On the eve of the 10th season of the Westfield W-League, Brisbane Roar have re-signed all-time leading goal scorer Tameka Butt.
Butt’s return to Brisbane after playing for Norwegian club Klepp IL during the off-season is a tremendous boost for Mel Andreatta’s side who begin their hunt for a third Westfield W-League Championship on Friday night against Sydney FC at Allianz Stadium.
With 97 Brisbane Roar appearances under her belt, she is also on the brink of becoming only the second woman to play 100 Westfield W-League games in the Roar orange.
She is ready to hit the ground running after her stint overseas and Coach Mel Andreatta can’t wait to have her back on board.
“I’m excited to have Tameka back. She has shown so much loyalty and passion for the orange jersey,” Andreatta said.
“It will be great to see her reach 100 club games this season and she returns to us in great form following a great season in Norway and internationals with the Matildas.
“She was a standout performer for us last season and we hope she will be again this coming campaign.”
Butt’s commitment to the club comes less than a week after fellow Matildas star Katrina Gorry signed on with the Roar for the next two seasons.
The 26-year-old attacking midfielder has consistently proven to be a thorn in the side of opposition defences and is the second-highest goal-scorer in Westfield W-League history with 48 goals to her name.
She was Brisbane’s leading goal-scorer with five goals last season, and alongside Canberra United’s Michelle Heyman, is the only player in league history to have scored three career hat-tricks.
Butt has also been an integral part of the Matildas squad since making her international debut in 2007 and has represented Australia at two Women’s World Cups as well as the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The Roar Women begin their Westfield W-League season at 4:20pm on Friday night against the Sky Blues before returning to Suncorp Stadium for the first of five double-headers on Sunday, 5 November where they will face Sam Kerr’s Perth Glory.
Brisbane Roar FC Westfield W-League 2017/18 squad:
Goalkeepers: Mackenzie Arnold, Georgina Worth
Defenders: Summer O’Brien, Carson Pickett, Clare Polkinghorne (c), Kaitlyn Torpey
Midfielders: Celeste Boureille, Amy Chapman, Katrina Gorry, Ayesha Norrie, Natalie Tathem
Attackers: Tameka Butt, Wai Ki Cheung, Abbey Lloyd, Hayley Raso, Allira Toby
Coach: Melissa Andreatta
