NPL Women's Night Series: New dawn for female football
Football West News
Balcatta keeper Gabby Dal Busco, in action for the Gold Fields Women's State Team against Perth Glory
It’s the first chapter of a new era for female football in Western Australia with the opening round of the pre-season Night Series.
The eight teams who were invited to form the inaugural NPLWA – Women’s competition all start on Sunday, with two matches apiece at Dorrien Gardens and Edinburgh Oval.
Four of the clubs – Balcatta, Fremantle City, Hyundai NTC and Northern Redbacks – had teams in the Women’s Premier League last season, while Subiaco, Murdoch University Melville and Curtin University were represented in the State League.
That leaves Perth SC, the dominant men’s team who are aiming to make an impression in the elite women’s comp.
The Azzurri begin at home against Subiaco in Group A and have recruited strongly with keeper Bec Bennett, Emily Henderson, Tessa De Leo, Jaime Duncanson and former Perth Glory midfielder Elisa D’Ovidio in their squad.
That match is followed by the Group B fixture between Fremantle City and Hyundai NTC Women.
The NTC are now coached by Ben Anderton, who led Queens Park to an unbeaten league season in 2018. However, they will start the Night Series without the likes of Leticia McKenna, Hana Lowry, Taneesha Baker and Abbey Green, who are still involved with the Perth Glory W-League squad. Fremantle, meanwhile, boasted two of the three joint-winners of the 2019 Women’s Gold Medal in Gemma Craine and Laura Waltman.
The opening game at Edinburgh Oval is in Group B between Curtin University and Balcatta. Curtin have Premier League experience in the form of Nina Boorman, Tatiana Gonzales and Caitlyn Broomhead, while Balcatta can again rely on the talent of Gabby Dal Busco, Epril Nossent and Christiane Astorp.
Then it is Murdoch Uni against Northern Redbacks in Group B. Redbacks have retained the majority of the squad which won the Women’s Premier title in 2019 including the third Gold Medal recipient from last season, Shawn Billam.
MUM FC have brought in a number of players from Queens Park, including Jaymee Gibbons, Ellie La Monte, Thalia Organ, Sadie Lawrence, Kate Schubert and Poppie Hooks, plus Balcatta’s Baxter Thew. Dual Goal Medal winner Katarina Jukic has also signed up but is currently with Perth Glory.
FIXTURES
Round One
Sunday, 9 February
Group A
Perth SC v Subiaco (Dorrien Gardens, 5pm)
Murdoch University Melville v Northern Redbacks (Edinburgh Oval, 7pm)
Group B
Curtin University v Balcatta (Edinburgh Oval, 5pm)
Fremantle City v Hyundai NTC (Dorrien Gardens, 7pm)
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