The chase for promotion will again be at the forefront of the agenda for those eight clubs attempting to finish in the promotion spots in the 2025 Capital Premier League. As ever, competition will be fierce, and there are several clubs who can make a real claim to be in the mix. Here we take a look at what to expect in the 2025 CPL.
ANU FC
Home Ground: ANU South Oval
Last Season (CPL): 2nd, lost in Preliminary Final
Last Season (Cup): Qualifying Round 4
Head Coach: Tom CROSSLEY
As ever ANU FC will be touted as one of the team’s most likely to chase for promotion and, as ever, the masters of Finals football will likely be pushing for that honour again having missed out in surprising fashion on a place in the Grand Final last season. The University inexplicably lost out to Brindabella in the Preliminary Final after dominating most of the contest, and experienced Head Coach Tom Crossley will certainly have his team geared up towards both of those ambitions. Fourteen fresh faces will grace ANU South Oval this season, the usual influx of students providing the club with some fresh blood and new impetus. They will miss their central defensive lynchpin, as Jan Wojna heads to the Masters competition, but there will be the usual player or two that comes though. It will be interesting to see whether attacker Jack Gibson is as successful this season, having scored nineteen goals in all competitions last term.
In: Ethan BERMAN, Harry CIRILLO, Lewis DOBBRIM, Matt GALLOWAY, Ben HADFIELD, Orlando JEFFERY, Sam LYE, Declan MEMMMOLO, Panos MORIGIANNIS, Andre OLIVEIRA, Pedro PERREIRA, Ben POWELL, Cooper TERRY, Brad YEOMANS
Out: Hassan ALNUWAYSIR, Jack LANG (State League), Anders MORLING (Overseas), Cameron REEVES (Interstate), Jan WOJNA (Masters)
BRINDABELLA BLUES
Home Ground: Ipan Park
Last Season (CPL): 4th, Grand Final Runners-Up
Last Season (Cup): Qualifying Round 3
Head Coach: Ray JUNNA
Last season was a break from the norm for Brindabella Blues, but with a similar outcome, as they made the top four and played finals football once more. Indeed, the club went all the way to the Grand Final after finishing fourth, losing to Queanbeyan City in the Final, their second defeat at that stage in three seasons. The difference? Usually, the cub start slowly and finish fast, 2024 seeing the opposite with a late season slump addressed by their finals form. As is usual at Blues, the team astutely led by Ray Junna have placed their faith in youth, promoting players from their recognised youth system into first team football, and supplementing that by attracting players of a similar profile from clubs in, or around, the Capital Premier League. It’s a tried and tested system and one that might see them compete for the top four once again.
In: Kieren ALLEN (West Canberra Wanderers), Finn HARMER (Promoted), Christopher JOHN (Yoogali SC), Jonathan JOHN (Yoogali SC), Lachlan MARJORIBANKS (West Canberra Wanderers), Probhnoor UPPAL (Promoted), Denis ZIMBA (Promoted)
Out: Owen ATKINS, Cuneyt CAGLAR, Damian COREY, Daniel FELIZZI (White Eagles), Jack MARJORIBANKS (O’Connor Knights), Michael NELSON
BELCONNEN UNITED
Home Ground: McKellar Park
Last Season (CPL): 3rd, lost in Elimination Final
Last Season (Cup): Qualifying Round 4
Head Coach: Angelos ZARIS
Still searching for a return to the top-table, the sleeping giant that is Belconnen United will again be counted amongst the favourites for a return to the National Premier League and have significantly boosted their squad by attracting players with plenty of NPL experience to aid their impressive collection of young talent. Capturing the likes of Patrick O’Rourke from cup holders O’Connor Knights is a massive coup, as is the return to action at this level for Futsalroo international Nick Rathjen, lured across from Belnorth. Add in the pace of Michael Rinaudo and Tupaia Ringi, plus the nous of Regan Walsh, Jake Wilsener, and Izach Clements, and it looks like a positive off-season of recruitment for Head Coach Angelos Zaris. Leader Dustin Wells is still there and coaxing the best from him amongst the new-look squad will go a long way to ensuring success for the Blue Devils. Expectations will be high, but then again, they aways are at McKellar Park.
