An A-Z look at Bathurst soccer in 2020

Here's an A to Z look at what went down in 2020.

Abercrombie FC qualified teams for both the Bathurst District Football men's and women's premier league grand finals.

Unfortunately, both teams were defeated, the men's losing to 3-2, with Collegians scoring a penalty on full-time and the women's side being upsetted by an unlikely Panorama team 3-2.

It was a big year for soccer in Bathurst.

The women's competition was strong and healthy, as well as the men's competition and there was the revival of the Western Premier League and Western NSW FC had one of their best seasons ever.

Mitch Cooper had a breakout season in Panorama's Western Premier League side, being the only Bathurst player named in the starting lineup for the competition's team of the season.

He started the season in left back before making a transition to the midfield throughout the campaign.

"It's been a pretty good year for me personally, but under the coaching staff of Oz [Brent Osborne] and Rick [Gihout], it made the year a lot better.

"After playing at the highest level, I think this has been one of my best years as a footballer."

Collegians' men's premier league drought came to an end in dramatic fashion.

The club made it's long-awaited return to the top flight competition in 2020, after more than a decade away, before defeating Abercrombie in the grand final to be crowned champions for the first time since 2008.

"We dug deep. They beat us three times during the season and then we came back and we won the one that matter," Collegians coach Michael Betts said after the grand final.

"I'm very happy. I'm very excited about the boys and we showed that we've got a lot of depth and we can control them.

Bathurst native Erica Halloway was given the captain's armband for Western Sydney Wanderers' W-League team for 2019-20.

Unfortunately, her campaign was cut short when she suffered a mishap in training back in January, requiring surgery for knee reconstruction after damaging her anterior cruciate ligament.

It sucks obviously, but there's a lot worse things happening than not being able to kick around a ball on a field," Halloway said.

"I hope we're going to be okay. I think that if we're not, there's a lot of questions to be raised about football in general. I think women's football is becoming a very strong league and a strong asset to football.

The state's governing body Football NSW were overwhelmed when the coronavirus pandemic threaten the sport earlier this year.

Full credit to the organisation, it worked overtime to make sure players and fans got a season in the first place.

Rhyan Grant scored once again in a grand final for Sydney FC, but this time it was a little unorthodox.

With the scores locked at nil-all and the decider against Melbourne City looking likely for penalties, Grant scored off his chest (or more accurately his nipple).

"I was maybe a little bit lucky with it, but I thought you know put the keeper off with the chest rather than the head and it looked like it worked, so happy days," Grant said.

"I said to Bimbi [coach Steve Corica] before the game that I thought I was going to score and I was just having a joke, but in the back of the mind I thought I was a chance.

"I thought tonight I might get a bit lucky and the way it went in I did get a little bit lucky, but as my old man always says, you've got to create your own luck.

"I'm over the moon to score, but even more happy to collect another trophy for such a great club."

There's nothing like pressure moments in sport and Dylan Harvey dealt with the biggest moment of his career, icing home the winning penalty on full-time for Collegians, sealing an unlikely 3-2 win against Abercrombie.

Bathurst talent Cushla Rue joined a number of players who have worn national colours at the inaugural Women's Talent Identification Camp in Canberra.

Rue was one of just 23 players selected - 19 of whom have already represented Australia at junior and Young Matildas level - to take part in the five-day camp.

"I was very shocked to get invited, but I'm so grateful, it was such an opportunity and I couldn't wait to be a part of it," Rue said.

"It was a bit surreal, definitely, it was so professional and I'd never done anything like that so I was just soaking up as much as I could.

"I wanted to see where I was at and it was also inspiring as well."

Bathurst District Football held its junior grand finals on the last Saturday of September, with five thrilling grand finals from under 12s to under 16s.

Macquarie United were champions in 12s, 13s and 14s, while Bathurst '75 won the 15s and Abercrombie won the 16s.

Every team needs a keeper and Jordan Bruce was the main man between the sticks for Western NSW FC throughout 2020, playing 14 games between first grade and under 20s.

