by Ben Gilby (5/3/25)
Above: Perth Glory’s Charli Wainwright speaking to the media today ahead of Friday’s home game with Western United. Image: Perth Glory.
It’s been an incredible year for Charli Wainwright. The young midfielder had gone from captaining Murdoch University Melville as a teenager to becoming part of Perth SC’s midfield that won their first State Cup and got to the Top Four Cup Final. Throw in a first pro contract with Perth Glory and it reaches fairytale proportions.
Speaking to the media today from Perth Glory’s HQ in Fremantle, Wainwright admitted: “Coming into the season, I didn’t expect to start any game or get any game time, however that’s not to say I didn’t have any expectation on myself to push for that.”
The 20-year-old has a presence, elegant ball playing skills and vision beyond her years, and after fighting hard to make the Glory squad – one of the few local players around that do not have an NTC background – Wainwright has flourished, starting eight matches and chalking up a total of 13 appearances.
“I’ve 100% exceeded my targets for the season…I think that this season for me was about development, and I’m pretty happy with how it’s gone…Some of the players you are playing against are quite difficult, but it’s a challenge and I like challenges and I’m here to develop and I think that’s what I’m doing.”
Wainwright was assisted in her debut season as a pro being accompanied by a large number of her Perth SC team-mates. Indeed, at times this season, the Perth Glory side has consisted of herself, Tijan McKenna, Georgia Cassidy, and Grace Johnston – all of whom made up the Perth SC midfield for the 2024 NPLW season. On top of that has been the presence of striker Ella Lincoln, who grabbed her first pro goal in Saturday’s defeat at Newcastle Jets.
Having players she knew well from Perth SC really helped Wainwright settle in at the Glory: “Starting the season in a new environment – a professional environment – so knowing a few faces that you can talk to and ask questions was definitely a help to me. It made the transition from NPL to A-League seamless.”
In terms of the major challenges she faced in making the step up from NPLW WA to A-League Women, Glory’s number 27 revealed: “It’s a lot faster, you need to be a lot fitter. Going from training two days a week with your NPL club, to full-time training. The match fitness you need to have to compete for 90 minutes of the game is a complete difference.
Perth Glory go into Friday’s home game with Western United on the back of a hugely frustrating 3-2 loss to Newcastle Jets. It was a game that Perth had the better of, but they paid the price for conceding two goals in the first three minutes. The outcome was compounded by every team immediately above and below the Glory winning. That hurt.
“We were definitely disappointed, especially with how we started the game conceding two goals so early,” Wainwright reflected.
However, all season long, the Glory have been a different proposition on Western Australian soil. Four home wins and some near misses from making it more. The Sam Kerr Football Centre has been packed out with four-figure crowds raising the roof with loud support.
“I love playing at home,” the midfielder smiled, “All our wins have come from home games. It’s a great environment at Sam Kerr (Football Centre), we thrive on it, so we’re definitely keen to play on Friday night.
“Every game is a must win for us…we have to go in with everything we’ve learned, effort. Focus is on effort. At the moment, it’s all about basics…playing out from the back, playing forward. Just basic things that we start to need getting right.”
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