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National Premier Leagues
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | National Premier Leagues |
| logo | National Premier Leagues.png |
| pixels | 200px |
| country | Australia |
| confed | AFC |
| founded | |
| first | 2013 |
| levels | 2 |
| divisions | ACT |
| NSW | |
| Northern NSW | |
| Queensland | |
| South Australia | |
| Tasmania | |
| Victoria | |
| Western Australia | |
| teams | 97 clubs (from 8 divisions) |
| most_champs | Sydney United 58 (2 titles) |
| website | nationalpremierleagues.com.au |
| current | 2025 National Premier Leagues |
NSW Northern NSW Queensland South Australia Tasmania Victoria Western Australia
The National Premier Leagues (NPL) is a men's national association football competition in Australia which acts as the second tier of the sport in the country below the A-League. The NPL consists of the highest level state league in each state-based federation within Australia. In total the NPL is contested by clubs from eight divisions; these are ACT, NSW, Northern NSW, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia. The NPL is overseen by Football Australia, in partnership with participating state-based member federations.
Up to the 2019 season, one representative from each Member Federation participated in the NPL Championship, a knock-out competition to determine a national champion.
From the 2025 season, the NPL Premiers from each Member Federation will be invited to play in the new 16-team Australian Championship, to be played between October and December 2025.
History
In October 2010, Football Federation Australia (FFA) commenced a National Competition Review, its main objective being to review the current structure of soccer competitions in Australia, and to monitor and improve elite player development. By May 2012 the results of the National Competition Review were released. In it, a proposal to re-brand and revitalise state-based competitions in Australia.
On 13 February 2013, the establishment of the NPL was announced. As a direct outcome of the National Competition Review, the league would rebrand the premier league in each state under a single banner. The competition was initially named the "Australian Premier League", but because of a violation of naming rights held by Lawn Bowls Australia the original name was scrapped and replaced with "National Premier Leagues".
The inaugural season of the NPL began in March 2013. It included teams from five of the nine state-based federations:
- Australian Capital Territory
- New South Wales
- Queensland
- South Australia
- Tasmania
The other four of the nine state-based federations joined the NPL in 2014:
- Northern New South Wales
- Northern Territory
- Victoria
- Western Australia
Those federations who joined in the 2014 season, were expected to adopt a partial model at some time in the future. Although Victoria initially announced their teams would enter in 2014, a deferral was later announced in November 2013, after several clubs objected to the process for selecting teams. However, by December 2013, a resolution was reached whereby Victorian teams participated in the 2014 season.
The finals series for the 2020 competition was cancelled on 3 July 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, and has not been held since.
FFA announced their intentions of a promotion and relegation structure between the first tier A-League and a proposed second tier (which ultimately resulted in the formation on the Australian Championship series), but a promotion and relegation system did not eventuate.
Competition format
The NPL competitions in each state and territory are run by the member federation, with a national playoff tournament at the end of each season. Each member federation, or 'conference' contains various numbers of teams, and they play a full season with no inter-conference matches (an identical format to the individual State Leagues that preceded the NPL). The winner of each division is determined by the club in first position of each conference table at the end of the regular season, rather than the winner of the various state-based finals series.
Former NPL finals series
Up to the 2019 season, the winners of each respective Federation league (the regular home and away season) competed in a finals playoff tournament. These were all single match knock out matches. Between 2013 and 2015 the match ups were based on predetermined geographically adjacent Federations, with hosting rights for the quarter-finals alternating each year. From 2016 to 2019 the match ups were determined by an open draw. The hosts for the semi-finals and Grand Final were determined by a formula based on the time of winning of the previous NPL Finals matches (normal time, extra time or penalties), goals scored and allowed, and yellow/red cards.
The finals series culminated in a Grand Final, where the winner was crowned National Premier Leagues Champions. From 2014 to 2019, the NPL Champion also qualified for the following years' FFA Cup round of 32.
