Super Youth League Season Review
It appears that the clubs are working harder now than ever before to attract the best players they can find and backing that up with some good quality coaching aimed at achieving the dual roles of developing the players and earning the best possible results.
As an example of this, in the finals series nine of the twelve clubs were represented and two of the clubs that missed out had teams that were close enough to challenge for places.
Such development can only be good for the game. It is to be expected that some players from this will be looking for a spot at the higher level for next season and that Premier Youth League clubs will be looking to attract players from this division.
This season I have chosen a slightly different style for presenting this report. Rather than bore you with a wordy commentary, I have provided an outline of the performance of each club or team and followed that with a summary of their position and points and comparisons of the home/away and first/second round results, followed by a rundown on the finals series.
Club Championship
PCYC Parramatta Eagles claimed the Club Championship title for the 2009 season when they finished seventeen points ahead of their nearest rivals. They had led the table throughout the season and, as a club, they finished the season with the best attacking and defensive figures.
Position: 1st with 212 points
Home v Away: 94 pts v 118 pts
First Round v Second Round: 112 pts v 100 pts
Finals: They had four teams in the finals series, one of them as Premiers and two of their teams claimed the Championship
Central Coast Lightning were the runners-up on this table after they spent all but one week within the top five and they settled into second position for the last six rounds of the season.
Position: 2nd with 195 points
Home v Away: 91 pts v 104 points
First Round v Second Round:
Finals: Lightning had three teams competing in the finals series, one of which reached a Grand Final
Dulwich Hill finished in third place after a neck-and-neck race with Lightning for a large chunk of the season. They settled into third for the last six rounds.
Position: 3rd with 193 points
Home v Away: 99 pts v 94 pts
First Round v Second Round: 93 pts v 100 pts
Finals: The club had four teams playing in the finals series, two of which were Premiers. Three of their teams reached the Grand Final and one of those was declared Champions.
Northern Tigers were placed fourth on the final table for the season, sixteen points behind third place. They had settled into a mid-table position for the first six rounds and then moved into the top five from Round 7 onwards.
Position: 4th with 177 points
Home v Away: 92 pts v 85 pts
First Round v Second Round: 68 pts v 109 pts
Finals: The Tigers had three teams in the finals series, one of which were the Premiers. One team reached the Grand Final.
Western Panthers overcame the tyranny of huge distances to finish in a very healthy fifth place after spending the first half of the season in a mid-table position. They spent all but two weeks inside the top five during the second half of the season.
Position: 5th with 170 points
Home v Away: 82 pts v 88 pts
First Round v Second Round: 83 pts v 87 pts
Finals: Three of their teams competed in the Grand Finals, one as Premiers. One team reached the Grand Final and they won the Championship.
Spirit FC completed the season in sixth position. They had spent seven of the first eleven rounds inside the top five but then they slipped back to settle into a mid-table spot.
Position: 6th with 166 points
Home v Away: 83 pts v 83 pts
First Round v Second Round: 87 pts v 79pts
Finals: One of their teams competed in the finals series.
Macarthur Rams spent five of the first eleven rounds in the top five but then they dropped back to settle finally into seventh position.
Position: 7th with 157 points
Home v Away: 79 pts v 78 pts
First Round v Second Round: 84 pts v 73 pts
Finals: They had three teams in the finals this season, two of which reached the grand Finals and one of those claimed the Championship.
Blacktown Spartans achieved spectacular success considering this was their first season at this level. They had a consistent season that resulted in them never falling below eighth place over the course of the season.
Position: 8th with 141 points
Home v Away: 61 pts v 80 pts
First Round v Second Round: 72 pts v 69 pts
Finals: Two of their teams competed in the finals series.
Schofields Scorpions had a good start to the season and then they settled into ninth position for the last eighteen rounds of the season.
Position: 9th with 117 points
Home v Away: 74 pts v 43 pts
First Round v Second Round: 53 pts v 64 pts
Finals: Two of their teams played in the finals series
Sydney Wanderers spent most of the first half of the season as one of the bottom two clubs before finally rising to tenth place in the second half thanks to a vast improvement in their results.
Position: 10th with 96 points
Home v Away: 40 pts v 56 pts
First Round v Second Round: 31 pts v 65 pts
Finals: They did not have a team in the finals series.
Granville Rage did not enjoy a good season as they spent all of it locked into a place among the bottom three clubs.
Position: 11th with 87 points
Home v Away: 47 pts v 40 pts
First Round v Second Round: 48 pts v 39 pts
Finals: They did not have a team in the finals series.
