W-League Squads

Who's who in the W - Newcastle Jets

Thursday, 14 October 2010

Newcastle Jets have named their squad ahead of the upcoming campaign and with a couple of notable additions, will be looking for a similar end result to their first campaign. Last season was one to forget and after finishing bottom of the table without a win; things can only go forwards.

After the opening Westfield W-League season where they finished second, hopes were high for the year two competition. However, after narrowly losing out to Canberra United in the play-offs, there were changes in the personnel department, leaving a very different looking squad for the upcoming challenge.

This time round though, the squad has been bolstered with several additions, most notably Westfield Matilda Thea Slatyer. Impressive signings also include Sasha McDonnell and Kara Mowbray.

Two interesting additions also come in the form of goalkeeper Allison Lipsher (who played for top American side Boston Breakers last season) and Nicole Cross who also played in the US.

Aside from the newcomers, Newcastle have retained the services of former Westfield Matildas Amber Neilson and Hayley Crawford who have the knowledge and experience to help the team improve on last year’s campaign.

Coach Wayne O’Sullivan has again decided to put his faith in the crème of his young stars from last season, including Tara Andrews, Hannah Brewer and Carlie Ikonomou who all showed promise last time round. Coach Sully knows only too well how a short season means a good start is important.

“There’s only 10 games and our hopes and outcomes are the same as anyone else’s. If we make it to the finals, anything can happen.”

He’s sure that his squad have learned lessons from last season and has a very positive outlook ahead of this season’s opener.

“Last year was about building and establishing a full-time competative female programme. We've got a lot more stability now and the introduction of experienced senior players with domestic and international experience will compliment or younger players. My top ambition would be to make the finals.”

It’s sure to be a tough season again for the Newcastle Jets but with a better mix of youth and experience this time round, they’re sure to be an improved outfit. The addition of experience from the US also adds to their push for this season.


Newcastle Jets Squad
Westfield W-League Season Three

Allison LIPSHER(Goalkeeper), Hannah BREWER(Defender), Hayley CRAWFORD(Defender), Nicole CROSS(Defender/Mid/Forward), Gema SIMON (Defender), Renee CARTWRIGHT(Midfield), Tara ANDREWS(Forward), Amber NEILSON(Midfield), Sasha McDONNELL(Forward), Leia SMITH(Forward), Kara MOWBRAY(Forward), Melissa FEUERRIEGEL(Forward), Thea SLATYER(Defender),
Carlie IKONOMOU(Defender/Midfield), Alex HUYNH(Defender),
Alison LOGUE(Goalkeeper)

CONFIRMED ARRIVALS:
Sasha Mcdonnell (Fulltime NNSWIS previously Queensland), Kara Mowbury (Full Time NNSWIS previuously Melbourne Victory), Melissa Feuregill (returned from college america ), Thea Sltayer (previuos Canberra), Alex Hyung, Nicole Cross (LA Pride) and Allison Lipsher (Boston Breakers), Kate Hensman.

CONFIRMED DEPARTURES:
Caitlin Jarvie, Lauren Mahoney, Emma Stewart, Pele Ingles, Emma K Dewhurst, Stacey Day

Reds’ 2010/11 W-League squad coming together

Friday, 15 October 2010

Christina Papageorgiou will again be one of the key Lady Reds for the 2010/11 W-League season.

Adelaide United’s Women’s Team for season 3 of the Westfield W-League is close to being finalised.

Less than a month out from the start of the new season, United’s Women’s Coach Mike Barnett has so far confirmed 13 players on his list, teams allowed a maximum of 20 players on their roster.

Eight of the 13 players to be selected have returned after being part of the Lady Reds squad last season, while Barnett has brought in five new faces, four of which have had previous W-League experience.

Defensive duo Stacey Day and Loren Mahoney both spent the past two seasons with the Newcastle Jets’ Women’s Team, while Queenslanders Katrina Gorry and Vedrana Popovic were part of Melbourne Victory’s midfield brigade last year.

Promising young local talent Georgia Macri is the other new addition to the squad, the 18 year old picked up from the SASI squad.

Pleased with his new signings, Barnett is also hoping to attract one or two international players to further bolster the squad and help United’s squad mix it with the stronger teams in the league.

