by Ella McShane at the Sam Kerr Football Centre for Impetus (30/8/25)
Above: Fremantle City lift the Western Australian State Cup earlier today. Photo: Ella McShane for Impetus.
Fremantle City claimed their first Western Australian State Cup today with victory over Balcatta Etna at the Sam Kerr Football Centre.
Goals from Annabelle Leek (penalty), Sophie Meaden, and Leyna Wood ensured that the Port City side ended their season on a high, despite missing out on Top Four Cup action.
Freo came into this game having won nine of their last 12 games in league and cup, but still Balcatta had denied them a top four finish in the NPLW WA. Sam Geddes’ team were fully motivated to ensure that their superb run of form in the second half of the season got some reward.
This was a thrilling showdown where determination and grit were much in evidence. It was Balcatta who had the best of the early exchanges, and just five minutes in, Alyssa van Heurck struck a clear warning sign with a shot that forced a superb diving save from Fremantle City goalkeeper Megan Phillips.
Balcatta’s efforts to build carried a sustainable optimism ,with Fremantle’s strong but fleeting attacks on the counter a reminder that they too offered a threat.
Balcatta’s dominance continued to grow as they continued to control the midfield, prompting superb saves from Phillips.
The tide turned in the latter stages of the half for the port side when Mia Yeo’s excellent read of the play enabled her to break through the hitherto organised Balcatta defence. Called to action, Etna’s keeper Rebecca Bennett smothered the ball just enough to ward of danger.
Building on the momentum, Yeo made yet another spectacular charge up the centre a mere minute later. In a direct parallel to her previous chance, Yeo hit a shot from inside the left hand side of the box only for it to agonisingly be denied by the crossbar.
With Freo’s threat building, in the heat of the moment, Balcatta defender Zoee Spadano committed a handball in the box, resulting in a penalty being awarded. Captain Annabelle Leek stepped up to the penalty spot and secured Fremantle the lead with composure.
After the break, Fremantle continued to build on their attacking momentum and their efforts were rewarded just six minutes into the second half.
Abbey Green sent a screaming cross towards Fremantle’s favourable goal that was defended brilliantly by Balcatta with three shots cleared off the line, but Sophie Meaden was on hand to deservedly double the port city side’s lead, effortlessly tapping the goal into the bottom of the net.
As the half progressed, Balcatta steadied the ship and began to balance out the control of midfield once more.
However, Etna’s defence was kept on high alert throughout the half, notably when Leyna Wood made a surging run down the pitch, threatening Bennett’s goal. However, Bennett’s calm read of the threat neutralised danger with composure.
Wood continued to press, and in the 84th minute, her persistence paid off. Striding into the right-hand side of the box, the American’s initial shot was met by Bennett’s block. But Wood was quick to react, pouncing on the rebound and volleying the ball into the net to seal the historic 3-0 victory for Fremantle City with her 20th goal of the season.
Check out our Instagram page @ImpetusFootball for video from the game courtesy of Ella McShane and Max Parris.
Above: Bayern Munich Frauen celebrate their win. Photo: @DFB_Frauen1 on X.
The competition
The Google Pixel Supercup revives the discontinued German Women’s Supercup, which ran between 1992 and 1997, with the premise being that two of the nation’s top teams would compete for a pre-season trophy. The new iteration was launched in 2024, with Bayern handed the trophy after a tight 1-0 win over rivals Wolfsburg. The teams involved normally include the league winner and DFB Pokal winner – however as both were won by Bayern in 2024-25, league runners up Wolfsburg were once again the opposition in 2025.
The teams
Many new faces could be seen around the stadium as new Munich head coach Jose Barcola took charge of his first competitive match, and Stephan Lerch was back on the bench for VfL Wolfsburg. On the pitch, both starting lineups included summer signings: Johannes (from Frankfurt) and Levels (from Leverkusen) for the Wolves, and for Bayern, Danish player Ballisager (from Fiorentina).
The action
Any game between FC Bayern Munich and VfL Wolfsburg is going to be frought with rivalry, but few would have predicted the pure number of times the ref would blow her whistle in the first half. It was difficult for either team to get into the flow of the game, however Munich dominated from the earliest stages. Wolfsburg keeper Johannes was forced into action within the first ten minutes as Georgia Stanway fed Jovana Damnjanovic in the box and she had her first attempt of the match.
Whilst that attempt did not result in a goal, Munich did not have long to wait. 18 minutes in, central defender Magdalena Eriksson stayed forward after a set piece. Unmarked on the edge of the penalty area, she seized the chance and fired a powerful left-footed shot into the net.
Above: Magdalena Eriksson celebrates her goal. Photo: DFB_Frauen1 on X.
Bayern continued to dominate as Wolfsburg struggled to break out of their press, with no Wolfsburg players keeping the strong Bavarian midfield in check. Stanway was allowed to make runs into the box, where her interplay with Damnjanovic caused problems, and Linda Dallman was given ample space to roam on the right.
