With the A-League season up-and-running, it’s now time to reflect and celebrate what was a historical and important season for the club in Football NSW’s National Premier Leagues competition.
Since the establishment of the Western Sydney Wanderers FC Academy in 2016, the club has achieved many things:
- Two Y-League Grand Finals, including one victory
- One NPL2 Mens Grand Final appearance
- 14 youth titles including eight premierships and six championships
- Many academy graduates earning contracts and caps in the A-League Mens team
Despite these successes, one thing has eluded the Red & Black at NPL level: promotion to the top tier senior men’s competition.
The closest the club has come to promotion was in the inaugural year, 2016, when an impressive young squad featuring two future Socceroos and a total of 18 players who went on to feature in the A-League Mens, finished second: missing out on promotion by three competition points.
This all changed in 2022 when a group of talented players who were desperate to leave their legacy earned a place in Wanderers history when they secured promotion to NPL 1 Mens.
How the season started
2022 wasn’t a regular season. Due to two years of Covid disruptions, it was the first fully complete season in three years and – combined with a Football NSW competition restructure – it meant that there was a greater chance of promotion than ever before.
In past seasons only the league Premiers (or Club Championship winners) would earn the right to advance to the higher division, but with FNSW looking to create a 16-team NPL 1 competition in 2023 it meant that the top four teams would all be eligible for promotion.
While this increased the chances of promotion, it was by no means guaranteed: especially considering that Wanderers hadn’t finished in the top four (of a non-Covid season) since 2016 and in fact hadn’t even qualified for finals for six years.
Nonetheless, it was clear that this once-off opportunity should not be wasted.
The playing squad of an A-League club’s NPL team is always an eclectic mix of players at different points of their career. You have young players who have just made the jump from 18s/20s, you have scholarship players trying to prove their deserve their spot in an A-League line-up, you have players who have been with the academy since U13s, and you have new players just signed with the club.
This season started though with a number of players who had a point to prove. Following two years of disruptions, the bulk of the squad started the season knowing that this was likely to be their last year playing NPL for Western Sydney Wanderers.
Whether it be contracts ending, moving to the A-League Mens squad, or simply getting too old to eligible next season, the squad knew that for the majority of them, this was their last chance to achieve promotion for the club. It was now or never.
Within the squad, a drive to leave a legacy at this club became strong: they wanted to be the ones to lift this club to the top tier – and their opening to the season showcased just how strong that will was.
Wanderers opened the season with four wins from their first five games: giving them a strong foundation to work in the path to promotion.
Periods of doubt and the turning point
But as quickly as the team gained momentum, they were able to lose it just as quickly. Midway through the season the team began to hit speed bumps.
A combination of players moving clubs, season-ending injuries, and coaching staff being moved into the A-League squad saw the team stumble to only a single victory in five matches. It took a turning point brought about by a new face at the club which saw everyone once again lined-up for the same goal.
New A-League head coach, Marko Rudan, came in and made it clear that promotion had to be achieved. And it wasn’t just empty words: Rudan committed to giving the Academy the resources and players they needed to clinch promotion.
Almost instantly, the players and coaching staff were filled with confidence and began to string together result after result.
First came a nine-match unbeaten streak – which included five victories – and, when that streak finally came to an end, the team responded with an incredible five consecutive victories which led to the club securing promotion with weeks left to spare in the season.
While a club-first premiership was lost due to a points deduction, it did not take away from the historical achievement of promotion: nor the legacy that this group of players have left for future Wanderers Academy players.
What this means to the club
The promotion to NPL1 Mens was crucial for the continued development of the Wanderers Academy and all present and future players.
The Academy is there to produce players for the A-League Men’s team, and for those in the Academy to have the opportunity to play in the highest level in the New South Wales football pyramid is an important part of the pathway to a professional career.
So far in its existence, the Wanderers Academy has been able to produce many players of domestic and international pedigree, and now, the club has an even better base to continue to produce talent.
This is due to the work of a focussed playing group of over 40 players, their supportive families, and several coaches who all played important parts throughout the season: Tomi Vidovic, Jean-Paul de Marigny, Peter Kofinas, and Geoff Abrahams (who provided a lot of the information and insight for this article).
The next generation of Wanderers will benefit from the hard work and sacrifice of these people.
Other notable results from the Wanderers Academy
While promotion was the most notable achievement of the season, it was not the only one with the U20s winning their Grand Final, the U18s winning the double, and the U13s and U14s both making the Grand Final.
With these results, it meant the Western Sydney Wanderers won the Boys Youth League One Club Championship and were runners up in the Mens League One Club Championship.
The U20s championship made the season even more historical as from 2023 onwards, a competition restructure means that there will be no more finals series or grand finals for the U20s competition: meaning the Red & Black are the last U20s Grand Final winners for the foreseeable future.
2023 Titles and Achievements
The Club: Winners of the Boys Youth League One Club Championship and runners-up in the League One Mens Club Championship
League One Men: Won promotion to NPL 1 Mens. Finished the season on top of the table but ended-up in third place after a points deduction due to fan behaviour
U20s: Won the Grand Final 5-1 over CCM with goals to Gianni Di Pizio (x2), Miguel Di Pizio, Jakov Malbasa, and Ayman Gulasi
U18s: Won the Premiership by 23 points and won the Grand Final 2-0 over Sydney FC. The season included an impressive 13 consecutive victories
U14s: Lost the Grand Final in a penalty shoot out (5-3) to SD Raiders. The score was 0-0 at full time and 1-1 after extra time
U13s: Lost the grand final 6-1 to Sydney FC
