Above: Melbourne City look to break through in today’s derby. Photo: Melbourne City.
Melbourne Victory showed there’s more than one way to win a football match as they held on to defeat Melbourne City 2-0.
It was a crucial three points for Jeff Hopkins’ team. They had been held to a draw against Adelaide United in their previous match and had Canberra United and Perth Glory closing in on their ladder position.
Victory faced an in-form City side that was nearing full strength. Naomi Chinnama was named on the bench, and although they were missing the injured Leah Davidson, they boasted one of the most creative and dangerous attacks in the league.
Above: Melbourne Victory boss Jeff Hopkins gives instructions from the bench today. Photo: Melbourne Victory.
Victory were depleted by injuries, departures, and national team duty since the last time these two teams played. That occasion ended in a 1-1 draw when Victory still had Alex Chidiac, Jess Nash, and Elise Kellond-Knight to draw on.
On a hot afternoon, starting strong was crucial, and both sides started full of energy. City zipped the ball around at pace, while Victory preferred the direct approach. They launched long balls wide to Leah Privitelli or Beattie Goad in the hope of stretching City’s three-player defence.
Victory’s early pressure paid off when Emma Checker was judged to have handled the ball. It was a harsh call, with only the hint of an outstretched arm blocking a fast-moving shot. Melina Ayres was in no mood for mercy and drilled the penalty to give Victory a 14th-minute lead.
Paige Zois doubled that lead only minutes later. The midfielder had been shifted to right back, with Victory looking to make the most of her passing and crossing ability from deep. In the 20th minute age unleashed a thunderous, curling effort from long range that made it 2-0 in spectacular fashion.
City continued to threaten and it would be fair to say that they played to their game plan. Hannah Wilkinson looked dangerous and proved to be a handful for Claudia Bunge. The two New Zealanders battled throughout the match, with the Victory centre back being the difference for her team.
Holly McNamara continued her exciting return to the field. The young striker was a constant menace with her movement and clever passing. When she unlocked the Victory defence to release Maria Rojas, a goal looked certain. Only the reflexes of Casey Dumont maintained her side’s two-goal advantage.
Victory started to tire physically in the second half, but stayed sharp tactically. The ball rarely entered their attack as they sat back, absorbed pressure, and preferred long clearances over keeping possession.
City continued to attack with probing passes and good wing play. When Bryleeh Henry, Rhianna Pollicina, and McNamara were withdrawn, you could feel a sigh of relief go through the Victory support.
The rudimentary style may not have been pretty, but it was effective and they held onto the win despite the barrage of attacks.
Above: Melbourne Victory celebrating today. This win could prove to be a major defining point in Finals qualification after Canberra United and Perth Glory both dropped points this round. Photo: Melbourne Victory.
Victory came close to scoring a third goal when Beattie Goad was set free on the left. Only the perfect timing of a sliding Chinnama denied a third.
The win was vital for Victory. They remain fourth and have some breathing space, although should Canberra United’s appeal over a deducted three points be successful, it would reduce their lead to two points.
In any case, the trip to face the fifth-placed Canberra United is possibly season-defining. A win will effectively secure finals football for the defending champions. A loss will have fans biting their nails until the end of the season.
That is a problem for later. Victory earned the right to a celebration after winning against the odds. A return of Nash next week will have a ripple effect through the midfield, with Zois perhaps moved back into her preferred position to unleash another lighting strike from her right boot.
Above: Melbourne Victory head coach Jeff Hopkins, who is excited about the challenge of taking on Melbourne City tomorrow. Image: Melbourne Victory.
Melbourne Victory head coach Jeff Hopkins recognises that his team face major challenges ahead after Elise Kellond-Knight’s season-ending injury, but backs them to show the discipline and organisation required to gain victory in tomorrow’s derby against Melbourne City.
Speaking to the media today ahead of that huge encounter, Hopkins outlined the implications of the Matildas star’s injury saying: “Everyone at the club is really devastated for KK personally. This is a big blow for her, not just missing the season for us, but implications for the national side at the World Cup too.
“It’s a big blow for us as a club. We have to find a way to adapt and adjust the way we play to take advantage of other players’ strengths that we may be able to bring in in place of her. She had her operation a couple of days ago which went well, but we’re all about supporting her in her rehab.”
Kellond-Knight’s injury comes hot on the heels of Victory losing another hugely influential international midfielder, Alex Chidiac, whose loan spell from Racing Louisville has ended. Whilst Hopkins recognises that these are huge losses, he pointed to young stars that the club has in that area.
“We had strong depth in the midfield. Paige (Zois) ‘Murph’ (Alana Murphy) and Tiff (Eliadis). All of them were making a case to play. That depth is tested now. There will be opportunities. For me now, I need to see where they fit into the side, and I need to tinker with that. They have different strengths to ‘Chids’ and KK, so I need to take advantage of those.”
Above: Paige Zois and Alana Murphy – two of Melbourne Victory’s talented young midfielders. Photo: Melbourne Victory
Also missing from the Melbourne Victory squad tomorrow will be their Young Matildas trio Alana Murphy, Jesskia Nash, and Ava Breidis who do not arrive back into Australia until late today after a journey of over 30 hours in returning from international duty.
All of the current top four sides are being seriously tested by injuries, but the Victory boss does not believe that this is the consequence of a longer A-League Women season. “Adding six weeks onto the season is not a massive ask and we’re still four or five weeks out from finishing the season.
“Next season, maybe we need to think about the makeup of the contracted period to maybe…think about a longer pre-season period. This season is six weeks longer but our pre-season was one week shorter.”
With the race for fourth place being intense, with potentially four sides battling it out at present, ultimately Hopkins doesn’t see any pressure on his side. They are in the box seat with their hopes in their own hands.
“The results went for us yesterday, but it’s of no consequence to us. It’s about tomorrow’s game, putting in a good performance and beating City. Fourth place is what we are after at the moment, and until that is secured we don’t think about anything else, none of the teams around us.
“When we secure fourth, we then look about making third, second…The focus on us is we need to be better. We need to be positive. We are up against a good quality side, but a side that if we do things properly, correctly, we have a good chance of being successful.”
Above: Tomorrow’s game is a big challenge for Jeff Hopkins and his team, but its one he is looking forward to. Photo: Melbourne Victory.
Tomorrow’s game poses Melbourne Victory all sorts of challenges. It’s a cross-city derby, it’s a battle of third against fourth, and a test against a side that goes all out to dominate possession. Hopkins is excited by the opportunity that the game poses and believes his side has all the tools necessary to come out on top, whilst having huge respect for Dario Vidosic’s team.
“They (Melbourne City) are a very good young side who are very positive in the way they go about the game. They play the way I like to. They like to possess the ball and go forward. They will take risks and are a team that if you sit off them, they will create chances against you no matter how organised you are defensively.
“We need to take advantage of them and be as positive as possible. Against them last time, we played well and were disciplined in our middle and deep block, but they still managed to create chances that, on another day, would have seen them beat us.
“We’re going to push forward at them, push high as high up the field as possible. We need to win this game. We will be as positive as we can and in those moments that we can’t be positive, be orgainised and work hard for each other as a team.”
Hopkins also highlighted the multiple threats that the Sky Blues have in their side, with Chilean magician Cote Rojas a huge part of that. “It will be interesting to see where they play her. The City front five are fluid. Wilkinson moves, Rojas will drop deep, they (also) have (Holly) McNamara (available) now.”
That constant movement and rotating of City’s front five is a factor that Hopkins highlighted, along with the expectations that he has of his own team to combat it.
