Football Season Guide

Made it all the way to the Australian Cup Final pre-season; a heroic feat for an NPL team. They gave it everything they could, surprising really good A-League opponents like Auckland FC and Western Sydney Wanderers along the way. They gave Avondale a run for their money in the Victoria NPL too, only just finishing runners-up. Tactically, the team is very strong. They seldom look unsettled, and that shouldn't change in this competition - they've already proved in the Australian Cup that they know how to handle big, one-off matches, no matter the venue. That shouldn't change for the maiden voyage of the Australian Championship. Goal-scoring still isn't their forte though. Juach is more of a handful than a predator for them, and it's an area they need to address. That's going to be especially true now that Ngor's loan has come to an end - he's returned to the Mariners. Much like Juach, he's more of a handful than a brilliant finisher but between them, Heidelberg United's attack was very hard to handle. Defensively, this is a good group - they give very little away. They haven't felt the need to bolster their defensive ranks because of how solid they are. As long as they maintain their cool and don't lose any important players ahead of the start of the A-League (considered to be superior to the NPL), they should be alright. They're in an interesting group. Wollongong Wolves will be a big test for them, as will Sydney's Marconi Stallions. They shouldn't fear either of them though, given the size of the teams they've already beaten in the Australian Cup. Qualifying for the next round is a must, and they've got the potential to go a long way as long as they can improve their chance conversion a little.