| Season | 2020 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Dubbo Bulls (4th title) |
| Premiers | Macquarie United (Dubbo) (1st title) |
| Matches played | 42 |
| Goals scored | 166 (3.95 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Jesse Spang 13 - (Macquarie United) |
| Biggest home win | Macquarie United 6–1 Panorama (8 August 2020) Dubbo Bulls 5–0 Lithgow Workmen's (5 September 2020) Macquarie United 5–0 Lithgow Workmen's (19 September 2020) |
| Biggest away win | Parkes Cobras 1–4 Dubbo Bulls (11 July 2020) Dubbo Bulls 2–5 Macquarie United (23 July 2020) Barnstoneworth United 2–5 Dubbo Bulls (26 July 2020) Orana Spurs 1–4 Parkes Cobras (15 August 2020) Orana Spurs 1–4 Macquarie United (22 August 2020) |
← 2012 2021 → | |
The 2020 Western Premier League was the 20th season of the Western Premier League (WPL), the top football league in the Central West region of New South Wales. It was the first season of the competition since 2012. Dubbo Bulls were the three-time defending champions, having won the past three competitions in 2010, 2011 and 2012.
The season kicked-off with three games on 11 July, with the Parkes Cobras-Orana Spurs match at Woodward Park in Parkes the first to get underway, marking the first WPL match in eight years. The season concluded with the grand final on 26 September. Dubbo Bulls claimed a fourth WPL title after defeating local rivals Macquarie United in the grand final 2–1 at Apex Oval.
The previous iteration of the Western Premier League had originally folded at the end of 2012 season when Dubbo Westside and Dubbo Bulls FC all pulled out in quick succession, leaving just three teams in the competition. Talks continued towards the end of 2019 and in the early months of 2020 about reviving the competition [1] [2] before the competition's return was officially announced by Western NSW Football in February. [3]
Nine teams originally nominated for the competition - former champions Dubbo Bulls and Orange Waratahs, as well as Barnstoneworth United, Lithgow Workmen's, Macquarie United (Dubbo), Orana Spurs, Panorama, the newly-formed Parkes Cobras and South Dubbo Wanderers. [4] However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Waratahs and Wanderers withdraw from the competition before a ball was kicked. [5] [6] With two teams withdrawing and with restrictions in place by Football NSW and the NSW Government, the competition could not kick-off in April, as originally planned, and restrictions threatened to cancel the WPL's return. But as restrictions were lifted, the WPL got the green light to return in July and it kicked-off on the fourth of that month with three matches on the same day. [7]
The first round of matches saw Parkes Cobras (a team formed specially for the WPL) host Orana Spurs at Woodward Oval, Macquarie United were away in Orange to face Barnstoneworth United and Dubbo Bulls would face Panorama at Lady Cutler Oval. Lithgow Workmen's had the bye. The Parkes-Orana match kicked-off at 3pm, 15 minutes before the game in Orange and an hour before the Bulls-Panorama match, meaning Cobras' 17th minute opener by Daniel Clarke was the first WPL goal in eight years. [8] All matches in the opening round ended in 1-all stalemates. [9]
The first wins of the 2020 WPL season came in the second round when Barnstoneworth United overcome Panorama 4–2 in Bathurst, Dubbo Bulls won 4–1 away at Parkes Cobras, and Lithgow Workmen's defeated Macquarie United 2–1. [10] [11] [12]
At the halfway mark in the season, Macquarie United surprised many by leading the competition by two points over Lithgow Workmen's and Dubbo Bulls, in second and third respectively. The Paul Crain-coached Macquarie side had a team featuring a number of teenagers, carried over from its Dubbo and District Football Association A grade campaign from 2019. [13] Many expected the youthful side to finish last, [14] however, Macquarie would eventually finish the regular season in first place, claiming the Premiers' Plate, one point ahead of city rivals Dubbo Bulls in second. [15] [16]
In a fiery grand final, Dubbo Bulls claimed the title with a 2–1 winner over city rivals Macquarie United at Apex Oval. [17]
| Team | Location | Home ground |
|---|---|---|
| Barnstoneworth United | Orange | Jack Brabham Park |
| Dubbo Bulls | Dubbo | Lady Cutler Oval |
| Lithgow Workmen's | Lithgow | Marjorie Jackson Oval |
| Macquarie United | Dubbo | Hans Claven Oval |
| Orana Spurs | Dubbo | Lady Cutler Oval |
| Panorama | Bathurst | Proctor Park |
| Parkes Cobras | Parkes | Woodward Oval |
| Team | Head coach | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Kit sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstoneworth United | Rob Dawson | Josh Summerson | Nike | N/A |
