MWFA

MEN’S PREMIER LEAGUE SEMI FINALS PREVIEW

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Now that the home & away season is over, it’s time for knockout football! All four teams are coming into the Men’s Premier League semi finals on the back of wins in Round 22, which means we are sure to see plenty of excitement on Saturday evening.

Pittwater RSL are gunning for a Treble after securing the league championship and the Challenge Cup. A nine game winning streak saw Pittwater claim top spot and they have scored 26 goals in those games, so the Greens will be confident heading into Saturday’s game against Mosman.

However, Mosman have had a strong second half of the campaign – after being involved in an intense mid-table scrap at one point, they secured finals football thanks to a run of only one loss in the final eight rounds of the home & away season.

Pittwater completed a league double over Mosman with 3-1 and 2-0 triumphs, but as they say anything can happen in the finals, so we’ll see a thrilling game when these two meet on the main field at Cromer Park.

Narrabeen might consider themselves unlucky after six consecutive wins wasn’t quite enough for them to claim the championship. They’ve also kept three clean sheets in their last four outings, and defensive strength can often be the key to success in knockout football.

CC Strikers will be Narrabeen’s opponents and with 11 goals scored in their last three games, Strikers have the attacking firepower to challenge that solid Narrabeen defence. In the opening rounds, we saw what happens when Strikers get on a roll – they’re a dangerous side when they’re in the mood.

These two teams split the points during the home & away campaign, with Strikers winning 3-2 in Round 1, before Narrabeen squared the ledger with a 2-0 victory in Round 12. All things point to an even contest on Cromer Park Field 2.

We also have the Reserve Grade semi finals at 4:30pm on Saturday, with CC Strikers facing Pittwater on Cromer Park Field 1, and Mosman playing Wakehurst on Cromer Park Field 2.

 

MWFA Men’s Premier League Semi Finals

Saturday 19 August

1st Grade @ 6:30pm
Pittwater RSL v Mosman, Cromer Park Field 1
Narrabeen v CC Strikers, Cromer Park Field 2

Reserve Grade @ 4:30pm
CC Strikers v Pittwater RSL, Cromer Park Field 1
Mosman v Wakehurst, Cromer Park Field 2

 

Feature image courtesy Jeremy Denham – https://www.facetphotography.com.au/

MWFA Women’s World Cup Finals

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The Semi-Finals and Finals of the MWFA Women’s World Cup were held on Friday at Cromer Park. Congratulations to the winners, Manly Vale (Under-8) and Harbord (Under-11)!

Manly Warringah Football Association would like to thank all players, coaches, referees and parents for their participation in the MWFA Women’s World Cup – it has been an incredibly successful event. With the FIFA Women’s World Cup drawing to a close this week, we hope that everyone enjoys the remainder of the tournament, whether they are at the stadium, at a live site or watching from home!

The MWFA have received 2 grants from the Northern Beaches Council and the Office of Sport through FNSW totaling $10,872.50 and would like to thank both organizations for their contribution.

Under-8 Semi-Finals

New Zealand 2-0 Portugal
Spain 1-4 Argentina

Under-11 Semi-Finals

Canada 2-0 France
England 4-0 Germany

Under-8 Final

New Zealand 2-1 Argentina

Under-11 Final

Canada 0-0 England (England won due to more goals scored during the tournament)

 

U8U11
GROUP AGROUP B
New ZealandManly Vale BAustraliaMosman
NorwayManly Vale ARepublic of IrelandBTH
PhilippinesHarbordNigeriaBrookvale
SwitzerlandBeacon Hill ACanadaCC Strikers
GROUP CGROUP D
SpainBrookvaleEnglandHarbord B
Costa RicaAvalonHaitiAvalon B
ZambiaWakehurstDenmarkNarrabeen
JapanCC Strikers CChinaManly Allambie B
GROUP EGROUP F
USAForest KillarneyFranceDee Why
VietnamManly AllambieJamaicaHarbord A
NetherlandsCC Strikers DBrazilManly Allambie A
PortugalPittwater APanamaManly Vale
GROUP GGROUP H
SwedenCC Strikers BGermanyPittwater
South AfricaBeacon Hill BMoroccoAvalon A
ItalyCC Strikers AColombiaBeacon Hill
ArgentinaPittwater BKorea RepublicWakehurst

 

Click here for the full MWFA WWC tournament draw

WOMEN’S PREMIER LEAGUE ROUND 14 PREVIEW

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The MWFA Women’s Premier League title will be decided on the last day of the home and away season! Seaforth have top spot heading into Sunday’s fixtures, but they know that any dropped points could open the door for second-placed Beacon Hill.

