By David Larkin
The impending arrival of new A-League club Auckland FC has given the Northern League a shake-up.
Results in the concluded 2024 competition mean 11 of the 12 clubs next year will be based within the Auckland city limits, with Tauranga City the only out-of-towners.
Waikato clubs Hamilton Wanderers and Melville United were automatically relegated this season, while Manurewa could become the third side to drop if they can’t despatch promotion candidates Manukau United in their play-off.
The confirmed newcomers for 2025 will be Auckland FC Reserves and Fencibles United, who took the Lotto NRFL Men’s Championship title.
As the Northern League winds down, here’s my review of the 2024 season’s highs and lows …
Most improved teams
Tauranga City — 7th place
Tauranga will certainly be proud of their effort after gaining promotion from the Championship last season.
They made a great start to the season and maintained an unbeaten record against teams outside the top five for most of the season, but began to falter in the last few rounds, managing to pick up only a single win in their final 10 matches.
Striker Jonty Bidois contributed to a successful campaign for his side, scoring 12 goals to feature 5th in the top scorers list, despite his mid-season transfer to join new A-League club Auckland FC on a scholarship contract.
I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see Tauranga improve on this season’s performance in next year’s edition of the league, and they are certainly a side other clubs should watch out for.
Birkenhead — 4th place
Birkenhead would perhaps be disappointed with their fourth place, as they were pushing Auckland City for top spot for most of the season.
The eight-point gap to the champions in the final standings probably does a disservice to how well the club performed this season.
They seemed to run out of steam late in the season, with losses to both promoted sides — Tauranga City and East Coast Bays — in the final two rounds.
A top-four finish, however, means they are back in the National League after failing to qualify last season, and this year’s performance is a significant improvement on last season’s eighth place.
Their recruitment at the beginning of the campaign was the main contributor, with key attacking signings in Monty Patterson (from Manurewa) and Sam Philip (from Christchurch United), and the pair finishing the season as Birkenhead’s top scorers.
Most disappointing teams
Manurewa — 10th place
‘Rewa came crashing down to earth after experiencing the highs of qualifying and competing in the 2023 National League.
The South Auckland club traded last season’s 4th place finish for a 10th place, and narrowly avoided automatic relegation.
Now, of course, they’re in a battle for survival, in their two-legged play-off with Manukau United to decide which club goes into the 2025 Northern League.
(Manurewa lead 4-2 after the first leg; they play the second leg at Manukau United’s Walter Massey Park on Saturday September 21.)
Contributing to Manurewa’s slide down the table was the loss of a number of key players who were a big part of the side’s previous success.
These included defender Dylan Horgan (to Manukau United), midfielder Nicolas Bobadilla (to Miramar Rangers), striker Monty Patterson (to Birkenhead United), and winger Boon Ozawa (to Manukau United).
They lost their second top scorer Jerson Lagos to Auckland City halfway into the season.
While they didn’t get the best start to this season, it was the departure of head coach Brett McMurdoch midway through the season that was the catalyst for their string of poor performances this season, resulting in a 12-match winless run.
The danger of relegation — considered only a remote possibility at the start of the season —- began to loom large with two rounds left but the depleted side managed to stage an unlikely home victory over champions Auckland City, a result that proved the difference in avoiding automatic relegation.
If they can survive the play-off with Manukau United, Rewa will get chance to regroup over summer, and start again.
Hamilton Wanderers — 12th place
Wanderers’ last place finish this season is significant as they finished in the top half of the table in the previous two seasons.
The loss of star striker Derek Tieku to Auckland City surely had an impact, but they left themselves too much to do in the second half of the season.
Though their results improved — losing only two of their final nine matches — picking up a point a game wasn’t enough for the Hamilton side.
They failed to convert a string of draws into three points, with only two wins for the season further highlighting why they ended up at the bottom.
I think this side will be one to watch for in next year’s Lotto NRFL Men’s Championship, providing they can hang onto their strong squad.
In the Championship, they’ll compete for Waikato talent with Melville United, Ngaruawahia United and, possibly, Cambridge if they can win promotion from the Southern Conference.
Wanderers’ performances in the latter stages of the season included draws with top sides Birkenhead United and Eastern Suburbs.
If they can be a bit more clinical next year, they’ll be a dangerous side in the Championship.
Top scorer
Eastern Suburbs’ Jacob Mechell topped the Northern League’s Golden Boot with 19 goals.
Mechell opened his tally in Suburbs’ opening round loss to Olympic. He went on to bag a hat-trick in their round 3 clash against East Coast Bays and then topped that with a four-goal haul in their next match, in which they beat Tauranga 4-3.
