The latest in our Member Federation Round of 32 focus turns the spotlight onto the Sunshine State.
Find out more about Queensland’s four clubs who have qualified for this year’s Westfield FFA Cup Final Rounds.
It’s a case of two clubs who know the Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32 landscape like the back of their hand, while for the other two clubs, they are preparing to enter unchartered territory.
Here are the four clubs joining Brisbane Roar FC who will be flying the flag for Queensland in the Westfield FFA Cup Final Rounds in 2017…
FNQ Heat #FNQ
League: PS4 NPL Queensland
Home Venue: Barlow Park (Scott Street & Severin Street, Parramatta Park)
Website: fnqfc.com.au
Twitter: @FNQHeat
Facebook: facebook.com/FNQHeat
Head Coach: Tim Campbell
How they qualified
Round 5
Mareeba United FC 1
FNQ Heat 4
Round 6
FNQ Heat 3 (Jamie Carroll 27’/66’, Chris O’Hare 36’)
Northern Fury 0
Round 7
FNQ Heat 6 (Josh Jennison 25’, Jamie Carroll 34’, Chris Sullivan 42’/47’, Mqondisi Nkiwane 76’, Josh Pin 78’)
Mackay Magpies 1 (Warrick Jansen 74’)
Westfield FFA Cup history
2014 - Knocked out in Round of 32 by Sydney United 58 FC 4-1 at Sydney United Sports Centre, Edensor Park
2015 - Knocked out in Round of 32 by Oakleigh Cannons 1-1 (5-4 on penalties) at Jack Edwards Reserve, Oakleigh
2016 - Knocked out in Round of 32 by Edgeworth Eagles 3-0 at Barlow Park, Cairns
Lowdown
The team from Cairns is only the third Member Federation club (along with New South Wales sides Blacktown City and Sydney United 58 FC) to qualify for the Round of 32 every year since the Westfield FFA Cup began back in 2014.
Going by results alone, the Heat appeared rarely troubled in their path to the last 32 as, led by captain and marksman Jamie Carroll, they amassed 13 goals in their three matches.
The one sore point that the club will be determined to rectify is that they are yet to progress past the Round of 32. Being drawn away from home in the first two years did not help, although they came agonisingly close with a gallant penalty shootout loss to the Oakleigh Cannons in Melbourne.
Then last year it was a case of third lucky as they finally drew a home match, only to come up against a rampaging Edgeworth Eagles side from Northern NSW who condemned the Heat to a 3-0 defeat at Barlow Park.
Head Coach Tim Campbell was in charge during that loss to the Edgeworth and there is no doubt the fire will be burning to take FNQ Heat to its best Westfield FFA Cup finish in 2017.
At the time of writing FNQ Heat had lost just one out of seven matches at home in the league this season, a PS4 NPL season where they are currently sitting mid table after 14 rounds.
Gold Coast City #GCC
League: PS4 NPL Queensland
Home Venue: Mallawa Complex (Duncan McKenna Field, Nineteenth Avenue, Palm Beach)
Website: gccfc.com.au
Twitter: @gccityfc
Facebook: facebook.com/gccityfc
Head Coach: Grae Piddick
How they qualified
Round 5
Gold Coast City 1 (Jarrod Kyle 75’)
Gold Coast Knights 0
Round 6
SWQ Thunder FC 0
Gold Coast City 4 (Jarrod Kyle 14’, Nikola Mirkovic 18’, Ben Lyvidikos 37’, own goal 60’)
Round 7
Gold Coast City FC 5 (Jarrod Kyle 9’/24’/37’/80’, Nikola Mirkovic 45’)
Caloundra FC 1
Westfield FFA Cup history
2014 - Knocked out in Quarter Finals by Central Coast Mariners 5-0 at Cbus Super Stadium, Robina
2015 - Knocked out in Round of 16 by Western Sydney Wanderers FC 2-0 at Cbus Super Stadium, Robina
2016 - Did not qualify for the Round of 32
Lowdown
Similarly to their counterparts FNQ Heat up north, Gold Coast City (formerly Palm Beach Sharks) only needed to get through three matches to qualify for the Final Rounds. In saying that, you still have to win them and they did just that.
After somewhat of a shock defeat to Surfers Paradise Apollo which knocked them out of the Westfield FFA Cup last year, Gold Coast City were not going to be caught out this time around, although Gold Coast Premier League outfit Gold Coast Knights did give them a scare first up, a Jarrod Kyle goal enough to get Gold Coast City over the line.