The second goal came five minutes after the first; Damnjanovic outpaced Joelle Wedemeyer and struck a powerful shot high at the near post. Close to the end of the half, Wolfsburg had their best chance as Dutch striker Lineth Beerensteyn hit the crossbar.
The second half was more open – with more chances on both sides. Wolfsburg pulled one back as Bayern failed to clear the ball in from a corner and Vivien Endemann shot home. There was celebration in the stands as Lena Oberdorf made her long-awaited return from injury for the Munich team on the hour mark, and the game ebbed as both sides fought for the momentum.
Above: Lena Oberdorf makes her return. Photo: DFB_Frauen1 on X.
The goal of the match came from Bayern as they restored their two goal lead in the 72nd minute. Lea Schüller’s last act in the match was to produce a sublime volley as she received the ball on her left, chested the ball, turned and shot with her right.
The fourth goal came as Justine Kielland was adjudged to have brought down Damnjanovic in the box, leading to a red card and a penalty to Bayern. Stanway shot home with confidence to put the game out of reach for Wolfsburg.
In the final minutes of the match, Wolfsburg were awarded a penalty of their own as Lena Oberdorf fouled Beerensteyn on the edge of the box. Janina Minge converted past Mahmutovic.
Bayern Munich kick off the Frauen Bundesliga season against Bayer Leverkusen at the Allianz Arena on the 6th of September. Wolfsburg are away to Hamburger SV.
Above: AS Roma celebrate their win. Photo: ASRomaFemminile on X.
In our final roundup of the second round UWCL qualifiers, Alyce Collett documents Roma’s triumph over Aktobe and Athlone Town’s defeat to Iceland’s Breidablik.
AS Roma 2 – 0 FK Aktobe
Winonah Heatley and AS Roma’s Champions League campaign is off to the perfect start after downing Kazakh side Aktobe 2-0 in the semi final of their Round 2 League Path group. The Aussie played the full match at the heart of defence as Roma dominated Aktobe, despite what the scoreline might suggest.
Above: AS Roma starting eleven. Photo: ASRomaFemminile on X.
It was clear from the onset that it was going to be a hard afternoon for Aktobe, with AS Roma on the attacking front foot from almost the first whistle. The Kazakh side did have their chances with the ball in their attacking half, but did spend the majority of the match crowding their defensive box, trying to keep the ball out of their net and staving off Roma attack after Roma attack. Roma were so dominant in the possession game that the Italians finished with 31 total shots on goal and 13 corners for the match.
Eventually Roma was able to break down the defence and score. Firstly in the 40th minute it was Marta Pandini who guided a well placed Rinsola Babajide cross into the back of the net, before Pandini turned assister for Giulia Galli a mere minute later.
Roma now moves on to face Czech side Sparta Praha, who defeated Danish side Nordsjælland 4-3 on penalties after it finished four goals all at full time.
Not all hope of continental football is lost for Aktobe though. Despite losing their semi final, if they win their third placed match this weekend against Nordsjælland, they will qualify for the first round of the brand new Europa Cup.
Breidablik 3 – 1 Athlone Town
Athlone Town’s historic first foray into the Women’s Champions League is over, after an at times frustrating 3-1 loss to Iceland’s Breidablik.
Above: Athlone Town huddle. Photo: Athlone Town website.
The first half of the match was a pretty even affair, with plenty of free flowing, end to end action. Despite this, Athlone did look the more dangerous of the two sides initially, not only racking up more shots than their Icelandic opponents but also Athlone’s shots were closer to scoring than Briedablik’s.
The sides went into half time without any goals to show for their efforts, but there was a feeling that it was a matter of when, not if Athlone would score, which just was not there for Breidablik.
However, the Icelanders had other ideas, and took not even three minutes of the second half to score, when Sammy Smith pounced on Athlone keeper Megan Plaschko losing possession to score the first goal of the match against the run of play.
However, not all was said and done as Athlone equalised just over 10 minutes later. Although it was officially credited to captain Izzy Groves, it could be argued that it was in fact a third Olympico of the qualifying campaign Maddie Gibson.
The equalisation efforts were ultimately in vain though, as Smith popped up again to score her second and restore the lead for Breidablik before Berglind Björg Þorvaldsdóttir put a full stop on the result with a strong strike from distance.
Not all hope of continental football is lost for The Town though. If they win their third placed match on Sunday against Crvena Zvezda, they will qualify for the first round of the brand new Europa Cup.
Round 25 delivered drama, late twists, and individual brilliance across every fixture, with fans treated to one of the most entertaining weekends of football this season. Here’s how the action unfolded.
Match of the Round – Mt Druitt Town Rangers 2–3 Sydney Olympic | Popondetta Park
Sydney Olympic secured their place in the league for another year with a nerve-shredding win over Mt Druitt Town Rangers.
