These are the key talking points from the first episode of the new season of Dub Zone as the 2023-24 Liberty A-League got underway.
The opening round of the Liberty A-League 2023/24 season kicked off with a standalone celebration of women’s football – and it was one for the record books.
The attendance record for a single round was broken in two games with over 17,206 in the stands, building on the momentum from the Women’s World Cup.
Our dedicated women’s football show Dub Zone is also back with a new look and there was plenty of action to dissect, from a major injury blow, a surprise coaching dismissal on the eve of the season and the reason for a notable omission.
Here are the major talking points from this season’s first episode of Dub Zone!
WATCH DUB ZONE BELOW FOR A FULL RECAP OF ROUND 1
WHY MILLY CLEGG MISSED WANDERERS’ OPENER – AND WON’T PLAY UNTIL NOVEMBER 1
Western Sydney Wanderers struggled to break down Sydney FC’s stubborn defence and the absence of their new superstar forward Milly Clegg didn’t help the cause.
Incredibly, the 17-year-old New Zealander has played at three Women’s World Cups within the space of 12 months (U17, U20 and senior). Now, she is embarking on a new chapter with a move to a new country.
Yet, ironically, Clegg’s age is the obstacle that stands in her way of starting for the Wanderers in the opening few rounds of this Liberty A-League season.
“Milly Clegg can’t play until she turns 18 on November 1 because she’s an international player and you can’t move overseas until you’re 18,” Pellizzeri explained.
“So when she comes in, maybe that pushes Sophie Harding to the wing, maybe that changes the dynamic. Do they even stick with a front three?
He added: “I think Wanderers showed enough with Mel Caceres on the field that she can make them tick and certainly goalscoring (has) been their issue, but there’s enough signs there that they will be competitive throughout this campaign.”
The Wanderers’ inspiring second-half performance is an encouraging sign off the back of last season’s seventh place position and with the likes of Clegg to be welcomed into the line-up, her introduction could be the catalyst for a push to a finals spot this season.
Sydney FC’s defensive dilemma
Reigning champions Sydney FC began their title defence in fine fashion with a 2-0 win over Western Sydney Wanderers, but a potentially serious injury for captain Nat Tobin could see them pay a steep price.
The Sky Blues defender was stretchered off in tears during the second half and head coach Ante Juric suggested she may have suffered a torn meniscus, although the club are still waiting for an official diagnosis.
Speaking on Dub Zone, A-Leagues commentator Teo Pellizzeri said the extended absence of Tobin could now cause massive selection headaches.
“The pack had to shuffle for Sydney FC in order to accommodate the departure of Nat Tobin on that stretcher because they didn’t name a defender on the bench and to our judgement, the only (other) defender they’ve got in the entire squad is Margaux Chauvet,” he said.
“It leaves Sydney in an interesting position where they might need to experiment.”
Former Wanderers coach Catherine Cannuli added: “They had to make a few shuffles on the night even when they brought Sienna Saveska on and Princess Ibini had to go left-back, you don’t want to be doing that throughout the season so they do have the three visa spots available.
“They need to start looking to see where they can add to their squad this season because maybe they could be without Nat Tobin for the rest of the season.”
With limited back-up options available, Juric may need to tinker with his system and experiment. There’s a chance Tori Tumeth can fill the centre-back void given her experience or even Kirsty Fenton, having previously played centrally for the Young Matildas.
However, Cannuli warned against moving Fenton from the left-flank considering her attacking prowess which was on full display in the Sydney Derby, netting an incredible half-volley that set the tone for Sydney FC.
“I would not be moving Kirsty Fenton to the middle,” Cannuli told Dub Zone.
“The way she was last night on that flank – she was unbelievable. Her forward runs, the way she got forward, the way she was just getting involved in the attack.
“The way she played last night showed true characteristics of a player that’s going to be a star of this league for a very long time.”
‘Disappointing’ reality for Aussie female coaches
The sacking of Western Sydney Wanderers head coach Kat Smith just 10 days out from the start of the season surprised many, particularly off the back of a promising debut campaign which saw them produce upset wins over Melbourne City and Western United.
Smith was immediately replaced by Robbie Hooker who was Canberra United’s inaugural boss and led them to a Grand Final, but the decision means there is now just one female head coach in the Liberty A-League this season, with Emily Husband in charge at the Mariners.
It also means there is not a single Australian female head coach in the hot seat.
Cannuli admitted the lack of female representation is particularly discouraging for those like herself who hope to progress in elite coaching roles.
“It is disappointing to see Kat Smith leave the Wanderers, especially being the only Australian female coach that’s in the league,” she said.
“I think (it’s) super disappointing for me as a female coach that aspires to maybe go back there one day and looking at the way women’s football is going, she’s the only non-Australian that’s left there.”
Pellizzeri added: “It is nearly an all-time low.
“2008/09 season two, we’re going back a long way here. I mean we’ve almost got players in the league that were born in 2008 coming through.
“So that was the only season where there (were) no female coaches at all.
“From season three on, up until the appointment of Njegosh Popovich, Canberra have always had a female coach – not always an Australian.
“But it is a low watermark for Australian female coaches and female coaches in general.”
For all the strides women’s football has made in Australia off the back of the Women’s World Cup, coaching remains an area where there is work to be done.
