WITH PATRICK STAVELEY
Blacktown City continue impressive start to 2022
We ’ re seven games into the 2022 NPL NSW season and Blacktown City currently sit in fourth place , just two points off the competition lead .
Mark Crittenden ’ s side scored a crucial and very impressive 4-2 victory over the Sydney FC Youth side that was previously unbeaten in the opening six matches of the season .
Blacktown opened the game with a bang with Sydney defender Matthew Scarcella ’ s own goal opening the scoring for the home side after just four minutes of play . Hiroaki Aoyama doubled the advantage in the seventh minute with a smashing strike into the roof of the net , after showing some lovely composure to bring the ball down and past a defender .
The early onslaught continued after a scramble in the penalty area eventually fell to striker Jordan Smylie to smash the ball home on the volley for a 3-0 lead after just ten minutes . It was all Blacktown for the rest of the half with chances aplenty , before eventually they found the fourth goal when a penalty was awarded .
Adam Berry was unlucky to convert with both his penalty and rebound shot saved , however , his ex-Central Coast Mariners teammate Jordan Smylie was on hand to pick up his second of the day and sixth goal of the season .
It was a difficult start to March for
City as they lost back-to-back matches against APIA Leichardt ( who currently sit atop the ladder ) and Sydney United 58 . City got back to winning ways the following round with a 3-1 win over bottom side Northbridge Bulls .
Matthew Lewis was the hero as he scored a double while Jordan Smylie picked up a goal . Blacktown also played out an exciting 2-2 draw with the Marconi Stallions with Dakota Askew and Smylie again amongst the goals .
The NPL NSW Women ’ s First Grade season has begun , with the Blacktown Spartans opening their account with a 1-0 win over the Football NSW Institute . Rachael Goldstein ’ s 84th minute proved the difference in the narrow victory .
The U20 ’ s men ’ s side have been on fire in their opening six matches to the season , winning four and drawing two as they sit top of the ladder on 14 points . After drawing their first two games in 2022 , they ’ ve picked up four wins in a row ( 2-0 v Marconi , 3-1 v APIA Leichardt , 4-0 v Sydney United 58 and 5-1 v Northbridge Bulls ).
Dakota Askew in action for BCFC .
Wrestling Super Series returns to Blacktown
The Hungry Jacks Wrestling Super Series is coming down to Blacktown for its second edition on 22 May 2022 and now is your time to register !
The Wrestling Super Series is Australia ’ s newest combat sports tournament , open to all who are keen to challenge themselves and test their limits under the official UWW ( United World Wrestling ) rules .
The tournament will be held at Blacktown Leisure Centre on Sunday 22 May with the youth competition starting at 9:00am and the adult competition starting at 11:00am .
The Super Series is fast-growing and is always looking for more competitors and more involvement each year . Some wrestling and judo clubs from New Zealand and Tonga are coming for the
Australia ’ s newest combat sports tournament will be in Blacktown this month . event , as well as some athletes from Nauru and Singapore .
Organiser and promoter Stephan Jaeggi is very excited about the event and also the future of wrestling in Australia .
“ It ’ s a very multicultural sport . If you come to a wrestling competition , you ’ re going to see many different faces from all around the world . Wrestling is a really diverse community ,” states Jaeggi . “ We had our first series for this year in
February .
“ We had a good turnout - 220 competitors . It was the biggest wrestling competition in Australia since the 1970s . Australia has a great history of wrestling . We ’ ve had people win medals at the Olympics and Commonwealth Games ( in the sport ). We ’ re definitely building its profile back up .
“ I think it ’ s quite a unique sport , it ’ s the number one combat sport on planet earth . It ’ s an individual sport where you represent yourself . It takes strength , fitness , speed and marathon . I think it ’ s a bit of an individual goal for a participant .”
The event will be held in a COVID-safe environment . The Super Series is excited to continue a season of these events after having previously cancelled them due to lockdowns .
“ We have a lot of competitors on the day that will be representing Australia or New Zealand and some ( Polynesian ) countries at the commonwealth games so they ’ ll be competing as well ,” says Jaeggi .
“ We ’ ve got Hungry Jacks on board sponsoring us . The owner Jack Cowin was a former wrestler and college champion in North America .”
If you have an interest in combat sports ( no experience necessary ) ad want to test yourself , register at Smoothcomp .
Stephan Jaeggi also runs a judo club in Blacktown on Tuesdays and Thursdays if you are looking for extracurricular activities during the week .
24 ISSUE 14 // MAY 2022 theindependentmagazine . com . au BLACKTOWN CITY INDEPENDENT