“When (City) players drop off into pockets and rotate, the (Victory) players in those areas need to be switched on. This will be a one-on-one battle. There is a lot of rotation and movement in their front five which makes them a lot more dangerous too.”
Above: Western Sydney Wanderers celebrate Olivia Price’s goal, but Canberra United would draw level within 10 minutes. Photo: Western Sydney Wanderers.
In an incredibly exciting match that flowed end to end, Western Sydney Wanderers and Canberra United each earned a point – a result that arguably favoured Melbourne Victory more when it comes to the Finals race.
Both goals came in the first half, with Olivia Price putting the home side ahead before Vesna Milivojevic equalised for Canberra United.
It was an event opening, but Canberra came very close to opening the scoring when Kennedy Faulknor played in Milivojevic to run towards goal before slotting a beautiful ball to Nicki Flannery whose first-time shot at goal in the box was saved by Shamiran Khamis.
In the 25th minute, Western Sydney Wanderers went ahead. Sophie Harding chased down a long ball and then hit an inviting cross into the box which found Price who from the far post slotted the ball into the bottom left corner for the opening goal of the match. It was a lead the home side would hold for just 10 minutes.
Above: Western Sydney Wanderers’ Bethany Gordon tussles with Wu Chengshu. Photo: Keep Up.
Canberra responded as Hayley Taylor-Young found Grace Jale who played a one-two with Laura Hughes before making a run and putting in a great cross to Milivojevic on the edge of the box. She chested the ball down and hit a shot into the top-right corner.
The visitors came close just before the break when Wu Chengshu played a one-two around the halfway line with Michelle Heyman whose shot went wide of the goal.
Heyman continued to create in the second half, and just after the hour mark, she started a move by finding Milivojevic on the left side. She crossed the ball to Hughes on the edge of the box whose shot was blocked but fell into the path of Heyman who took a little too much time on the ball allowing Khamis to save.
It was the visitors who had the final chance at the death. Grace Maher’s free-kick came off the bar and no Canberra player could direct it goalwards before Khamis could gather.
Canberra face a huge game next weekend in their battle for the Finals when they host Melbourne Victory at McKellar Park in a game that could be decisive in that race. Western Sydney will host Brisbane Roar, who after their superb win over Western United, are back looking towards a potential top-four place.
Teams: WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS(4-1-2-1-2): Khamis, Matos, Steinmetz, Hunt, Abdul Massih, Chessari, Harrison, Gordon, Harding, Price, Bolden. Substitutes: Hristodoulou, Chlastakova, Rue, Caceres, Hall.
Above: Dylan Holmes celebrates after her effort, which went in off of Perth goalkeeper Morgan Aquino, put Adelaide United ahead. Photo: Liberty A-League.
Adelaide Unitedended their nine-match winless run with a superb win over a Perth Glory side who were pushing for Finals football.
Perth Glory came into this match on a hot streak of six games unbeaten. However, Adelaide United have only lost one of their last nine head-to-heads against Perth and they haven’t lost to the Glory at home since December 2016.
Saying all that, Adelaide are in a bit of an injury crisis having to bring in Chrissy Panagaris to cover for Emily Condon as an injury replacement for the rest of the season. With Isabel Hodgson, Ella Tonkin, Hannah Holgersen, and Sasha Coorey all out injured or unavailable and Emilia Murray and Grace Wilson away on international duty with the Young Matildas, Adelaide were unable to name a full bench of substitutes.
However, history, as well as the crowd, is on Adelaide’s side today as they put in a dominant performance against the team from the West to ruin their chance to achieve their longest unbeaten streak but also, and more importantly, making their run to the finals a lot more difficult. A win today would have seen Glory jump into fifth position. Although with Canberra playing tomorrow, it might not have lasted long.
But, to today’s game, Perth got the first chance early after a bit of confusion in the box, Cyera Hintzen had a weak toe poke gathered safely by Annalee Grove.
Above: Perth Glory captain Tash Rigby looks for a way through. Photo: Perth Glory.
Not long after, Dylan Holmes intercepted in the midfield and drove into the box to shoot high just over the crossbar to look very dangerous.
Hana Lowry took a free kick from the right and went for goal. The defensive header nearly sent it in for an own goal but Grove managed to get a hand to it to tip it over the bar in a very close call.
The first half saw Adelaide with the bulk of possession and control and Holmes had another shot on goal where she pivoted and twisted in the box but sent it just to the left of the post. In a continued attack, Fiona Worts took a longer shot from the left edge of the box that skimmed the crossbar.
Mindy Barbieri dispossessed Glory near the box on the left and passed back to Worts who had another shot that went wide to the right of goal. Plenty of shots were coming from Adelaide but all were just off-target. With a little more time and consideration the score could have been a lot different midway in the first half.
Perth had a great opportunity when Sofia Sakalis slipped a pass through to Hintzen who was in the clear in front of goal but she was offside and play was called back.
Two further opportunities were wasted by the visitors. First, when Tash Rigby brought the ball down the right and crossed but Sakalis couldn’t quite get to it cleanly as it was just behind her and it was cleared right in front of goal. Then, Hannah Blake fired one in from the right but Hintzen couldn’t control the header that shot out to the right of goal.
Above: Mindy Barbieri looks to get away from Sadie Lawrence (left) and Sofia Sakalis (right). Photo: Adelaide United.
Back up the other end, Holmes took an ambitious shot from well outside the box which was finally on target but was an easy catch for Morgan Aquino. In extra time of the second half, Lowry slid a pass through to Sakalis very close to the goal but she lost her footing in the tackle and her shot was wide. Adelaide fired in six shots to Perth’s three in the first half, but both only had one on target.
There must have been some good halftime talks as both teams came back on firing in the second half.
In the third minute after the break, Lowry ran down left towards goal to be dispossessed by Jenna McCormick. Hintzen ended up with the ball again and returned it to Lowry, who sent it right across the goal and Blake just touched it in, right in front of goal, to give Perth the lead.
Just two minutes later, Adelaide retaliated with a goal from Holmes. She shot once and it was stopped but rebounded straight back to her for a second effort that was low and to the right of goal. It bounced off Perth goalkeeper Morgan Aquino and rolled into goal for the equalizer. The goal was awarded as an own goal but it seems unfair to Holmes who had two clean shots and certainly deserved the goal.
Sakalis, who was on a yellow and has had a couple of knocks, comes off to be replaced by Abbey Green at 55 minutes.
In a near replay of the first goal for Glory, Foletta passed to Lowry on the left who sent in a sitter right in front of goal for Blake but her first touch failed her this time and she skied it over the top.
Above: Dylan Holmes (left) and Meisha Westland celebrate. Photo: Liberty A-League.
A long pass from the left towards the box led to a clash between Holmes and Kim Carroll with the Perth defender shown a yellow card. The resulting free kick was taken by Barbieri who sent a beautiful curling ball around the wall that was deflected by Aquino in a diving save to the bottom right corner.
With 20 minutes left, Worts received a long cross from Holmes out on the right and she headed or maybe even chested it into the left post and it rebounded into the goal as Aquino was left floundering and Adelaide went ahead.
Adelaide’s new signing Panagaris came on as a sub in the final stages and had a spirited shot on goal from the left after winning a tussle in the box. The shot was blocked by a very outstretched arm of Aquino. A goal on debut would have been impressive and it was only Aquino’s goalkeeping skills that prevented that from happening.
Perth had two final chances to claim a point. First, substitute Alana Jancevski tried a long shot to goal but there wasn’t enough on it to be a challenge for Grove, and then, in the dying seconds, Abby Green’s shot is stopped by Grove in front of an open goal.
With that chance gone, Adelaide United recorded their first victory since 17th December – a nine-match run that had yielded just two points for the South Australians and sent them tumbling from the Finals race to the bottom three.