“The squad is coming together nicely, and if we can add a couple of internationals it will certainly lift the standard and profile of the team even more,” Barnett said.

“We have a nice blend of experience and youth, which will put us in good stead for the tough competition ahead, so we’re looking forward to a more successful season.”

After finishing in the bottom two for the past two seasons, Barnett will be hoping his side can rise further up the ladder and possibly contend for a finals berth in 2010/11.

All clubs must have their squads finalised by the opening day of the season on November 6. Adelaide United’s Women’s Team will open its season against the Newcastle Jets Women’s Team at Hindmarsh Stadium.

Adelaide United Women’s Squad 2010/11
Players re-signed from last season

Sian McLaren (goalkeeper) – Vice Captain last season, the 19 year old has represented the Westfield Young Matildas and has been part of the Lady Reds’ squad since the W-League’s inaugural season.
Ruth Blackburn (defender) – After signing to the Reds from Queensland before the 2009 campaign, she unfortunately broke her foot and missed every game.
Racheal Quigley (striker) – Voted the Lady Reds’ Most Valuable Player of last season after scoring five goals, Quigley was again a prolific goal scorer at local level in the FFSA Premier Division during the winter season playing for Adelaide Olympic.
Victoria Balomenos (midfielder) – Played in United’s squad in the inaugural W-League season but missed the 2009 competition after undergoing a knee re-construction. Is currently part of the Matildas training squad.
Donna Cockayne (striker) – Another of United’s experienced campaigners having played in the last two seasons, Cockayne spent the winter playing with the Metro United Womens Football Club.
Christina Papageorgiou (midfielder) – Last season’s captain will be hoping to take the success of being part of Adelaide City’s 2010 League and Cup champion winning sides into this W-League campaign.
Kristi Harvey (goalkeeper) – Will vie for the number one goalkeeper’s spot with Sian McLaren in what will be her third W-League season. Spent the winter playing for local side Metro United Womens Football Club.
Angela Fimmano (midfielder) – One of the Lady Reds’ most talented and promising young players, Fimmano has been with United’s Women’s Team since the start and has also represented Australia at Under 19 level.
New signings

Georgia Macri (midfielder) – From the SASI squad, Macri is a young South Australian talent with great potential.
Stacey Day (defender) – Played for the Newcastle Jets in the first two seasons of the W-League.
Katrina Gorry (midfielder) – Queenslander who played for Melbourne Victory last season.
Vedrana Popovic (midfielder) – Another from the Sunshine State who was part of Melbourne Victory’s squad in 2009.
Loren Mahoney (defender) – Preparing for her third W-League season after spending the first two at Newcastle.

Who's Who in the W - Brisbane Roar
Friday, 22 October 2010
Brisbane Roar have named their squad ahead of the third season in the Westfield W-League and are hoping for another solid performance after finishing third last time round. Anything like the 3rd place they secured last time would be a good result with the competition stronger than ever but the club has rightfully high ambitions.

They’re hoping to improve on that third place and the general feeling amongst the coach and squad is that securing a home tie in the play-offs (by finishing second) would be their main goal for the season as a whole. However, despite the conservative pre-season approach from the squad, they will definitely be one of the big contenders for the title and should be there or there abouts come the end of the season.

The first season (as Queensland) saw them dominate the league, winning by a massive eight points and they were only defeated once in the entire campaign until the final. They also had a massive goal difference that was 15 better than their rivals after finishing top scorers and having the best defence.

They then went on to win on penalties against Sydney in the semi and defeated Canberra 2-0 in the final, capping off a near perfect opening season in the Westfield W-League. Sydney had their revenge last season after they beat Brisbane 3-2 in the final, as well as taking out the league title.

In terms of players, star Clare Polkinghorne needs no introduction and will be looking to cap off a great year, where she’s become the captain, won the AFC Asian Cup and was also named the FFA Women’s Player of the year. The only way to make it better would be to add the Westfield W-League trophy to her growing list of triumphs!

Other names that spring to mind are young keeper Casey Dumont, who will be looking to cement her place in the national team, and Tameka Butt. Despite being injured, Butt finished top scorer for the Roar last season and her exciting fast paced approach makes her an exciting player to watch.