The night began disastrously for the visitors when Erin Tavares struck inside two minutes to give the Rangers the lead. Olympic, though, refused to panic. Tiana Fuller drew them level, Baxter Thew edged them ahead, and Alyssa Whinham added a third just before halftime.
Rosie Galea halved the deficit after the interval to give Mt Druitt hope, but Olympic dug deep to protect their advantage until the final whistle — three priceless points that guarantee survival.
NWS Spirit 3–0 Macarthur Rams | Christie Park
NWS Spirit’s faint finals ambitions remain alive thanks to a stunning hat-trick from Skye Halmarick in their win over the Rams.
Bethany Gordon split the defence with a superb lofted pass, and Halmarick controlled beautifully before rifling home the opener. Minutes later she produced the goal of the afternoon, launching an audacious strike from halfway that sailed over the goalkeeper.
The striker then completed her treble in the dying minutes, curling an unstoppable free-kick into the top corner — a performance that will live long in Spirit folklore.
Bulls FC Academy 4–1 Gladesville Ravens | Northbridge Oval
The Bulls roared back into form with a dominant victory over Gladesville Ravens.
Isabella Coco-Di Sipio rose highest at a corner to head the opener, then set up Jynaya Dos Santos for the second soon after. Petria Phillips added a spectacular third from distance to all but put the game to bed within 30 minutes.
The Ravens did respond through Allyssa Ng Saad, who volleyed home after a clever assist from Morgan Roberts, but Coco-Di Sipio struck again almost immediately with another long-range effort. From there, the Bulls calmly saw the game out.
UNSW 3–2 Manly United | The Village Green
UNSW edged a thrilling contest against Manly United in a clash that could define the race for fourth spot.
Aya Yamahata’s powerful header gave UNSW the breakthrough, and Demi Koulizakis made it 2-0 shortly before the break. Manly fought back strongly after halftime — Ruby Jackson scrambled one in from a corner, before Alexia Forner’s free-kick took a wicked deflection to level the scores.
But deep into stoppage time, UNSW found a winner. Chloe Smith pounced on a loose ball in the box in the 97th minute, sealing an unforgettable victory for the home side.
Illawarra Stingrays 2–2 APIA Leichhardt | Macedonia Park
The Stingrays were denied a crucial win right at the death as league leaders APIA salvaged a late draw.
Sienna Saveska’s vicious free-kick had the hosts in front early, but Ashlie Crofts’ clever run and tidy finish brought APIA back on terms. After the break, Caitlin Cooper unleashed a rocket from distance to restore Illawarra’s advantage.
The Stingrays looked set to celebrate three points — until Gisella Pipino’s injury-time header silenced the home crowd and ensured APIA left with a share of the spoils.
Western Sydney Wanderers 0–1 Northern Tigers | Wanderers Football Park
The Tigers prevailed in a scrappy contest thanks to an early goalmouth scramble.
A corner caused chaos for the Wanderers, whose goalkeeper spilled the initial header. In the ensuing mess, the ball ricocheted off a defender before falling kindly for Mischa Anderson to knock in from close range.
That eighth-minute strike proved decisive, as the Tigers successfully absorbed pressure for the remainder of the game to secure the win.
Sydney University 2–1 Newcastle Jets | Sydney Uni Football Ground
Sydney Uni halted their losing streak with a narrow win over bottom-placed Newcastle Jets.
A swift break allowed Tiana Petkovski to slot in the opener, though the Jets equalised after Marni Duggan reacted fastest to a goalkeeper’s spill.
The decisive moment came before halftime, when Charlotte Hogan connected with a clearance on the edge of the box and lashed home a fierce half-volley. The Jets battled gamely but couldn’t find a response, and Uni claimed a valuable three points.
Above: Manchester United celebrate beating PSV. Photo: ManUtdWomen on X.
Dutch champions FC Twente and second-place PSV were both in action on Wednesday evening, in the second round of UWCL qualifiers. PSV had the tougher duel, with England’s Manchester United their opponent, whilst Twente faced Serbian opponents ZFK Crvena zvezda.
Manchester United 4 – 0 PSV
PSV will not be a familiar opponent for many English viewers, however they have become a strong team domestically. Last season in the Eredivisie, they pushed dominant Twente to the last day of the title race, only losing on goal difference. They have experienced internationals in their team, such as the Netherlands’ Renate Jansen, Switzerland’s Riola Xhemaili and Belgian keeper Nicky Evrard.
United have been experimenting with formation in pre-season friendlies, with Leah Galton and Celin Bizet switching sides at points, with the wingbacks pushing very high up the pitch. This trend continued; Swedish Anna Sandberg came in for Gabby George, and Dominique Janssen and Jade Riviere switched places at times as United switched between a back three and a back two.