Promotion and relegation
Depending on the State Federation in charge, teams may be relegated from the NPL to a third-tier league in the same state (and vice versa), but there is currently no mechanism for a team to be promoted to the first tier of Australian soccer, the A-League. The number of teams promoted and relegated from third-tier leagues per state has varied over the existence of the NPL. The table below details the number of teams relegated automatically from the NPL at the end of the season (based on 2025) and the number of NPL teams which go into a relegation playoff against a lower league team (subject to those lower league teams meeting additional eligibility criteria to be able to be promoted to the NPL).
| Federation | Number of clubs | Automatic | |
|---|---|---|---|
| relegation | Relegation | ||
| playoffs | |||
| ACT | none | ||
| NSW | 1 | 1 | |
| Northern NSW | 1 | 1 | |
| Queensland | 2 | 0 | |
| SA | 2 | 0 | |
| Tasmania | none | ||
| Victoria | 3 | 0 | |
| WA | 1 | 1 |
Current clubs
Below are listed the National Premier Leagues clubs in each respective state member federation, who competed in the 2025 season.
In total, there are 94 clubs that compete in the top tier of the National Premier Leagues each season. Most NPL divisions involve promotion and relegation to leagues below the NPL and so participating clubs change annually.
| Australian Capital Territory |
|---|
| Canberra Croatia |
| Gungahlin United |
| Monaro Panthers |
| O'Connor Knights |
| Queanbeyan City |
| Tigers FC |
| Tuggeranong United |
| Yoogali |
|
| New South Wales |
|---|
| APIA Leichhardt Tigers |
| Blacktown City |
| Central Coast Mariners Academy |
| Manly United |
| Marconi Stallions |
| Mt Druitt Town Rangers |
| North West Sydney Spirit |
| Rockdale Ilinden |
| St George City |
| St George FC |
| Sutherland Sharks |
| Sydney FC Youth |
| Sydney Olympic |
| Sydney United 58 |
| Western Sydney Wanderers Youth |
| Wollongong Wolves |
|
| Northern New South Wales |
|---|
| Adamstown Rosebud |
| Belmont Swansea |
| Broadmeadow Magic |
| Charlestown Azzurri |
| Cooks Hill United |
| Edgeworth FC |
| Lambton Jaffas |
| Maitland FC |
| New Lambton FC |
| Newcastle Olympic |
| Valentine FC |
| Weston Bears |
|
| Queensland |
|---|
| Brisbane City |
| Brisbane Roar Youth |
| Eastern Suburbs |
| Gold Coast Knights |
| Gold Coast United |
| Lions FC |
| Moreton City Excelsior |
| Olympic FC |
| Peninsula Power |
| St George Willawong |
| Sunshine Coast Wanderers |
| Wynnum Wolves |
|}
| South Australia |
|---|
| Adelaide City |
| Adelaide Comets |
| Adelaide Croatia Raiders |
| Adelaide United Youth |
| Campbelltown City |
| Croydon FC |
| Modbury Jets |
| FK Beograd |
| North Eastern MetroStars |
| Para Hills Knights |
| Playford City |
| West Torrens Birkalla |
|
| Tasmania |
|---|
| Clarence Zebras |
| Devonport City |
| Glenorchy Knights |
| Kingborough Lions United |
| Launceston City |
| Launceston United |
| Riverside Olympic |
| South Hobart |
|
| Victoria |
|---|
| Altona Magic |
| Avondale |
| Dandenong City |
| Dandenong Thunder |
| Green Gully |
| Heidelberg United |
| Hume City |
| Melbourne Knights |
| Melbourne Victory Youth |
| Oakleigh Cannons |
| Preston Lions |
| Port Melbourne |
| South Melbourne |
| St Albans Saints |
|
| Western Australia |
|---|
| Armadale SC |
| Balcatta FC |
| Bayswater City |
| Floreat Athena |
| Fremantle City |
| Olympic Kingsway |
| Perth SC |
| Perth Glory Youth |
| Perth RedStar |
| Sorrento FC |
| Stirling Macedonia |
| Western Knights |
|}
Honours
NPL Finals
2019 was the final year when NPL Finals were held.
