Two sides will have new managers at the helm when the NPL Queensland Men’s competition resumes with Round 7 action over the weekend.
Chris Grossman has made the switch from Young Roar to Olympic after the Goodwin Park outfit parted ways with Royce Brownlie following a start the season that saw them collect just four from a possible eighteen points.
Grossman, who coached Young Roar for the past three seasons faces a baptism of fire when Olympic go head-to-head with defending Premiers, Lions at Luxury Paints Stadium on Sunday night.
Lions currently sit third on the ladder after suffering a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Gold Coast United in their last outing.
Sunday’s match which pits two sides who have faced one another in three of the last five Grand Finals is one of the standout fixtures on the Football Queensland calendar and is rarely short of drama.
Replacing Grossman at Young Roar are his former assistants Owen Baker and Graham Fyfe who are highly regarded across the league for their previous stints as Brisbane Strikers Head Coach and Redlands United Captain respectively.
Young Roar, who sit seventh go up against defending Champions Gold Coast Knights at the Croatian Sports Centre on Saturday evening with a tight encounter expected after the pair played out a 0-0 draw at the same venue in the Kappa Pro Series earlier this month.
A little further down the M1 league leaders Gold Coast United host eighth placed Redlands United at Coplicks Sports Park on Saturday night.
United remain the leagues only undefeated side and will look to build on a remarkable defensive record that has seen them concede just one goal in six outings so far this season.
Elsewhere on Saturday evening, second placed Moreton Bay host fifth placed Sunshine Coast Wanderers at Wolter Park.
The Jets and Wanderers, who sit one and three points off top spot respectively have already met once this season with Moreton Bay prevailing 2-0 in the fourth round of the Australia Cup.
Saturday’s final match pits Rochedale Rovers and Peninsula Power who currently occupy the two relegation positions against one another at Underwood Park with both sides desperate for three points as they aim to surge up the table.
On Sunday Brisbane City host Eastern Suburbs at Imperial Corp Stadium in another clash where the two have already faced one another in the cup this season.
City romped to a 9-0 win on that day but should expect a much sterner test on Sunday from an Easts side who handed Sunshine Coast Wanderers their first league defeat of the new season in their last outing.
You can catch every minute of the weekend’s NPL Queensland Men’s Round Seven action live and free on NPL.TV or the Football Queensland YouTube channel.