From the hunter to the hunted. That is the situation facing Adelaide United’s star forward Fiona Worts in 2022-23.
Worts heads into the Liberty A-League season as not only the reigning Golden Boot winner but the Julie Dolan Medallist after a breakout campaign.
There will be no surprises this time round, however, with all eyes on the 26-year-old Englishwoman.
But don’t expect anything different from Worts. Her response to the added attention provided an insight into the mindset of a player at the top of their game.
“For me, [it’s] business as usual,” Worts told KEEPUP. “I think you have to take those things with a pinch of salt sometimes. All those awards, they’re all subjective in some respect so for me it’s a bit of recognition for having a great season and I don’t look at it too much more than that.
“I don’t feel like last season was a fluke or anything like that. I just finally had the chance to play the football I know I can play. It’s just trying to replicate it.
“I’m not expecting to win another award in the same way but just being able to go out and put my best football on the pitch in a great environment with my team. Winning games, enjoying football – that’s what I’m thinking about.
I’m not feeling the pressure. The expectation of myself anyway – to be scoring goals, playing well and helping the team win games has been the same regardless. Not too much has changed.
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Exceeding expectations
The 2021-22 season was a coming of age for Worts as Adelaide reached the A-League Women finals for the first time in their history.
A former Leicester City forward, Worts first touched down in Adelaide in 2020, scoring twice in her first campaign at Coopers Stadium, but she soared to new heights last term.
Worts bagged 13 goals in 15 appearances, including a record-equalling five-goal haul against Brisbane Roar in February to scoop the Golden Boot.
She not only secured the Dianne Alagich Medal as Adelaide’s MVP for 2021-22 plus the ALW Red Army Player of the Year, RAA Members’ ALW Player of the Year, but Worts also became the first Reds player to claim the Julie Dolan Medal.
“It was pretty strange being in Norway and getting the news [about the Julie Dolan Medal],” Worts said. “Not having the team around me and stuff. It was one of those really reflective times. I was really surprised but also it felt like a long period of hard work – there was something to it.
“Rather than just me feeling like I had a good season, it was something to say I actually had a good season. All the little sacrifices made were worthwhile.”
Worts, who is hoping to exceed her tally this season with some extra fixtures on the agenda thanks to Western United’s inclusion, added: “I was in a really good place [at the start of the season]. My coaches felt that as well – making comments saying it could be a really good season for me and I also thought the same. But you never know what a really a good season is going to look like so it did exceed expectations in that regard.”
She achieved all this while juggling part-time work at McDonalds.
“It’s hard. You want to just be able to focus on the training session you have ahead, the recovery you want to do afterwards, making sure you can eat at the exact times you want to eat at,” Worts said.
“Having to work is quite a big distraction from that but last season I was relatively lucky in that I was only working part-time and be quite flexible to take time off around the schedule that I needed to take.
“I know there’s players who are working full-time which is even harder. The commitment of football is really high. When you’re going away for nearly three days every other weekend and trying to squeeze in work around that, it’s pretty tough.
“But I was quite lucky last season, it was the least distraction outside of football I’ve ever had in terms of work or school or university and that showed in how I played.”
Can Adelaide go all the way after their drought-ending season?
While Worts reached a whole new level individually, she was also at the forefront of Adelaide’s historic achievement – finals football.
Never before in their 14 A-League Women seasons had the Reds qualified for the Finals Series. Adelaide snapped that drought by finishing third before falling to eventual champions Melbourne Victory in the semi-finals.
Worts is back for more this upcoming campaign. Just like her partner in crime Chelsie Dawber.
The Worts-Dawber partnership lit up the Liberty A-League, with the latter contributing a career-best 10 goals in 15 games before joining National Women’s Soccer League outfit Chicago Red Stars in April.
Dawber, though, is back on loan and Adelaide hungry for in 2022-23 after their first taste of finals.
“That’s what we expect now,” said Worts. “Anything less would be completely disappointing. I know I’m expecting even more and I’m pretty sure everyone else is too.
“I think we’re expecting finals and we’re in the place to do it as well. When you look at our squad over the past couple of seasons, I think we’ve strengthened with depth. We’re in the position to do it.”
Can the Reds go all the way?
“I think so,” Worts replied. “I definitely think we can and I know some of the girls think the same thing.
“We have great depth in quality and if we can replicate the form that Chelsie and I last season, then some players who didn’t have their best season last season – if they’re back at their best and we can have that across the full XI, then absolutely we’re in a position to be competing with Sydney, Melbourne City and everyone.”
