Sport
11 February, 2024
Premier league kicks off
RIVALRIES will be tested once again as the release of the fixtures for this soccer season predicts a set of great opening matches for the Far North premier league with reigning champion Leichhardt Lions meeting a renewed Edge Hill Tigers this Saturday.
This weekend promises to be one of great matches with the return of the premier league after an intense season of recruitments and losses.
The women will kick off the season tonight with the Stratford Dolphins playing at home against the Southside Comets at 6.30pm. Later on the Leichhardt Lions will battle it out against the Edge Hill Tigers at 8.30pm on the Leichhardt Football Club.
For the men’s opener, the Edge Hill Tigers are hoping to give the reigning champions, the Leichhardt Lions, the surprise of their lives by taking a match with pretty much a whole new team at the Tiger Park on Saturday night.
“2024 is shaping up as one of the most competitive seasons to date in the Football Queensland Far North premier league,” said Football Queensland Far North and Gulf manager Alex Srhoj.
“There has been a power shift with player movement from Edge Hill to the Marlin Coast Rangers in the men’s, and this has opened up the opportunity for several teams to fill the void,” he said.
“It will be interesting to see who takes control this year.
“This weekend in the opening rounds of the Australia cup, its two heavyweights going head-to-head, with the Leichhardt Lions hosting the Edge Hill Tigers in the women’s on Friday night, while in the men’s it’s a reserve of the ladies’ fixture, with the Tigers hosting the Lions.
“New coach Ryan Murray takes the reins on the new-look Tigers, while Alex Russel also leads the Lions in his inaugural season as coach. It will be interesting as both coaches are also playing in 2024. I am expecting two close games.”
Edge Hill Tigers head coach Ryan Murray said the team had their work cut out this season.
“We’re in a tough position losing 16 players but I’ve used all my connections to recruit. We’re waiting for international clearance on a few players, but we’ve managed to get greats like Brent Powell and ex-professional player Jamie Gosling,” he said.
“The most important thing we can bring to this opening match is belief in ourselves.
“We’ve got a brand-new team and things are not just going to click overnight but we’re staying positive.
“It’s a tough match against the Lions who have established themselves for the past four years and took the final last season, but you can’t progress if you don’t play the hard matches.”
For more information, visit www.footballqueensland.com.au