Lisa Naalsund slotted into midfield alongside Ella Toone and Hinata Miyazawa, and the trio offered a balance that United were missing at times last season. New signing Julia Zigiotti Olme formed the right side of a front three alongside Celin Bizet and Elisabeth Terland.
For PSV, the biggest team news was that veteran keeper Nicky Evrard was on the bench. The 30-year-old has been a strong presence in the PSV backline that only conceded 13 goals in 22 games last season – and with the number of defensive changes in personnel, her exclusion came as a surprise.
United were dominant from the first minute, with Terland opening the scoring in the seventh minute. Bizet made it two before half-time, Terland added a third just after and then a fourth around the hour mark to complete the hattrick.
Above: Elisabeth Terland for Manchester United. Photo: ManUtdWomen on X.
Terland has often put the work in and unselfishly created space in the attacking third for her teammates, so her hattrick was nice to see. Ella Toone also had a hattrick of assists, continuing her stellar form in 2025 and giving head coach Marc Skinner a headache over team selection.
For PSV, their one major chance only served to produce an impressive save from Phallon Tullis-Joyce, as Chimera Ripa used some excellent technical footwork to create a chance for herself. They will have the chance to compete in the Europa league this season, facing Ukranian opposition in WFC Zhytlobud-1 Kharkiv.
For United, a meeting with Hammarby awaits. They are guaranteed European football this season, be it in the UWCL or the new Europa league.
FC Twente 6 – 0 ZFK Crvena zvezda
Whilst many questioned Jill Roord’s move from Manchester City to FC Twente earlier this summer, the Dutch team did offer something City could not: the potential of European football. The reigning Dutch champions were in good form coming into UWCL qualifying, having pipped PSV to the Supercup last weekend, and are under a new manager in Corina Dekker following the successful reign of Joran Pot.
Twente lined up largely as expected, with Roord in the number 10 role behind Jaimy Ravensbergen – last Eredivisie season’s top scorer. Whilst Twente had not been in electrifying goal scoring form during pre-season, there is a relationship developing between the two, which was on display against zvezda.
Above: Jaimy Ravensbergen celebrates. Photo: FCTwenteVrouwen on X.
The first half was relatively slow, with few chances for either side. Twente looked rather disjointed – perhaps to be expected. At times it seemed like the team implsively wanted to get the ball to Roord, regardless of her position or preparedness for the ball. This waned after half-time, and Ravensbergen opened the scoring on the hour mark.
This was followed by a strike from Roord in the 78th minute, and the floodgates opened, with four more goals coming in quick succession from Alieke Tuin, Roord again, Sophie Proost, and Eva Oude Elberink.
Above: Jill Roord celebrates. Photo: Vincent Jannink / Turbantia.
Twente move on to the next round where they will face Iceland’s Breioablik Kopavogur, whilst zvezda face the Irish Athlone Town FC for a spot in the Europa league.
Above: The Player Edition Nike boot designed with Sam Kerr.
Sam Kerr has joined some of the world’s greatest athletes in having her own Nike shoe. The football boot, a player edition of the Mercurial Superfly 10.
The boot design is a tribute to Sam’s journey as a professional footballer, showcasing the unique attitude she brings to the pitch, and her enduring love for Perth and her roots.
“Through the creation process it was always important that the boot should tell my story,” Kerr said through Nike.
“How this kid from East Fremantle got this far following her dreams.
“The colours of the boot are what I think of when I think of home – Perth’s ocean and sunsets. It’s a reminder of where I’m from,” she continued.
The boot is adorned with messaging personal to Australia’s record goal scorer. “Consistent” for her mantra, “Perth Swagger” for a nod to her hometown’s unique identity and “Forever Forward” for her on-pitch position.
It also includes numbers like “2009” for her debut year with the Matildas, “Golden in 2017” for her first golden boot, and “2020 for the Blues” as a celebration of Chelsea’s landmark campaign.
Each boot will also feature Kerr’s signature on the heel and the design is a nod to one of her sporting idols. They feature a stripe down the toe to evoke Cathy Freeman’s famous body suit of the Sydney Olympics and the number “2000” at the top of the stripe.
The timing of the boots release could not have come better, with Kerr preparing to return from a long-term knee injury and begin the quest for another WSL title with Chelsea.
With her return to the Australian national team hopefully imminent, Matildas fans could be seeing Kerr scoring in her personalised Mercurial 10’s in the forthcoming games against Wales.
It also marks another big moment in women’s football, with a personalised boot almost unheard of when Kerr made her debut for the national team. With specialised women’s boots becoming more common, and participation in Australia continuing to grow, it feels fitting that our most successful individual player has her own personalised Nike boot.
Above: Hibernian captain Rachael Boyle scores for Hibernian. Photo: HibernianWomen on X.