With three matches left for Adelaide, it’s not impossible for them to make the finals but it would be very difficult. They’d have to win all their games and have no one above them, except the top three, win any. Perth have four matches left to play – against Wellington, Melbourne City, Brisbane Roar, and Sydney so it won’t be an easy path to navigate either, and would also rely on some favorable losses by other teams.
Above: Joy for Adelaide United as their long winless run comes to an end. Photo: Liberty A-League.
One thing’s for certain, nothing is set in stone with Finals qualification, other than Sydney and Western United are definitely in it. And the A-League Women continue to keep us guessing.
Speaking after the game, Perth Glory head coach Alex Epakis identified his side’s lack of composure on the ball in the first half as one of the reasons for Adelaide United gaining momentum, writes Ben Gilby.
“It was a performance that went down to fine margins and moments. In this occasion, Adelaide were better in those moments. We had a good performance but not a great performance, and as a result we left ourselves open to fine margins.
“At half-time, we came in and agreed that we could be better both with and without the ball. We panicked a bit in possession and as a result, gave transitions, and Adelaide (got) a bit of momentum. In the second half, we definitely actioned that to be better and getting the goal shows that, but ultimately we were not good enough in key areas.
“We know we weren’t at our best and when you are not at your best you leave yourself open to whether you get the three points or not.”
Perth’s Finals hopes are now hanging by a thread, four points and three places behind fourth-placed Melbourne Victory who play their cross-city rivals City on Monday. With both Canberra United and Brisbane Roar ahead of them, Epakis knows the challenge of making Finals is getting harder.
“It leaves us in a position where we need to work even harder now. We had a hold on to fourth spot, and we’re not going to give up on that. We are going to push on to try and get that.”
Above: Alyssa Whinham (10) victorious over Sydney FC. Photo: @WgtnPhoenixFC Twitter.
The bottom-of-the-table Wellington Phoenix put together the most impressive win of their history against top-of-the-table Sydney FC. Kate Taylor’s goal would lead the way to a monumental 1-0 win.
Sydney’s quest to stay on top of the A-League Women’s and create separation with chasing teams was unsuccessful. Although a number of key players were out for the home side, their overall effort was lacklustre. For the Phoenix, they had nothing to lose and everything to gain.
The match conditions were typical of midday A-League matches. Sunny, windy, and hot, managing the heat and tactically using the hydration breaks would again be a factor.
In the early minutes, the two teams looked evenly matched with Sydney FC earning four corners. The most promising chance for Sydney came in the 14th minute with Mackenzie Hawkesby taking the corner and targeting Anna Green who was just outside the six-yard box and attempted to loop it over Wellington Keeper Bri Edwards.
A powerhouse of confidence, Edwards made a quality save jumping off high off her line preventing what looked like a certain goal. This type of instinct and decision-making is what we would see all afternoon from her in making multiple saves.
From the first hydration break in the 27th minute, a more patient, creative, and highly motivated Wellington Phoenix would emerge. Paige Satchell played focused and bold against her former club. Her dribble down the center of the pitch led to a shot from just outside the penalty area. The resulting save would give the Phoenix the key corner kick of the match.
The single goal came in the 31st minute. Michaela Foster’s looping near post corner kick dropped onto Sydney FC’s keeper Kate Offer fist, she punched it up in the air to the edge of the six-yard box. Taylor took a couple steps back and solidly volleyed it in. A jubilated Nix team surrounded her and understood that the one-goal edge was theirs to keep.
Kate Taylor's goal separates the two teams at the break! 🤩
The biggest difference maker in keeping the lead for the Nix was in the quality of the midfield. Chloe Knott and Betsey Hassett looked commanding. They won their duels, intelligently held up the ball, and filled passing lanes.
Knott in particular found her calm confidence while Hassett was seemingly everywhere on the pitch. With a battle ready defensive four behind them, Knott pushed forward with the tactics and creativity of a midfielder and combined with Hassett through the middle and opened up the options on attack.
Adding to this was Mickey Roberston’s technical ability, using her vision and elusive touches to keep possession for the Nix. Her speedy runs on the flanks allowed her to dribble past Sydney and create multiple chances on goal for her and her teammates.
The ability to control the pace and tempo of the match had been missing from the Wellington Phoenix through many previous matches. They seemed to master it for this one. The Nix as a whole played a type of possession-style game that mentally and physically wore down their opponent. Sydney FC looked leaderless, chasing and not winning free balls.
Sydney FC came out of the halftime break with a desire to win. They started quickly and were not afraid to engage in bumping bodies. Hassett was the first recipient of this and was granted a free kick in the 48th minute. Soon after Mackenzie Barry was bowled over by Princess Ibini deep in the Nix half.
All season the Nix have played out from the back. This strategy finally clicked with the necessary precision in this match. In the 52nd minute Taylor, van der Meer, and Barry all combined brilliantly to propel the ball from deep in their half, to an attacking Satchell.
The Football Fern star was wide open on the wing with lots of space in front of her. She was able to capitalize on the momentum created with a pinpoint pass directly to the feet of Rolston who narrowly missed scoring by only a matter of inches.
The Phoenix’s desire to win would not waiver. A free flowing up tempo match from them would only be interrupted by numerous Sydney FC fouls. Michaela Foster and Mackenzie Barry would again have outstanding matches understanding when to aggressively close down Sydney talents Ibini and Cortnee Vine.
Fortunately for all the players the heat wasn’t the deciding factor on the day. Both teams made smart decisions on when to bring on substitutes with the reserves making a big impact. Substitutes Dos Santos (51’) and Milly Clegg (62’) both came on and had impressive runs with the latter having a breakaway in the 72nd minute. These two very young players are ones to watch as their talent is rapidly developing.
Grace Wisnewski was able to battle through a lower back injury sustained at the 61-minute mark. Her facial expressions told the story in that she was very sore however it didn’t stop her from putting in maximum effort for 13 more minutes.
In the 63rd minute, Foster made an incredible defensive play – swooping in from the opposite side of the pitch as she caught a fast-moving Haweksby who was looking to score. Foster pinched the ball off Hawkesby and safely sent it out over the sideline.
Above: All smiles for Wellington Phoenix after Kate Taylor (centre) scored their winning goal. Photo: Liberty A-League.
Any team in the A-League would love to have the talent that is Milly Clegg. After coming on as a substitute for Satchell, Clegg set the match alight in the 72nd minute as she unleashed a shot on target that was thwarted by Offer. Against a keeper of less ability, it would have been Nix 2-0, however, Offer made the quality save.
Alyssa Whinham came in with just over a quarter of an hour to go, and displayed all the top flight skills of a number 10. Her light touches on the ball and passing delivery literally turned the Sydney defenders inside out. It was what the Wellington Phoenix needed to keep control of a field that was being stretched out by both sides.
In the 75th minute, Vine dribbled her way confidently down the pitch with a layoff to Hawkesby. If Sydney were going to score it would have been this opportunity. The Nix stood firm in a four-on-two situation with Edwards’ right foot collecting enough of the ball to redirect it away from the goal. Kate Taylor backed up her goalkeeper and was in the right position to stop the ball if it had been on target.
In the closing stages, Sydney repeatedly made the wrong choices in passing and fouls. Yellow cards, fouls, and a super intense effort by the Nix squad resulted in the home side becoming flustered.
With referee Caitlin Williams adding on seven minutes of stoppage time, it was a nervous wait for Wellington boss Natalie Lawrence for the final whistle. Sydney FC had everything to play for as they attempted wave after wave of attack. The Nix stood strong and repelled the league leaders to hold them out. The defensive line had tough assignments against Vine, Hawkesby, Green and Ibini. The Nix defenders shut down this high-quality Sydney side.
