Words: Michael Flynn
Image: Keith Eigeland/Football Queensland

Just three days out from their season opener, Northern Fury have lifted their veil on their 2015 PlayStation® 4 NPL Queensland squad.

The 19 man squad list features a blend of returning players with additional new recruits, and once again continues Fury’s focus on opportunities for young players - the nineteen names boasting an average age of under 22 years.

Fury midfield lynchpin Jacob Crowley will return as captain of the squad that finished last season’s campaign in eleventh, with six wins from 24 games.

Fury coach Ian Ferguson said his squad will face a tough challenge when they kick off their PlayStation 4 NPL Queensland campaign against traditional rivals FNQ Heat in Cairns on Saturday night.

“We’ve never beaten our big rivals in the PS4 NPL competition, so this is a massive incentive for us," Ferguson explained in a statement released by the club.

“We’re looking forward to the new season. We’ve been working hard in pre-season training and we hope those lessons translate to game situations.”

Fury play their opening four games on the road before their first home game of the campaign at Townsville Sports Reserve at the end of March.

“It’s a schedule that will test us with four games away, but it’s good to get so much travel out of the way early in the season,” Ferguson said.

Noticeable absentees from this year’s Fury side will be PlayStation 4 NPL Queensland 2014 Young Player of the Year Braedyn Crowley, who recently made his Hyundai A-League debut for Newcastle Jets after joining the Hunter club at the end of last season.

Also absent is Northern Fury 2014 Player of the Year Kevin Fraser, who has returned to Scotland to play with part-timers Buckie Thistle in the fifth tier of Scottish football.

Amongst the good news is the return of 2013 stand-out Michael Eisenhut, who spent 2014 recovering from injury with local Townsville club Brothers FC after scoring six goal in 16 appearances in the Fury’s first PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues campaign.

Newcomers to the Fury squad include 21-year-olds Jarrod Lee from Proserpine and George Dalton and 22-year-old Jacob Richards in defence; and 22-year-old Jonathon Bagley and 20-year-olds Joe Thornton and Tristan Russell to help strengthen Fury’s midfield.

NORTHERN FURY 2015 SQUAD

1. Joe Simons, 2. Caleb Hobson, 3. Corey Waples, 4. Ari Isman, 5. Jarrod Lee, 6. Jacob Crowley, 7. Jake Perry, 8. Jonathon Bagley, 9. Michael Eisenhut, 10. Samuel Herlihy, 11. Joe Thornton, 12. George Dalton, 13. Ben Stanley, 14. James Brennan, 15. Tristan Russell, 16. Jacob Richards, 17. Sean Karambasis, 18. Brendan George, 20. Dan Wilesmith