Southern NSW were always facing an uphill battle on this table when they could only field four teams for the season.
Position: 12th with 71 points
Home v Away: 28 pts v 43 pts
First Round v Second Round: 33 pts v 38 pts
Finals: They did not have a team in the finals series.
Grade 13
PCYC Parramatta Eagles won the competition by five points and they had spent the entire season at the top end of the table. They had the best attacking and defensive figures in this competition, scoring seventy-nine goals and conceding only thirteen goals.
Position: 1st with 57 points
Home v Away: 24 pts v 33 pts
First Round v Second Round: 27 pts v 30 pts
Finals: Won the Major Semi Final and then won the Grand Final
Central Coast Lightning were the competition runners-up after applying consistent pressure to the frontrunners all season.
Position: 2nd with 52 points
Home v Away: 25 pts v 27 pts
First Round v Second Round: 24 pts v 28 pts
Finals: Won the Preliminary Semi Final, lost the Major Semi Final, won the Preliminary Final and then lost the Grand Final.
Spirit FC finished four points further back at third. They had experienced a slow start to the season but they then locked themselves into third position from Round 13 onward.
Position: 3rd with 48 points
Home v Away: 25 pts v 23 pts
First Round v Second Round: 22 pts v 26 pts
Finals: Lost the Preliminary Semi Final and then went down in the Minor Semi Final.
Blacktown Spartans ended the season in fourth position, three points behind Spirit. They got off to a good start to the year and they remained inside the top five for all but two early rounds in the competition.
Position: 4th with 45 points
Home v Away: 17 pts v 28 pts
First Round v Second Round: 23 pts v 22 pts
Finals: Won the Elimination Semi Final, won the Minor Semi Final and then lost the Preliminary Final.
Dulwich Hill finished fifth, fourteen points behind the Spartans. They made solid start to the season and then slipped out of the top five for ten rounds from Round 7 and then made a return to the top group for the final five rounds.
Position: 5th with 31 points
Home v Away: 17 pts v 14 pts
First Round v Second Round: 16 pts v 15 pts
Finals: Lost the Elimination Semi Final
Northern Tigers ended up in sixth spot and they were three points behind Dulwich Hill. They started the season slowly, moved into the top five from round 7 to round 16 and then slipped out again over the last five rounds.
Position: 6th with 27 points
Home v Away: 18pts v 9 pts
First Round v Second Round: 18 pts v 9 pts
Schofields Scorpions were placed seventh on goal difference, three points behind the Tigers. After a reasonably good start they dropped off the pace from Round 6.
Position: 7th with 24 points
Home v Away: 14 pts v 10pts
First Round v Second Round: 15pts v 9pts
Macarthur Rams finished the season in eighth place on goal difference, thirteen goals behind the Scorpions. They had a reasonably healthy start but they dropped away from Round 8 onward.
Position: 8th with 24 points
Home v Away: 14pts v 10pts
First Round v Second Round: 17pts v 7pts
Western Panthers were in ninth place on the final table for the season. They had spent most of the season floating between eighth and tenth places.
Position: 9th with 23 points
Home v Away: 10pts v 13pts
First Round v Second Round: 10pts v 13 pts
Sydney Wanderers finished in tenth position after moving between ninth and eleventh over the course of the season.
Position: 10th with 20 points
Home v Away: 7pts v 13pts
First Round v Second Round: 7pts v 13pts
Southern NSW were placed eleventh. They picked up some early points and then fell away before making a late revival.
Position: 11th with 17 points
Home v Away: 4pts v 13pts
First Round v Second Round: 5pts v 12pts
Granville Rage ended the season in twelfth position after they had remained well off the pace all season.
Position: 12th with 11 points
Home v Away: 7pts v 4pts
First Round v Second Round: 4pts v 7pts
Grade 14
Northern Tigers were the unbeaten Premiers after they won the competition by two points. They had been among the top three during the first round and then they led the way throughout the second round.
Position: 1st with 52 points
Home v Away: 23pts v 29pts
First Round v Second Round: 25pts v 27pts
Finals: Won the Major Semi Final and the lost the Grand Final
Central Coast Lightning were the competition runners-up and they had the best attacking figures in this competition with fifty-three goals. Lightning were always in the top five and they were engaged in a neck-and-neck tussle with Dulwich Hill for most of it. They claimed sloe ownership of second place in the final round
Position: 2nd with 50 points
Home v Away: 23pts v 27pts
First Round v Second Round: 22pts v 28pts
Finals: Won the Preliminary Semi Final on penalties, lost the Major Semi Final and then lost the Preliminary Final.