In the dying minutes of the match, the Nix managed the clock well and were able to run down the minutes to finish the match as winners. Sydney worked so hard to turn the result in their favour but a resilient Wellington team would not cave in. This was not a match that Sydney lost. This was a match that the Phoenix won.
Wellington Phoenix head coach Natalie Lawrence was bursting with pride after the final whistle. “I feel so proud and happy for the girls. They’ve worked so hard and they’ve kept the belief.
“We’ve had the message the whole season that this team is going to do go things and I think this result was coming. We knew we were going to win more games and beating the top of the league (team) makes it that little bit more special and gives us even more belief.
“It wasn’t just the win, it was how we did it. We out-possessed them, we got more shots than them and we got into the box more than they did. There’s a brand of football we’ve been trying to play all season and we’re now starting to reap the rewards of it.
“We want more points. We’ve got the feeling and the feeling’s good, and we want to continue that, but we have to keep to our process and we have to do it better than anyone else.
“We’ve now got more points than we did last season, but we now want to get even more and we want to get off the bottom of the league and we want to do it in style.”
Teams: SYDNEY FC 4-3-3: Offer, Stancic-Floody, Green, Fenton, Hunter, Lowe, Vine, Hawkesby, Rule, Ibini. Substitutes: Black, Collister, Dos Santos, Badawiya. Chauvet
Above: Shea Connors celebrates after scoring her second goal to seal the win for the Roar. Photo: Brisbane Roar.
Brisbane Roar pulled off an exciting upset win over league leaders, Western United, on a rainy Saturday afternoon at Perry Park.
The Roar were desperate for the three points – the only option to keep their finals hopes alive. Western were also eager for a win to cement their place at the top with Sydney FC nipping at their heels.
The match started out quite passive, with both teams testing the waters a little, but not committing too much to building attacks. Western United had the first big chance of the match, following a defensive mistake by the Roar, which gave possession to Hannah Keane within shooting distance. She got a little too excited and took the shot too early though. It forced a good save from the Roar goalkeeper, Hensley Hancuff, but it wasn’t a clean save, as it spilled onto the ground and had to be cleared by Jamilla Rankin.
Just before the 20-minute mark, Katrina Gorry played a magnificent long ball from about 30 yards behind the halfway line all the way up to Shea Connors, who had timed her run to perfection.
Connors used her pace to beat the Western defenders to the ball and took a sensational first-time shot at the goal, stunning Hilary Beall who was off her line, and curling it into the side netting in the top right corner. It was Connors’ fourth goal of the season, and it could not have come at a better time for the Roar.
Brisbane Roar had plenty more opportunities in the rest of the first half, thanks to good build-up play and also sub-par defending from Western, however, the Roar couldn’t convert on any of those opportunities. On the flip side, when Western had spells of good possession they found themselves unable to break down the solid Roar defence so they resorted to taking very ambitious long shots at the Brisbane goals, much to the delight of Hancuff.
The home side started the second half playing confidently, maintaining possession, and patiently building their attacks on the visitors’ goal. Western had a few good chances on the counter as well. Just after the hour mark, Angie Beard made a great run into the box and crossed it in for Keane who had an opportunity to slot it into the open net but mistimed her run.
The Brisbane Roar defence was definitely not as compact or organised in the second half, often exposing themselves to danger, which an in-form Western United would probably have punished them for. But, after suffering a heavy defeat to Sydney FC last weekend, Western looked far from their best, and could not convert on any of their chances.
A couple of minutes into stoppage time, Connors struck again, keen to continue riding the high of her first goal an hour before. Tamar Levin assisted her with an excellent, well-measured pass past the defensive line that set Connors up beautifully. Connors kept the ball close to her feet and tucked it past Beall with precision and pace to the bottom right corner of the goal.
All round it was a fantastic win for Brisbane. They managed to exact the perfect revenge, beating Western United 2-0, the same scoreline they were beaten by the last time the two sides met in January. It will still be difficult from here, but this win keeps their finals hopes alive.
Shea Connors produced her best performance of the season, scoring two goals, twice getting the better of the two-time A-League Women’s player of the month, Beall. Connors’ high-energy football, pace, and intent to win the ball and shoot at goals paid off big time today.
Gorry was magnificent in the midfield as always. Not only did she have an assist to her name and create several more goalscoring opportunities up front, but she was also frequently tracking back to produce some world-class defending as well.
She blocked two shots from going in and made two vital interceptions in the box, which was more than the entire defensive line combined. Of course, that’s not the only measure of a good defence, but it shows how involved Gorry was all over the pitch. Finally, Hancuff made some fantastic saves to keep the Roar in the match and prevent any potential momentum swings.
On the other side of the pitch, Western United put in a sub-par performance by comparison to their lofty standards. Their defence was a little too disorganised and sometimes slow to react to the changing dynamics of the match.
There was also a real lack of aggression from Mark Torcaso’s side. They looked like a completely different team to the giant slayers of the first half of the season. To be fair, Keane found herself in dangerous positions a few times but this didn’t result in goals. This was due to either not having anyone else from Western up to support her attacks, not receiving the ball she needed to score a goal, or just being a bit off on the day and lacking her usual finishing touch.
Brisbane Roar play Western Sydney Wanders next Sunday and Western United will have a week to regroup before facing Canberra United on Saturday March 25th.
Above: Australia have announced a second international in London next month. Photo: Kris Goman for Impetus.
Australia have added a second match to April’s FIFA Women’s International Window against Scotland on Good Friday, 7th April at Cherry Red Records Stadium – the home of AFC Wimbledon.
The Matildas will host the Scots in a second London ‘home’ encounter in six months with the match kicking off at 1.15pm (local) / 10.15pm (AEST).
Four days later Australia will complete the European-based window with a clash against reingning European champions at Brentford, in the city’s west.
Matildas’ Head Coach Tony Gustavsson said: “For preparation purposes, it was important to have secured a team with the quality and character of Scotland.”
“While they narrowly missed out on qualification for the World Cup, Scotland are a well organised and physical team with some world-class individual players, including Caroline Weir and Erin Cuthbert, whom our players know what they are capable of from playing with them in clubland.”
Australia come into these London matches on a seven-match winning streak and are looking to continue building during the final phase ahead of the World Cup 2023.
Gustavsson highlighted how the matches in this window will provide major tests, but with the advantage of having his squad together for a longer period than usual with the vast majority of the players based close by.
“The recent Cup of Nations tournament was another positive step forward with the team ticking off many objectives, but it also highlighted areas that we need to continue improving.
“We are looking forward to having another match in a city that is for many of our players a home away from home. The match against South Africa last October showed the local support the team has in London, and we are looking forward to seeing many of those proud Australian fans again before the FIFA Women’s World Cup.”
Battle of the Sam Kerrs:
Above: Scotland’s Sam Kerr. Photo: Rangers FC.
Whilst Australia’s Sam Kerr needs no introduction, Scotland are also likely to field a midfielder with the exact same name who is in arguably the form of her life.
The ‘Scottish Sam’ is a 23-year-old who plays for Rangers in the top flight (SWPL) of Scottish women’s football. Having represented her country at U16, U17, and U19 level, this Kerr has eight senior caps to her name and was voted into the SWPL team of the season last year after helping her team win their first-ever league championship.
The Rangers midfielder has a place in history as the first goalscorer for the club in a match played at the men’s team’s famous 50,817-capacity Ibrox Stadium.
