CLUB FOCUS: BLACKTOWN CITY FC
Blacktown City will be hoping to build on the successes of 2015 as the reigning PS4 National Premier Leagues champions look to put PlayStation®4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s grand final heart-break behind them.
Coach Mark Crittenden will have most of the team that won the league premiership with considerable style as he looks to go one further this season.
Stars such as Patrick Antelmi, Danny Choi, Sasa Macura, Zac Cairncross, Matt Lewis, Travis Major and Joey Gibbs all return, which Crittenden said is the best endorsement for the club’s culture and environment.
“Other clubs were interested in some of our boys but we’ve kept almost all of them, which I think shows they like where they’re at,” he said.
Korean star Choi will be joined by another import this season with Riku Sasaki joining the club, while Roberto Speranza also joins the club.
“We’re not treating this year any differently to any other year,” Crittenden said.
“We won the NPL title last year, so we were disappointed to be beaten by a good side in the grand final.
“But anything can happen in a grand final.
“The motivation for us is the same regardless of what happened last year. No matter what or who we play.”
Crittenden admitted he was a bit concerned by his side’s mixed pre-season form but was not paying too much attention to the results.
“Obviously you’re not playing for points in pre-season … but the pre-season form has not been good, it’s a bit mixed at the minute,” he said.
“We’ve just played four of the clubs in our division and the results have been mixed, so we’re a fraction behind we’d liked to be.”
Joining the first-team squad this season will be John Grozdanovski, who took out the under-20 golden boot last season, and Crittenden is keen for him to fight for his spot in the first team alongside the likes of former Wanderer Gibbs.
“He’s doing well and we expect big things from him,” Crittenden said.
“But we want that from everyone. We want the overall group to improve.”
PLAYER TO WATCH: Patrick Antelmi
The former Leeds United man did not do himself justice in last season’s grand final, but you do not have to look far beyond that to see what a quality player Patrick Antelmi is. On his day, Antelmi has proven himself arguably the best player in the league and if he can repeat the heights of last season he will once again fire Blacktown City to great heights.
Squad: Nenad Vekic, Giorgio Speranza, Roberto Speranza, Matthew Lewis, Travis Major, Sasa Mecura, Joseph Gibbs, Connor Evans, Danny Choi, Jonathon Grozdanovski, Mitch Mallia, Patrick Antelmi, Lewis Beumie, Zach Cairncross, Tristan Prendergast, Riku Sasaki
