Caversham coach Steve Fleming's decision to step down may open the door for other Footballsouth Premier League aspirants.
Fleming, with manager Andy Deeley at his elbow, has guided Caversham to a decade of domination for that club.
Modelling its pattern of play on Arsenal's, Caversham has delighted purists for many years with attractive attacking football, and it's no wonder, since Fleming spent time with Arsene Wenger on a coaching trip to Highbury several years ago.
Fleming intends to do development work with younger players for the club this season.
His successor is Richard Murray, a steady centreback with limited coaching experience, and assistant Andy Duncan, who had stints in charge of Roslyn-Wakari.
Murray will inherit a useful squad of players, with centreback Tom Schwarz offsetting the loss of the reliable Tim Horner, who carries a long-term injury.
Dunedin Technical finished second last year and coach Mike Fridge has had massive defections, with nine of last year's squad not available.
Certainly, the sight of Richard Smith back in harness during pre-season matches suggests Technical's squad is a bit thin, but the Flaws brothers, Justin and Mike, always add pace and flair in attack.
Tristan Prattley has matured into a steady defender to partner Matt Joy, and in midfield George Milne, Hayden Gunn and Matt Bruin will need to be full of running to compensate for the missing Andy Coburn. Inevitably, Aaron Burgess has another Golden Boot in his sights.
Placed third last year, Mosgiel might be the bookies' choice with former All White Mike McGarry and sister Sal at the tiller. Its talented young players, such as Morgan and Curtis Day, Reg Coldicott, Tom Bekkers and the impressive Andrew Brook, are an exciting group.
Supported by older heads Pat Howell, Phil Kelly and Shayne Danielson, and the placid control of Mike Abbott plus those McGarry cameos, it could be a contender.
Roslyn also has a new coach, Colin Thom.
The popular clubman will aim to rebuild his young side round the Cunningham brothers, Mike and Aajay, Sam Mepham, Tim Mather and evergreen keeper Peter Evans.
Spirit FC coach Barry Gardiner aims to improve on last year's fifth finish, and has the facilities to encourage skills with the new turf in Invercargill.
Steve Brook returns to Northern with a similar squad to last year's, which finished mid-table. Brook will use his extensive coaching experience to stabilise a Northern team that perennially under-achieves.
Queenstown, as usual, will generate both class and calamity, but coach Jamie Whitmarsh's team is always entertaining with its eclectic mix of exotic players who finished fourth-bottom last year.
Grants Braes is developing into an exciting club full of new ideas such as hosting coaching courses by Wynton Rufer, but coach Allan Laidler lacks star player Liam Lockhart and will find it hard to maintain the improvements of recent years.
University's C-minus performance in finishing second-last is one of life's anomalies. In preseason there were about 40 big strapping lads who looked like they could play, but University holidays can eventually cripple the students' huge potential.
Luke Macris has the Varsity clipboard this year, in conjunction with Brazilian Luiz Uehara.
Green Island has doubled its Fleming factor, with Malcolm moving upstairs and brother Rodney taking over as senior coach. His new broom may be just what the Island needs to get off that bottom rung.
Footballsouth Premier League
- Today's games
• Caversham v Green Island, Tahuna Park 1
• Mosgiel v Grants Braes, Tahuna Park 2
• Spirit FC v Northern, Invercargill
• Queenstown v Roslyn-Wakari, Queenstown
• University v Dunedin Technical, Tahuna Park 1
