these will be among the top three teams who are all striving to be crowned ?Premiers?. Of these, the leaders have the advantage because they have a lead of three points and a game in hand while the other two teams are up-to-date with their scheduled matches.
Then the next five teams will be fighting it out to reach the final two spot in the play-offs. Those with matches in hand will have a slight advantage if they can take something from those games and collect points from their scheduled games.
Marconi Stallions (45 points and three matches to play) are the competition frontrunners by a margin of three points and while they will already have an eye on the Premiers trophy, they also know that they must complete the job. They are unbeaten in their four most recent matches and two of their last three games are against teams currently in the top four.
Remaining matches: ST, BWE, plus BCD
Sutherland Sharks (42, 3) are occupying second spot and they are eagerly chasing the leaders with the view of overhauling them in the closing weeks of the season. They have the best attacking and defensive figures in this competition and they have won two of their last four games.
Remaining matches: BWE, SO, PNU
Sydney Tigers (41, 3) are one point behind the Sharks at third and they are the form team in this competition thanks to an unbeaten run of eleven games. They have kept a clean sheet in seven of their most recent games. Next week?s encounter with the Stallions should be very interesting indeed.
Remaining matches: MS, WSB, WW
Blacktown City Demons (37, 4) are fourth and four points behind the Tigers. They are unlikely to be in the race for the Premiership but they are serious contenders for a place in the finals. They have won two of their last four games.
Remaining matches: MU, WW, BCL plus MS
Wollongong FC (33, 4) are four points adrift of the Demons in fifth position. They are certain to continue their chase for points over the next three weeks as they are under pressure from the teams behind them. The Wolves have won four of their last five games.
Remaining matches: WSB, BCD, ST plus MU
Penrith Nepean United (31, 3) are sixth and only two points behind the Wolves but they will need to make the most of their remaining games if they are to qualify for the play-offs. They have posted two wins and a draw from their last four games.
Remaining matches: BCL, SU, SS
Sydney United (29, 3) are two points further back at seventh. They will need a lot of points from their remaining games and hope that at least one of the teams ahead of them falters in the run into the finals. They have registered a win and a draw from their four most recent games.
Remaining matches: SO, PNU, MU
Manly United (26, 4) are placed eighth and they are three points further back. If they are to be contenders for the finals they will need to collect maximum points from their remaining games and hope for some poor results from the team ahead of them. Manly have recorded a win and two draws from their last four games.
Remaining matches: BCD, BCL, SU plus WW
Sydney Olympic (23, 2) are in ninth place and three points behind Manly so they are not a consideration for the finals but as they must play two of the teams ahead of them, they can have a say in the composition of the play-offs.
Remaining matches: SU, SS
The next four teams will be engaged in a fight of their own and that is to avoid the dreaded wooden spoon.
NSWIS Girls (22, 2) are placed tenth, one point behind Olympic and they cannot play in the finals.
Remaining matches: BWE, WSB
West Sydney Berries (20, 4) are eleventh and two points behind the Institute.
Remaining matches: WW, ST, BWE, NSWIS
Bonnyrigg White Eagles (16, 4) are four points further back at twelfth.
Remaining matches: SS, MS, WSB, NSWIS
Bankstown City (15, 3) are thirteenth and one points behind Bonnyrigg.
Remaining matches: PNU, SU, BCD
Grade 15
It is certain that the top three teams will battle it out for the title of Premiers and that could be a very interesting tussle in its? own right. The catch-up games could have a huge impact and ten there is the fact that the leaders must play the second and third placed teams. However, none of these teams can miss out on the finals.
The next five teams will have to fight it out for the remaining two places and that should be fascinating to watch. Once again the form of the teams in their scheduled matches and the outcome of the catch-up games will be the deciding factors.
Blacktown City Demons (50 points and four matches to play) are two points clear at the top of the table and they have the most potent attack in this competition. They have not been beaten in their last eight games.
Remaining matches: MU, WW, BCL plus MS 
Marconi Stallions (48, 5) are placed second and they have the best defensive record in this competition. They are sure to be keenly chasing the leaders in the coming weeks. The Stallions have remained unbeaten in the last six games.
