Elimination Final
Charlestown Azzurri v Newcastle Olympic
Lisle Carr Oval, Saturday 2pm
Charlestown Azzurri coach Graham Law has outlined his side’s discipline as an area that needs improvement in the lead up to their do-or-die clash against Newcastle Olympic on Saturday.
Azzurri aimed to use their bye in the rescheduled round one fixtures last weekend to readjust their focus following a horror closing month to the regular season.
Azzurri were in danger of falling out of the top five following three consecutive losses before cementing fourth position with a crucial draw against Lambton Jaffas. It was an alarming fall from grace for Law’s men, who were on top of the table boasting an unbeaten streak of 14 matches earlier in the season.
But most concerning about those defeats in Law’s eyes was his side receiving three red cards in their final four matches.
“The players realised they have let themselves down,” Law said.
“We feel we dropped off at a key part of the season and that was a bit self-inflicted. We had a run of red cards, it’s difficult in games with 10 men and especially against good teams. We had 10 men against Olympic, Edgeworth and Magic. It’s difficult to win games.”
Law said he was confident of Azzurri’s record against those teams in the finals and also how the week off in the final round of the season has helped their championship aspirations.
“The break worked in our favour actually,” Law said.
“Going into finals, it’s about putting your best foot forward and not looking at the downsides of the season. We have been looking at the positives.
“We had a long unbeaten run and we have competed against every team at some stage in the season. So we look at who is in the finals, we have taken points off Magic, drew with Maitland twice, beaten and drawn with Jaffas and beat Olympic.
“You look at teams in the finals and we have competed well against them but it’s one game at a time and it starts with Olympic. It is elimination football for us and Newcastle Olympic now. Olympic is a very good team, they have got good movement in the front third and I think it will be two very good teams coming up against each other.
“We have made the finals now, we have reached that objective. We wanted to put our best foot forward and we made it with a round to spare. Now we would like to go as far into the finals as we can, as everyone will.”
Azzurri’s Harry Frendo and Matt Tull will be unavailable through suspension for the elimination final.
Despite the tough end to the season, there is no denying the quality the Azzurri roster possesses. Highlighted by mid-season signings Taylor Regan and Rene Ferguson who joined an already star-studded line-up that boasts former A-League talent like Nigel Boogaard and Jacob Melling.
Newcastle Olympic survived a scare from Valentine and Edgeworth in the closing rounds of competition to secure their place in the top five with a gritty 1-0 victory over Weston Workers in the final round of the season.
Olympic come into this year's final series as dark horses, as the Joel Griffiths-coached side looks to break a 14-year drought in their quest to take home the championship.
Olympic possess some of the most exciting young talents in the league with stars like Jared Muller, Joey Langlois and Malik Thom emerging this season to complement veterans Rhys Cooper and Tom Davies.
Olympic will look to replicate their efforts from the team's last meeting in round 14 where they came away with a 1-0 victory in a heated encounter. While Azzurri will look to channel the early season form that saw them dispose of Olympic 3-1 in round three.
Qualifying Final
Broadmeadow Magic v Lambton Jaffas
Magic Park. Sunday 2pm
Lambton Jaffas coach Shane Pryce said his side was hurting after this year’s premiership slipped through their fingers but would be ready to bounce back against Broadmeadow on Sunday.
Jaffas ended their reign as premiers at the hands of Maitland following a 3-1 loss at Arthur Edden Oval last Sunday and will now instead set their sights on the 2022 NPL Men’s NNSW championship.
Jaffas have had an admirable title-defending campaign despite missing out on the premiership, finishing the regular season in third place, three points behind their opponents this weekend Broadmeadow Magic.
The match promises to be a fiery affair with the Jaffas playing roster featuring several recent Magic representatives with James and Luke Virgilli, Mitch Rooke and Matt Hoole all making the switch to the reigning premiers in the lead-up to this year’s campaign.
Pryce said while Magic were formidable opponents, his side was focused on taking out what would be their first championship since 2017 after falling short against Maitland last weekend.
“We have all the respect for Magic,” Pryce said.
“This is going to be a cracking finals game. These are the ones you want to be involved with as a player and as a coach. We have respect for them and our opponents always but we have a hard task ahead of us because they are a quality side. We have been consistent all year but Magic finished ahead of us, so we have to give them respect.
“In our sport in Newcastle, Australia or NSW it’s all based around, to a point, that final game and the big day, the grand final. I think a team will celebrate [the championship] harder than winning the premiership.
“That hunger will be there [to win]. We are still hurting and this is what you play for, to be involved in a grand final. It would be great to get to the grand final but we will have to get across a really mobile, fit, well-coached and well-drilled side.”
Jaffas will be monitoring midfielder Luke Remington during the lead-up to the clash after he pulled up with hamstring tightness following last weekend’s loss to the Magpies.
It has been two of Magic’s former alumni that have come back to haunt them in Broadmeadow and Lambton’s earlier meetings in round three and round 14 this season, with James Virgili and Mitch Rooke combining in both matches to deliver 2-1 victories in both fixtures.
Broadmeadow Magic felt a similar sense of disappointment to their qualifying final opponents last weekend, falling short of the premiership by a single point despite celebrating a strong 3-0 victory over Lake Macquarie City.
But Magic will not have to wait long to mount their charge for the championship, as Damian Zane’s men look to bring the silverware back to Magic Park for the first time since 2018.
Questions around Magic’s championship credentials were raised following the exodus of many of their senior playing group in the off season. But Zane’s decision to move forward with a younger squad has been pioneered by superstars such as Bailey Wells, Jayden Stewardson, Jarred Baker and the now departed Jacob Dowse.
Zane conceded his side may need to tweak some things before they clash with the Jaffas and he also highlighted Magic’s desire to start their finals campaign with a bang.
“The Jaffas have beaten us twice, so there is a challenge there,” Zane said.
“Jaffas are a good team, they have come third. Every game is a challenge, especially second verse third. Jaffas are second-best defensively in the league but we have lost both times we have played them. So we are going to have to change a little bit of what we try to do and hopefully come up with something that works.
“At this time of year you don’t really care who you are playing against. Any win is sweet and every loss hurts a bit, so it doesn’t really matter who it is against. Everyone is after one thing and that’s to win. You can win a semi-final and get knocked out and it means nothing at the end, it only matters about the team who wins the grand final.
“It’s two wins to make the grand final, so we are just focusing on getting the first one. I really don’t want my team to feel that we have two chances, the aim should be that two wins to get us to the grand final so if we can win this week, we are halfway there.”