2023 League Two Men’s Season Preview
Football NSW League Two Men’s is back with 11 new teams all ready to make 2023 one of the most fascinating seasons in recent memory.
The League Three champions Newcastle Jets will have a target on its back as all the other sides look to prove their quality against the A-League academy side.
The four League Two sides that missed promotion last year will all be vying to outdo the new sides in the league and set the standard from the early stages.
Let’s not waste any time and get into how each side is looking heading into the new season.
Bankstown United FC
Last Season: 11th (League Two)
Bankstown United enter 2023 with plenty of expectations to turnaround on what was a disappointing showing last season.
After finishing the 2022 season in 11th, Bankstown are looking for a fresh start with a few changes to the squad that is expected to push for promotion.
United will be missing Mouhamed Hamdache, Emilio Martinez, Dalibor Malesevic and Kallie Bangura for the upcoming campaign but will be hopeful some new signings along with some up-and-coming stars will be able to fill their shoes.
Scott Belgre has brought in some experienced names to the attack including, Marie Gauthier and Mitch Cross, whilst Mitch Evans will provide extra depth between the sticks.
Now playing their home games at Padstow Park, United will be aiming for one of the two promotions spots in 2023.
Camden Tigers FC
Last Season: 7th (League Three)
Camden Tigers will be looking a lot younger in 2023 as they prepare for what looks destined to be an improved season.
Dean Bradley has returned to the club and will serve as an assistant under Gary Seymour who takes the reigns once again for 2023.
The Tigers parted way with seven senior players from last season and welcome a pair of Berries as Marko Filipovic and Leo Guzman set for their first full seasons with the club.
Daniel Lane and Bayley Sutars will be amongst the young players at the club ready to step up to the first-grade side that is set to include David Scott, Bailey Simpson, and skipper Jack Harris.
Camden have made Ron Dine Stadium a place that no one wants to visit in the regular season, something that could give them a massive advantage in the 2023 season.
Fraser Park FC
Last Season: 8th (League Three)
Fraser Park are back and ready to contend after an uncharacteristic showing in 2022.
Finishing anywhere not around the top of the table is something that Fraser Park hasn’t become accustomed to in recent years but are set for a major upheaval this year.
Alex Araujo returns to the club after a year with Sydney FC’s academy and has brought with him a formidable squad.
With little to no changes from the previous squad, Alexander Nicolosi and Sam Sheppard will be sure to add some competition to the starting squad on a week-to-week basis.
Shu Torihara returns to lead the line alongside Alexis Wenzel, Pat Ferrara and Lazar Draklovic, who are set to play their part in Fraser Park’s push to the top.
If Fraser Park can steady the ship and return to the side that was challenging for the title in 2021, they should be considered as one of the favourites to finish near the top of the table.
Gladesville Ryde Magic FC
Last Season: 9th (League Two)
Gladesville Ryde Magic were one of the unluckiest sides in the state last year, missing promotion to League One by a handful of points.
The Magic will have one eye on the future with a few of their veteran players calling it a day on their careers at the end of last season.
The club’s experienced trio of Chris Gaitatsis, Sergio Tarazona and James Tsokos will shoulder a lot of responsibilities on the pitch whilst mentoring the next generation of Magic stars.
Among some of those youngsters ready to make the step up to first grade include Luca Vasic, Stefan Baker and Christopher Guyot.
The Magic’s custodian goalkeeper Kiriakos Tohouroglou remains determined to keep his storied career alive after signing on for another season at the ripe-young age of 50.
Although they may be a more youthful side, Gladesville Ryde will be a tough side to beat, especially when playing at the Arctic Circle.
Hawkesbury City FC
Last Season: 3rd (League Three)
Hawkesbury City looks set to make some noise in 2023 with a squad that remains relatively untouched from last season.
Playing on the road for the majority of 2022 seemed to take its toll on the Hawks at the backend of the season, something that should have less of an effect on the side this season.
Hawkesbury are aiming to have Bensons Lane open and running by early March, where they will play their first home game in over a year.
The Hawks’ contingency in their playing squad will give them a massive advantage for the upcoming with Pedj Bojic locked up for another season and ready to lead the team in the middle of the park.
