Polks first to reach century

Australia co-captain Clare Polkinghorne has became the first player to reach 100 Westfield W-League appearances after featuring in Brisbane Roar’s 3-0 win over Western Sydney Wanderers on Saturday.

In the ninth season of the competition, Polkinghorne has added another milestone to a glittering career that includes two Westfield W-League crowns, three Women’s World Cup appearances and nearly 100 national team appearances.

“It’s a bit overwhelming to be honest but to play at Suncorp Stadium in front of a home crowd is pretty special and something I won’t forget,” said Polkinghorne.

It was a perfect day on Saturday as Tameka Butt secured a hat-trick at Suncorp Stadium as the Roar revived their finals hopes.

“The girls have put in a lot of effort in the last few weeks and to get two early goals was a little bit of a reward for all the hard work we put in,” she said.

Canberra United’s Ellie Brush remains stuck on 99 appearances after recent injury, while Sydney FC’s Teresa Polias and Mebourne City’s Marianna Tabain are also within sight of 100 appearances by the end of the season.

Brisbane, who now sit a point off fourth-placed Melbourne City, tackle Newcastle Jets next Sunday in a match broadcast on Fox Sports/ABC TV.