Melbourne City NPL
Melbourne City NPL
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Wikipedia - Melbourne City FC Youth
Melbourne City Football Club Youth is the youth system of Melbourne City Football Club based in Cranbourne East, Melbourne. The youth team plays in the NPL Victoria 2, the second tier of Victorian football in Australia and the hiatus A-League Youth competition. The club also fields under-21s, under-18s, and three other academy teams within the NPL Victoria system.
History
Early years (2011–2014)
The team was founded in 2011 as Melbourne Heart Youth, the season after their senior side Melbourne City (then known as Melbourne Heart FC), made their A-League debut. The inaugural manager was John Aloisi before he accepted the role as head manager at the end of the 2011–12 season. From 2012 onwards, Joe Palatsides had been the manager. The youth team's first match was played in the 2011–12 against local rivals Melbourne Victory in a 2–0 win at John Cain Memorial Park.
Entry into National Premier Leagues (2014–2018)
On 7 November 2014, it was confirmed that Melbourne City would compete in the NPL Victoria 1 competition from the 2015 season onwards. The team consists mainly of Melbourne City's youth team, which also competes in the A-League Youth. On top of this, Melbourne City opted to send a U-20 team to enter the concurrently-run development-level U-20 NPL league competition.
The team finished on top of the table of the 2014–15 National Youth League, tied with Brisbane Roar FC Youth on both points and goal difference but were awarded the title having scored a greater number of goals.
After several seasons competing in the NPL, Melbourne City announced they were expanding their participation to also enter teams into the U-18 and U-15 competitions. In February 2018, youth teams joined the National Premier Leagues for the under-20s and under-18s sides, with the U-18 side being managed by Davey van 't Schip (the brother of former manager John van 't Schip).
Melbourne City NPL is affiliated with Melbourne City FC, a professional A-League team in Australia. The NPL team serves as a development pathway for young players looking to progress to the senior team.
The team plays their home matches at various venues across Melbourne, showcasing their talent and skills to fans and scouts alike. With a strong focus on youth development and player growth, Melbourne City NPL is a team to watch in the Australian soccer scene.