Kerr joined Rangers in 2021 from Glasgow City, Scotland’s historically most successful side. City are a female-only club with no affiliations to the pro game and continue to rack up major trophies to this day at the top level. The Falkirk-born player represented Glasgow City in several Champions League campaigns, including a sensational run to the Quarter-Finals in 2021 which saw their fairytale ended by a VfL Wolfsburg side containing Pernille Harder among other stars.
Scotland’s Sam Kerr will provide a major link-up role with the dangerous Erin Cuthbert who also just happens to be Australia’s Sam Kerr’s best buddy at Chelsea.
Having one Sam Kerr on the pitch is thrilling enough. On Good Friday there will be two. And it will be quite a battle.
The Venue:
Above: AFC Wimbledon’s Plough Lane Stadium – venue for the Matildas game with Scotland on Good Friday. Photo: Ben Gilby.
AFC Wimbledon are a historic club in England, and their new home stadium at Plough Lane which will host the match, opened during the COVID pandemic, is one of the best of its size in the country.
With a capacity of just over 9,000 seats, the stadium was largely paid for by the club’s fans. Indeed the club was formed by fans 20 years ago, and has been run by them ever since.
Wimbledon FC were formed in 1889 and remained outside the professional ranks of the game in England until 1977. They were famous for some sensational FA Cup runs when, as a non-professional side, defeated top tier side Burnley away, and then drew with reigning top-tier champions Leeds United way from home – a sensational achievement which also included a saved penalty.
Wimbledon were elected into the professional leagues as a result, and within eight years reached the top tier and in 1988 won the FA Cup at Wembley as they spent 14 years in the top flight of English football.
All of this was achieved despite the club being watched by minuscule crowds, and after the club was sold in 2002, the new owners gained permission from the game’s governing body to move the club 90km north to Milton Keynes and change its name to Milton Keynes Dons. The move remains hugely unpopular amongst the wider English football following to this day.
Above: A Manchester City side containing Australia’s Alanna Kennedy and Hayley Raso defeated Sam Kerr’s Chelsea at Plough Lane last season. Photo: Manchester City FC.
Wimbledon supporters formed their own club, AFC Wimbledon and they were placed in the ninth tier of the game. They had no ground and no players. But within weeks gained a ground share, attracted a big squad and regularly attracted crowds of 3,000 in a division where other clubs may not have got more than 30 people watching. AFC Wimbledon have now been recognised as the rightful ‘owners’ of Wimbledon’s honours, rather than the Milton Keynes club.
The Cinderella story continued as AFC Wimbledon earned a total of six promotions in 14 years to make the third tier of English football. In 2021, they finally opened their own stadium – largely paid for by the fans who still own and run the club – and located just a few metres from their historic old ground in Plough Lane.
The club, now in the fourth tier of English football, attract more fans for home games now than they did in their top-flight days, with 8,000+ coming through the turnstiles. It also hosts the bulk of the club’s women’s team matches with crowds of just under 1,000 regularly watching their tier four side.
The Cherry Red Records Stadium, known to all the fans as ‘Plough Lane’ is a fantastic modern facility, with some of the best food and drink options in the English game. It also has its own pub – and the Matildas fans will be more than welcome.
Plough Lane as a venue will also be familiar to several of the Matildas as it hosted the 2021/22 Conti Cup Final which saw Sam Kerr’s Chelsea face a Manchester City side that included Hayley Raso and Alanna Kennedy.
The role of separate women’s active support is vital for the game in Australia. Impetus’ Kieran Yap looked at what they bring to the sport, and the work that they do. All groups are referred to by their collective name where possible for the purposes of this article(10/3/23).
By Kieran Yap
Above: The Victory Vikings with their favourite player Amy Jackson. Photo: Victory Vikings.
They are the among the first to arrive at the stadium. Banners are hoisted, drums are set up and the noise begins almost immediately. After the game, win or lose, they are the last to leave. The Active Support groups in Australian women’s football are small in numbers, but huge on enthusiasm, organisation and dedication.
While some clubs like Sydney FC and Adelaide United have actives that commit to both the men’s and women’s side. Others have separate groups focused entirely on the women’s game.
It has been a tense year for all supporters in the Australian domestic competition. Women’s football groups have not been forgotten exactly, but their smaller numbers have left them on the periphery in the eyes of some.
There remains a misconception that the size of the movement determines its worth. But the separate women’s active groups in the A-League Women are more than a small group of friends who meet up on match day. Their work starts days before kick off, and does not stop in between seasons.
Each has a different impact on their club and the league, and all have varied histories. But they all have the same fanatical commitment.
“Matches had started to be played in Suncorp Stadium which is a great venue unless you only have a couple of thousand people turning up,” say Brisbane Roar’s Active group, the Roar Corps of their origins.
“Mel Andreatta was coaching, Amy Chapman was playing, and they connected with fans who wanted the venue to seem livelier. Amy Chapman had a big part in introducing Mandy Jamieson to Mel Andreatta and then Chris McAlister who was very involved with the Roar Supporter’s Federation.
“Amy and Mandy had had several conversations about the lack of atmosphere at women’s games, amongst other ongoing issues with pay and conditions, being treated like second-class citizens etc.
“Mandy met with Mel first, they included Chris, which then lead to a larger gathering at Ballymore where an invite was put out to all our female football-loving friends and the wider Roar-supporting community.
“That day Mel inspired everyone with her passion for the team and many ideas on how to support the team and connect with the community were recorded. A smaller subset of people continued to meet, and the core of the supporter’s group and the name were established.”
The Roar Corps are constantly in party mode at every Brisbane home game. Although the fortunes of their team has varied over the seasons, they drum and sing through the heat, the rain, the big wins, and the occasional big loss.
Great to catch up with some Victory Vikings pregame – all smiles right now… We'll check in after the game to see our respective moods 😂#BRIvMVC#dubzonepic.twitter.com/JLRiFPd2R4
Like all supporters of women’s football, they are advocates as much as fans. Banners and songs are used to help push the game in a positive direction. During a recent league match with Melbourne Victory, they sang to the APL who decided against delaying a 3pm kick-off.
“Feeling Hot-Hot-Hot…APL” rang out from the stands as the players and fans suffered through the humid and oven-like conditions.
The work of women’s actives goes beyond game day. Australian football is a difficult place to find merchandise for the women’s league, and The Roar Corps fill that gap with their own merchandise that they sell to fund the banners, megaphones, and drum kits.
“You can always count on the Roar Corps”
The growth of the game and support of the players is as important to the Roar Corps as results on the field. In a semi-professional sport, they help out in any way that they can.
“Advocacy and the quest for basic professionalism are a big part of the Roar Corps’ initial motivation.
“We have helped with accommodation for international or interstate players; donating washing machines and other equipment. We organised vehicles and transport, out-of-pocket costs just to provide some of the basics so the team could have supplies they were lacking and performed general managerial tasks to help lift the standards for the players.
“In early seasons we organized the season launch events to generate some excitement for the team and allow fans to meet the players.
“We have coordinated guest speaker panels, support videos, fundraising for causes close to the team, such as Share the Dignity for the 2018-19 season launch. We have helped other fund-raising events like the fund-raiser for Stotty (Rebekah Stott) driven by Olivia Chance, and the Christmas toy drive organized by the club and RSF.
“A few times we have arranged a ‘sponsor a player’ event, where fans can purchase merchandise to present to players. Anyone who has played for the Roar for a few seasons will have shirts, hoodies and a cap to show for these events.
“To plan for a specific game involves posting to social media, organizing entry to venues to set up banners and allow for drums and megaphones. This can be easy or complicated depending on the venue, and over time we have developed relationships with club staff who support our endeavours.”
