Words: Emily Wilson
Image: Emily Wilson/Sunshine Coast FC

Sunshine Coast FC’s Open Women’s Team will be led by Dave Bensted as they embark on their inaugural PlayStation 4 NPL Senior Women’s season.

Bensted, who coached Fire’s Open Women’s Team last year in the South-East Queensland Women’s Premier League run by Football Brisbane, said he was hoping to build on the solid foundations of 2014.

“Last year was the first season the Fire fielded an Open Women’s Team since 2009, and we assembled a very young team,” Bensted explained.

“The players gained so much from last season playing against many quality players such as Bec Price (The Gap), Teagan Riding (Redlands United), Georgia Chapman (UQFC) and many more, and were able to secure a position in the top-half of the table after the league split, eventually finishing in seventh place.”

“The fact that the teams which played the best football last year were the most successful was also a good lesson for our squad,” he added.

Bensted said Fire had been able to retain several key players from last year’s team, as well as signing a number of players he hoped would provide experience in the developing squad.

“The core of our team is the same but we have also signed some players from the local teams - Danielle White (Kawana SC), Brooke Mathieson (Maroochydore FC) and former Peninsula Power player Danielle Collins.”

“The Gap and Redlands will again be setting the standard in the 2015 season, but I am confident with the experience gained in the previous year and the strong squad we’ve assembled we will be entering the season on a positive note.”