The Westfield W-League is an eight-team competition once again with the inclusion of Wanderers FC for the 2012/13 campaign. So what can fans expect from the league’s newest addition?
The Westfield W-League is an eight-team competition once again with the inclusion of Wanderers FC for the 2012/13 campaign. So what can fans expect from the league’s newest addition?
Shinji Ono may be making all the headlines for Wanderers FC in the Hyundai A-League, but the Western Sydney women have also come together to unite the local football community and will look to claim a few scalps in their inaugural season.
Perhaps most remarkable has been the club’s ability to acquire an impressive mix of experience and youth, including three current Westfield Matildas.
Catherine Cannuli, Servet Uzunlar and Teigen Allen, as well as former international Sarah Walsh, know exactly what it means to compete at the peak of women’s football in Australia.
They will undoubtedly be charged with teaching the youngsters how to deal with the competitive nature of the league.
To add even more experience, four former Central Coast Mariners players will return to the Westfield W-League with Wanderers FC, as will Westfield Young Matildas Alesha Clifford and Olivia Kennedy, who was named NSW Premier League Player of the Year in 2010.
Despite boasting some fantastic talent, it remains to be seen whether head coach Stephen Roche, who has plenty of experience working as a mentor for the Central Coast Mariners women’s team, can take his newly formed team to a successful inaugural campaign.
With a large portion of the team either hailing from or having played their football in the local area, there is plenty of spirit and desire for Wanderers FC to make a mark on the Westfield W-League.
The newcomers begin their season with a journey south to face Adelaide United. The Reds had a poor 2011/12 season, taking only a single win from their 10 matches, but they will undoubtedly be keen to take advantage of their opponent’s lack of Westfield W-League experience in order to exorcise some of last year’s demons.
The expansion of the league will do wonders for Western Sydney and women’s football in Australia as a whole, but it’s hard to see Wanderers FC pulling off a miracle championship victory in their first season, despite the strength of their squad.
An opening day win over Adelaide United, however, doesn’t seem far-fetched, and the “unknown element” of having never competed as a club before should only boost their confidence. The season ahead looks very interesting indeed for football fans in Western Sydney.
Wanderers FC kick off their first season in the Westfield W-League on Saturday, October 20 against Adelaide United.