Thier efforts have been greatly appreciated by the players. Brisbane striker Shea Connors felt a connection with the fans before she even stepped foot on the pitch.
The Roar Corps like most actives celebrate a new signing with a welcome post on social media, Connors says she felt welcomed before even meeting them. On game day, the players directly benefit from the presence of Active Support.
“Their support lifts us and brings energy that everybody needs every game, especially when we’re playing in hot weather. It definitely keeps you going.
“It’s really nice that these people care every week, and at every home game to come out no matter what, not matter the condition. We’ve changed fields a few times and they’re still there, they’re always there. No matter what, you can always count on the Roar Corps.”
Our player of the game today is Shea Connors, coming up big with her first goal of the season and drawing the foul that led to our second! 🧡🖤🦁#BRIvWEL#aleaguewomenpic.twitter.com/HhXLBZYqjX
This sort of close relationship with players can be found across the A-League Women. Two of the league’s newest sides, Wellington Pheonix and The Western Core have directly sponsored senior players in the squad.
Ideally, football should not in the position where players need this help, but while they push for change, they are also willing to put their own money where their mouth is.
The work of women’s support groups is not keyboard activism or demanding something impossible of the APL. They open their own wallets and give up their own time to show what needs to be done.
“We’d always wanted to do something tangible to show support for the women’s team,” says The Little Corner of Yellow.
“We’d contacted the club to see if we could sponsor a tiny logo somewhere on the kit, but all the available spots had been taken up already. The club was exploring player sponsorships, so we asked if we could do that instead and started the process.”
The Little Corner of Yellow are an Australian based group that support the Wellington Phoenix teams. Their support of both sides was extremely valuable during the COVID hit season when their players were kept far from home. That has not stopped since, with The Little Corner sponsoring the club captain and goalkeeper Lily Alfeld.
📰 | Nix fans take their support to a new level
The Little @cornerofyellow has stepped up its support of the Wellington Phoenix
The NSW-based Phoenix fan group, led by Holly Eades and Dean Bartle, have come on board as a player partner, sponsoring women’s captain Lily Alfeld
“We’d gotten to know Lily during the first season, if you’ve ever spoken to her, you’ll know why people are prepared to run through walls for her!
“So, she was our first pick for sponsorship. We have also since sponsored Izzy Gomez and Michaela Robertson.”
The Little Corner’s support goes beyond their own club. They supply wooden commemorative plaques to players and fans across to league as tributes to significant games, or individual highlights.
“We’re more than just three friends”
The Victory Vikings formed after the 2019 World Cup in France. Travelling fans were not perturbed by the Matildas’ elimination and decided to form an active group for Melbourne Victory’s women’s team for the following season
“It was a cold summer’s night in Le Havre on 26th June when we were born,” reflect the Vikings.
“Most of us were in France for the World Cup and just happened to meet each other and discover we’d been going to dub games independently for a while so decided to form a group so people could attend games together.”
Victory are one of the bigger clubs in the league. Although a number of fans attend both matches, the Active Supports are separate entities. The sizable men’s fans have been encouraged to attend, but they do so sporadically.
When they turn up, they look impressive on camera and social media, but The Vikings are valued by other A-League Women’s fans and players. They are there at every home game, along with many away ones.
Statistics on player milestones are often first announced by The Vikings. They keep track of how many games individuals have played and have been contacted by the players themselves to see how far off they are from 100 appearances. On game day they post instant live match updates, a public service extended to cover the Afghanistan Womens National Team in the off-season.
“Contrary to what some may think we’re more than just three friends. Active support in Woso is more about community and less about making noise.
“Our primary goal is to boost the profile of the team and encourage people to come and attend games by promoting a safe and inclusive environment. We honestly don’t care if the people who hang out with us make noise or not.
“We just care that they’re there. We want people to know that if they’re thinking of coming to a game but maybe are by themselves so are unsure that there’s a group of likeminded people who they can sit with.
“They can choose not to interact with us, which is fine, they can choose not to make any noise which is also fine, but they will be welcome, nevertheless.
“We do our best to try and help any of our players that want to boost their profile. Also, we are active right through the week and support the team all year round (during NPL season we try and get round to watch as many of them as possible).
“We invest a lot of our own money in supporting the team and not just time. We also have a great relationship with all the other active groups and try and do what we can to help them grow as well because the more active groups the better.
“We also exist to be a voice for people who don’t have one or feel they can’t say what they want in public. Each season we pick a charity to support and make a donation at season’s end. We link it to specific outcomes over the season, like clean sheets.
“Lots of fans will come to us as a first port of call for information on ticketing etc. or if they want us to pass some feedback onto the club. During the offseason, we tried to get to as many of the Afghanistan team games as often as we could and provided live updates when very few others were.”
Yesterday we said see ya later to one of the most loved members Vikings' family. It's been our immense pleasure watching her play and in typical Chids style, she signed off with a goal. Thanks, Chids 💙🤍 🐧 pic.twitter.com/76RZrSvdFT
You can easily spot the Victory Vikings, by their loud drumming and banners that have become hashtags. “Extend the season” was displayed behind the goals in every game of the last two seasons. When that step was finally announced by the APL, the Vikings added “Full Time, Fully Professional.” Progress never stops.
They are also distinctive with the presence of Homer Simpson in the stands. The large stuffed doll wears a Viking helmet that is sometimes borrowed by the players. When Victory won their way into the Grand Final in 2022, striker Maja Markovski hoisted it in the air like a trophy while the team cheered.
“We’re all massive Simpsons nerds for a start so prior to the first game of the 2021/22 season again Brisbane at CB Smith Reserve one of us decided on a whim to take the Homer he’d been given by his nephew for Christmas to the game where the first player he met was Amy ‘El Presidente’ Jackson.
“Several weeks later a few of us went up to the gold coast for the return game against Brisbane but we didn’t take Homer so El Presidente asked where he was.
“We replied she needn’t worry as some of us were planning to drive to Adelaide the following week and we’d take Homer with us. We received a presidential order to provide regular updates of Homer’s trip, which as good citizens we duly did.
“This along with the rest of the squad also very quickly buying into us having Homer it escalated very quickly.”
Great start, and great goal from Melina! Unfortunately couldn’t celebrate that loudly thanks to @AAMIPark not letting us bring in our drum. pic.twitter.com/g2KK2ilDFE
The build-up to match day starts early in the week for The Vikings. Sometimes right after the previous match.
“Usually, it starts with us working out what we’re going to put on socials in the buildup to the game. If it’s a home game coordinating what time we’re all going to arrive at the ground, making sure we’ve packed anything extra we need besides the drum, banners, Homer, and Marge.
“Once arriving at the ground, it’s getting stuff cleared by security and then setting up our banners and drums. We keep an eye on our socials for the line-up, and throughout the entire day there’ll be loads of Simpsons references.”
Commemorating the big events
The Vikings are currently eagerly anticipating the 150th match of their favourite player, Grand Final hero Amy Jackson. How they will commemorate this event remains unknown, but they have a template in the Roar Corp who made Matildas legend Clare Polkinghorne’s 150th game a true event.
Players and fans all wore t-shirts for photos after the match. The normally publicity-shy Polkinghorne looked delighted in the spotlight.
“A few things came together to make Polks’ 150th game celebration particularly special,” said The Roar Corp.
“We had over 100 shirts ready to use, so we knew we could make an impact with them. Majella Card organized a design, and we got our hands on a heat press. Then it was a few days of printing and pressing to get them all done.
“We’d posted a form so that people could reserve a shirt ahead of time and, as a result, got the entire team and a good number of supporters kitted out.