His prolific scoring didn’t slow down, with a brace against Melville United, plus crucial goals in a draw against Western Springs and a win over Auckland City.
Later in the season he bagged a double against West Coast Rangers and scored a spectacular volley in Suburbs’ final round match against Auckland United.
His contribution of 19 goals was half of his side’s total goals for the season, and his goal scoring ability helped his side to many victories over the season, eventually resulting in a third place finish and National League qualification for Suburbs.
It’s a big improvement for Mechell as he only managed eight goals in the club’s 2023 campaign.
The Suburbs talisman will surely have a lot of interest from other clubs after his standout season this year, and Suburbs will surely be doing their best to lock down the forward for another season at Madills Farm in 2025.
Biggest wins
Manurewa 7-1 Melville United
Rewa’s most clinical performance of the season came in round four when they took on Melville at home.
Last season’s results in this fixture provided a bit of an insight into how this could turn out as Rewa won at home 5-0 in the 2023 campaign.
The scoreline had ballooned out to 4-0 by halftime in favour of the South Auckland side with Eber Ramirez bagging a brace, and goals from striker Sean Leadley and winger Jerson Lagos.
Rewa were good value for the lead too, with some stunning attacking play opening up Melville’s defence.
Ramirez completed his hat trick in the second half while Ry McLeod grabbed a late consolation goal for Melville in the 83rd minute.
Hector Echague and substitute John Van As added a couple more in added time to complete a stunning display. It was the second and final time that Rewa would win by more than a goal this season though, and they only managed to add three more victories in the following 18 matches.
Western Springs 7-1 Tauranga City
Springs would match Rewa’s feat the following week in round five when they hosted Tauranga City at Seddon Fields.
Matthew Ellis opened the scoring in the 5th minute for the home side but the goals really started raining in just before halftime as Springs added four in a 20-minute spell, with a single Tauranga goal in this period failing to stem the tide.
The visitors slowed the scoring in the second half but still conceded two to end up 7-1.
Ellis and Reid Drake both picked up braces from the match.
Biggest comeback
Western Springs 4-2 Manurewa
Manurewa made the trip to Western Springs in round 13 and gained a comfortable two-goal advantage after James Hoyt scored their second in the 36th minute.
Springs top scorer Emiliano Tade scored four minutes later to keep his side in the contest.
Springs came out firing in the second half and Tade added another in the 59th minute to tie the game. Jackson Manuel completed the fightback in the 79th minute while Reid Drake added a fourth in the 89th minute to wrap up the win.
Biggest upset
Manurewa 2-1 Auckland City
A fourth consecutive Northern League title beckoned for Auckland City in the penultimate round of the season.
They needed a win to wrap it up without relying on favourable results in the other matches, and what better team to play than Rewa, the most out-of-form team in the league?
Rewa were on a 12-game winless run coming into this match and had conceded 10 goals in their last three matches.
The South Auckland club also desperately needed to win this game as they were now threatened with falling into the automatic relegation zone.
Auckland City’s form was gilt-edged. The league leaders had a nine-game unbeaten streak in the league, and had beaten Birkenhead the previous week in the semi-finals of the Chatham Cup.
Kentaro Ozaki scored in the third minute to give the home side a shock lead, and they the Navy Blues didn’t respond until first half added time when Angus Kilkolly struck back.
Rewa quickly responded, when Eber Ramirez reinstated their lead a minute later to head into halftime in front at 2-1.
Rewa managed to hold their slim lead till full time, and the three points earned kept them out of the automatic relegation spots.
Meanwhile, despite the loss, Auckland City was handed the title as nearest rivals Eastern Suburbs and Birkenhead United dropped points.
How they finished
What next?
Auckland City, Western Springs, Eastern Suburbs and Birkenhead United will play in the 10-club Men’s National League, starting on September 28.
Manurewa or Manukau United will decide on Saturday September 21 who secures the last remaining berth in next season’s Northern League.
The 12-team 2025 Northern League will comprise:
- Auckland City
- Western Springs
- Eastern Suburbs
- Birkenhead United
- Auckland United
- Bay Olympic
- Tauranga City
- West Coast Rangers
- East Coast Bays
- Auckland FC Reserves (new entrant)
- Fencibles United (promoted from Lotto NRFL Men’s Championship)
- Manurewa or Manukau United (play-off)
David Larkin
Friends of Football writer David Larkin plays community football for Auckland club Manurewa.
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