In defence, Kim Carroll and Laura Alleway are again looking to give the team a strong base to build from and if past performances are anything to go by, they’ll be marshalling one of the stingiest defences in the league.

In terms of players to look out for, Emily Gielnik’s name deserves a mention. As a quick strong striker, she’s a danger around the penalty and can shoot with both feet. She’s sure to be a handful for any defence in the league this season.

This campaign’s set to be a lot tougher than previous ones though as the other squads in the competition are getting much stronger and have a great deal more depth than in the past. Brisbane will be looking to prove that they’re still amongst the best sides in the competition though and one thing’s for sure, it’s due to be an exciting season for the squad.

Brisbane Roar Squad
Westfield W-League Season Three

Casey DUMONT (Goalkeeper), Laura ALLEWAY (Defender), Karla REUTER (Defender),Clare POLKINGHORNE (Midfield), Brooke SPENCE (Defender),
Joanne BURGESS (Striker), Kim CARROLL (Defender), Elise KELLOND-KNIGHT (Striker), Alicia FOOTE (Striker), Lana HARCH (Striker), Aivi LUIK (Midfield), Rebekah STOTT (Defender), Tameka BUTT (Midfield), Amy CHAPMAN (Striker), Erika ELZE (Defender), Lauren COLTHORPE (Midfield), Emily GIELNIK (Striker)

CONFIRMED ARRIVALS:
Kim Carroll – returned from Long term injury
Amy Chapman- returned from Long term injury
Laura Alleway-Melbourne Victory
Emily Gielnik- returned from Long term injury
Rebekah Stott-Queensland Academy of Sport Women’s Football Program
Erika Elze- Queensland Academy of Sport Women’s Football Program

CONFIRMED DEPARTURES:
Kate McShae – Retired
Jenna Tristram – Retired
Courtney Beutel
Pam Bignold
Stephanie Latham
Leah Curtis
Ellen Beaumont – Living in Canada

Who's who in the W - Perth Glory
Friday, 29 October 2010

The Perth Glory women’s team are primed to make their finals debut in the Westfield W-League 2010/11 season. The opening two seasons were all about building a squad and getting experience for the players but a steady progression sees the squad in a much better place this time round.

The opening season was a disappointment to the Perth girls, who finished second bottom notching up three wins in the process. They were however, only three points off the eventual winners Sydney FC so the season was all about taking the positives onto the next season. One more win and better goal difference would’ve seen them reach the play-offs after all.

The second season was definitely a progression and after winning four matches and drawing one, they ended up in a more respectable sixth place. This time they were just one point off the fourth placed Canberra United so the season again was a great platform to launch this term’s campaign from.

This season sees the Perth squad ready to fulfil their potential and coach John Gibson feels that his side are due to shine on the national stage, with several big names back for the season. The squad also boasts three Westfield Matildas, including the recently crowned Under 20 Australian Player of the Year Sam Kerr.

Other players to look out for include the national side’s vice captain Collette McCallum and Katie Gill, who will add a great deal of experience to the line-up and give them some stability. Tanya Oxtoby, young starlet Marianna Tabain and last season’s Most Glorious Player Shannon May are all looking to push Glory to a higher position this time round.

With a combination of young stars in the making such as Tabain and Kerr and internationally experienced Gill and McCallum Perth are definitely tipped to be pushing the top sides in a bid for their first ever play-off finish. This impressive mixture should see them improving on their previous two finishes but only time will tell.

Perth Glory Squad:

Stacey LEARMONT, Carys HAWKINS, Samantha KERR, Shannon MAY,
Tanya OXTOBY, Lara FILOCAMO, Kate GILL, Elisa D’OVIDIO, Jaymee GIBBONS,
Sadie LAWRENCE, Marianna TABAIN, Emily DUNN, Kathleen WAYCOTT

Confirmed Arrivals:

Tine Cederkvist, Stacey Learmont, Alexandra Nilsson, Lara Filocamo, Emily Dunn, Kathleen Waycott, Jaymee Gibbons

Confirmed Departures:

Lisa De Vanna, Emma Wirkus, Ella Mastrantonio, Ciara Conway, Katarina Jukic, Zoe Palandri,
Elissia Canham, Ellis Glanfield

southside wrote:Rumour: De Vanna playing with Brisbane.
No Sydney squad yet???