Glasgow City 0-2 Austria Wien
Two moments of quality saw Austria Wien move past Glasgow in a tight game.
Both teams imposed themselves on the game in the first half, with possession and chances shared pretty evenly between the two teams. Neither of them could find the back of the net, and it was clear that it would take a moment of great quality to open the scoring. For the group hosts, that moment came early in the second half, with Katharina Schiechtl whipping a free kick past Lee Gibson in the Glasgow goal.
Glasgow did push for the equaliser, although they were never quite on top of their opponents as much as they needed to be. Sofia Maatta and Emily Whelan were both inches away from the scoring, but the other goal of the game was to be scored Maria Olsen of Austria Wien in injury time to secure the result.
Above: Glasgow City thank their fans post-match. Photo: GlasgowCityFC on X.
For Austria Wien, they go on to a tie against FC Minsk to put them through into the third round of qualifying for the Champions League. For Glasgow City, they go straight into the first round of qualifying for the Europa Cup, which is a new second tier European competition. This is because they were only drawn into a group of three and thus there is no ‘loser’ from the first game to play to determine that third place.
Fortuna Hjorring 2-1 Hibernian
Goalkeeping errors proved costly as Fortuna snuck past Scottish Champions Hibs in a game were neither team showcased the performances that won them the subsequent league titles.
Above: Hibernian’s starting 11. Photo: HibernianWomen on X.
The first five minutes gave an indication of how the game was going to go. After a huge miscommunication at the back, Andreea Paraluta in the Fortuna Hjorring goal was caught on the ball by Rosie Livingstone, leaving the keeper no choice but to take her out and a penalty was given. The ever-reliable Kathleen McGovern stepped up and looked to have put Hibs in front with a nice powerful shot towards the top left corner. However, Paraluta redeemed herself with a fantastic save to push it over the bar.
From the ensuing corner – as unbelievable as it sounds – Omewa Ogochukwu was played in behind the defence, and Noa Schumacher in goal for Hibs misjudged the situation, allowing Ugochuckwu to dribble past her. As the only option left, Schumacher rugby tackled the Nigerian striker to the ground and it was now a Fortuna penalty.
It is worth saying that this was much worse of an offence, denying a clear goalscoring opportunity and there was clearly no effort to play the ball – she was lucky to escape a red card. Ugochuckwo only went and blasted the ball over the bar after all of that drama to somehow leave the game 0-0.
Although it was played at night, the temperatures were 27 degrees Celsuis in Cyrpus and this massively affected the game. Neither team looked at their best, with no flow of possession ever being created. The whistle was blown a lot and no one put their mark of the game.
Hibs came out rejuvenated in the second half, partly because of the introduction of Caley Gibb, who defended brilliantly and provided most of Hibs’ attacking threat from the right back position. Indeed it was her work on the wing and cross which eventually found its was to Rachael Boyle, who put it home for her first goal in 934 days. This really settled Hibs and they started the take control of the game and were looking secure in their lead.
However, this game was never simple or predictable so when Ashley Reifner put a ball in to the edge of the box, Ugochuckwu beat the defence to get their first, but she was so far out that surely the keeper would easily save it. Noa Schumacher unfortunately has misread the cross and came sprinting out of her line, attempting to punch the ball away and thus when she didn’t reach it the ball was free to slowly roll in. If she had just stayed back it would have been an easy claim.
As both teams toiled even further, the game felt like it was going to penalties. Neither team seemed to have enough in them to string any passes or an attack together even in 30 minutes of extra time.
As time ran out, Schumacher did well to save a great long shot from Fortuna and the Danish side had a late corner. It was a great ball in from Nikoline Nielsen, but what defined the goal was another error rather than that skill. Clearly wanting to assert herself back into the game, Schumacher jumped and got a hand on the ball. As unlucky as it was for her, instead of punching the ball over, she ended up punching it straight into the goal, ultimately sealing the fate of her team.
Fortuna Hjorring go on to face Swiss side Young Boys, who beat Apollen 1-0 in an unconvincing win earlier on Sunday. Should they get past them, they will enter round three Champions League qualifying, but they can solace in the fact that if they lose Europe is still on the horizon as they will go into round two qualifying for the Europa cup.
Hibernian will face Apollen on Saturday, aiming to come third in the group and at least gain entry to round one of Europa Cup qualification.
Above: Matilda Böhm (azure shirt) puts in a tackle against Balcatta Etna during the month. Photo: Rob Lizzi.
28/8/25
We’ve assembled a group of people who are watching the competition’s matches especially closely to identify the league’s most consistent players each month. For August, Ben Gilby, Kelechi Osunwa, and Tommy Doleman produced a shortlist of players, from which the winner was selected.