Remaining matches: ST, BWE, plus BCD, BWE and PNU
Manly United (45, 4) are third and three points behind the Stallions. They are in good form with no losses in their last nine games and that increases the pressure they can apply to the teams ahead of them.
Remaining matches: BCD, BCL, SU plus WW
Sydney United (35, 3) are ten points adrift of Manly and in fourth position. As it stands, they need one more win to secure a place in the finals but it is certain that they will be looking for more than three points. The have won their last three games.
Remaining matches: SO, PNU, MU
Sutherland Sharks (31, 5) are placed fifth and they are four points behind United. Every point they can earn from now on will strengthen their claims for a place in the finals series. They have two wins and a draw to show for their last four games.
Remaining matches: BWE, SO, PNU, NSWIS plus WSB
Wollongong FC (28, 4) are three points further back at sixth and they will know that they must collect near-maximum points from their remaining games if they are to have any chance of reaching the finals. The Wolves have won only one of their last four games.
Remaining matches: WSB, BCD, ST plus MU
Bankstown City (26, 3) are two points behind the Wolves at seventh. They will be aware that they can only play in the finals if they gain maximum points from their remaining games and teams above them falter. They have won their last four games.
Remaining matches: PNU, SU, BCD
Penrith Nepean United (25, 5) are placed eighth and one point astern of the Lions. They are in need of a lot of points and a bit of luck if they are to progress to the finals. After an unbeaten spell of five games, they lost their last two outings.
Remaining matches: BCL, SU, SS, NSWIS plus MS
Sydney Olympic (24, 2) are only a point behind Penrith but they have only two matches left so they cannot reach the finals.
Remaining matches: SU, SS
The next four teams will be engaged in a fight of their own and that is to avoid the dreaded wooden spoon.
Sydney Tigers (18, 3) are tenth and in need of a few more points to extend the margin between themselves and the teams below them.
Remaining matches: MS, WSB, WW
West Sydney Berries (16, 5) are two points further back at eleventh.
Remaining matches: WW, ST, BWE, NSWIS plus SS
Bonnyrigg White Eagles (10, 5) are twelfth and six points behind the Berries.
Remaining matches: SS, MS, WSB, NSWIS plus MS
NSWIS (8, 4) are thirteenth and two points adrift of the White Eagles.
Remaining matches: PNU, SS, WSB plus BWE 
Grade 16
It is certainly tight at the top end of this table and that will make the closing weeks of the season even more interesting for all concerned. The top four teams are certain to be involved in the finals series but there is still a question of the final pecking order that needs to be answered. Fifth place is nearly, but not quite settled.
Blacktown City Demons (39 points and 4 matches to play) have lead of one point at the top of the table and that is a position they will obviously be keen to maintain. However, they are under threat from the teams behind them and so they will need to stay on their toes. They have won their last four matches.
Remaining matches: MU, WW, BCL plus MS
Wollongong FC (38, 4) are right behind the Demons and applying lots of pressure. They will clearly be looking for ways to overhaul the Demons and that opportunity may come when they meet in a fortnight. The Wolves have posted three wins and a draw from their last four outings.
Remaining matches: WSB, BCD, ST plus MU
Manly United (36, 4) are two points further back in third position and it is certain that they are eyeing off both the teams ahead of them. They are in good form as they have not lost in their last seven games.
Remaining matches: BCD, BCL, SU plus WW 
Sydney United (34, 4) are fourth and only two points behind Manly so the pose a genuine threat as they continue to look for points from every match. After an unbeaten run of twelve matches they suffered a defeat last time out.
Remaining matches: SO, PNU, MU plus MS
Sydney Olympic (31, 3) are three points astern of United in fifth place. They will be aware that they need at least one more win to be assured of a place in the finals series. They have taken two wins and a draw from the last four games.
Remaining matches: SU, SS, MS
West Sydney Berries (23, 3) are sixth and eight points behind Olympic. If they are to make it to the finals they must collect the maximum number of points and hope that Olympic lose for the rest of the season.
Remaining matches: WW, ST, BWE
Sydney Tigers (21, 3) are seventh and ten points behind Olympic so they cannot reach the finals with only three matches to play.
Remaining matches: MS, WSB, WW
Marconi Stallions (21, 5) are eighth and ten points adrift of Olympic. They can qualify for the play-offs if the can take all the points from their coming games and if Olympic collect only four more points.