Seaforth have home field advantage for their final fixture, with Manly Allambie set to be their opponents on Sunday afternoon. A run of 16 points from a possible 18 has taken them to within touching distance of league success, can they add the league title to this year’s Women’s Challenge Cup and Football NSW State Cup successes?

Beacon Hill will host Brookvale at Beacon Hill Reserve. They’ve been banging in the goals recently (14 in their last three games), and more of that attacking firepower is required if they are to snatch the title from Seaforth. Beacon Hill are also looking to complete a league double over Brookvale after winning 2-1 at Grahams Reserve in Round 7.

After an excellent campaign, Manly Vale have fallen just short of a Premiership. However, Vale are on the hunt for a fourth consecutive victory and there is still an outside chance of them finishing second – they host Pittwater RSL at David Thomas Reserve.

Finally, Wakehurst will be seeking a return to winning ways ahead of the semi-finals. The Challenge Cup finalists will be at home for a game against Curl Curl, and we can expect a tight battle after the teams split the points at Abbott Road earlier in the season.

The 2023 MWFA Women's Premier League table after 13 rounds.

Women’s Premier League Round 14

Sunday 13 August, 3pm

Beacon Hill v Brookvale, Beacon Hill Reserve Field 2
Manly Vale v Pittwater RSL, David Thomas Reserve Field 2
Wakehurst v Curl Curl, Lionel Watts Oval Field 4
Seaforth v Manly Allambie, Seaforth Oval Field 1

 

Feature image courtesy Jeremy Denham – https://www.facetphotography.com.au/

MEN’S PREMIER LEAGUE ROUND 22 PREVIEW

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There’s plenty up for grabs at both ends of the table as we head into the final round of the MWFA Men’s Premier League home and away season. At the top, Pittwater and Narrabeen are fighting for the title, while Manly Vale are hoping to escape the bottom two at the last possible moment.

For Pittwater, the equation is simple: victory against Wakehurst gives them the Premiership. The Greens are on an eight game winning run and have only conceded three goals in that stretch of games, one more triumph will see Pittwater win their second trophy of the season.

Narrabeen are looking to pounce on any slip ups from Pittwater so they can move into first place on the last day. They travel to Terrey Hills Oval knowing that they probably need to defeat BTH Raiders, although it is possible for Narrabeen to claim the league title if they draw and Pittwater lose.

Manly Vale need final day heroics in their home game against CC Strikers: victory is the only result that will see Vale move out of the bottom two. On the other hand, Strikers are chasing a third consecutive win as they tune up for the finals series, and Harbord will be hoping that Strikers avoid defeat so that Harbord can stay in ninth place.

With five wins and a draw in their last seven games, Mosman are one of the competition’s in-form teams. There is still a chance for Mosman to leapfrog Strikers and finish third, so there should be plenty of motivation when they play Brookvale at Middle Head Oval.

Finally, St Augustine’s meet Beacon Hill at Cromer Park. Saints have had good recent results (three wins in their last four games), while Beacon Hill will be trying to end their campaign on a positive note.

The 2023 Men's Premier League table after 21 rounds.

Men’s Premier League Round 22 Fixtures

Saturday 12 August, 3pm

St Augustine’s v Beacon Hill, Cromer Park Field 4
Manly Vale v CC Strikers, David Thomas Reserve Field 2
Wakehurst v Pittwater, Lionel Watts Oval Field 4
Mosman v Brookvale, Middle Head Oval Field 1
BTH Raiders v Narrabeen, Terrey Hills Oval Field 1

BYE: Harbord

 

Feature image courtesy Graeme Bolton.