The shortlist
Cate McAuliffe (Football West Academy)
Above: Cate McAuliffe (facing camera) – has been superb for the Football West Academy this month. Photo: U18sNPL
The Football West Academy has confirmed a spot in the top four after a tough month that has seen them overcome a backlog of matches due to their participation in the Young Matildas Championships in New South Wales and the weather, which necessitated the rearranging of their State Cup Semi-Final with Fremantle City.
Whilst results haven’t gone the way the teenage side would have liked during August, with the exception of an impressive win over Perth RedStar, Cate McAuliffe has been a real standout throughout the games.
The midfielder scored three times (against Fremantle City in the State Cup semi plus league strikes against Murdoch University Melville and Perth RedStar) and was a hugely influential presence in her side’s ever dangerous attack as evidenced by her superb assist for Lacey Heys’ opening goal at Perth SC in Round 21.
Whilst dropped points put a major spanner in the works of their hopes of a top two finish, it has been a strong month for McAuliffe, and her side will be confident of defeating anyone during the Top Four Cup.
Jess Flannery (Perth SC)
Above: Jess Flannery (azure shirt) looks up as she breaks through against the Football West Academy in Round 21. Photo: Rob Lizzi.
The June winner of the Impetus NPLW WA Player of the Month award has had another strong set of performances in August.
Flannery caught the eye with an intelligent performance at Perth RedStar, where she was not only a key part of the attack, but also got back to support her defence in the second half when RedStar began to put the pressure on in a crucial game in the championship race.
Across the month, her runs into space, support to her teammates, and devastating attacking play have marked her out as a real danger player.
The attacker has been on target twice during the month in her side’s wins over Subiaco and Balcatta Etna.
Leyna Wood (Fremantle City)
Above: Leyna Wood (black shirt) in action at Subiaco earlier this season. Photo: Denyse RM Photography.
It is a second consecutive nomination for Fremantle City’s American attacker, who has been a key part of her side’s push for a place in the Top Four.
Once well-adrift of the leading clubs, Freo embarked on a superb run of results which had them breathing down Balcatta Etna’s neck for that last spot in the September action, as well as clinching a State Cup Final slot against Pete Rakic’s side this coming weekend.
Wood has become a major handful for the league’s defenders, and added five goals to her tally during the month following braces against Perth RedStar and UWA-Nedlands, with the other strike coming against Subiaco.
Impetus NPLW WA Player of the Month for August 2025:
Matilda Böhm (Perth SC)
Above: Matilda Böhm – Impetus‘ NPLW WA Player of the Month for August. Photo: Denyse RM Photography.
Matilda Böhm has had an outstanding month. Part of a Perth SC defence that has only conceded 14 league goals all season, the German is not only a key part of the Azzurri‘s brick wall, but she has such cultured footwork that brings those in front of her into the game.
Bohm’s brilliance has been seen in the month’s big games against fellow top four sides Perth RedStar, the Football West Academy, and Balcatta Etna, where her side earned 10 points from a possible 12 that ensured they clinched a first-ever NPLW WA championship.
On the money perfectly weighted passes that dissected opponents’ midfield to play in her team’s attackers were crucial aspects in Perth’s unbeaten run during the month, as well as her continued strength in defending.
Impetus NPLW WA Player of the Month Roll of Honour 2025 season
Above: Princess Ibini lifts the 2023-24 A-League Women Championship Trophy. Image: Kris Goman for Impetus.
By Genevieve Henry (28/8/25).
One of the greatest Sky Blue and A-League Women players of all time in Princess Ibini is departing Sydney FC for an unnamed overseas opportunity. Her absence will be mourned as head coach Ante Juric called her the “heart and soul of Sydney for the past ten years.”
At just 25 years of age, Ibini will leave as the most capped Sydney Women’s player of all time with 163 appearances. She holds many impressive records, including being the only player–man or woman– to appear in 8 Grand Finals. Her honours include three Championships (2018–19, 2022–23, 2023–24) and three Premierships (2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23), as well as being part of the first A-League All Stars Women Team in 2024. She was also recognised when she was awarded the Sydney FC Rising Star Award in 2018–19.
Her 31 goals certainly paint a good picture of her contribution, but do little to represent the full story of her time in Sky Blue. Ibini’s presence as a leader on and off the field have been vital during the continuous changeover of players, providing a constant presence.
“She’s a fierce competitor, a wonderful teammate and has contributed massively to our success with her goals, assists, and leadership,” said Juric, who expressed nothing but gratitude and pride to see her take this next step.
Ibini started her career as a 15 year-old, making her debut in Canberra in 2015. After a decade with her hometown club, it’s finally her time to embark on a new adventure.
Above: Ibini during one of many ALW appearances in Sky Blue. Image: Sydney FC.
“I’m so thankful to Sydney FC for believing in me as a 15-year-old and giving me the chance to live out my dream,” Ibini said. “It’s been an incredible journey — to play so many games, win so many trophies, and to make friendships that will last a lifetime.”