Hawkesbury have recruited a few under 20s players from higher leagues that will add some depth to the squad that will be aiming high in 2023.
Hurstville FC
Last Season: 6th (League Three)
With a new head coach and plenty of new signings, Hurstville are looking to put a bitter end to the 2022 season firmly behind them.
Hurstville announced that former Sydney United coach Davor Bajsic would take charge for the 2023 season, stating their intentions to the rest of the league in the process.
Bajsic’s playing experience around Europe has made him a massive asset for the club, as the players began to flock to Hurstville to play under the esteemed coach.
Amongst the handful of new signings, Mouhamed Hadmache, George Salocharis, Allie Jayee and Nikita Andricopoulos all look set to make their mark on the first team.
Hurstville’s experienced core of Paul and Jesse Gagro, Samuel Shainfield, Michael Rutherford, Dario Borovickic, Pedro Almeida, Jacob Ritchie and Daniel Maras are all in for big seasons as they lead the club’s promotion charge.
Inner West Hawks FC
Last Season: 12th (League Two)
Inner West Hawks look determined to prove the doubters wrong and begin on the path back up the table after finishing bottom of League Two in 2022.
The Hawks parted ways with Gus Cerro at the end of last season and promoted Phil Pavela to take charge of the side for the upcoming season.
There was plenty of change within the playing squad from last season, with just under half of the squad not returning in 2023.
Inner West were dealt a massive blow as veteran defender Sam Awad confirmed he wouldn’t be going around again but were re-enforced by the returns of Peter Yannopoulos, Oliver Stickland and Chris Phillips.
The Hawks recruited well in the off-season, bringing in a trio of former Berries’ players, with Andre Guzman, Angelo Pezzano, Matty Paris and Laurence Claxton.
Although there was an abundance of change at the Hawks, they look set to turn the tide and work their way off back into the mix of things in League Two.
Nepean FC
Last Season: 2nd, Runners-up (League Three)
After falling just short of the League Three Title, Nepean enters the 2023 season with plenty of motivation to go one better this season.
With Joe D’Ermilio announcing he would be stepping into the role of technical director for Nepean, experienced coach Steven Appleby will be at the helm for the upcoming season.
Nepean were forced to make some tough decisions and trim down the senior squad, forcing them to lean on their youth players to step up throughout the season.
Although the squad may have lost a bit of experience, the talented duo of Mitch and Matthew Crossley are back and look set for a big season.
With a new coach and a bunch of young players raring to go, Nepean will expect to be in the race for top two spots until the final gameday of 2023.
Newcastle Jets
Last Season: 1st, Champions (League Three)
Last season’s League Three champions are back and ready to compete for back-to-back titles and promotion in 2023.
The Jets will welcome in a new coach for the upcoming season, with former Edgeworth and Broadmeadow Magic man Daniel Zane taking charge in 2023.
Although the majority of the players remain from last season, Zane wasted little time getting to work and recruiting some of the best youngsters in and around the Northern NSW competition.
Newcastle’s squad will feature a few familiar faces from seasons gone past, including Archie Goodwin, Peter Grozos and Ben Van Dorssen – who will all likely be pushing for A-League selection throughout the year.
The Jets’ strong midfield pairing of Adam Zervas and Lachlan West will likely remain with them for the majority of the season, giving them a massive advantage in the engine room.
Newcastle will likely enter this season as the favourites to gain automatic promotion but will have a massive target on their back as a result.
Parramatta FC
Last Season: 10th (League Three)
After another disappointing season in 2022, Parramatta is set for a clean slate this season after parting ways with all but one player from last year’s playing squad.
Along with a new set of players, Parramatta appointed the highly regarded Luis Contigiani as coach – leaving the Sutherland Sharks after a stint with the first-grade side last season.
Contigiani’s focuses largely revolve around instilling his style of football on a side of new players that are looking to restore the historic club.
Paul Lee is the sole survivor from last season’s squad, as he is now surrounded by a youthful group of players all keen to cement their spot in first grade.
Although resources may be limited for the Eagles, Melita Stadium isn’t going to be an easy venue for anyone to pick up points from this season.
