The 2018/19 Futsal Premier League is back in action this week as Season 11 kicks off tonight with the Men at the Australian Institute of Sport.
With seven teams chasing the title it is set to be a competitive campaign, and the first match starts at 8pm as Timberwolves take on Boomerangs White. Timberwolves will be looking to make another Semi Final appearance this season with the returning line up from last season led by experienced keep Jamie Richardson and player coach Grant Davoren. The Boomerangs Blue and White teams have been mixed up this season sharing the experience across the two teams and bringing some young firepower into the squads.
At 8:45pm it’s the Grand Final rematch with North Canberra Untouchables Navy facing the returning Champions Prawns. Brett Forward from NCU will be eager to score, looking at snatching the Golden Boot title for this season after his return from the Asian Cup with VIC Vipers, whilst recently retired from representative futsal after his Grand Final Asian Cup appearance, Daniel Fulton will once again look to lead his star-studded Prawns team to another Championship. The night will be capped off with a fast paced match when O’Connor Knights take on North Canberra Untouchables Red. Both of these sides will be eager to crack the top four this season after some strong performances last season. Boomerangs Blue will have the bye in round one.
On Thursday night the Women’s competition will get underway as five teams battle to be top of the pile at the end of the season. With a few of the experienced players taking a season off, this will give some of the young cohort coming through a chance to shine and challenge for the title this season.
The opening match for the women will see a Grand Final rematch at 6:30pm with the Championship winning Belconnen United, led by the skilled Michaela Day and supported by an array of Premier League stars, they will be playing under the Boomerangs banner this season. They will take on the experienced squad from North Canberra Untouchables who are looking like the other team to beat this season.
NCU have a strong defensive game but powerhouse scorers Alice Churchill, Becky Kiting and Erika Pennyfield will keep them in the running for the title. The second clash sees a 7:15pm meeting of Panthers FC and Canberra FC. Both of these sides are full of youth and will be eager to rise to the challenge this season. Sophie Rolfe will be leading the CFC team and has proven to be one of the best futsal keepers in town. Wanderers 2.0 are testing their skills in the Premier League this season bringing in a couple of ex-PL players but will be having the first week of the season off.
Round summaries of the Men’s & Women’s rounds will be posted to the website every Friday, and you can keep up with the Fixtures & Results here.