Coach of the Week: Ben Adams and Shaun Taylor

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Over the last few months, MWFA has been sending our Coach Mentors out to visit all of our clubs to provide coaches with guidance and support with their training sessions, as well as occasional match visits. During this time we have come across several examples of coaches who are doing a really great job.

This week we’d like to acknowledge Ben Adams and Shaun Taylor who coach the U14/1 boys at Pittwater.

See this video to check out some highlights of their recent match, as well as some quick interviews with both coaches and some of the players!

MWFA Coach Development Manager Eugene Lawrenz said: “I thought it would be good to highlight two coaches who have a good approach to match day coaching. Their warm up involves game-based exercises, they make good use of a whiteboard and Q&A during their team talks which is a lot more effective than just telling the players what to do, and they also spend time with individuals to personalise their feedback and guidance. Ben and Shaun not only work well together, but their manner is positive and their emphasis is on helping the team play good football and earning results through that, which is nice to see for an U14 team where the players start to care a bit more about winning, but still need to balance that out with long term development.”

Well done Ben and Shaun, and keep up the good work!

As a reward and recognition for their efforts, we are also pleased to provide them with a one day free pass to FNSW’s upcoming coaching conference.

 

Over the next few weeks we will be highlighting some other coaches from different clubs, so make sure you stay tuned to our website to see who else will be MWFA Coach of the Week.

MWFA Women’s World Cup Day 5

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On Monday, the MWFA Women’s World Cup group stage was completed – congratulations to the teams who have qualified for the Semi-Finals! We hope that everyone involved, whether they be players, coaches, referees, parents or spectators, have had a wonderful time at our very own version of the Women’s World Cup. 

The Semi-Finals and Finals for the MWFA Women’s World Cup will be held on Friday 11th August at Cromer Park, with the semis commencing at 4:20pm and the finals kicking off at 5pm. Manly Warringah Football Association wishes the best of luck to all participating teams, and we also hope that everyone is having a great time watching the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

 

Day 5 Results

Group B: Canada 3-0 Australia
Group B: Republic of Ireland 1-2 Nigeria
Group C: Japan 0-1 Spain
Group C: Costa Rica 2-1 Zambia
Group E: Portugal 7-0 USA
Group E: Vietnam 2-1 Netherlands
Group F: Panama 0-3 France
Group F: Jamaica 3-0 Brazil
Group G: Argentina 4-1 Sweden
Group G: South Africa 1-2 Italy

 

Group Tables

Group BMPWDLGFGAGDPts
Canada330070715
Nigeria320154110
Republic of Ireland310224-25
Australia300317-60

 

Group CMPWDLGFGAGDPts
Spain321051412
Costa Rica320144010
Japan310223-15
Zambia301224-22

 

Group EMPWDLGFGAGDPts
Portugal33001221015
Vietnam320153210
Netherlands31025505
USA3003112-110

 

Group FMPWDLGFGAGDPts
France33001501515
Panama320173410
Jamaica310236-35
Brazil3003015-150

 

Group GMPWDLGFGAGDPts
Argentina321072512
Italy320133010
Sweden310225-35
South Africa301224-22

 

U8U11
GROUP AGROUP B
New ZealandManly Vale BAustraliaMosman
NorwayManly Vale ARepublic of IrelandBTH
PhilippinesHarbordNigeriaBrookvale
SwitzerlandBeacon Hill ACanadaCC Strikers
GROUP CGROUP D
SpainBrookvaleEnglandHarbord B
Costa RicaAvalonHaitiAvalon B
ZambiaWakehurstDenmarkNarrabeen
JapanCC Strikers CChinaManly Allambie B
GROUP EGROUP F
USAForest KillarneyFranceDee Why
VietnamManly AllambieJamaicaHarbord A
NetherlandsCC Strikers DBrazilManly Allambie A
PortugalPittwater APanamaManly Vale
GROUP GGROUP H
SwedenCC Strikers BGermanyPittwater
South AfricaBeacon Hill BMoroccoAvalon A
ItalyCC Strikers AColombiaBeacon Hill
ArgentinaPittwater BKorea RepublicWakehurst

 

Click here for the full MWFA WWC tournament draw

FUTURE COACH PROFILE: GEOFF WOOD

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Geoff Wood grew up in England in the 1980s, with Maradona’s Hand of God goal against England in the Quarter Finals of the 1986 World Cup being one of his first memories of the “beautiful game”.

