The 2021 instalment of the Bill Brackenbury Cup (BBC) is almost upon us with proceedings set to get underway this Saturday.

There are some big questions to ask this season. Will Strathfield go back-to-back, or will Inter Lions get revenge for last year’s Grand Final heartbreak?

Either way, this will be no ordinary year with four new teams joining the premier competition.

We begin at Campbell Park with Abbotsford who have added some quality players to their squad as they look to lift the trophy come the end of the season.

Captain, Jacob Di Mento, will be the man to watch out for while speedster Ralph Pulera will be a threat for opposition defences.

Dario Espejel is the first of three major signings for the club. The midfielder will be key to plugging up any leaks in their defence.

Julian Rinaldi will be looking to light up the competition after making the move from NPL 3 outfit Inter Lions while Vince Galimi will add a wealth of experience to their backline.

Balmain will be appearing in the BBC for the first time this season after their youthful squad proved their worth by racing away with the AA/1 Men’s championship in 2020.

They have proved that they have the skill and physical ability to out strength men but will the noticeable step up in quality in this prestigious competition be too much to handle? Only time will tell…

One of the other new teams set to grace this year’s competition will be Cooks River Titans. The core of their team has been together for seven years however they have made some astute signings ahead of their debut season.

Both James Aronis and Alessandro Nigro join the Titans from Blacktown Premier League side, Prospect United, while keep your eye out for Yianni Kritkos and Furkan Rendeci who will also add some spark to the newcomers.

A merger of sorts has taken place at Henley Park this season with Enfield’s two BBC sides joining forces to form one ‘super’ side. That in itself will boost their chances of finals football but that still has not stopped them from dipping their toe in the transfer market.

There will be five new signings for Rovers this season with Simone Polisano, Adrian Livio, Scott Pereira, Pedro Vitor and Ives Palma all joining the club.

They have also managed to secure the signature of former APIA Leichhardt (NPL) player, Cameron Stefan, who will undoubtedly add another dimension to their side.

There will be some familiar faces donning the blue and white of Hurlstone Park this season with most of last year’s Ashfield Pirates team making the move to Ewen Park.

The ‘best looking and stronges’t centre mid Johnny Inati will be back to call the shots in the middle of the park.

Chris Carboni will slot into the side after coming out of retirement where he will be joined by his younger brother, Jeremy.

Coach Mark Brown will lead the side for the second season running and will be accompanied by his two sons, Angus who will be captaining the side as well as his older brother, Harry.

2020 Grand Finalists Inter Lions will be striving to go one better this year after being pipped by Strathfield in last season’s showcase event.

The men from Concord will once again be relying on their trusted playing group as they look to reclaim the BBC Cup.

Daniel Carozza will be calling the shots in defence alongside a tireless Adrian Tamone who adds plenty of width down the right channel for his side.

Captain Giancarlo Papaianni will be slotting into his usual central midfield role where he will be complemented by the calming presence of Adam D’Apuzzo.

Inter’s strike force will be as deadly as ever with Nick Paradisis returning to the fold after a red card ruled him out of last season’s showpiece event.

Paradisis will have some help upfront with the king of Inner West Bikram Yoga, James Kovas, there to support his teammate.

New boys on the block, LFC Sports, could cause an upset or two this season with their newly-assembled squad.

In the space of six months, they have managed to form quite an experienced squad which could challenge for the highest honours.

Captain and player coach, Aman Hadid, who has played at the highest level abroad and spent time with the Olyroos set up as a youngster was tasked with finding the talent in time for this weekend’s kick off.

In their ranks they have Mohammad Dubdub (former Oman League), Samuel Messam (former NZ Olympic team and NPL representative), Lenox Tweneboa (former Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia PL), Elvis Ibric who has previously starred in the Bosnian top flight as well as Mohammed Kardoli and Wely Al Rikaby who have both featured in Spain and Iraq, respectively.

They will have the experienced Paul De Lucca in the dugout this season. De Lucca has coached various NPL clubs and most recently led APIA Leichhardt Tigers Women’s team to consecutive premierships before spending some time with the men’s set up.

The omens are looking good for APIA Leichhardt who will be returning to their spiritual home at Lambert Park this season.

They welcome back top goal scorer Marcelo Turdera who will form a lethal striking partnership with Lucas Cezar.

Dane Johnson will be targeting as many clean sheets as possible as he looks to carry his fine preseason form into the competition.

There have been a raft of new signings at Marrickville this year as they look to improve upon their sixth placed finish last season.

They will have a former Singapore youth development star in Chai Panasampon in their ranks, Englishman Jack Longworth will be looking to exploit space in the centre of the park alongside Jarrah Lindhout.

Young goalkeeper, Ethan Hillier is not afraid with the ball at his feet while the mobile Inigo Castro will be leading the line for the Red Devils in 2021.

Image: Strathfield's Simon Burke in action. Credit: MMS Sports Photography

Reigning champions Strathfield will be under new leadership this season with former Glasgow Celtic Academy player, Barry Foley, taking over as manager.

39-year-old Liam McFadden - The second most-capped player in the competition’s history will be lacing up the boots for another season while Barry O’Connor returns to action following a horror ACL injury which kept him sidelined for the past two seasons.

Adrian Doheny ‘Dotz’ will be their go to man in midfield alongside dynamo David “crackers” Phelan.

Last season’s top goal scorer Simon Burke will be back alongside his trusted ally, Michael Rafter, while new boy on the block Cathal Horan will add some lightning pace in the attacking third.

CDSFA would like to wish the best of luck to all the teams involved ahead of the start of the season this weekend.

By CDSFA Communications Officer – Samuel Greco Schwartz