Dulwich Hill finished up in third position, three points behind Lightning with whom they had been jostling for position for much of the season. After a slow start they moved into the top five in Round 4.
Position: 3rd with 47 points
Home v Away: 25pts v 22pts
First Round v Second Round: 22pts v 25pts
Finals: Lost the Preliminary Semi Final on penalties, won the Minor Semi Final, won the Preliminary Final and then won the Grand Final.
PCYC Parramatta Eagles were placed fourth, three points behind Dulwich Hill, after they had led the way for the first thirteen rounds and then they dropped off the pace.
Position: 4th with 44 points
Home v Away: 21pts v 23pts
First Round v Second Round: 27pts v 17pts
Finals: Lost the Elimination Semi Final
Western Panthers ended the season in fifth position and they were nine points behind the Eagles. They settled into a mid-table position for the first thirteen rounds and then they broke into the top five where they stayed.
Position: 5th with 35 points
Home v Away: 16pts v 19pts
First Round v Second Round: 14pts v 21 pts
Finals: Won the Elimination Semi Final and lost the Minor Semi Final
Spirit FC were six points behind the Panthers at sixth after they had lived right on the cusp of the top five all season without quite making the grade.
Position: 6th with 30 points
Home v Away: 16pts v 14pts
First Round v Second Round: 16pts v 14pts
Macarthur Rams finished in seventh position and they were three points behind Spirit. They settled into a mid-table place early in the season and that is where they stayed.
Position: 7th with 27 points
Home v Away: 14pts v 13pts
First Round v Second Round: 10pts v 17pts
Blacktown Spartans were four points behind the Rams at eighth. After a strong start to the season they had drifted back to a mid-table position.
Position: 8th with 23 points
Home v Away: 10pts v 13 pts
First Round v Second Round: 15pts v 8pts
Southern NSW were placed ninth and they were four points behind the Spartans. After a reasonably good start to the season they dropped away without posing any real threat to those above them.
Position: 9th with 19 points
Home v Away: 6pts v 13 pts
First Round v Second Round: 10ptsv 9pts
Schofields Scorpions ended the season in tenth place and they were four points behind Southern. They had spent most of the season amongst the bottom three teams.
Granville Rage completed the season one point further back at eleventh place. They had very rarely ventured outside the bottom three teams.
Position: 11th with 14 points
Home v Away: 3pts v 11pts
First Round v Second Round: 9pts v 5pts
Sydney Wanderers were three points behind Rage at twelfth. They had spent the season amongst the bottom three teams.
Position: 12th with 11 points
Home v Away: 3pts v 8pts
First Round v Second Round: 5pts v 6pts
Grade 15
Dulwich Hill were the competition winners by a margin of seven points. They started the season with a loss but they soon made up for that as they clicked into gear and took the lead from Round 12 onward. They had the best defensive record after the conceded a miserly seven goals
Position: 1st with 49 points
Home v Away: 27pts v 22pts
First Round v Second Round: 23pts v 26pts
Finals: Lost the Major Semi Final on penalties, won the Preliminary Final and won the Grand Final.
PCYC Parramatta Eagles were the competition runners-up. They had a good start to the year and then produced consistent results over the course of the season. They had the best attacking figures with thirty-eight goals.
Position: 2nd with 42 points
Home v Away: 20pts v 22pts
First Round v Second Round: 22pts v 20pts
Finals: Lost the Preliminary Semi Final, won the Minor Semi Final and then lost the Preliminary Final.
Western Panthers completed the competition in third position on goal difference. They got off to a good start and continued to do well throughout the season but they did drop away in the second half of the campaign.
Position: 3rd with 42 points
Home v Away: 17pts v 25pts
First Round v Second Round: 25pts v 17pts
Finals: Won the Preliminary Semi Final, won the Major Semi Final and then won the Grand Final.
Schofields Scorpions were eight points behind the Panthers in fourth place. They had maintained a place within the top five all season.
Position: 4th with 34 points
Home v Away: 23pts v 11pts
First Round v Second Round: 17pts v 17pts
Finals: Won the Elimination Semi Final on penalties and the lost the Minor Semi Final.
Macarthur Rams finished in fifth place, three points behind the Scorpions. After a sluggish start to the season they had broken into the top five from Round 8 and they managed to stay there.
Position: 5th with 31 points
Home v Away: 14pts v 17pts
First Round v Second Round: 16pts v 15pts
Finals: Lost the Elimination Semi Final on penalties.