“I actually found more joy off the football field on my bike as a boy, and was usually one of the last kids the school captains chose from the rabble of kids in front of them when building their team. Football has now become more than just playing for me though, and as I grew up, I grew closer to the game and what it represents – the highs and the lows of supporting a team, the camaraderie, the people, the travel and now the community and the growth I am seeing in the team I am lucky enough to coach.”

Geoff moved to the northern beaches in 2008, and watching his children play soccer was one of his highlights of the week that he wanted to be more involved with. Changes to his work due to COVID allowed him to put his hand up to coach his daughter with Manly Allambie, which is something he had been wanting to do for a while.

“When I heard that MWFA ran regular courses to help develop coaches I jumped at the chance, and in my first year attended as many as I could from the Skills Training Certificate to the Coach Workshop on how to teach positioning”.

The task of training and coaching 15 girls on a weeknight was a little daunting, but the courses Geoff attended gave him what he was looking for.

“The key to a good training session is in the preparation. The courses helped give us the structure, content and knowledge needed to design a training session and also how to approach the season to tick off of all the core items we wanted to cover for the team. And then at the heart of good coaching is the communication method. Coaching is as much about how you deliver your message or what you choose not to say, as it is about what you say.”

After two years of coaching Geoff attend the Future Coaches Program in 2022 to take his learning even further.

“In the Future Coaches Program I got to know a lot of likeminded and inspiring coaches from the region. It was a great mixture that spanned subjects from the philosophy of learning to a deep dive analysing a football match and picking apart the strategies both teams were employing. I felt honoured to be a part of it.”

Geoff is now looking forward to the Women’s World Cup and hoping it can help inspire the next generation of Australian players and future coaches.

“MWFA are all about promoting a positive learning culture and that is one of the common threads that runs through all MWFA programs that my assistant coach and I have embraced. For any new or existing coaches out there, I would recommend attending any of the MWFA courses to gain an insight into best practice for yourself as a coach which will directly help your team become better and enjoy the game more.”

MWFA is looking forward to seeing Geoff continue to grow in confidence and inspiring other coaches to do the same.

 

MWFA has now run the Future Coaches Program for 4 years, with several participants having completed the course multiple times, and many have gone on to work for the likes of MWFA, Manly United and Sydney FC. Although we won’t be running this program again in 2023, we will look to offer something similar in 2024 for any coaches out there looking to take their coaching to the next level.

 

MWFA Women’s World Cup Day 4

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MWFA Women’s World Cup Day 4 was completed on Monday down at Cromer Park this week, with junior teams from all over the Northern Beaches competing in their Round 2 or 3 match! For some teams this means the end of their journey in the tournament and for the group winners, congratulations on making the Semi finals! We hope all teams have enjoyed the experience, it has been lovely to watch all the teams get behind the Women’s World Cup over the last few weeks.

We look forward to the remaining MWFA Women’s World Cup Matchdays on Monday 7th August and the Semi Finals/Finals on Friday 11th August. Most importantly, we hope everyone enjoys the FIFA Women’s World Cup to the fullest, whether they are at the stadium, at a live site or watching from home.