| Dubbo Bulls | Jason Schink | Scott Fox Kobe Rapley | Lindsay Mumford Suzuki | |
| Lithgow Workmen's | Martin Hunter | Ben Sheehan | Kookaburra Sport | Huesker |
| Macquarie United | Paul Crain | Rhys Osborne | Puma | Castlereagh Hotel |
| Orana Spurs | Jared Corby | South Dubbo Tavern | ||
| Panorama | Ricky Guihot | Ryan Peacock | Nike | Agile Arbor Tree Services |
| Parkes Cobras | Meaghan Kempson | Brent Tucker | Parkes Services Club | |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Macquarie United | 12 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 34 | 21 | +13 | 22 | Premiers' Plate and Finals Series |
| 2 | Dubbo Bulls (C) | 12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 25 | 16 | +9 | 21 | Finals Series |
| 3 | Panorama | 12 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 23 | 21 | +2 | 20 | |
| 4 | Lithgow Workmen's | 12 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 24 | 24 | 0 | 18 | |
| 5 | Barnstoneworth United | 12 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 25 | 26 | −1 | 17 | |
| 6 | Orana Spurs | 12 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 16 | 29 | −13 | 9 | |
| 7 | Parkes Cobras | 12 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 19 | 29 | −10 | 8 |
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jesse Spang | Macquarie United | 13 |
| 2 | Ben Sheehan | Lithgow Workmen's | 7 |
| Gareth Williams | Dubbo Bulls | ||
| 4 | Logan Inwood | Lithgow Workmen's | 6 |
| Lachlan McHatton | Barnstoneworth United | ||
| 6 | Angus Cusack | Orana Spurs | 5 |
| Blake Medlyn | Parkes Cobras | ||
| Ryan Peacock | Panorama | ||
| Justin Pickering | Macquarie United | ||
| Jacob Soetens-Chidac | Panorama |
| Player | For | Against | Result | Date | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Sheehan | Lithgow Workmen's | Parkes Cobras | 3–1 | 26 July 2020 | [18] |
| Jesse Spang | Macquarie United | Orana Spurs | 4–1 | 26 July 2020 | [19] |
| Jake Grady | Orana Spurs | Barnstoneworth United | 5–2 | 1 August 2020 | [20] |
| Lachlan McHatton | Barnstoneworth United | Parkes Cobras | 4–2 | 8 August 2020 | |
| Jesse Spang | Macquarie United | Orana Spurs | 4–1 | 22 August 2020 | [21] |
Dubbo is a city in the Orana Region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the largest population centre in the Orana region, with a population of 38,392 at June 2018.
Narromine is a town located about 40 kilometres (25 mi) west of Dubbo in the Orana region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the centre of Narromine Shire. At the 2016 census, Narromine had a population of 3,528. The area is a popular area for gliding and the growing of citrus fruits. The Macquarie River passes through the town. The main road from Dubbo to the west also passes through, this being the Mitchell Highway named after the early explorer Sir Thomas Mitchell. Narromine is a station on the Main Western railway line. The area is characterised by hot summers and mild winters.
The Western Suburbs Magpies is an Australian rugby league football club based in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Formed in 1908, Wests, as they are commonly referred to, were one of the nine foundation clubs of the first New South Wales Rugby League competition in Australia. The club, as a sole entity, departed the top-flight competition in 1999 after forming a 50–50 joint venture with Balmain Tigers to form the Wests Tigers. The club currently fields sides in the NSW State Cup, Ron Massey Cup (Opens), S.G. Ball Cup and Harold Matthews Cup competitions.
The Daily Liberal is a daily newspaper produced in the city of Dubbo, New South Wales, Australia. The news stories published relate particularly to the city of Dubbo and the surrounding district. The newspaper was first printed in 1875. The current price for the daily editions is A$2.00. It has previously been published as The Dubbo Liberal and Macquarie Advocate and The Daily Liberal and Macquarie Advocate.
Campbelltown Stadium, formerly Orana Park and Campbelltown Sports Ground, is a multi-use stadium in Leumeah, New South Wales, Australia, owned by Campbelltown City Council. It is the full-time home ground for the Western Suburbs Magpies District Rugby league Football Club and is one of three home grounds for the Wests Tigers Rugby league Football Club. The stadium has a nominal capacity of 20,000, with a recorded highest crowd figure of 20,527 for a game between Wests Tigers and North Queensland Cowboys in the 2005 NRL season. It is located adjacent to Leumeah railway station and Wests Leagues Club.
