Bendigo City defies odds to qualify for elite NPL under-18 competition

A 2-0 win over Whittlesea on Saturday confirmed Bendigo City's qualification in division one of the NPL under-18 competition.

Bendigo City went through the grading games with nine wins, one draw and one loss to finish second in the north pool.

The top-three finish earned the club a berth alongside A-League clubs Melbourne Victory, Melbourne City and Western United in an elite competition of 12 clubs to determine Victoria' best under-18 team.

"I don't think some people around Bendigo, or even at our own club, realise how big this is,'' Bendigo City FC senior and under-18 coach Greg Thomas said.

"We'll be playing against three A-League clubs and some of the biggest clubs in the state like South Melbourne, Bulleen and Bentleigh Greens.

"For us to be mentioned with those clubs gives us, as a club, some credibility.

"It shows that what we're doing as a club works. For all those that have knocked us over the years, this just shows that this program can work when you have the right people involved.

"These boys have been with the club since under-12s, so it's a great reward for them for the work they've put in."

Bendigo City technical director Nathan Claridge echoed Thomas' thoughts.

"It's a phenomenal achievement,'' Claridge said.

"To elevate our club, and football in this region, to the highest level is massive.

"You always aspire to get teams into division one, but to achieve it is credit to everyone involved."

Claridge said the under-18s rise to the top division was proof the pathway Bendigo City has established can work.

"The pathway (prior to the establishment of Bendigo City) was always sporadic,'' Claridge said.

"There was no clear pathway and if you happened to get spotted (by a Melbourne-based club) you were lucky.

"Now there's a clear pathway and the standard of that pathway is putting our young players in the mix.

"I've had friends of mine from big clubs in Melbourne say to me that all eyes are going to be on Bendigo now because for a regional club to do what we've done is quite remarkable.

"That can only open opportunities for players that we haven't had in the past."

Some talented junior players in central Victoria make the choice to play with Melbourne-based clubs rather than stay at home and play with Bendigo City.

Thomas was hopeful the achievement of the under-18 playing group would stem the flow of juniors bypassing the club.

"We had a turnover of players this year where players from a number of different age groups decided to go to Melbourne to play,'' Thomas said.

"This shows that it can work in Bendigo. If you work hard enough you can get the rewards in Bendigo without having to travel to Melbourne multiple times per week.

"This helps put Bendigo City on the map."

The NPL division one season kicks-off on April 29.

"It's been a really busy pre-season and grading season for the group, so it will be nice to have a break and reset,'' Thomas said.

"This competition is going to be very tough, but irrespective of where we finish on the ladder, just to make it to this division is huge for the Bendigo football community."

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