2008 (17U) State Premiership I

As we head into the second weekend of competition, all eyes turn to the Premiership Game of the Week, where FSC welcomes West Lawn SC. These two sides are no strangers to each other, having both competed in the Spring 2024 16U Premiership I division. While West Lawn looks to bounce back from a tough season, FSC returns as reigning champions

The history between these teams in the Premiership is well-established. They’ve met three times, with FSC claiming two victories and the third match ending in a draw. FSC enters the weekend boasting an impressive undefeated record in the Premiership: 12 wins, 4 draws, and zero losses—earning back-to-back championships in the process. However, with the Premiership growing more competitive, this season could prove to be their toughest test yet. West Lawn, on the other hand, had a strong Spring 2023 showing, finishing second, only behind FSC. Though their form dipped in Spring 2024, the team is hungry to reclaim their place near the top.

A Conversation with the Coaches

Both teams are integrating new talent into their established squads, bringing an added layer of intrigue to this fixture. “We’ve got a really competitive group this season. It’s great to have welcomed some new faces into the squad and that always brings a fresh energy,” said Coach Adam. “Naturally, it takes a bit of time for them to adapt to our playing style, but they’re settling in well.”

Coach Martin mirrored the sentiment “What excites me most about this team is the arrival of talented new players joining a group that already knows how to win tough games. The new players have quickly shown their quality and are fitting in well with the existing team’s strong mentality. This mix of fresh ability and proven winning experience is really encouraging.”

When it comes to measuring early success, both coaches are aligned in their focus on growth over immediate results. “Early season games often come with an adjustment period…at this stage, success for us is not purely based on the results, but also about the players showing the right attitude and fully committing to our style of play. If we can do that consistently, we’ll put ourselves in a strong position to win games,” said the FSC Coach. Martin added “A successful start to the Spring season with new players means demonstrating clear progress in implementing our tactical approach and integrating the new players to our style of play effectively. Our primary focus early on is on establishing a strong foundation of discipline and collective effort. These initial games serve as crucial indicators of our progress in these areas and will help us make tactical adjustments during training & throughout the season.”

Both coaches agree that these initial games are about finding their rhythm and identifying areas for improvement as they build toward the end of the season. Regardless, they enter the competition motivated and know what a fast start can do for their season.

While FSC remains focused on quality play and continuous improvement, there’s no denying their ambition for a three-peat. “Winning the Premiership division last season, and for the second year in a row was a fantastic achievement for this group,” said Adam. “Of course, repeating that success will be a big challenge, especially with some of the high level competition that we’re up against this season. But our approach remains the same, we focus on one game at a time, and aim to keep improving as the season progresses.”

West Lawn SC Coach knows his side faces a challenge but believes in their potential. “The main thing we have to do this season to turn things around from last season is focus on each game rather than last season’s disappointing results. We hope to continue to build off of our winter league’s Championship result,” he said. “This group can be at the top in June because they’ve already shown they can handle pressure and win important matches. Now, with the added quality and energy from the new players, they have the potential to be even stronger. Their understanding of what it takes to win, combined with the new talent, gives me a lot of confidence in what they can achieve by the end of the season.”

When

With new talent, strong leadership, and high stakes, this Game of the Week between familiar foes will be an unmissable one. FSC will host West Lawn Saturday, April 12th at 10:30am.