The new NPL WA season is set to get underway this weekend, with Glory heading to Dorrien Gardens for a clash with traditional competition heavyweights, Perth SC.
It’s a testing start for the youngsters, but having seen them pick up ten points from their final four games of the Foxtel Y-League campaign, Head Coach John Gibson is confident that his charges have what it takes to hit the ground running.
“The great thing about our squad this season,” he said, “is that the majority of them already have a year of NPL experience under their belts and most of them also featured in the NYL.
“It’s been a nice consistent group for a period of time and we’re looking forward to the next 26 weeks of challenges in the NPL.
“Our mindset is to carry the strong form we showed in the second half of the NYL campaign into the new competition and adapt to the different kind of football.
“NYL is technical and tactical, while the NPL is quite a physical league being against men. So we’re getting ready to face that.”
The NPL squad have been training hard ahead of the campaign and Gibson likes what he has seen from the players in terms of their attitude.
“There is always self-belief, confidence and positivity in the group,” he said, “and the strong finish to the NYL season has reinforced that.
“We’ve got some young guys that we’ll promote within the pathway and we’re looking forward to seeing how they can cope.
“In NPL in the last few years we’ve used up to 40 bodies, so players will definitely be given opportunities. We’ll have players coming up from the 18s and the 20s into the first team.
“We’ve got Trent Ostler who is one of the very young players coming through, Jaidon Seldon returning from a knee injury and there’s Abias Bukuru as well. We’re looking forward to seeing how they get on.”
So what targets has Gibson set his players on the eve of the big kick-off?
“We’re looking to see our core group being more consistent, more mature and successful,” he said.
“The target is to be super-competitive, very positive in everything we do and push for top four.
“And we do have some internal goals as well.”
The action at Dorrien Gardens gets underway at 3pm on Sunday with the Under 18s, while the Under 20s start at 5pm and the first-team game is scheduled for 7pm.
So do get along and lend the lads your support if you possibly can.
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