2025 Australian Championship: Baysie can go all the way, says club legend Coyne
Bayswater City’s most successful coach says the current side’s Australian Championship performances are helping change the perception of WA football.
Chris Coyne led Baysie to three of the first four NPL titles between 2014-17, including the unbeaten league campaign of 2015. That was the year they also reached the final of the NPL Finals Series, a forerunner of the Australian Championship.
Now Coyne is enjoying watching Matty Sparrow’s side make their mark on the national stage.
“I have watched all the games, and I think defensively they have been absolutely fantastic,” the former Socceroo told Football West.
“Every team that wins the league is built on that foundation. And because they have it right defensively, they are killing it.”
Bayswater have conceded just once in three matches, from a penalty in the opening round draw at Sydney United 58. The 2025 NPLWA champions sit top of Group D after consecutive 1-0 wins over South Australian outfit MetroStars and NSW side Wests APIA, and three points from this Sunday’s return tie with Sydney United could secure their spot in the last eight with two games to spare.
“The way they are playing at the moment and not conceding goals, they can go all the way,” Coyne said.
“Don’t get me wrong, there will be challenges ahead. (Australia Cup finalists) Heidelberg are flying, and the travel could be their Achilles heel, but they are really hard to beat and that is what finals football is about.
“Matty has his team so well organised, they are miserly and very resolute and know how to win games, while you have players like (Jonathan) Corness who eats up ground.”
Coyne added: “I think there’s a misconception around the standard of football in WA.
“The talent we have in this state is underappreciated and WA football generally goes under the radar, so it is great that Bayswater are making people sit up and take notice.
“Olympic Kingsway deserve a lot of credit too for what they have done in the Australia Cup in the last couple of years, and now Bayswater are showcasing what we have here.
“It’s true that the league probably dropped off a bit in comparison to the Eastern states, but that is changing again, and with more money going into the game, it is getting better. Hopefully, this can be sustained as it will encourage the best players to stay in WA.”
Many of the people who were at Bayswater with Coyne are still heavily involved at the club, including president Ori Colli, vice president Rocco Maio and first-team football operations manager Stewy Moses.
Sadly, another long-time Bayswater volunteer, board member and past player Sergio Legni died last month, just weeks after the team had celebrated a fourth NPL title.
“Myself, Oriano, Stewy and Rocco were there to help build it and to see them having this success again is fantastic,” Coyne said.
“Serge was also a big part of the Baysie family and we were all devastated when we lost him a few weeks back. He was one of a kind and he would have loved seeing the team doing so well.
“I think back to when we played Blacktown in the final of the old NPL Finals Series, when they had a wage bill of around $850-900,000, and we were probably one mistake away from winning the competition. I would love Bayswater to go one better this time and win it.”
- Sunday’s Australian Championship game between Bayswater City and Sydney United 58 takes place at Frank Drago Reserve and kicks off at 1.30pm WST.
Tickets for the Round Four Group D clash can be purchased here: intix.com.au/event/bayswater-city-vs-sydney-united-58-fc
Anyone who cannot attend can watch live on SBS on Demand.