In: Izach CLEMENTS (Canberra Olympic), Patrick O’ROURKE (O’Connor Knights), Nick RATHJEN (Belnorth FC), Tupaia RINGI (Canberra Olympic), Michael RINAUDO (Sabbatical), Regan WALSH (O’Connor Knights), Jake WILSENER (O’Connor Knights)
Out: Stefan AVRIC (Melbourne Serbia), Perry FIELD (Canberra Olympic), Deakin JEWELL (Sabbatical), Abraham KEMP (Canberra Olympic), Dan NGUYEN (Overseas), Tim NGUYEN (Overseas), Alex OGBONNA (Released), Matt PURCELL (Sabbatical), Babin PAUDYAL (Canberra Juventus), David REITSTATTER (Overseas), Luke VALLONE (Cooks Hill United), Sasha VUJIC (Released)
CANBERRA OLYMPIC
Home Ground: O’Connor Enclosed
Last Season (NPL): 8th (relegated)
Last Season (Cup): Qualifying Round 4
Head Coach: Ryan GROGAN
How the mighty have fallen. To see a team that has racked up twenty-four major honours in an illustrious history consigned to the CPL was the surprise story of 2024. Now it’s time for Canberra Olympic to bounce back. The eight-time league champions, and seven times Grand Final winners, have made a major overhaul of the playing group, with new Head Coach Ryan Grogan starting from scratch in a bid to return the club to the top tier. To do so Grogan has attracted some excellent talent to O’Connor Enclosed, the signatures of Mate Barisic and Antoni Timotheou perhaps the most eye-catching. Amongst a swathe of other new arrivals, keep an eye on the returning Oliver Wiederkehr. A former NPL legend with electric pace, he may be a bit older, but the fitness is certainly there, and he might make an enormous impact. With a massive influx, comes the expectation of promotion, but it might take a while for this team of talents to gel. Staying in touch with the top is paramount.
In: Mate BARISIC (Interstate), Nikola BARISIC (O’Connor Knights), Dillon BLACKWOOD (White Eagles), Julian BORGNA (Sabbatical), Cale BROWN (O’Connor Knights), Gianni CORRIGAN (Queanbeyan City), Ross COSTANZO (Sabbatical), Nick FAUST (Sabbatical), Perry FIELD (Belconnen United), Abraham KEMP (Belconnen United), Daniel LINSTEAD (Canberra Juventus), Jak MATIC (O’Connor Knights), Antoni TIMOTHEOU (Gungahlin United), Jacob QUINN (Monaro Panthers), Mark SHIELDS (Queanbeyan City), Luka USLJEBRKA (Sydney United), Oliver WIEDERKEHR (Sabbatical)
Out: Elliot ALBERTO (TBC), Joshua AMOAH (Released), Izac ALVES (Gungahlin United), Anish ATMAKUR (Tuggeranong United), Izach CLEMENTS (Belconnen United), Gianni CORRIGAN (Queanbeyan City), Marcus CRISPE (Tigers FC), Xabier DAVIES (Tuggeranong United), Stephen DOMENICI (Monaro Panthers), Luca FLOREZ (Gungahlin United), Samuel HABTEMARIAM (Northcote City), Cooper HEANEY (Released), Michael JOHN (O’Connor Knights), Jordan LAMB (Retired), Nathen MEGIC (Tigers FC), Virgil MOUTAUD (Overseas), Shinzaburo NAKAMURA (Interstate), Lasse OLRIK (Gungahlin United), Nicholas PULCIANI (Tigers FC), Tupaia RINGI (Belconnen United), Sam ROESTBAKKEN (Sabbatical), Patrick SHORE (Canberra Juventus), Callum SMITH (Monaro Panthers), Nicholas SUBASIC (Canberra Croatia), Nathan TOKLEY (Released), Gabriel TAURASI (Tigers FC), Harry TRJMAN (Sabbatical), Sebastian USAI (Interstate), Noah VANDERPOL (Queanbeyan City)
CANBERRA JUVENTUS
Home Ground: Ainslie Oval
Last Season (CPL): 6th
Last Season (Cup): Qualifying Round 4
Head Coach: Nico ALCAZAR-STEVENS
Much like many of their contemporaries in this Division, Canberra Juventus enter 2025 with high hopes of improving on their sixth-placed league position of 2024 and will aim to do so under new leadership in the shape of Nico Alcazar-Stevens. A maiden senior first team job for the coach comes with the need to mould a cohesive unit that can compete with teams with larger budgets. Recruitment has been steady, rather than spectacular, with Mongolian international Davaadelger Oktyabri moving from Southside after being released by Tuggeranong United, joining a group that has also attracted forward Babin Paudyal, and the trickery of Patrick Shore. Juventus will need to address the loss of top-scorer Nathan Duck, but there has been a sea-change at the club and Alcazar-Stevens will need to find a way to get his team to tighten up defensively having conceded fifty goals last season, only White Eagles and West Canberra Wanderers shipping more.
In: Nick GRANDY, Callum JOHNSTONE, Davaadelger OKTYABRI (Tuggeranong United), Sergio OYANEDEL (Yarabi FC), Babin PAUDYAL (Belconnen United), Patrick SHORE (Canberra Olympic), Ben TOWNSLEY (Yoogali SC)
Out: Frazer BURNS (Overseas), Nathan DUCK, Jordan CACHIA (Sabbatical), Nicholas CACHIA (Sabbatical), Federico PROIA, Andrew GEORGIOU, Domenic GIAMPAOLO, Andre JUGOVAC, Daniel LINSTEAD (Canberra Olympic), Christian PRATEZINA (Sabbatical), Fahad RAMADHAN, Nicholas VECCHI (Sabbatical)
WAGGA CITY WANDERERS
Home Ground: Gissing Oval
Last Season (CPL): 5th
Last Season (Cup): Qualifying Round 4
Head Coach: Ahmed AL-RUBIE
The usual merry-go-round of players at Wagga City Wanderers continues into 2025 as they once again enter a new season of Capital Premier League action with a new Head Coach. Ahmed Al-Rubie has taken over in the Wanderers’ hot-seat, the player/coach hoping to improve on last year’s creditable fifth place finish. Indeed, Wagga weren’t far off qualifying for finals football amidst a strong start to the 2024 season, before they petered out at the end and missed the top four by virtue of fourteen points. They were the ‘best of the rest’ by five points, however, so will be keen to try and stick to the formula that proved successful earlier in the campaign. A strong set of home results always helps, but it’s on the road that Wagga need to improve. As ever the men from the Riverina have seen a fair number of players move on, such is the transient nature of the city, but the incomings include some experience in Isaac Brooker and Kyle Yeates, and their addition might help the club in their ambitions for a finals place.
