Ahead of their first ever NPLW WA game at home to Subiaco on Sunday, head coach Annie Farrell speaks exclusively to Impetus’ Ben Gilby about the culmination of several years of preparation to make the big league (18/3/26)
Above: Sorrento in the huddle during the pre-season NPLW WA Night Series competition. Photo: ‘Go There Photography’ – Stuart Govier, supplied to Impetus by Sorrento FC.
In the seven season history of the NPLW WA, Sorrento are about to become only the second newly promoted team into the league when they host Subiaco this Sunday afternoon at the Percy Doyle Reserve.
The club have come up in place of last season’s bottom club, Murdoch University Melville, who won the first two seasons of the competition. Head coach Annie Farrell underlines that the achievement came after several years of planning.
“Promotion to NPLW is always the result of a long-term project rather than something that happens in a single season,” she said.
“The club leadership, including Allan Hodgkinson, Victor Giudicatti and former president Nico Hoyle, have played key roles in building the foundations of the program. Last season’s State League head coach Betim Ziba also played an important role in guiding the team through the successful promotion campaign.
“The State League Division One competition last season was extremely competitive and the race for promotion went right down to the final stages of the campaign, and the State League Division One team did what was required to secure promotion.
“The group of players involved in that campaign worked incredibly hard throughout the season and laid the foundation for the club to enter the NPLW competition. It was a fantastic achievement for the club and one that everyone involved is extremely proud of.
“Sorrento has worked hard over a number of years to build a strong junior base and develop a pathway for female players within the club. Now that the club is competing in the NPLW, it provides a platform to attract more players and coaches while continuing to develop those already part of the program.”
That pathway is, arguably the most important aspect of a club’s aims to be a long term participant in the NPLW WA, and Farrell believes that the talent pool that is building at Percy Doyle Reserve is extremely promising.
“The junior girls program at Sorrento is very strong and has been built over a period of time through the work of many people within the club,” the head coach stated.
“There are several talented groups coming through the junior pathways, particularly within the JDL and the U13 and U15 age groups. We also have a U18 group that has been together for quite some time, and several of those players have already been exposed to the U21 environment during preseason.
“Overall, the pathway is well structured and the club has a good pool of talent to drive player progress into the NPLW teams. The aim is to continue developing those players and provide them with opportunities to progress into the senior environment over the next few NPLW seasons.”
This pathway is particularly important when it comes to recruiting members to the senior side in future years. At present, teams coming into the NPLW WA find it naturally challenging to attract players from the league’s established clubs, as Farrell admitted, “Recruitment has been one of the more challenging aspects of preparing for the season.
“Initially we had a lot of interest from players, particularly from those currently involved in NPLW programs at other clubs. However, many ultimately decided to remain at their existing clubs due to previous commitments and loyalty, which is understandable.
“A number of players from the State League promotion squad have remained, particularly some of the younger players. A couple unfortunately aren’t playing this season due to injury or work commitments, but we’re very happy with the players who have stayed and continued with the program.
“It has also been really pleasing to bring back several players who came through the Sorrento junior program, including Claudia Hocking and Stella Zampogna, who both progressed through the club as juniors.
“We have a number of players within the squad who bring experience and quality to the group.
“Players such as Sophia Papalia, Stella Zampogna, Mel Shepherd and Ruby Walsh provide an important level of experience and leadership within what is still a relatively young squad.
“At the same time, we also have some exciting young talent coming through the ranks. Players such as Lucy Hope, Jaalah Rudd, Isla Edwards and EJ Silver have been identified as players with strong potential and have been given opportunities as part of their development journey.
“The aim is to continue supporting these players so that they can grow and to establish themselves as top NPLW players in the coming seasons and maybe even go further than that.
“We essentially had to recruit two entirely new squads with both the First Team and the U21s. While that required a lot of work, it has also created a really positive environment at the club by opening up opportunities for players to step into a new high-performance setting and be part of the next stage of the program’s growth.
“The group has settled in extremely well together and there has been a really positive environment developing within the squad.”
The pre-season planning was about more than just player recruitment. Sorrento’s head coach highlighted an in-depth process of trying to dot as many i’s and cross as many t’s as possible in preparation.
“The process began with discussions and interviews around the coaching structure, how the program would look and operate, and aligning expectations for how the women’s program would move forward.
“From there it was about building training programs, organising facilities and equipment, and ensuring that all of the resources required for a successful NPLW program were in place.
“The club leadership has been fantastic throughout the whole process and has made the transition a seamless progression by supporting the program and removing barriers to creating an elite playing environment. President Victor Giudicatti, Vice President Allan Hodgkinson, and Club Secretary Kerry Slater have all been incredibly supportive and their backing has made the transition into NPLW much easier.”
Sorrento entered the pre-season Night Series competition with games against Perth RedStar, Subiaco, and Fremantle City. Whilst all three games ended in defeat, the newly promoted side can take particular pride in how they grew into the tournament, particularly in their final round robin match against an extremely strong Freo side, going down 2-1 after Daisy Snowden had given Sorrento a 22nd minute lead.
Now, as the clock ticks ever closer to Sunday’s round one game at home to Subiaco, the club are lasering in on making history.
“There is a real sense of excitement around the club as we prepare to enter our first NPLW WA season,” said Farrell.
“The club hierarchy has been incredibly supportive of the vision for the women’s program and there is a strong feeling that everyone is committed to building something special.
“During the Night Series we conceded a few goals, but many of those came from our own mistakes, which is quite natural for a young group that is still building connections and understanding. The positive side is that the group is learning quickly, working hard together, and there is a real energy around what we are building as we head into our first NPLW season.
Making targets for the club’s first season in the NPLW WA are tough, but essentially it’s all about gradual improvement and maintaining their status.
“The key focus for us is continued development and learning,” said Sorrento’s head coach.
“We have a young squad and a number of new players who are coming together for the first time, so growth as individuals and as a collective group will be very important as the season progresses.
“Mistakes will happen — that’s part of the process — but the focus is on learning from those moments and continuing to improve. Just as important is the team mentality of supporting one another and responding positively in those situations.
“If the group continues to grow, develop and build strong connections on the pitch, we believe we can be very competitive in games and develop clear identity as a team, and continuing to grow as a squad. At the same time, it is important that we establish ourselves in the NPLW competition and avoid relegation in our first season.
“Beyond that, success will also be measured by keeping a core group of players together to fit within the Player roster composition rules, such as fielding a maximum of three visa players, seven loyalty/homegrown players, and to aid in that by continuing to provide opportunities for younger players to develop within the program.
“The focus moving forward is on sustainability, longevity and continued development so that the women’s program can grow and strengthen year after year.”
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