Football West News

Fremantle City head coach Thomas Richard gets his message across to his players. Photo by Football West/FotoEnzo

Two of the pre-season favourites for the NPLW WA title face each other on Sunday looking to avoid a second defeat in three matches.

Northern Redbacks and Fremantle City meet at Kingsway Reserve. Both have started the campaign with a win and a loss.

There will be no shortage of quality on display with the three players who shared the 2019 Gold Medal - ­ Redbacks skipper Shawn Billam and Fremantle’s Gemma Craine and Laura Waltman - set to feature.

The greater spread of talent across the whole competition should make it harder for one team to dominate this year, as has happened previously in the old Premier Division.

However as the delayed league season consists of just 14 matches, neither team will want to allow any kind of gap to open up.

Northern Redbacks began with a comfortable win over Subiaco, before going down 4-3 to Hyundai NTC.

Fremantle paid for a slow start in their first game away to Perth SC, but bounced back by putting five past Curtin University last Sunday.

Despite their setback against Perth, Fremantle head coach Thomas Richard is content with how his Night Series winners have begun and says victories will follow if his side continue to do the right thing.

“In terms of the result, I was frustrated with the first game. We didn’t turn up for the first 10 minutes. But I was happy with how we played and I think we have started well,” he said.

“It’s important not to lose a second game in three, yes. Results are important to me. But they are not the priority. I’m trying to establish a culture similar to what Queens Park did and Redbacks have been able to do. It’s more the process and results will be the by-product of it.”

Richard says the overall health of female football at Fremantle is good.

“We had one injury through futsal ... but things are good. The 23s are full, we have big numbers in the 18s and 16s … the prospects are exciting,” he said, adding that a tie-up with the University of Notre Dame had boosted backroom staff numbers for the club.

And looking at the wider picture, Richard added: “I’m excited that we are doing the right thing.

“If every club can produce one Glory player every few years then that is what we want. Of course we are happy to win things but we want to support what NTC is doing and create players who can play at the top level.”

The first game of the weekend is on Saturday at Edinburgh Oval, where Curtin University host Balcatta at 3pm.

At 5pm, league leaders Perth SC at home to Murdoch University Melville as part of a double-header with the Azzurri’s Men’s NPL side.

Second-place NTC, the only other unbeaten side, visit bottom of the table Subiaco at Rosalie Park on Sunday.

ROUND THREE FIXTURES