| Season/s | Champions | Score | Runners-up | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | NSW Sydney United 58 | 2–0 | TAS South Hobart | KGV Park | 1,150 |
| 2014 | AU-SA North Eastern MetroStars | 1–0 | NSW Bonnyrigg White Eagles | Lambert Park | – |
| 2015 | NSW Blacktown City | 3–1 | AU-WA Bayswater City | Dorrien Gardens | – |
| 2016 | NSW Sydney United 58 | 4–1 | NSW Edgeworth FC | Sydney United Sports Centre | – |
| 2017 | VIC Heidelberg United | 2–0 | QLD Brisbane Strikers | Perry Park | 1,105 |
| 2018 | AU-SA Campbelltown City | 2–1 | QLD Lions FC | Steve Woodcock Sports Centre | 1,518 |
| 2019 | NSW Wollongong Wolves | 4–3 | QLD Lions FC | Albert Butler Memorial Park | 1,362 |
| 2020 | Cancelled |
Clubs reaching the finals
| Team | Champions | Runners-up | Semi-finalist | Quarter-finalist | Finals appearance/s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales Sydney United 58 | 2 (2013, 2016) | — | — | — | 2 |
| South Australia Campbelltown City | 1 (2018) | — | 1 (2013) | 1 (2019) | 3 |
| Victoria Heidelberg United | 1 (2017) | — | 1 (2018) | 1 (2019) | 3 |
| New South Wales Blacktown City | 1 (2015) | — | — | — | 1 |
| South Australia North Eastern MetroStars | 1 (2014) | — | — | — | 1 |
| New South Wales Wollongong Wolves | 1 (2019) | — | — | — | 1 |
| Queensland Lions FC | — | 2 (2018, 2019) | — | — | 2 |
| New South Wales Edgeworth | — | 1 (2016) | 1 (2017) | 2 (2015, 2018) | 4 |
| Queensland Brisbane Strikers | — | 1 (2017) | 1 (2016) | — | 2 |
| Western Australia Bayswater City | — | 1 (2015) | — | 2 (2014, 2017) | 3 |
| Tasmania South Hobart | — | 1 (2013) | — | 2 (2014, 2017) | 3 |
| New South Wales Bonnyrigg White Eagles | — | 1 (2014) | — | — | 1 |
| Western Australia Perth SC | — | — | 2 (2016, 2019) | 1 (2018) | 3 |
| Victoria South Melbourne | — | — | 1 (2014) | 1 (2015) | 2 |
| South Australia APIA Leichhardt Tigers | — | — | 1 (2017) | — | 1 |
| New South Wales Maitland | — | — | 1 (2019) | — | 1 |
| Queensland Moreton Bay United | — | — | 1 (2015) | — | 1 |
| Tasmania Olympia | — | — | 1 (2015) | — | 1 |
| Queensland Olympic | — | — | 1 (2013) | — | 1 |
| Queensland Palm Beach | — | — | 1 (2014) | — | 1 |
| New South Wales Sydney Olympic | — | — | 1 (2018) | — | 1 |
| Australian Capital Territory Canberra Croatia | — | — | — | 3 (2013, 2015, 2018) | 3 |
| Australian Capital Territory Canberra Olympic | — | — | — | 3 (2016, 2017, 2019) | 3 |
| Tasmania Devonport City | — | — | — | 3 (2016, 2018, 2019) | 3 |
| South Australia Adelaide City | — | — | — | 2 (2016, 2017) | 2 |
| Victoria Bentleigh Greens | — | — | — | 1 (2016) | 1 |
| Australian Capital Territory Cooma | — | — | — | 1 (2014) | 1 |
| South Australia West Adelaide | — | — | — | 1 (2015) | 1 |
| New South Wales Weston Workers | — | — | — | 1 (2014) | 1 |
Federation Premiers by season
| Season | ACT | New South Wales | Northern | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | Queensland | South Australia | Tasmania | Victoria | Western Australia | |||
| 2013 | Canberra Croatia | Sydney United 58 | — | Olympic FC | Campbelltown City | South Hobart | — | — |
| 2014 | Cooma FC | Bonnyrigg White Eagles | Weston Workers | Palm Beach | North Eastern MetroStars | South Hobart | South Melbourne | Bayswater City |
| 2015 | Canberra Croatia | Blacktown City | Edgeworth FC | Moreton Bay United | West Adelaide | Olympia Warriors | South Melbourne | Bayswater City |
| 2016 | Canberra Olympic | Sydney United 58 | Edgeworth FC | Brisbane Strikers | Adelaide City | Devonport City | Bentleigh Greens | Perth SC |
| 2017 | Canberra Olympic | APIA Leichhardt | Edgeworth FC | Brisbane Strikers | Adelaide City | South Hobart | Heidelberg United | Bayswater City |
