In this week’s WA On Wednesday interview, Perth SC‘s Liana Cook, who has been at the club since their first season, speaks to Ben Gilby about her footballing journey and the development of both the club and wider NPLW WA (2/8/23).
Above: Liana Cook (left) – a key part of Perth SC’s continued development. Photo: Rob Lizzi.
As a member of Perth SC’s inaugural side, Liana Cook is perfectly placed to assess just how far the Azzurri and the NPLW WA have come since their formation.
Cook, who describes herself as “a fairly big team player – so whatever the team needs done then I’ll try and do it,” reflects on Perth SC’s growth as one which has been both gradual and impressive.
“I think every season we have improved in a lot of aspects. In 2020 we came fourth, 2021 we came third in the league and runners up in the Top Four Cup. 2022, we came second in the league as well as runners-up in the state cup. I think that’s a fairly big achievement from a club that started with a mix of players from multiple different clubs if compared to the likes of Perth RedStar or Murdoch University Melville (MUM FC).
“RedStar (previously Northern Redbacks) had a core group of players
who have had a lot of success over a number of years, as well as MUM FC instantly having NPL success to win the league in 2020 was predominantly players from a long-time successful Queens Park team. So, for Perth to be a competitive top-four team from the first year of NPL I think is a pretty nice achievement.”
That incremental growth has also come with key learning areas – notably with increasing strength in depth.
“In the first few years, I think our team struggled with depth in our squad, therefore any injuries had a negative impact on results. But each year our team has improved its strength in numbers as well as giving under 21 players more opportunities in the first team which increases the strength and depth of the squad.
“The development of our U21s players has helped us a huge amount especially this season with so many senior players on our injury list, with young players stepping up and performing to get the job done.”
Cook’s footballing journey started a long way from Perth SC’s Dorrien Gardens. Over 697km (433 miles) to be precise, in the far south of Western Australia at Esperance.
“I started playing at the age of six in Esperance, there wasn’t a lot of girls playing so I played with the boys and started representing Esperance at Country week when I was 11, then from there, I got selected to go to country camp and got into the state regional team. So was I was lucky enough at 11 to travel to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore
with the U14s state regional team.
“Just after I turned 13 I moved away from my family in Esperance to go to school in Perth and attended John Curtin College of the Arts for the soccer excellence program. In 2013 I was selected in the U13s state team and went to Coffs Harbour, and we were the first WA girls team to win our grade.”
“2014 was my first year in the NTC set-up and I was in the U15s state team going to Coffs Harbour again. The following year, I somehow got moved up into the U19s squad rather than being in the 15s and went to NTC Challenge in Canberra. I remained in the NTC set up until 2018 and was selected in the All-Stars Team.
“Towards the end of 2017, I also started training with Perth Glory occasionally, and in 2018 I got a scholarship with Glory for the 2018/2019 season and had the experience of playing and training with teammates like Sam Kerr, Kim Carroll, Shannon May as well as international players like Nikki Stanton, Alyssa Mautz, and Rachel Hill. Getting to
play surrounded but such talented players really improved my own standard of football and was invaluable in my development as a player on and off the park.
“In 2019 I played for Balcatta for one season and got another scholarship for Perth Glory
and I think I had a pretty good pre-season and was performing well, then unfortunately in round two of the season at training, I was getting pain in my hip and right leg. Which
unfortunately ruled me out for the remainder of the glory season and an extended stint on the sidelines. This resulted in major hip surgery in early 2020.
“This was the year that the NPLW started in Western Australia and I moved to Perth SC, but didn’t start playing until late August after recovering from surgery.”
With the NPLW WA now in its fourth season, Cook reflected on how the competition has developed in that time.
“Every year I believe the depth and quality in the NPLW improves at every club. So far this season for example you have the second to sixth-placed teams all within eight points of each other, so the fight for a top-four spot is really competitive and teams have to compete week in and week out to get three points.
“However, I still think there is a need for more growth in the league to make all eight NPLW clubs strong. There is lots of potential for the league to grow, but it relies on all clubs investing more money and resources into the women’s first teams, but also into the junior girls set up at every club. I think as a collective the clubs in our league should start turning focus to developing quality junior teams and providing a pathway into senior football.
“I believe a large amount of the talent in the NPLW has come through the NTC program, myself included, so if all clubs aspired to improve the quality of
their junior pathways I think it would only benefit the NPLW in the future.”
