The fixtures for the 2023 NPL Victoria seasons have been released, with Western United’s Senior Academy moving into NPL 2 for the first time and the Club’s four new junior teams set to debut.
United’s Senior’s and Under 21’s will once again play home matches at City Vista Pavilion and Sports Field, while the Under 14’s through to Under 18’s will play the opening rounds at Clearwood Drive Reserve in Truganina.
Diogo Ferreira will have a tough start to life as Senior Academy Head Coach, with United opening the campaign at home against Eastern Lions, who have been relegated from NPL Victoria, on Sunday February 19.
Preston Lions will come to City Vista in Round 4 in the first meeting between one of the other promoted teams, with the two sides set to continue a competitive on-field rivalry.
Western United will lock horns with Melbourne City in Rounds 8 and 21 with an expanded 14-team resulting in more matches this year.
The Under 14’s, 15’s, 16’s and 18’s competitions will run simultaneously with the same 12 clubs competing in divisions for each age group split into the four cardinal zones.
The season structure will see every team play each other once in a grading period for the first 11 weeks, after which the entire field of teams across Victoria will be brought together and split into three graded leagues with the geographical combinations removed.
The Junior Academy teams will debut at home against Brimbank Stallions on Sunday February 5, and the grading period will culminate in an away trip to face Geelong SC on Sunday April 4.
Calder United will begin their NPLW Victoria season in exactly the same way they did the last campaign with a trip to face Box Hill United on Friday March 17.
The NPLW field is also extended this season with 11 teams set to compete, meaning each team will play each other twice in 2023 instead of the three meetings in 2022.
The defending NPLW Victoria treble winners will close the season on Sunday August 20 against Bayside United.
Full Western United Academy Fixtures
NPL 2 Victoria Men’s Under 21’s
NPL Victoria Under 18 Boys West
NPL Victoria Under 16 Boys West
NPL Victoria Under 15 Boys West