| 2018 | Canberra Croatia | Sydney Olympic | Edgeworth FC | Lions FC | Campbelltown City | Devonport City | Heidelberg United | Perth SC |
| 2019 | Canberra Olympic | Wollongong Wolves | Maitland FC | Lions FC | Campbelltown City | Devonport City | Heidelberg United | Perth SC |
| 2020 | — | Rockdale City Suns | Edgeworth FC | Peninsula Power | Adelaide Comets | Devonport City | — | — |
| 2021 | Cooma FC | — | Lambton Jaffas | Peninsula Power | Adelaide Comets | Glenorchy Knights | Oakleigh Cannons | Perth SC |
| 2022 | Canberra Croatia | Sydney Olympic | Maitland FC | Lions FC | Adelaide City | Devonport City | South Melbourne | Floreat Athena |
| 2023 | O'Connor Knights | APIA Leichhardt | Lambton Jaffas | Gold Coast Knights | North Eastern MetroStars | Devonport City | Avondale FC | Perth RedStar |
| 2024 | Gungahlin United | Rockdale Ilinden | Broadmeadow Magic | Gold Coast Knights | North Eastern MetroStars | Glenorchy Knights | South Melbourne | Olympic Kingsway |
| 2025 | Canberra Croatia | NWS Spirit | Broadmeadow Magic | Moreton City Excelsior | North Eastern MetroStars | South Hobart | Avondale FC | Bayswater City |
Individual honours
The John Kosmina Medal is presented to the best player in the NPL final and is named in honour of former Australian international John Kosmina.
Notes
References
References
- (31 October 2024). "'Landmark moment': FA firm up key details as National Second Tier set to begin in 2025".
- (31 October 2024). "Football Australia unveils new format and start date for National Second Tier competition".
- Siokos, Anthony. (28 May 2012). "Analysis: Review gives FFA clear signal of how they must spread the love". Sports Business Insider Group.
- "FFA releases outcomes of National Competitions Review". Football Federation Australia.
- (13 February 2013). "FFA launches National Premier Leagues". Football Federation Australia.
- (12 February 2013). "Wolves could move into A-League under new changes". Illawarra Mercury.
- (14 February 2013). "Gallop aims for Aussie FA Cup". The Australian.
- (3 October 2012). "Second Division 'By 2022'?". Australian FourFourTwo.
- (8 November 2013). "NPL update – message from FFV Board". Football Federation Victoria.
- (6 December 2013). "National Premier Leagues confirmed for Victoria in 2014". Football Federation Australia.
- (7 July 2020). "Coronavirus forces FFA Cup to be cancelled". [[Special Broadcasting Service.
- "Australian Premier League Announced". sportingpulse.com.
- (18 July 2016). "Matchups for 2016 Finals Series take shape".
- "FFA unveils National Premier Leagues". Australian FourFourTwo.
- [[Football Federation Australia]]. (1 December 2020). "Stand-alone Final and AFC Champions League prize to headline rebooted FFA Cup in 2021".
- (17 March 2020). "Grassroots football temporarily suspended". Football Federation Australia.
- (11 June 2020). "Competition Rules – National Premier Leagues WA". Football West.
- (7 September 2021). "CAPITAL FOOTBALL WINTER COMPETITION UPDATE". [[Capital Football]].
- (12 August 2021). "Football NSW Cancel 2021 National Premier Leagues Season". [[Football NSW]].
- (9 September 2021). "Northern NSW Football announces conclusion of 2021 Premier Competitions". [[Northern NSW Football]].
- (3 September 2021). "Metro Melbourne 2021 season status". [[Football Victoria]].
- (28 January 2022). "Outcome of legal proceedings between Avondale FC and Football Victoria announced". [[Football Victoria]].
- John Kosmina. "The NPL demonstrates its true value". Football Federation Australia.
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