2016 saw a second successive year of disappointment for Bulli FC. Having yo-yoed the ladder leadership with Kemblawarra Fury through most of the season, the boys in blue had to make do with second spot. And when it came to the Finals series, they missed out on a Grand Final slot again. But they were top scorers over the 22 Rounds of the regular season and continued to play an exciting brand of attacking football, with Ben MacDonald again finishing with the IPL Golden Boot award.

Players to watch

Ben McDonald may have had a slow start to the 2016 season, but he ended four goals clear of his nearest rival for the Golden Boot. He will be looking to spearhead the Bulli attack again in 2017. In all, 48 goals came from McDonald and his two attacking team-mates, Julian Minutillo up the left and Dylan Lewis on the right. Lewis is still in the 2017 but Minutillo will be missing in 2017, so finding a replacement, as scorer and provider will be vital. Guy Knight may fill part of the gap, and his corners are possibly the most lethal in the league. Watch out also for new signings Harry Callahan, who had a successful year in 2016 with Sutherland Sharks under-18s; Andrew Gamble has moved over from Wollongong Olympic. And it will be interesting to see how Khalid Al Ali fits in, having moved to Australia after playing with Yorkshire side Garforth Town (in the same league as two useful White Eagles players from 2015). Corey Horner returns at the back after missing most of last season with injury.

Season expectation

Bulli will surely start as hot favourites for a Finals spot again this year, and it will be interesting to see if new coach Matt Bailey plays with the same attacking style as his predecessor. I fear the loss of Aaron Baker from midfield and Minutillo up the left wing might leave big gaps to fill. So I’m predicting a slip to 4^th for Bulli in 2017, but I’ll be happy to see them prove me wrong, especially if the new signings fit in quickly.