Prospect United SC
Last Season: 5th (League Three)
Last season’s underdog story Prospect United are set for another big season in 2023, with more young faces looking to continue to make an impact on the league
Prospect have put a lot of its focus on the youth, promoting a handful of promising youngsters for the 2023 season.
Incumbent coach Darren Camilleri has recruited some high-potential players in the offseason, with Luca Frasca, James Pelletier, Rhys Osmand and Abnoud Mickael all impressing since joining the club.
With an average squad age of 20 last year, and 21.5 this year, Prospect are showing plenty of faith in the young players getting it done in what could be a massive season for the club.
Although Prospect are looking to the future, the likes of David Muller, Christian Leiva Martinez, Daniel Mihajlovic and Tallon Zahra will give the side some much-needed experience on the field.
Although their preseason has been riddled with injuries, once fit and firing Prospect look set to contend for a spot at the top once again.
South Coast Flame FC
Last Season: 9th (League Three)
The Flame has been lit for 2023 as South Coast prepares for a massive season with one of the most talented squads the club has ever assembled.
South Coast will be aiming to right the wrongs of 2022 where they failed to capitalise on a promising start to the season.
Darren Jones is back as the head coach and is joined by Stan Pappas, with a squad that has a very balanced mix of youth and experience.
The Flame went out recruited former Central Coast Mariner’s man Jacob Poscoliero, along with former Maltese international James Baldacchino, Seiya Miamoto, Chang-Gyun Yoo, Adam Voloder, Jacob Gjorsevski and Ben Caroutas.
Matthew Mazevski and Cody Waller will feature for the Flame throughout the season as two of the side’s creative sparks in the attacking third.
South Coast will be looking to feature plenty of youth players who will look to earn a permanent spot in the first team in 2023.
Ian McLennan Park will be a daunting venue for any side to travel to, especially during the winter, giving the Flame a massive advantage in the crucial stages of the season.
Sydney University SFC
Last Season: 10th (League Two)
The final club that narrowly missed promotion to League One in 2022, Sydney University will be eager to go one better this season.
Rob Fleming has joined the side at the front of a coaching staff featuring Callum Pendleton and Steve Crawford.
Uni were kept busy in the off-season rebuilding the playing squad after losing some of their veteran players including Fletcher Williamson.
After picking up some notable first-graders, the club turned its attention to the junior ranks and rewarded, Jacob Barrett, Aidan Hardiman and Jordan Polyoza with upgraded deals with the senior side.
Uni will be expected to play a more fluid and attacking style of football whilst slowly introducing some of the promising youngsters into the fold throughout the year.
With a fresh and positive vibe around the club, Uni will be motivated to capitalise on some of their late season moment from the last campaign and convert the success into a promotion push.
UNSW FC
Last Season: 4th (League Three)
After an agonising end to the 2022 season, UNSW look set to put League Two on notice with one of the most talented squads in the competition.
With a solid amount of last year’s core retained, UNSW turned its focus to adding reinforcements across all positions.
UNSW will be boosted by the arrival of former Australian schoolboy Jack Fulton along with Lachlan Hughes, Mitchell Mattison, Rick Aguilar, Luke Del Vecchio, Zac Riberio, Peter Prandalos and Dom Abruzzese.
The new signings will fit in alongside the core of last year’s League Three Golden Boot Kevin Lopes, Matias Da Silva Santos, Claudio Fabiano, Callum Fitzpatrick, Luke and Keeghan Burke, Christian Martinez and Dylan Walz.
UNSW’s undeniable talent will place them as one of the favourites to take out one of the two promotion spots from the first game of the season.
Western Rage
Last Season: 11th (League Three)
Last but certainly not least is the Western Rage, who enter 2023 rejuvenated after an abundance of change in and around the club.
The Rage parted company with former coach Jarrod Carluccio and has brought in Joe Bacha to lead the charge for 2023.
Bacha’s focus on building a foundation for years to come is evident through the club’s recruitment where the focus was largely around giving the younger players a chance.
The Rage recruited 13 new players, one being former Australian youth international Jason Naidovski, with a heavy focus being around adding depth and balance to the squad for the extended season.
After a couple of disappointing seasons, the Rage are showing promising signs in preseason and will be a tough team to get past for the upcoming season.
Written by Dominic Criniti, @DominicCriniti