In: Ahmed AL-RUBIE, Isaac BROOKER, Gus EVERINGHAM, Wyster FERREIRA, Kyle YEATES
Out: Soufyane ABOULAHCEN, Wyatt ADAM, Hugo ELLWOOD, Bryce FALEPAU, Lachlan GRAHAM, Hugh JENKINS, Jackosn HUNTER, Samson LUCAS, Tallen NEW, Nicholas SHAW, Nathan SINGH, Nashwan SULAIMAN
WEST CANBERRA WANDERERS
Home Ground: Melrose Synthetic
Last Season (CPL): 8th
Last Season (Cup): Qualifying Round 4
Head Coach: Bernie TO
2024 was a challenging year for West Canberra Wanderers where, following on from the ignominy of relegation from the NPL, they again finished last, this time in the CPL. Wanderers avoided relegation to the Community League due to Weston-Molonglo FC not taking up the offer of promotion, and it remains to be seen whether the men from Melrose Synthetic can make that reprieve count. There was a baptism of fire for Head Coach Bernie To, inheriting a team that was completely different to the one that played in the top tier, and early indications are that there may be yet more movement in the West Canberra ranks ahead of 2025. There has been an influx from White Eagles in the off-season with five players switching from the Eagles nest. As with any team that has a large turnover, finding the right formula to gel will be paramount, especially if Wanderers aren’t to suffer for a third successive campaign.
In: Ashton ANTIOCH (Prime Bangkok FC), Santry CHHETRI (White Eagles), Marcus GRZIC (White Eagles), Josh HICKMAN (White Eagles), Lachlan HUNTER (Monaro Panthers), Allan KAPCHANGA (Tuggeranong United), Javier MADRID (Majura FC), Nik NOVESKI (Queanbeyan City), Steven NOVESKI (Queanbeyan City), Van NGUYEN (Weston-Molonglo FC), Ethan STAMATIS, Lachlan TERRY (Yarabi FC), Reece UPTON (White Eagles), Liam VICKERS (White Eagles)
Out: Kieren ALLEN (Brindabella Blues), Bradley CASHMORE (ADFA), Josh DEHELEAN (Weston-Molonglo FC), Baxter DONOHOE (Sabbatical), Filip DUCKINOSKI (Interstate), Josip DZAJA, Daniel FOX (USA), Shanil JESSY, Bojan JANKULOSKI (Overseas), Evan LEESON, Lachlan MARJORIBANKS (Brindabella Blues), Prabhat POUDYAL, Ben PULLIN, Nathan READMAN (Weston-Molonglo FC), Vidun SONGBABAU, Jayme SPINKS (ADFA)
WHITE EAGLES
Home Ground: Woden Park
Last Season (CPL): 7th
Last Season (Cup): Qualifying Round 3
Head Coach: Gaby WILK
A season of rebuild for White Eagles as they welcome a new Head Coach in Gaby Wilk and with him, an influx of new talent, including three from overseas. Wilk has used his Argentine connections once more by luring Gonzalo Neila and Sergio Lindner from his homeland, the South American starting well in pre-season, as well as New Zealander Mohammad Mazraeh from Waterside Kaori. Michael Kita is a great acquisition, if the super-talented midfielder can rediscover the form he showed before illness interrupted his career, while the signatures of Daniel Felizzi from Brindabella and Abderrahim Dellahi, the Queanbeyan City striker who finished second in the City scoring charts last season, adds proven experience and ability at this level. Last season’s seventh place was disappointing for a club of White Eagles stature, and they’ll be keen to do better in 2025.
In: Abderrahim DELLAHI (Queanbeyan City), Daniel FELIZZI (Brindabella Blues), Hussein FUREJE (Queanbeyan City), Michael KITA (Sabbatical), Gonzalo NEILA (Ituzaingo), Sergio LINDNER (Ferroviario), Mohammad MAZRAEH (Waterside Karori)
Out: Dillon BLACKWOOD (Canberra Olympic), Santry CHHETRI (West Canberra Wanderers), Marcus GRZIC (West Canberra Wanderers), Josh HICKMAN (West Canberra Wanderers), Reece UPTON (West Canberra Wanderers), Liam VICKERS (West Canberra Wanderers)
