Ex-Socceroo Birighitti in frame to start in Night Series
The march towards the 2025 NPLWA – Men’s campaign steps up this weekend with Round One of the Night Series.
The traditional pre-season competition gets under way on Friday night at Dorrien Gardens. First up are Olympic Kingsway against Fremantle City in Group A (6.30pm), followed by the Group B clash between hosts Perth SC and Night Series holders Perth RedStar (8.30pm).
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On Saturday, attention turns to Alfred Skeet Reserve with two games from Group A. Armadale kick things off in front of their own fans against Balcatta Etna (6.30pm), before Perth Glory take on Bayswater City (8.30pm).
Then on Sunday, there is an Australia Day double-header at Percy Doyle Reserve. Hosts Sorrento FC mark their immediate return to top-flight football with a game against Floreat Athena (5.30pm), while also in Group B Western Knights meet Stirling Macedonia (7.30pm).
As ever with the early rounds of the Night Series, plenty of interest will centre on the new faces at each club.
One to catch the eye is former Socceroos goalkeeper Mark Birighitti, who is set to feature for Perth SC. Birighitti was a junior with the Azzurri and was named the club’s Junior Goalkeeper Technical Director late last year. He played over 150 games in the A-League and also enjoyed spells in the top flight in Scotland and the Netherlands.
No team has had a busier summer than Bayswater, who unveiled Matt Sparrow as their new coach last September. Sparrow, who joined from Fremantle City, has brought in striker Oli La Galia and winger Paddy Loughrey from his old club. Other announcements include Sean McManus from Floreat, Declan Hughes from Perth RedStar, Jon Corness of Balcatta and Stirling’s Gyles Davies. Charlie Garnham, a star of the WA Men’s side at this month’s National Futsal Championships, has also joined Baysie’s first-team squad.
Scott Miller has replaced Sparrow at Freo and he has teamed back up with Sam Cook, who Miller helped develop at Cockburn City. The striker, who was part of last year's State Team squad, has moved from Perth SC, with Floreat pair Nick Ambrogio and Ben Steele also recruited.
Olympic Kingsway were the team of 2024, winning the treble of league title, State Cup and Top Four Cup. They have lost one of their stand-outs, with Joe Knowles returning to Oakleigh Canons in Melbourne. However, the majority of their successful squad remains in place and they have added Perth Glory young guns Jayden Gorman and Laat Mathiang, as well as the experienced Harley Orr from Perth SC.
Perth RedStar have welcomed back former player Sam Pollard after two years in Europe, along with South Sudan international Dhour Chol and Benson Nsegetse, both from Inglewood. They also captured defender Daniel Walsh from title-winners Olympic to join up with his brother Nick.
Elsewhere, Stirling have signed Samuel Dweh from Bayswater, Inglewood keeper Nic Speca, Bayley Brown-Montgomery from Floreat and Kingsley Westside's former Glory youth player Aston Montgomery, as well as forward Kenshiro Ichikawa from South Australian side Modbury Jets. Neighbours Balcatta have taken Baysie's Jon Stynes and Jesse Fuller of Floreat, while Sorrento have picked up Gert Prinsloo from Glory.
Floreat have also been active, bringing in Kingsway's Liam Murray and Owen Goodliffe from Western Knights.
Meanwhile, the top two in the 2024 Gold Medal count are staying put. Armadale have retained the services of NPLM player of the year and Golden Boot winner Pieter Jacobsz and Knights have kept hold of Kristian Santich.
2025 NPLM NIGHT SERIES
The 12-team competition consists of two groups of six, with the top two sides from each group advancing to the semi-finals.
Group A has Armadale, Balcatta Etna, Bayswater City, Fremantle City, Olympic Kingsway and Perth Glory.
Group B has Floreat Athena, Perth RedStar, Perth SC, Sorrento FC, Stirling Macedonia and Western Knights.
Round One matches take place across the weekend of 24-26 January at Dorrien Gardens, Alfred Skeet Reserve and Percy Doyle Reserve. Later group matches will be played at Frank Drago Reserve and Macedonia Park.
The final will be live streamed.
Perth RedStar defeated Bayswater City in the 2024 final.
ROUND ONE
Friday 24 January
Group A
Olympic Kingsway v Fremantle City (Dorrien Gardens, 6.30pm)
Group B
Perth SC v Perth RedStar (Dorrien Gardens, 8.30pm)
Saturday 25 January
Group A
Perth Glory v Bayswater City (Alfred Skeet Reserve, 6.30pm)
Armadale v Balcatta Etna (Alfred Skeet Reserve, 8.30pm)
Sunday 26 January
Group B
Sorrento FC v Floreat Athena (Percy Doyle Reserve, 5.30pm)
Western Knights v Stirling Macedonia (Percy Doyle Reserve, 7.30pm)
…………..
ROUND TWO
Friday 31 January
Group A
Fremantle City v Armadale (Frank Drago Reserve, 6.30pm)
Bayswater City v Olympic Kingsway (Frank Drago Reserve, 8.30pm)
Group B
Western Knights v Floreat Athena (Dorrien Gardens, 6.30pm)
Perth SC v Stirling Macedonia (Dorrien Gardens, 8.30pm)
Sunday 2 February
Group A
Balcatta Etna v Perth Glory (Percy Doyle Reserve, 7.30pm)
Group B
Sorrento FC v Perth RedStar (Percy Doyle Reserve, 5.30pm)
…………..
ROUND THREE
Saturday 8 February
Group A
Fremantle City v Perth Glory (Frank Drago Reserve, 6.30pm)
Bayswater City v Balcatta Etna (Frank Drago Reserve, 8.30pm)
Group B
Perth SC v Sorrento FC (Macedonia Park, 6.30pm)
Stirling Macedonia v Floreat Athena (Macedonia Park, 8.30pm)
Sunday 9 February
Group A
Armadale v Olympic Kingsway (Alfred Skeet Reserve, 7.30pm)
Group B
Perth RedStar v Western Knights (Alfred Skeet Reserve, 5.30pm)
…………..
ROUND FOUR
Friday 14 February
Group A
Perth Glory v Olympic Kingsway (Dorrien Gardens, 6.30pm)
Group B
Perth SC v Western Knights (Dorrien Gardens, 8.30pm)
Saturday 15 February
Group A
Balcatta Etna v Fremantle City (Frank Drago Reserve, 6.30pm)
Bayswater City v Armadale (Frank Drago Reserve, 8.30pm)
Group B
Floreat Athena v Perth RedStar (Macedonia Park, 6.30pm)
Stirling Macedonia v Sorrento FC (Macedonia Park, 8.30pm)
…………..
ROUND FIVE
Friday 21 February
Group A
Fremantle City v Bayswater City (Macedonia Park, 6.30pm)
Group B
Stirling Macedonia v Perth RedStar (Macedonia Park, 8.30pm)
Sunday 23 February
Group A
Armadale v Perth Glory (Alfred Skeet Reserve, 7.30pm)
Olympic Kingsway v Balcatta Etna (Percy Doyle Reserve, 7.30pm)
Group B
Floreat Athena v Perth SC (Alfred Skeet Reserve, 5.30pm)
Sorrento FC v Western Knights (Percy Doyle Reserve, 5.30pm)
…………..
SEMI-FINALS (dates, venues TBC)
Group A winners v Group B runners-up
Group B winners v Group A runners-up
FINAL (Sam Kerr Football Centre, Saturday 8 March)