“As well as gathering all the tributes received from Clare’s many fans and presenting them to her in a card, seeing the photo with all the players and fans dressed up in the shirt that we made was a special moment.”
The Newcastle Jets fans have been starved of success on the field. But their women’s active support has never lost enthusiasm. Like others, they operate in constant and ever evolving activism.
“For us, it’s so much more than the game day presence because we know those activities aren’t everyone’s cup of tea,” say the Jets active.
“The majority of our support for the team and W-Jets fans happens outside of game days – through building a community and platform for fans to connect, interacting with players’ online content as they build their professional profiles, and for advocating for the women’s game more broadly.”
Newcastle is rare in the A-League Women. It is not located in a large capital city, and in a smaller community, in a growing league, their impact is even more important.
I N S P I R E D Supporting the W-Jets is our crew’s mission. We love to bring noise & colour to every game we can get to. It was so touching to have Inspirations Paint bring together fans at today’s w-game to create this supporters banner and gift it to us at halftime. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/JYw6vnk9MN
“This was really reinforced in a moment towards the end of our first season in 2019/20, when a player’s mother was chatting to us.
“She wanted us to know how important what we were doing was to her daughter but also feeding back sentiments from the whole squad such as “they just value – and really deserve – having a supporter group of their own given what they go through to get to this level.”
“Actives bring a level of energy to game days that you don’t get otherwise. Dub Actives are uniquely important because we are born from the women’s game and bring an energy that embodies the distinct culture of fans of the women’s game.
“That really lifts the whole experience in the stands. We know the players, we honor their commitment, and we are invested in their performance – you can’t import that.
“There is a fair amount of time and attention that goes into being an Active group, which people probably don’t realize.
“Most of our prep started before the season even kicked off! Once we know our squad, we get stuck into making banners, coming up with player chants, etc. And once we know the fixtures, we map out which away games our group members can get to and booking travel and accommodation. We also liaise closely with the Club to clear our activities.
“In the days leading up to our games (home or away) we make sure people have all the game day info they need. For home games especially, we like to raise awareness a couple of days ahead to try and encourage everyone down to No. 2 Sportsground. On the day, we get in early to set up our corner – visibility to the players is most important to us so we like to have our banners flying by the time they take the pitch to warm up.
“Now that COVID disruptions have eased, we are testing out ideas for ritualizing pre-game meetups again.”
The A-League Women is a league still searching for ways to grow crowds. The Jets Women’s Active support are doing their part to make the matchday experience as welcoming as possible.
“In our experience, ‘game day active’ doesn’t come naturally to Australian crowds, especially when crowds are smaller. It is incredibly hard to get fans to let themselves go and join in with chanting or flag-waving on game days.
“Get to know us! For Dub Actives to have an impact, we need support in ritualizing what we do.
“That relies on visibility and validation of the value Actives can contribute to game day and in building community so that general fans can be proud to be a part of, or just to have a Dub Active group aligned to their club.
“There is definitely a unique experience being a non-capital city club. We do feel the consequences of our club having fewer resources, which affects our competitiveness, plus a smaller population catchment to draw fans from.
“Big variations in fan turnout really makes it hard to gain momentum in building a community and experience around the women’s games at home.
“But being in Newcastle just makes everyone more approachable – club, community, etc., One of the best perks is we have easy access to highly responsive and supportive club staff – at all levels.
“We know that our efforts are valued by the club because they tell us, and if we point out something that could be done better, they make space to listen.”
The new kids are not shy
When Western United joined the league, one of the most obvious signs of promise from the new club was an immediate presence at home games. Their opening match saw the full-season debut of The Western Core, a group formed from supporters of the men’s team, but separate in name and purpose.
It’s @J_Mac1422 last game today as her guest stint ends. What an impact she has had for us. Jess will forever be our first ever A-League goalscorer. We’re so grateful she said yes to come & play for our club. We hope this isn’t the last time we see Jess pull on a WUFC shirt🤞💚🖤 pic.twitter.com/c2ytIj9n4I
“The formation of The Western Core was welcomed by the club with open arms which was incredible and really motivating.
“The idea of the Core itself came about as soon as the licence was given but formally came to life in the early preseason as we wanted to do this properly and not just rush the launch.
“Little things like brainstorming our name, logo, chant videos, social media presence, and all those kinds of things took some time to finalize as we just wanted to get it right.
“Oh, and that banner, I’d love to know how many hours were spent painting and putting that together in time for round one.”
The Western Core worked closely with the club and the Western Services Crew (men’s support) so that there could be consistency across both teams. Sydney FC and Adelaide United have the same active support shared across both clubs, while Victory has completely separate organizations. Both have benefits and drawbacks, but The Core look to have found a good middle ground.
“We have to thank the leadership of the Crew for being so positive about our inclusion and being nothing but supportive of this group being the recognised active end for the A-League Women’s team.
“The Core itself was formed by individuals who are foundation members of the club and members who have shown a very keen interest in the women’s game from day one.
“Most of the people involved are individuals who have committed to supporting the women’s team long before the licence was given.
“A fair few of us actually attended Calder United’s finals games in the past couple of seasons to help support them and get a taste of our future you could say.
“I guess those heavily involved have just overall been very invested in the growth of Western United especially in the space of women’s football so being involved with The Western Core was naturally super easy. The signings the club made also made it really easy to get people excited about the team and the new journey our club has just begun.”
On the field, their team has swept aside almost all opposition, and the Western Core have enjoyed their start to life in women’s football.
“The friendly banter amongst the ALW community is so good. I think getting to know the other actives so quickly was a happy surprise. It is just a fun space to be a part of and so rewarding too.
“I don’t think any of our supporters at Western have yet to feel any hostility or anything of the like so far in the dub which has been phenomenal feedback as no one deserves to feel that way going to a football match and some of us have had those experiences in football before.
“Overall, though, we knew being a part of the ALW community and having an ALW to support was going to be awesome and we knew we were going to love every moment so it’s been everything we hoped it would be and more.”
The link between Western United and their sister club Calder United has given them a strong grassroots support base to grow from. While the club is waiting for its dedicated home ground to be constructed, The Western Core are working to make their presence felt.
“Western are also really trying to promote that sense of pride to be from the West and us die hard’s definitely feel that and that feeling is obviously heightened by playing in the west.
“To add to that, it is amazing to finally have female footballers wearing the black and green at A-League level.
“Our players are legends, they are some of the best people I’ve ever met. Just genuine role models on and off the field and that’s just given us so much more motivation to support them.
“As supporters, it has also been amazing to see the relationship with Calder United grow and how much the club have invested into this partnership. Girls in the west now have that genuine pathway to professional football from such a young age which is pretty damn awesome.
“We’ve spoken to so many people in the crowds, some with kids in Calder jerseys, and have discovered that young footballers are now aware and hoping to play in the NPLW for Calder so that they can be a part of Western United in a playing capacity. How good is that!”
“We don’t want to be overlooked because there are fewer of us”
That sense of community links those within the club and unites supporters across the leagues. Matchday rivalries are often confined to 90 minutes, with fans catching up with each other before and after games. Many Women’s active support groups were born from the Matildas Active Support. The trio of drums that played when Australia defeated Spain in Sydney were from Newcastle, Brisbane, and Melbourne, while the Capo on the megaphone was from Sydney FC’s Cove.
“I have been given the opportunity to meet and become friends with people we adore,” says Bonny from the Victory Vikings.
“People we never would have met if not for our collective love of woso. Any time we get to celebrate a goal together is amazing, Of course Amy’s goal (in the 2022 Grand Final) is highest on the list.
“Active support in woso is more about community and less about noise. Even with Matildas Active Support that’s true.”
