Amy Harrison has sought the advice of another player who crossed the Harbour City divide ahead of her first Sydney Derby as a Western Sydney Wanderers player on Friday.
The Westfield Matildas midfielder will come up against her former club for the first time when the Wanderers host Sydney FC at Bankwest Stadium at 5pm AEDT.
It will be a match filled with emotion for Harrison, who spent seven seasons and won two Championships with the Sky Blues before heading west this season.
“Obviously it is inevitable that it will have that emotion attached to it. But, it is what it is,” Harrison told the Wanderers official website.
“(Wanderers assistant coach Michael Beauchamp) has been helping me a lot this week with being at Sydney and now the Wanderers…just treating it the same as I would any other game.
“But I guess winning would just mean a little more this week.”
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The move across town has so far been a success for Harrison, who has started every match for Dean Heffernan’s unbeaten side.
The 23-year-old scored the winning goal against Newcastle Jets in Round 2 and has also formed an excellent combination with Republic of Ireland star Denise O’Sullivan in the middle of the park.
Having spent so long with the Sky Blues, Harrison still has a lot of respect for her former club and knows the Wanderers will face their biggest test of the campaign on Friday afternoon.
“Sydney are a great team, they always have been and always probably will be,” Harrison said.
“They have had a very strong start and look sharp, but so much confidence goes into my team whether they are on the pitch, on the bench or in the stands.
“Our coaching staff prepare us so well, so the confidence is right up there.
“We have had our best start ever and want to keep that going no matter who we play, but a Derby means a little more and I am sure everyone will give that little bit more this week.”
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While Harrison swapped Sky Blue for Red and Black, Sydney FC striker Remy Siemsen went the other way and will be the player the Wanderers will need to shut down.
Siemsen has scored six goals in five matches this season to top the Westfield W-League goalscoring charts.
“I’m absolutely loving being back at Sydney FC,” she told Sydney FC’s official website.
“I love Sydney FC, I’m a massive fan of Sydney FC and always have been, so to be back in Sky Blue just feels like I’ve made the perfect decision.
“It’s my second home and I’m just really happy to be back. I’m really loving being back at the club.
“There’s such a good culture within the team. [Coach] Ante [Juric]’s philosophy is to play our brand of football and I think that really suits me individually and as a team.”
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Asked about coming up against her former club at Bankwest Stadium, Siemsen said: “I think it will be [the biggest Sydney Derby yet].
“You know how intense derbies are, how big they are, getting three points would be massive and I know that Ante has put emphasis on how important this game is.
“We want to keep the three points rolling because we want to be the Premiership winners as well as back-to-back Champions at the end of the season.”
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Friday, 20 December 2019
Kick-off: 5pm AEDT
Venue: Bankwest Stadium
Broadcast: FOX Sports
Stream: MyFootball Live App, Kayo Sports
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514572001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6115923618001