Focussing specifically on this season now, after several near misses, Perth SC won their first trophy at the Night Series Cup Final. In an incredible game against Perth RedStar that saw The Azzurri mount a dramatic comeback and take the win in a penalty shoot-out, Cook reflected on how her side achieved the win.
“I think we were collectively driven to win a piece of silverware after being
so close on multiple occasions. Going into the game we just knew we had to work hard and keep our heads. We know it was going to be a tough game but in the end, I think it was just digging deep for the second half and fighting until the final whistle.
“At half time we were 2-0 down and normally I think most teams are guilty of getting
their heads down or dwelling on the first half and any mistakes that had been made. But collectively as a team, the vibe at halftime was still hopeful. It was still a positive feel in the changeroom. Pete (Rakic, head coach) just encouraged us to keep trying to play our football and said that the goals will come eventually.
“Once we were back out on the field in our players’ team huddle the main message was to keep the energy high and remember that it only takes one moment to change the momentum of the game in our favour. So, we just kept pushing and trying to create
chances and soon Judy (Connolly) was fouled in the box and Abbey Meakins converted from the spot.
“From there we got that momentum we needed to keep searching and pushing for the equaliser and we eventually got there with Judy slotting it in the bottom corner. It was then all down to penalties, and we drew a little bit of confidence from beating NTC on penalties in the semi-final from the week before.
“The instruction was to pick our spot at halfway before we had even approached the penalty area, and I think this payed off as we scored seven out of the eight penalties
taken.”
Earlier this season, Azzurri boss Peter Rakic told Impetus that a focus for him is for the team to be able to beat both RedStar and the NTC in a 90-minute NPL game. It was a feeling shared by Cook and her teammates.
“Going into this season having to beat NTC and RedStar in a 90-minute game felt like a bit of weight on our shoulders. In the first round of league games, we drew 0-0 with RedStar, and lost 3-1 to NTC after a tight game where the game turned in NTCs favour after a penalty and myself being sent off after two yellow cards.
“But going into the next round of games against the two sides I think again, our focus needed to be on just sticking to our gameplan and executing it to a high standard. We have a tendency to let the pressure weigh on us too much, so I think we as a team need to just remain disciplined in our roles and positions, as well as win our
individual battles.
“We have an emphasis on trying to play possession under the high-intensity presses from both sides, so we also needed to be adaptable to change what wasn’t working to combat whatever the opposition had thrown at us.
“In the State Cup quarter-final, we worked hard to get a 3-1 win over RedStar, and I largely put that down to every single player on our team putting in the hard work and playing our style of football. A similar thing happened for our 4-2 win over NTC recently. Everyone played with a high intensity from the start and putting in two early goals really set the tone for the entire game.”
Whilst any club’s ultimate goal is to obtain more silverware, for Cook, Perth SC need to work on other areas first that will enable that success to follow as a natural development.
“I think a successful season for Perth is competing week in and week out and playing good quality football. Every game we try to treat it like it’s a final and try to get all three points, but we also have a focus on improving the quality of football we produce as a team.
“Obviously, silverware is one of our goals, as I think at NPLW level that should be all
clubs’ ultimate goals. We will obviously compete at our best in the hope of bringing home more silverware, as our squad is super driven to make up for the numerous times we’ve come runners up. But as a collective our team wants to be one of the best in the league and beat any other team on any other day.”
We closed our conversation by looking to the future. With Perth hosting World Cup matches at the present time, and the Matildas playing Olympic qualifiers in the city, I asked the Perth SC player how well-placed she thinks Western Australia is potentially to
build on the spotlight that will be on the women’s game in that period.
“I really hope that it highlights to West Australians the quality football being played by Australian women and inspires passion and excitement for the game in the future. At the moment the gross majority of sponsorship (even at grassroots level) goes to men’s football.
“When a player like Sam Kerr can grow up to be one of the best footballers in the world and achieve everything she has from the limited opportunities she had … imagine what the next generation of girls could do with equal support, equal funding, and equal pay.
“Hopefully, with the excitement the World Cup brings to Perth, it helps to increase the numbers of girls playing football as well as increasing the number of supporters and sponsors investing money into female football.
“The potential for growth in female football is enormous. If we compare it to the likes of the AFLW (women’s Australian Rules Football) and how much that has grown over the last six to seven years, going from eight teams in its first season in 2017, to now having 18 teams, it is proof that there is an interest in female sport.
“Hopefully if the Matildas have a successful campaign on home turf then it encourages clubs and sponsors at every level from juniors right through to A-League Women, that women’s football is worth investing in.”
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