It is a sentiment echoed across the league. The Little Corner members enjoy the positive vibes and are beloved in Australian football for their commitment to the game, and not just their own team.
“Women’s active is all about supporting your players, and there’s often good personal relations between the supporters and players.
“I don’t think I’ve heard anything disparaging about the opposition players or teams and towns. “So far, we’ve enjoyed hanging out with the actives we’ve met (shout out to the Vikings.)”
The Roar Corps reiterate the importance of Women’s Actives. Professional football is still in a precarious state in Australia, and the clubs that do not have separate women’s actives are valuable too.
They have bigger numbers and a louder megaphone to have issued heard. But the women’s game sometimes has different priorities. There is a constant battle for recognition and eternal vigilance for players’ conditions. Their advocacy is near full-time, completely voluntary, and essential to the growth of women’s football.
“We provide more than just atmosphere at the game because the players we are supporting have needed more than that,” say the Roar Corps
“We don’t want to be overlooked because there are fewer of us. We don’t want to be taken for granted for always being there despite some trying times and disappointments along the way. We want to maintain the positive, inclusive environment for which women’s football crowds are famous.”
Artwork: Charlotte Stacey, founder of On Her Side.
Local forward Chrissy Panagaris has signed for Adelaide United for the remainder of the season from NPLW South Australia side Adelaide Comets to bolster the club’s offensive stocks.
Panagaris has signed as an injury replacement for Emily Condon, who has been ruled out for the rest of the 2022/23 campaign but will not be available for tomorrow’s home game with Perth Glory, along with seven other players.
“Chrissy is a quality forward who definitely knows where the back of the net is, scoring 26 goals in 21 games across all competitions last year,” Adelaide United head coach Adrian Stenta said.
“Chrissy has had some experience with our professional set-up as a train-on player in the past and has continued to work hard to take the next step in her career. We’re very happy to be affording this opportunity to someone who has continued to improve and impress on the park.
“At the same time, it is disappointing to have Emily ruled out for the rest of this season. Her ongoing groin issues have hampered what was set to be another strong season from her, but we hope she will be able to rest and recover and get back to her best as soon as possible.”
Following last week’s departures of Chelsie Dawber and Xiao Yuyi, after the conclusions of their loans, Abby Middleton has also departed to seek further playing opportunities with Football South Australia’s NTC.
Above: Chrissy Panagaris – newly signed by Adelaide United. Photo: Adelaide Comets.
In unfortunate injury news, Hannah Holgersen, who signed a short-term contract ahead of Adelaide’s game against Canberra United last week, suffered a knee injury during her debut and will be sidelined for the foreseeable future.
“Hannah suffered a very unfortunate injury after coming on against Canberra last weekend and this will see her out for a number of weeks. We are hopeful, though, for both Ella Tonkin and Sasha Coorey to return to action in the next couple of weeks, which will be welcomed by the whole squad.
“Ella has been out since round three as a result of the fractured foot she sustained and Sasha has been sidelined for the last month and a half.
“Both players have worked very hard to get back to full fitness before the end of the season and we’re looking forward to having them back in a competitive capacity.”
Also absent tomorrow are Emilia Murray and Grace Wilson who are still on international duty with the Young Matildas.
MELBOURNE CITY:
by Ben Gilby
Above: Melbourne City boss Dario Vidosic at his media conference today ahead of Monday’s Melbourne Derby. Image: Melbourne City.
Melbourne City head coach Dario Vidosic is convinced that his side are in a good place going into Monday’s derby with Melbourne Victory.
After a period where his side were regularly losing players due to injury or international call-ups, Vidosic revealed that the return of further players joining Cote Rojas and Holly McNamara in contention for selection is not far away.
“Naomi (Chinnama) and ‘Bubs’ (Melissa Barbieri) are the most likely to be back. In the coming week or two Naomi could play. She is back in training with modifications. We’ve basically got the same squad available as last week.”
“Dani (Galic) is back on Sunday after Young Matildas duty after a very long flight. It’s hard having injuries, and KK being out for Victory, that’s hard too…the league needs all its best players on the pitch.
“We’ve got good quality and good young players that are ready if required. It is what it it. The way we work, everyone understands what is required in any specific moment. We’ve got people who are ready to come in, slot in, and play their part.”
Vidosic did identify that whilst it was a major boost to bring Rojas and McNamara back into the squad last week, it took a while for his side’s new-look attack to function to its full potential.
Above: Cote Rojas celebrating with Dani Galic. It is possible that both will play a part in Monday’s derby with Melbourne Victory. Photo: Melbourne City.
“We’ve reintroduced Cote after a couple of months, we’ve introduced Holly (McNamara) for the first time this season…we have goals in us, but just need to put chances away when they come. Sometimes we force it a bit too much, but we’re working on it.”
Rojas and McNamara joined New Zealand international Hannah Wilkinson up front against Newcastle Jets in a potent three-pronged attack. The City boss was coy about whether or not they will be deployed in the same way on Monday.
“All three have different qualities, and every opponent is different so we adapt to that. If we’re targeting a specific side, or how we want to defend, we look at how we want to approach the game, and then, with the quality of those players, we put them in the positions that will cause the opponents the most problems. It’s working out the runs, and the positions they need to take up.”
With Melbourne Victory needing to secure three points to hold off the challenge of Canberra United and Perth Glory for a Finals berth, Vidosic is expecting a tough test, but he feels his coaching staff have done more than enough homework to overcome anything the opposition can throw at City.
“It’s derby week, it’s a game that all of Australia looks forward to men’s or women’s. Both teams are in the hunt for finals, so it should be a great game.
“Last time, they were in a mid-block against us. They probably tried to play more on the counterattack. Whether or not it will be the same, I have reviewed their last few games and saw them at AAMI Park last time. We’ve seen a couple of things, they have had two weeks to prepare specifically for us having had the bye.”
Artwork: Charlotte Stacey, founder of On Her Side.
Above: Mairead Fulton of Glasgow City with her SWPL Player of the Month trophy for February. Photo: Colin Poultney/SWPL.
Glasgow City’s Mairead Fulton and Lauren Gordon of Montrose have collected the February 2022/23 Scottish Women’s Premier League (SWPL) Player of the Month awards.
Fulton becomes the first Glasgow City player to win the award this season. The last winner for the club was Priscilla Chinchilla back in May 2021.
The Scottish midfielder played the full 90 minutes in all three matches in February with City picking up maximum points and scoring 18 goals in the process.
Fulton provided five assists in the month including an incredible four in their 8-1 victory at home to Partick Thistle. She also delivered the final ball for two own goals, making her direct contribution for goals nearly 40%.
While recognised by her peers, Fulton’s performances for Glasgow City have often gone under the radar. With City and Fulton’s recent success, many believe it might not be long before she is considered for the Scotland Women’s national team.
Above: SWPL 2 Player of the Month for February, Montrose’s Lauren Gordon with her trophy. Photo: Malcolm Mackenzie/SWPL.
In SWPL 2, Lauren Gordon becomes the first-ever Montrose winner of the award after their promotion to the league at the start of the season.
Gordon, who joined from Aberdeen in December, has helped her side move to the top of the table and and they are now six points clear of their nearest rivals.
In February, the forward scored three goals in two games as Montrose secured maximum points. Gordon’s goals included the opener in their 5-1 win over East Fife and the only goal in their crucial 1-0 away win over Kilmarnock.
The nominees for the February SWPL award were Carla Boyce (Motherwell), Caitlin Hayes (Celtic), and Kirsty Howat (Rangers) and for the SWPL 2 award, the nominees were Lauren McGregor (Kilmarnock) and Jane O’Toole (Gartcairn).
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