Day 4 Results

Group A: Switzerland 0-5 New Zealand
Group A: Norway 2-2 Philippines
Group D: China 1-2 England
Group D: Haiti 1-1 Denmark
Group H: Korea 0-0 Republic Germany
Group F: France 7-0 Brazil
Group F: Panama 1-0 Jamaica
Group H: Morocco 2-1 Colombia
Group E: USA 0-3 Netherlands
Group E: Portugal 2-1 Vietnam

Group Tables

Group AMPWDLGFGAGDPts
New Zealand33001301315
Norway31115507
Philippines311149-57
Switzerland3003210-80

 

Group DMPWDLGFGAGDPts
England33001111015
China320173410
Haiti301227-52
Denmark3012110-92

 

Group HMPWDLGFGAGDPts
Germany321082612
Korea Republic31203129
Morocco311158-37
Colombia300348-40

 

U8U11
GROUP AGROUP B
New ZealandManly Vale BAustraliaMosman
NorwayManly Vale ARepublic of IrelandBTH
PhilippinesHarbordNigeriaBrookvale
SwitzerlandBeacon Hill ACanadaCC Strikers
GROUP CGROUP D
SpainBrookvaleEnglandHarbord B
Costa RicaAvalonHaitiAvalon B
ZambiaWakehurstDenmarkNarrabeen
JapanCC Strikers CChinaManly Allambie B
GROUP EGROUP F
USAForest KillarneyFranceDee Why
VietnamManly AllambieJamaicaHarbord A
NetherlandsCC Strikers DBrazilManly Allambie A
PortugalPittwater APanamaManly Vale
GROUP GGROUP H
SwedenCC Strikers BGermanyPittwater
South AfricaBeacon Hill BMoroccoAvalon A
ItalyCC Strikers AColombiaBeacon Hill
ArgentinaPittwater BKorea RepublicWakehurst

 

Click here for the full MWFA WWC tournament draw

MWFA Women’s World Cup Day 2 & 3

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MWFA Women’s World Cup Day 2 & 3 were completed this week at Cromer Park, with junior teams from all over the Northern Beaches competing in their Round 1 or Round 2 match! It’s wonderful to see so many players, coaches, parents and spectators enjoying themselves at this celebration of women’s football.

We look forward to the remaining MWFA Women’s World Cup Matchdays on, Monday 31st July, Monday 7th August and the Semi Finals/Finals on Friday 11th August. Most importantly, we hope everyone enjoys the FIFA Women’s World Cup to the fullest, whether they are at the stadium, at a live site or watching from home.

 

Day 2 Results

Group H: Korea Republic 1-1 Morocco
Group H: Germany 3-2 Colombia
Group D: England 3-0 Haiti
Group B: Nigeria 0-2 Canada
Group C: Zambia 0-2 Japan
Group A: New Zealand 6-0 Philippines
Group A: Switzerland 1-3 Norway
Group E: Netherlands 1-3 Portugal
Group F: Brazil 0-6 Panama
Group G: Italy 0-2 Argentina

Day 3 Results

Group G: Argentina 1-1 South Africa
Group G: Sweden 0-1 Italy
Group B: Canada 2-0 Republic of Ireland
Group B: Australia 1-3 Nigeria
Group H: Colombia 0-2 Korea Republic
Group C: Japan 0-2 Costa Rica
Group C: Spain 1-1 Zambia
Group D: England 6-0 Denmark
Group D: China 3-1 Haiti
Group A: Philippines 2-1 Switzerland

 

U8U11
GROUP AGROUP B
New ZealandManly Vale BAustraliaMosman
NorwayManly Vale ARepublic of IrelandBTH
PhilippinesHarbordNigeriaBrookvale
SwitzerlandBeacon Hill ACanadaCC Strikers
GROUP CGROUP D
SpainBrookvaleEnglandHarbord B
Costa RicaAvalonHaitiAvalon B
ZambiaWakehurstDenmarkNarrabeen
JapanCC Strikers CChinaManly Allambie B
GROUP EGROUP F
USAForest KillarneyFranceDee Why
VietnamManly AllambieJamaicaHarbord A
NetherlandsCC Strikers DBrazilManly Allambie A
PortugalPittwater APanamaManly Vale
GROUP GGROUP H
SwedenCC Strikers BGermanyPittwater
South AfricaBeacon Hill BMoroccoAvalon A
ItalyCC Strikers AColombiaBeacon Hill
ArgentinaPittwater BKorea RepublicWakehurst

 

Click here for the full MWFA WWC tournament draw