Spirit FC were placed sixth and they were four points behind the Rams. They spent the season drifting back and forth between the middle and lower end of the table.
Position: 6th with 27 points
Home v Away: 12pts v 15pts
First Round v Second Round: 11pts v 16pts
Sydney Wanderers were one point further back at seventh. After a healthy start they had dropped off the pace and remained in the middle of the table
Position: 7th with 26 points
Home v Away: 12pts v 14pts
First Round v Second Round: 10pts v 16pts
Central Coast Lightning ended the season in eighth position and they were two points behind the Wanderers. After spending most of the season just outside the top five they dropped away over the final rounds.
Position: 8th with 24 points
Home v Away: 9pts v 15pts
First Round v Second Round: 14pts v 10pts
Northern Tigers were one point behind Lightning at ninth on goal difference. They had a reasonably good start but they fell away as the season progressed.
Position: 9th with 23 points
Home v Away: 10pts v 13pts
First Round v Second Round: 11pts v 12pts
Blacktown Spartans were placed tenth on goal difference. They started at the lower end of the table and gradually worked their way through the season.
Position: 10th with 23 points
Home v Away: 10pts v 13pts
First Round v Second Round: 9pts v 14pts
Southern NSW finished at eleventh on goal difference. They enjoyed a pretty good start but then they could not keep pace with the top group.
Position: 11th with 23 points
Home v Away: 12pts v 11pts
First Round v Second Round: 11pts v 12pts
Granville Rage were eight points further back at twelfth position. They had a fair beginning but then they did not go on with it and stayed at the bottom of the table for most of the season.
Position: 12th with 15 points
Home v Away: 9pts v 6pts
First Round v Second Round: 9pts v 6pts
Grade 16
Western Panthers were the Premiers after they won the competition by three points. They had spent the entire season in the top five, leading at various stages including the all-important last three rounds.
Position: 1st with 48 points
Home v Away: 27pts v 21pts
First Round v Second Round: 22pts v 26pts
Finals: Lost the Major Semi Final, lost the Preliminary Final.
PCYC Parramatta Eagles were the competition runners-up. They had worked their way up from fifth place to lead the way at various stages before dropping back to second position. They had the best defensive figures in this competition as they gave up a miserly ten goals.
Position: 2nd with 45 points
Home v Away: 19pts v 26pts
First Round v Second Round: 21pts v 24pts
Finals: Won the Preliminary Semi Final on penalties, won the Major Semi Final and then won the Grand Final.
Northern Tigers were two points behind Parramatta at third position. After a slow start to the season, they broke into the top five at Round 10 and they never looked back. They had the most potent attack in this competition after they scored fifty-two goals.
Position: 3rd with 43 points
Home v Away: 20pts v 23pts
First Round v Second Round: 21pts v 22pts
Finals: Lost the Preliminary Semi Final on penalties and then lost the Minor Semi Final.
Blacktown Spartans finished the season in fourth place on goal difference, four points behind the Tigers. They had stayed in the top five for the first nine rounds, dropped out briefly and then returned to the top group from Round 13 onward.
Position: 4th with 37 points
Home v Away: 16pts v 21pts
First Round v Second Round: 18pts v 19pts
Finals: Lost the Elimination Semi Final on penalties
Macarthur Rams completed the season in fifth place on goal difference after they had held a place in the top five for the first fourteen rounds. They dropped back for a period of five games and then staged a late revival to make a return to the top group.
Position: 5th with 37 points
Home v Away: 20pts v 17pts
First Round v Second Round: 21pts v 16pts
Finals: Won the elimination Semi Final on penalties, won the Preliminary Final and then lost the Grand Final.
Central Coast Lightning missed the finals series by a single point. They had occupied a mid-table position for the first seven weeks of the season and then they broke into the top five from Round 8 until they fell away in Round 21.
Position: 6th with 36 points
Home v Away: 14pts v 22pts
First Round v Second Round: 20pts v 16pts
Spirit FC were in seventh place and one points behind Lightning. They had enjoyed a good start to the season but then they fell away from Round 11 and never really recovered.
Position: 7th with 35 points
Home v Away: 16pts v 19pts
First Round v Second Round: 19pts v 16pts
Sydney Wanderers were seven points behind Spirit at eighth place. They had a reasonably good opening period before dropping back quickly and then showing a gradual and impressive improvement.
Position: 8th with 28 points
Home v Away: 14pts v 14pts
First Round v Second Round: 8pts v 20pts
Dulwich Hill were placed ninth and they were five points behind the Wanderers. They had spent most of the season in a mid-table position without being able to challenge for a place in the top five.
