Chelsie Dawber has scored six goals in her last six games and is showing no signs of slowing down.
Adelaide United have gone nine games without defeat and Dawber’s electric form leading the frontline has been a key contributor to the club’s all-time record unbeaten streak.
Fiona Worts began the season with a bang, racing to the top of the Golden Boot chart with six goals in her first five games but Dawber has since taken the baton and powered Adelaide forward in the race to the finals.
Dawber scored just one goal in her first six games this season but now has six in six as Adelaide – last season’s wooden spooners – look to finish second and reach the finals for just the second time in club history.
On this week’s episode of Dub Zone, host Amy Duggan was joined by Sydney FC legend Teresa Polias and A-Leagues commentator Teo Pellizzeri where the panel discussed Dawber’s Adelaide form, her chances of winning the Golden Boot and the attributes that make the 25-year-old striker the perfect candidate for CommBank Matildas consideration.
“It’s the profile of striker,” Pellizzeri said.
“Gielnik and Dawber stand apart from the rest of the Golden Boot race, which is a lot of attacking midfielders, a lot of wingers, a lot of wide forwards whereas Chelsie Dawber is a traditional centre-forward. This is someone who gave the United States a crack, gave Sweden a crack, neither worked (and) is back in Australia.
“I would argue (she’s) back in the comfort zone.”
Dawber’s seven-goal tally for the season is just one less than Emily Gielnik’s eight who sits on top of the Golden Boot leaderboard.
Like Gielnik, Dawber wasn’t selected for this month’s SheBelieves Cup campaign in the United States; fellow Ninja A-League stars Michelle Heyman, Tameka Yallop, Tash Prior, Laini Freier, Chloe Lincoln, Alana Murphy and Holly McNamara were all selected as part of the Matildas squad that will take on Japan, host nation United States and Colombia in the tournament.
Pellizzeri believes, however, that in 25-year-old Dawber, interim Matildas head coach Tom Sermanni has a player to consider for future camps due to both her age profile and attributes as a traditional striker.
“For so many players to have received a Matildas cap or a Matildas call-up in recent times, and yet striker is where we need someone, Chelsie Dawber has a clear run at her age at an age gap where we have so few players in that position,” Pellizzeri said.
“If she can go on and actually challenge Em Gielnik and try and win the Golden Boot, who knows what’s possible?”
“She’s got to be on the radar,” Polias replied. “She’s had a fantastic season, she’s scoring almost every week. Surely she’s almost on that radar.”
