Words: Matt Dorman
Image: Chris Simpson

PlayStation® 4 NPL Queensland Women’s Safe Hands winner Bianca Warrener is just as proud of Palm Beach SC Women’s promising season as her own achievement.

Warrener will be presented with the award on Saturday night for keeping an individual-high eight clean sheets in helping Sharks to second place and a Grand Final berth.

The 24-year-old acknowledged 2015 as one of the finest years of her burgeoning career.

“It does feel that way, probably more so because of how well the team played together,” Warrener said.

“As a goalkeeper when your team and defensive line is doing the job in front of you, you don’t have to do too much which was the case in quite a few of the games. Hence probably the number of clean sheets I had.”

Sharks finished just one point shy of The Gap Women in the competition’s inaugural season before being edged 2-1 in September’s decider.

Warrener, an ever-present in the Gold Coast club’s charge, believes additional recognition for Golden Boot winner Deeanna Thompson and Young Player of the Year recipient Kiri Dale is well deserved.

“It would have been nice to win the Grand Final obviously but the team did tremendously well just to make the Grand Final itself,” she said.

“It’s still quite a young team. We had a few out injury-wise and players leaving on scholarships.

“All in all for Deeanna, myself and Kiri to get these awards it’s a reflection on the squad rather than us just individually.”

Warrener capped her award-winning season with 45 minutes against Brisbane Roar Women as part of the first PlayStation 4 NPL Queensland Women’s Select squad.

The Warwick product said the experience fuelled her desire to graduate to the next level.

“It’s a bit of extra motivation. We played a really good game,” she enthused.

“The environment was fantastic, plenty of people came out to watch the game, it was just a really great experience.”