Position: 9th with 23 points
Home v Away: 12pts v 11pts
First Round v Second Round: 12pts v 11pts
Granville Rage were four points further back at tenth. They had held onto a lower mid-table position until Round 14 when they slipped back to tenth and that is where they stayed.
Position: 10th with 19 points
Home v Away: 10pts v 9pts
First Round v Second Round: 14pts v 5pts
Southern NSW were eleventh, seven points behind Rage. After a mid-table start to the season they spent the last fifteen rounds in eleventh position.
Position: 11th with 12 points
Home v Away: 6pts v 6pts
First Round v Second Round: 7pts v 5pts
Schofields Scorpions ended the season in twelfth place and they were six points behind Southern. They had a reasonable start to the year but they did not go on with it and so they spent a total of nineteen rounds in twelfth place.
Position: 12th with 6 points
Home v Away: 6pts v 0pts
First Round v Second Round: 2pts v 4pts
Grade 18
Dulwich Hill were the Premiers after they were five points clear at the end of the season. They had spent the entire season in the top two and they claimed the outright lead from Round 17 onward. They had the best defensive figures in the competition as they gave up only sixteen goals.
Position: 1st with 43 points
Home v Away: 18pts v 25pts
First Round v Second Round: 20pts v 23pts
Finals: Lost the Major Semi Final, won the Preliminary Final and then lost the Grand Final on penalties.
Schofields Scorpions were placed second on goal difference and they had the best attacking figures in this competition after they scored forty-nine goals. They had been inside the top five all season, occupying all the places at various stages and remaining in second spot over the last five rounds thanks to a surge in points in the second half of the campaign.
Position: 2nd with 38 points
Home v Away: 21pts v 17pts
First Round v Second Round: 14pts v 24pts
Finals: Lost the Preliminary Semi Final, won the Minor Semi Final and then lost the Preliminary Final.
Macarthur Rams completed the season in third place on goal difference. They had spent all but two games in the top three and even then they only dropped back to fourth before bouncing back.
Position: 3rd with 38 points
Home v Away: 17pts v 21pts
First Round v Second Round: 20pts v 18pts
Finals: Won the Preliminary Semi Final, won the Major Semi Final and then won the Grand Final on penalties.
Central Coast Lightning were five points further back at fourth position. They had a reasonably good start to the season and then they spent all but one game inside the top five.
Position: 4th with 33 points
Home v Away: 20pts v 13pts
First Round v Second Round: 20pts v 13pts
Finals: Won the Elimination Semi Final and then lost the Minor Semi Final.
Northern Tigers were only one point behind Lightning at fifth. They had enjoyed a healthy start to the season and then they settled into a mid-table position before they returned to the top five in the last three rounds.
Position: 5th with 32 points
Home v Away: 18pts v 14pts
First Round v Second Round: 13pts v 19pts
Finals: Lost the Elimination Semi Final
Granville Rage finished sixth and they were four points behind the Tigers. They spent the season in the middle of the table and they occasionally challenged for a place in the top five without success.
Position: 6th with 28 points
Home v Away: 18pts v 10pts
First Round v Second Round: 12pts v 16pts
Spirit FC were placed seventh and they were two points behind Rage. They got off to a good start and then spent three games in mid-table before returning to the top group for fourteen games. They dropped out of the finals series over the last two games.
Position: 7th with 26 points
Home v Away: 14pts v 12pts
First Round v Second Round: 19pts v 7pts
PCYC Parramatta Eagles were two points behind Spirit at eighth. They spent most of the season in a mid-table position, briefly challenging for a top five place without success.
Position: 8th with 24 points
Home v Away: 10pts v 14pts
First Round v Second Round: 15pts v 9pts
Western Panthers ended the season in ninth place, two points astern of Parramatta. They had a fairly good beginning and then they settled into a series of mid-table positions.
Position: 9th with 22 points
Home v Away: 12pts v 10pts
First Round v Second Round: 12pts v 10pts
Blacktown Spartans were nine points behind the Panthers at tenth. They were placed at the lower end of the table for most of the season.
Position: 10th with 13 points
Home v Away: 8pts v 5pts
First Round v Second Round: 7pts v 6pts
Sydney Wanderers finished in eleventh place and they were two points behind the Spartans. They were always placed at the bottom end of the table even though they showed a big improvement in the second half of the season..
Position: 11th with 11 points
Home v Away: 4pts v 7pts
First Round v Second Round: 1pt v 10pts
Southern NSW did not compete in the competition this season.