The Newcastle Rugby League is a local rugby league football competition in Newcastle, Australia. It is one of the oldest rugby league competitions in Australia, founded in 1910. A Newcastle representative team was also assembled from players in the League during most of the 20th century. The first grade competition also comprises the NSWRL Presidents Cup Northern Conference.
Group 10 is a rugby league competition in the Central West area of New South Wales, under the auspices of the New South Wales Rugby League. It had been under the control of Country Rugby League but that changed after the NSWRL agreed to a new constitution and the CRL voted to wind up its affairs immediately. The decisions was made on 19 October 2019 and the merger means that the aim of a unified administration of the sport in NSW was achieved over a year ahead of time.
Soccer in New South Wales describes the sport of soccer being played and watched by people in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Soccer in New South Wales is organised and managed on a state level by two separate governing bodies; Football NSW and Northern New South Wales Football which are affiliated at a national level to Football Federation Australia.
The Waratah Cup is a knockout cup competition in New South Wales, run by the governing body of football in NSW, Football NSW. Teams competing in the Waratah Cup come from the National Premier Leagues NSW, National Premier Leagues NSW 2, National Premier Leagues NSW 3, National Premier Leagues NSW 4 and numerous other semi professional & amateur association clubs within New South Wales. The Cup is held during the NPL NSW seasons. Since 2014 preliminary rounds of the Waratah Cup have been used to determine the NSW entrants to the national FFA Cup.
The New South Wales Country Eagles is an Australian rugby union football team competes in the National Rugby Championship (NRC). The team was founded by a group of patrons associated with country rugby in New South Wales. The Eagles team plays home matches in regional centres of New South Wales including Armidale, Goulburn, Orange, and Tamworth.
The Dubbo Regional Council is a local government area located in the Central West and Orana regions of New South Wales, Australia. The council was formed on 12 May 2016 through a merger of the City of Dubbo and Wellington Council. Originally named Western Plains Regional Council, the name was changed to Dubbo Regional Council on 7 September 2016.
The New South Wales Country Rugby Union, or NSWCRU, is the governing body for the sport of rugby union within most of New South Wales in Australia.
Jacob Tratt is an Australian professional footballer who plays as a centre back for A-League side Adelaide United.
The 2019 Group 10 Rugby League season was the 73rd season of the premier rugby league competition in the Central West area of New South Wales. It was run under the auspices of the Country Rugby League. It was the seventh consecutive season to feature nine teams, after the re-admittance of the Blayney Bears in 2013.
Oberon Tigers is an Australian rugby league football team based in the Central West town of Oberon. The Tigers first played in the Country Rugby League-controlled Group 10 Rugby League in the competition's inaugural season in 1947, before dropping out at the end of the 1951 season. The Tigers returned in 1954 and competed in Group 10 until the end of the 1996 season. It also had another two spells in the competition from 2005-2008 and 2011-2019.
The Mid West Cup is a rugby league competition in the Central West area of New South Wales, under the auspices of the Group 10 Rugby League. It is currently the second tier competition of Group 10. The premiers are awarded the Blayney Citizens' Cup, the oldest continuously award trophy in Country Rugby League, with Neville the first recipients in 1913. It currently encompasses teams from Bathurst, Blackheath, Kandos, Lithgow Oberon, Orange and Portland.
The Western Premier League is a regional Australian association football league, comprising teams from the Central West region of New South Wales. The competition is run under the Western NSW Football body, an associate of Football NSW - a member federation of Football Federation Australia. It fits below the national A-League and NSW wide divisions including National Premier Leagues NSW, being level 6 league in the Australian league system.
Panorama FC is an amateur association football club based in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia. The club was formed in 2012 and currently competes in the Western Premier League (WPL). It also has clubs in the local Bathurst District Football junior and senior competitions.
The 2021 Western Premier League, also called the Burmac Western Premier League for sponsorship reasons, was the 21st season of the Western Premier League (WPL), the top football league in the Central West region of New South Wales. It was the second consecutive year that the competition ran, after an eight-year hiatus. Dubbo Bulls were the defending champions after defeating city rivals Macquarie United in the grand final at Apex Oval, whilst Macquarie United were the defending premiers.