Juric has seen Ibini grow immensely over the years and was full of praise for the striker. “Princess has been the heart and soul of Sydney FC for the last ten seasons,” he said. “She joined us as a young teenager and grew into one of the most consistent and reliable players this league has seen.”
For fans of the A-League Women, Ibini will be sorely missed. She has been not just a star, but a staple of the league for so long that many cannot imagine the league without her. But, as the ALW has often been seen as a jumping off point, most will be thrilled to see her ply her trade abroad. Juric’s thoughts likely reflect the group sentiment of the entirety of the Australian women’s football community, saying, “We’ll miss her dearly, but we’re incredibly proud to see her take this next step.”
“This club will always have a special place in my heart, and I’m excited to see what the future holds.” Ibini continued, “Wearing the Sky Blue shirt has been one of the greatest honours of my life, and I leave full of pride in everything we’ve achieved together.
Above: Dominique Janssen for the Netherlands national team. Photo: @oranjevrouwen on X.
After a summer packed with international tournaments, club football takes center stage again. This year, Manchester United aim to build on just their second-ever top-three WSL finish. Ahead of the 2025–26 season kicking off on September 6th, Impetus Football’s Catherine MacKenzie sat down with United and Netherlands defender (and occasional midfielder) Dominique Janssen.
So I thought I would just start by just asking how you are. You’ve been in Manchester at United now, for a year. So how that’s been?
DJ: Now first of all I am doing good, it has been a good pre-season so far. Gradually trying to just get, you know, started on the real work, with the Champions League qualifications coming up next week, so that’s that’s very exciting. I’ve been here now for one year, I think time just generally flies. Even though there are always times where you feel that you have a bit of a tough time, it’s normal, you know, moving away to a new country.
But obviously I’ve done it before, but I mean moving here just building your life again. It’s you know, once you get older your values are more and more to have the right people around you. But yeah I settled in well and I’m just really looking forward now to the next season. I just think it’s crazy. How quick the time goes and that now already one another great season is done and we go into the next games into the next season again.
I was reading up and you were at Wolfsburg for five years. What’s the transition been like, and have you noticed a load of changes within the standard of the WSL?
DJ: Yeah, generally, I just feel like the attention. You know, for the games and the media attention has grown massively like obviously England is a country made for football. So it’s just really fun to see that they keep those standards high obviously. It’s nice that everyone gets a lot of exposure. Um, and of course, when the national team is being successful this year again, that’s a massive push for the league as well. So it’s nice to see that.
It’s just been pushing forward and we want to generally push forward in the women’s game and I think it’s important that it comes with success. England’s having some successes and you can see how many people want to go to England and play in the English league. Now again, how many big players are coming to the WSL? It shows that everyone wants to play here. Everyone wants to compete here. Everyone wants to get some prizes here.
I was actually going to ask about that because there’s a lot of Dutch players in the league. What do you think makes Dutch players fit in so well, because you came across and you seemed to seamlessly kind of fit in and I know you had prior experience in England, but we’re seeing the same with other Dutch players.They come in and it just seems like they’ve always been here. Do you think there’s something special within like the two countries, how we both perceive football or styles of play?
DJ: I just think generally we as Dutch people, we are very good at adjusting because we are a small country. Obviously, we are close to Germany, Belgium. Most of the people can speak a little bit of German, because we’re so close to the German borders. Then we all can speak very well English. So when people go to a country, you know, I think that we are just very flexible and we’re really good at adjusting and just want to really get to know the culture the country that we are in. So I think that’s also what makes it easy.
And and also we as Dutch people, I think the development that we have – we want to play football. So I think the English style of football is maybe different than the Dutch style but because we learn to play football very technically from when we are young, that obviously helps. When you go to a league where the speed is going to be higher than in the Dutch League, for example. I think that’s also one of the reasons why so many people just come here and they adjust so easily. So I think it’s really, you know, nice to see that and nice to hear as well that you’re saying. It seems like you guys just come in and it seems like you’ve never been anywhere else. Yeah, so I just take that as a compliment.
And I was just going to ask about the Bundesliga as well. Uh, kind of how that compares to the WSL. Not which one is better, but kind of any similarities or major differences between between the two leagues.
DJ: I also think it depends on what team you play for. Because I remember when I was playing at Wolfsburg, we are most of the times the favourites, because Wolfsburg won so many prizes in Germany.. You have everything to lose and you just want to win every single game because that’s the standard there is. Um, we just had a lot of the ball there attacking a lot. You’re the favourite in every game. And here in England it’s….if you’re playing for a big club, even if you play for Chelsea, or even Arsenal, and for us Man United…everyone wants to beat you and you have so many good teams that even the, I guess the top four with Man City or Chelsea, we we all want to beat each other as well.
