After a fabulous opening round, the Westfield W-League returns with a Friday night feast in Round 2 as a couple of blockbusters kick-off another set of much-anticipated matches.
We’ve taken a look at three key battles to keep an eye on this weekend.
KYAH SIMON v LAURA ALLEWAY
Laura Alleway became arguably the signing of the off-season when she swapped the light blue of Melbourne City for the navy of cross-town rivals Melbourne Victory.
The hard-nosed 27-year-old defender has matured into a favourite of national team boss Alen Stajcic and is a key part of the France 2019 jigsaw.
Her value to Victory, who claimed a confident 2-1 win over Canberra United in the opening round, will be on full show on Friday night as she attempts to quieten City striker Kyah Simon in a huge Melbourne Derby.
Simon is also in the process of establishing herself at a new club having made the move south from Sydney FC.
A heavy defeat in the West is far from the result she would have wanted on debut, but netting her side’s only goal will at least have helped ease any individual nerves.
The fate of the derby may well hinge on whether she can get the better of Westfield Matildas team-mate Alleway.
LISA DE VANNA v EMILY VAN EGMOND
An icon of Australian football, Lisa De Vanna’s looming debut can hardly be a better timed boost for Sydney FC.
The Sky Blues make the difficult trip to Newcastle this weekend on the back of an underwhelming defeat against Brisbane Roar, but will relieved to have De Vanna available following suspension.
Amy Harrison has called for Sydney to show more fight this weekend and that’s exactly what they’ll get in the Westfield Matildas’ all-time top goalscorer.
The Jets, meanwhile, will again look to a national team star of their own in midfield metronome Emily van Egmond.
The skipper has returned from a stint with Wolfsburg in Germany and looks primed to hit the heights again and will need to be at her destructive best when De Vanna drops deep to pick up the ball and run at the Jets.
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SAM KERR VS CLARE POLKINGHORNE
The Westfield Matildas’ headline-stealing star goes head-to-head with perhaps its most consistent and reliable servant in a showpiece clash at Suncorp Stadium.
Kerr has broken records and won new admirers in a stunning 2017 for club and country and, judging by last weekend’s evidence, is just warming up.
The 24-year-old notched the opener in Perth Glory’s superb 4-1 win over champions Melbourne City which laid down a marker to the rest of the competition.
But if anyone can stop the free-scoring striker, it’s Australia team-mate Clare Polkinghorne.
The Brisbane captain has the quality, experience and inside knowledge on Kerr’s game to quell the reigning Julie Dolan Medallist.
Polkinghorne marshalled a well-organised Roar in their 3-1 triumph at Sydney FC and remains the kind of calming influence required to see off an opposition star like Sammy Kerr.
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