Remaining matches: ST, BWE, plus BCD and SU
Over the next three weeks the next four teams will be engaged in a battle to avoid the dreaded wooden spoon.
Bonnyrigg White Eagles (19, 3) are in ninth position after winning their last two matches.
Remaining matches: SS, MS, WSB
Sutherland Sharks (17, 3) are two points back at tenth and they have produced a draw and a win from their last two games.
Remaining matches: BWE, SO, PNU
Penrith Nepean United (17, 3) are eleventh on goal difference following losses in their last four games.
Remaining matches: BCL, SU, SS
Bankstown City (15, 3) are two points further back at twelfth after losing their last two games.
Remaining matches: PNU, SU, BCD
Grade 18
Wollongong FC (40 points and 6 games to play) are the competition leaders on goal difference and they under extreme pressure from behind to continue to collect points. They have played only once in the last three weeks and they have registered two wins from their last four matches.
Remaining matches: WSB, BCD, ST, NSWIS plus MU and PNU
Blacktown City Demons (40, 4) are right on the heels of the Wolves and they will also  be looking for as many points as they can manage over the coming weeks. The clash between the Demons and the Wolves in a fortnight will be very interesting indeed. Blacktown has posted two wins and a draw from their last four matches.
Remaining matches: MU, WW, BCL plus MS
Sutherland Sharks (34, 3) are third and while they may be able to catch the two teams ahead of them, they might be a bit concerned about those behind them. They will need the maximum points from their remaining games to have a chance of a place in the finals. The Sharks have won two and drawn one of their last four games.
Remaining matches: BWE, SO, PNU
Manly United (31, 6) are three points behind the Sharks at fourth and they have plenty of matches up their sleeve. They are also capable of catching the front two and they are bound to be chasing lots of points and they are unbeaten in their last four matches.
Remaining matches: BCD, BCL, SU plus WW, NSWIS and SO
Marconi Stallions (30, 7) are fifth and one point behind Manly with a heap of games to be played. That will give them ample opportunity to secure a place in the finals series. They have not been beaten in their last four games.
Remaining matches: ST, BWE, SO and NSWIS plus BCD, SU and NSWIS.
Bankstown City (28, 5) are two points further back at sixth and they still have plenty to play for as a combination of good results and good luck can help them to earn a place in the finals. They have recorded two wins from their last four games.
Remaining matches: PNU, SU, BCD plus WSB and NSWIS
Penrith Nepean United (25, 4) are seventh and three points behind the Lions. They will be looking for maximum points from their remaining games to give themselves some hope of making the top five.
Remaining matches: BCL, SU, SS plus WW
West Sydney Berries (24, 6) are only a point behind Penrith at eighth and they still have a chance of making it into the finals. While they could do with some really good results, they would like to see one or two of the teams ahead of them falter. They have posted one draw from their last four games.
Remaining matches: WW, ST, BWE plus MU, BCL and NSWIS
Sydney Olympic (23, 5) are ninth and a point astern of the Berries. They would need to grab loads of points from the games they have to play and hope that the teams above them are knocking each other over. They have recorded a win and a draw from their last four games.
Remaining matches: SU, SS, MS plus ST and NSWIS
Sydney United (23, 4) are tenth on goal difference and they face an uphill battle if they are to have any hope of reaching the play-offs. While it is still mathematically possible for them to reach those lofty heights, they would need an incredible amount of luck do so. They have registered two wins and a draw from their last four games.
Remaining matches: SO, PNU, MU plus MS
Bonnyrigg White Eagles (20, 4) are three points adrift of United at eleventh and they cannot reach the finals. They can have an impact on the composition f the teams in the play-offs as they have won the last four games.
Remaining matches: SS, MS, WSB plus NSWIS
Sydney Tigers (14, 5) are twelfth and six points behind Bonnyrigg. They have lost their last six games.
MS, WSB, WW plus SO and NSWIS
NSWIS (11, 9) are three points behind the Tigers at thirteenth. They cannot play in the finals series.
Remaining matches: WSB, WW, MS plus BCL, BWE, MU, MS, ST and SO
-By Barry Davis