Words: Sam Attwood

Sunshine Coast FC has confirmed two local Sunshine Coast Premier League stand-outs will join their PlayStation® 4 NPL Queensland 2016 squad.

Striker Jeremy Stewart will join the club from Kawana SC, while fullback Chris Jancevski returns to the club from Noosa Lions after previously playing in Fire’s Under 18 team.

Stewart, 22, topped Kawana’s scoring charts in 2015 with an impressive 22 goals in 19 appearances, and seems likely to replace the fire power lost following the departure of Fire's 2015 top goalscorer Jacob Fulluck.

Stewart said he is ready for the challenge that awaits in his first PlayStation 4 NPL Queensland campaign.

“It’s a new experience and a new challenge for me, to play in a higher level competition against the highest quality players in Queensland,” Stewart explained.

“The NPL is a much stronger competition than the local leagues. Every NPL team brings their all each week so there are no easy games, which I’m looking forward to,” he added.

20-year-old Jancevski, who delivered six goals of his own for Lions in 2015 at left back, echoed his new teammates summation of PlayStation 4 NPL Queensland football.

“It’s going to be a much quicker game in the NPL compared to the local league and everyone is going to be a lot fitter,” Jancevski said.

Fire coach Paul Arnison is adamant that both players are ready to step up to the national second tier.

“Chris was on my Under 18’s team two years ago, he’s done well at community level and he’s at the right age to push on to the NPL,” Arnison explained.

He added, “I watched Jeremy last year, he doesn’t have any fear and he has great pace. He’s one of the best players on the Coast and I think he’ll give one of the better performances in the NPL next year.”