But from there they showed their class as they accounted for SWQ Thunder and Caloundra FC in emphatic fashion, Kyle bagging six goals in the Preliminary Rounds to go with seven he has scored so far in PS4 NPL Queensland this season.
The club’s most famous Westfield FFA Cup moment came in the Round of 32 in 2015 when they ousted Victorian powerhouse South Melbourne in a thrilling penalty shootout that ended 8-7 at Cbus Super Stadium.
They also reached the Quarter Finals in 2014 but on both of their previous Final Round journeys they have fallen to Hyundai A-League opposition – the Central Coast Mariners in 2014 and Western Sydney Wanderers FC in 2015.
Currently sitting at the top of the table in PS4 NPL Queensland with 11 wins and just one loss next to their name, Gold Coast City will be a formidable opponent for whoever they are drawn against in the Round of 32.
Moreton Bay United #MBU
League: PS4 NPL Queensland
Home Venue: Wolter Park (Jacaranda Drive, Albany Creek)
Website: moretonbayunited.com
Twitter: @MoretonBayUtd
Facebook: facebook.com/moretonbayutd
Head Coach: Dave Harris
How they qualified
Round 5
Albany Creek FC 1
Moreton Bay United 2
Round 6
Holland Park Hawks 1
Moreton Bay United 2
After extra time
Round 7
Olympic FC 2
Moreton Bay United 4
Westfield FFA Cup history
First appearance in the Round of 32
Lowdown
Moreton Bay United enter their maiden appearance in the Round of 32 excited by buzz that the Westfield FFA Cup brings to all clubs who reach this stage of the competition.
The Jets’ progression to the last 32 comes off the back of three hard fought victories, the accomplishment no mean feat as all three of their Preliminary Round matches were away from home.
With Head Coach Dave Harris pulling the reins alongside Technical Director Adam Piddick, who is the brother of Gold Coast City coach Grae Piddick, the duo will ensure Moreton Bay come into the Round of 32 well prepared for whoever they draw on June 29.
The Jets will be relishing the opportunity to feature in the Final Rounds after their previous time on the national stage came in the PS4 NPL 2015 Finals Series, which they qualified for after winning the PS4 NPL Queensland Championship that year.
Peninsula Power #PEN
League: Flight Centre Premier League
Home Venue: AJ Kelly Park (George Street, Kippa Ring)
Website: peninsulapower.com.au
Twitter: @penpower_fc
Facebook: facebook.com/PeninsulaPowerFc
Head Coach: Aaron Philp
How they qualified
Round 3
New Farm United 0
Peninsula Power 4 (Thomas Strickland 6’, Charles Mendy 7’, Andre Bonotto 52’, Dean Briggs 60’)
Round 4
Wolves FC 0
Peninsula Power 4 (Charles Mendy 19’, Dean Briggs 56’, Josh Woolley 72’, Shaun Feuerriegel 78’)
Round 5
Brisbane Knights FC 0
Peninsula Power 5 (Adam Froggatt 33’, Andre Bonotto 50’, Charles Mendy 54’/77’, Isaac Colgarve 84’)
Round 6
Peninsula Power 2 (Richard Hurlin 54’, Daniel Cunha 65’)
Logan Lightning FC 2 (Jed Brown 47’, Max Brown 62’)
Peninsula Power won 7-6 on penalties
Round 7
Grange Thistle FC 0
Peninsula Power 3 (Dean Briggs 29’/47’, Charles Mendy 58’)
Westfield FFA Cup history
First appearance in the Round of 32
Lowdown
Based an hour’s drive north of the Queensland capital, Peninsula Power are just the second club from outside of PS4 NPL Queensland to qualify for the Round of 32 (Lions FC was the other).
Currently sitting eighth on the Football Brisbane Flight Centre Premier League standings, Peninsula Power has left their best results in the Westfield FFA Cup Preliminary Rounds as they stormed into serious Round of 32 calculations in their opening three matches.
Their form in the Preliminary Rounds has been impressive and after beating Grange Thistle in the Round of 32 decider, no one could argue or question their place at the Round of 32 table.
The only goals the Power conceded in the Preliminary Rounds were against Logan Lightning, which saw a grandstand finish with the home side winning a thrilling penalty shootout after scores were locked 2-2 at the end of extra time.
French born striker Charles Mendy and Dean Briggs have been prominent up front for the Power, and they will arguably need to fire if they are to have a chance of causing an upset in their first venture into the Round of 32.