After eight years away, the Western Premier League made its return, with one Bathurst club Panorama nominating for the seven-team competition.

"The response has been positive from the clubs, associations and the media for something different in terms of rivalry and competition," Western NSW Football manager Andrew Fearnley said.

"To have teams from Bathurst, Dubbo, Parkes playing each other is healthy for our sport and creates good interest for those clubs that can participate."

In the end it was Dubbo Bulls defeating minor premiers Dubbo Macquarie United 2-1 in the grand final.

Oberon native Mirza Muratovic become somewhat of a regular for Brisbane Roar at the start of the year, after making his debut towards the end of December last year.

However, he's found himself a new team for the 2020-21 season, signing on with the Wellington Phoenix for the new A-League campaign.

"Wellington's always been a club that strives to be in the top tier of the league," he said in a statement on the Nix's website.

"Their success last year is a good indication of a club that wants to be in the finals every year, so I'm just happy to be a part of it next season.

"I see myself as an attacking player, either as a striker or an attacking midfielder, so while scoring goals and setting up goals is a focus for me, it's more about working hard off and on the ball and being able to contribute to the team."

Scoring a hat-trick is always special, but in a grand final, it's even better.

Under 15s star Nate Baker scored a hat-trick in the grand final for Bathurst '75 against Abercrombie, in a man of the match performance.

The odds were stacked against Panorama's premier league women's side.

With an almost new-look team from last year, Panorama went into the decider against Abercrombie as underdogs but in the rain, the Goats defied the critics to defeat their rivals.

Proctor Park become one of the first venues in the Central West to see the return of any of the football codes, with the juniors playing on the first Saturday of July. It had been a long time coming.

Fans, players, Bathurst District Football, Western NSW Football and Football NSW all had a simple quest when the sport was shut down - get the spot back up and running.

And credit to them, they were successful and it was a fantastic season.

Western NSW FC coach Mark Rooke saw his side finish the highest it ever has on a regular season ladder in 2020.

After a disrupted season due to the pandemic, Western finish sixth out of 11 teams in NSW NPL 4, however, they just missed out on the finals.

When Panorama's women's premier league team conceded a whopping seven goals to CSU early in the season, the signs weren't looking good for the Goats.

However, the team would eventually gell defeat CSU in the finals, on their run to grand final glory.

Three out of four wasn't bad for Panorama. The Goats qualified for four senior grand finals (women's premier league, women's third grade, men's third grade and men's fourth grade) and won all but the one, losing to Bathurst Athletic in men's third grade.

There was a distinct USA flavour to Western NSW FC during 2020.

Western signed American talents Cameron De Jong and Daniel Baumgartner for the season, with the two helping guide the club to its highest position ever.

Like any other community sports, volunteers play a crucial part to make sport happen. And with COVID-19 causing havoc in 2020, the work volunteers have done this year have been more important than ever.

New Panorama recruit Teegan Ward was the deciding factor in the BDF women's premier league grand final.

After previously playing for Western NSW FC, Ward joined the Goats for 2020 and her clinical finish in the decider sealed a 3-2 win.

"I just wanted to make sure that I got it on target. I'm usually okay, half-half, under pressure, I just try not to think about it really," Ward said.

"I'm actually just surprised I was there because I hurt my groin in the first 10 minutes."

Each team has its x-factor, from the highest level to the lowest and for Macquarie's under 13s, Omar Abdalla was that man.

His man of the match performance and double in the grand final was enough to defeat Eglinton Blue in the grand final.

Panorama president Beau Yates had been a keen advocate to see the Western Premier League make its long awaited return. And his double against Orana Spurs in the fourth round of the revived competition helped secure the Goats a 4-1 win, their first win in the competition.

When play returned later than usual on the opening weekend of July, there was no surprise to see quite a few tired and zonked players. Some bodies had got a bit too unfit but after a few weeks back in play, the fitness slowly returned.