We all want to become Champions so there’s so much competition going on and if you compare it to Germany, I think now as well they are improving. Like there are more teams that also stepping up at this point and making it the big teams difficult. In England, it is like if you have one bad day, you can even, you know, lose against or drop points against maybe someone that’s about to relegate. And I think that’s just a massive difference if you just compare it to the German league and the and the WSL.
It’s like I still think that they are also at a really good level because the WSL, I noticed that I feel like it’s way more physical. There is way more speed involved and that’s like a very important aspect. Germany obviously is also yeah it’s important that you know your physical and stuff but I don’t know, I feel like the attention is way more on that here in England than it was in Germany.
Above: Janssen at Wolfsburg. Photo: Wolfsburg website.
I was gonna ask if it’s different because when you were with Wolfsburg, like you said, you’re the favourites.So you kind of have Wolfsburg and Bayern always competing for first. Now you’ve got challengers, you’ve got Frankfurt coming in sometimes challenging. United are very much one of the challengers, like, you’re always pushing Chelsea. Is that a different mindset, like is that a different way of thinking about things?
DJ: Uh yeah I think that’s definitely different. You know, like you said in Germany, if you have one team that you really have to beat, you know, you have to do your job every single week, but then it’s important that when you play for example, Bayern Munich, you have to make sure you win that game because that could be a decider. And England is just completely different because you have so many top teams and I was… well, even London City Lionesses is coming up, but seeing what type of players they are signing….Yeah, I think it was very interesting to see how this is gonna go because they can also be a surprising team and just make teams, you know, have a hard time.
So I think that’s the very exciting part and that’s also what draws so many players to England. Because even if you play for, let’s say Aston Villa, where I know some Dutch players, or the London City Lionesses or whatever, those teams can still surprise and get some points off you. Yeah but I think that’s just very exciting.
Uh I have to let you go in a minute, but I just wanted to ask about preseason, how important is it. And I know that you are a big advocate of well-being and looking after your well-being. So how important is it ahead of a new season? Kind of how to get your yourself ready?
DJ: Yeah, I think now it’s extra challenging because obviously we had the Euros and players are having less time off, you know, to really switch off than if you just don’t have a big tournament in the summer. But I think the club has been pretty good. They have been giving us all some some time off which after a big tournament after being away for so many weeks with the with the national team. I think it’s important that you you have some time to just switch off and just do whatever feels good for you in the moment.
If you’re, you know, if you go to the Euros, it’s every day. You just have to go go and there’s not really time to think or not really time to rest. Um, personally, to be honest, I decided this time also after the Euros to just stay at home, just be at my mom’s place. And just every day, I just felt like, okay, today this feels good to to do for me. So I’m gonna do this, but maybe another day I plan to do something another day I plan to do nothing.
So for me, it was just very important to just do whatever felt right in the moment, because there are so many emotions, so many things happening in your head and you just need to really be able to switch off where after, having two weeks off. This point where you feel like, okay now is the right time to go again. Um, so that was that was a nice feeling because sometimes you feel like, okay, I’m never gonna be ready to start a whole new season all over again. But you need the time to be able to switch off to then get that new energy and actually get that new excitement to start another season because if I think about it I’m 30. Now I’ve had 12 seasons behind me in professional level and that’s actually insane if you think about it.
Above: Janssen started all three of the Netherlands’ games at WEURO2025. Above against England. Photo: Oranje website.
You left the Netherlands, when you were, I looked it up. I think you were 17. So you were very young when you started playing for Essen.
DJ: I was 18 yeah.
Wow. One, two more questions actually quickly. What do you do to switch off?
DJ: Um, if we’re talking about the importance of switching off, Um, well, this time I decided to spend loads of time with uh, with my family. I spend lots of time with my mum. I spent lots of time with my, my brother and my sister and their kids. Their kids are amazing. And so it’s nice to just play with them and just be a little bit yourself basically. So um just trying to fulfil my auntie duties because obviously I’m not uh there so often. I was really enjoying it, so that gives me a lot of energy and a lot of you know, time to switch over, not think about football. Um, so that was for me this summer really, really nice. To have so much time with them and just really enjoy it.
And then, lastly, I’m going to be sneaky and quickly ask about your book because I know that you wrote a bookwith your sister. Um, can I ask whether there’s any plans to translate into English at all?
DJ: Um, well, it started off as a really good idea, I think. And then we did it, but I feel like we haven’t pushed it as much as we wanted to. So we’re just trying to figure everything out. What we want to do before actually seeing if we want to expand it. Yeah, yeah, so that’s something that’s for now. It’s sort of on a hold. You know, you never know what’s going to happen in the future, so maybe one day we will, of course.
Well, thank you so much for talking to me. Sorry, I couldn’t be there in person. I really wanted to be.
DJ: That’s fine. Thank you as well.
Manchester United kick off their WSL campaign at home to Leicester City on Saturday 5th September.
impetusfootball.org 