The pair were given straight red cards in the Jaffas' dramatic 1-0 final-round win over Newcastle Olympic at Edden Oval on Sunday which secured the NPL men's premiership.

The bans mean neither will play feature in the finals, given the Jaffas have a maximum of three games left. However, the club were considering a challenge to the Bradbery red card.

Piddington was given a straight red for a dangerous, high-footed challenge in the 14^th minute and Bradbery, the Jaffas' top scorer, was sent off in the 50^th minute for dissent.

The striker was charged with match official abuse and given a three-game sanction on top of his automatic one-match ban for the send-off. The auto plus three ban covers 'unsporting conduct' and 'using offensive language and/or gestures' in regulations. Bradbery has denied he swore before the card was issued.

Given it was Bradbery's second red of the season, he earned an extra game sanction. He copped a second yellow card for dissent, from the same referee, in a round five win over Broadmeadow.

Piddington was charged with serious foul play and given an auto plus one ban, which covers 'conduct that endangers the safety of an opponent in a contest for the ball or has the potential to cause serious injury'. He copped an additional match because he had already served a suspension this year, for card accumulation.

Olympic's Dylan Burston was also sent off for a poor challenge in the match. His foul was given a lesser grade but he received a three-match ban as well. He copped two additional games because of an earlier send off and sanction for card accumulation.

Charlestown coach James Pascoe does not expect to have skipper Nigel Boogaard back for Sunday's NPL men's qualifying final against Broadmeadow at Magic Park, despite the former Jets leader sitting on the bench last Sunday.

Boogaard was an unused substitute in the 2-0 win at Edgeworth which kept them in third spot on 44 points after wins for Magic (45) and Jaffas (46) on the day.

The centre-back strained the medial ligament and suffered bone bruising in his right knee in the 2-1 win over Olympic on July 15, putting his season in doubt.

Pascoe said Boogaard was on standby for a cameo on Sunday if the premiership was within reach but believed he "was still a way off" from a meaningful return.

"He was on the bench with no realistic chance of playing unless we heard from the other games that it was a chance in the last 10 minutes, and we needed to hold on or find something from a set-piece, but it obviously didn't eventuate," Pascoe said.

Regardless, Boogaard is likely unavailable this weekend because of family reasons.

Azzurri came through the Eagles game unscathed and regain Callum Bower and Jethro Elkington from suspension.

Broadmeadow also had no new injuries from their 5-0 win over Valentine. However, skipper Jeremy Wilson and striker Jayden Stewardson were unused subs and remain in doubt with ankle issues.

Edgeworth paid tribute to veteran star Josh Rose after he played his final match for the club on Sunday.

The former Central Coast Mariners stalwart, who is 42 in December, finished up after calf problems plagued his season.

Rose came to the Eagles midway through 2018 and has regularly been one of their best. He also stepped up early in 2020 to fill the void as coach, leading Edgeworth to the title double.

Coach Peter McGuinness said the squad spoke about Rose in the sheds after Sunday's last-round loss, then later presented him with a framed montage of images of his time at the club.

"He's had a great career and he's been brilliant for us," McGuinness said. "He is an A-League player who has come back and given to the game.

"He's worked with younger players, coached them to a grand final win and picked up the pieces there."

Coach Michael Bolch will welcome the return of midfielder Sean Pratt for Saturday's elimination final at Cooks Square Park against Weston as Maitland look to regain form.

The Magpies went on a nine-game winning streak to be in contention for back-to-back premierships, only to gain one point from their last three games and finish fourth.

Sunday's 1-0 loss to Adamstown changed nothing on the ladder, given other results, but Bolch was frustrated with their missed chances.

"We just couldn't score, I think it was nine shots on target to two and we missed five one-on-ones," Bolch said.

"We missed Pratty in the middle of the park, but we had enough there to win the game."

Pratt was missing with family commitments but returns this week.

Bolch also lamented a mistimed tackle from Tyran Cousins in the 82nd minute which led to a second yellow card and a two-match ban. Cousins, who was suspended earlier this year, picked up the bookings in just 12 minutes on the park.

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