With the dust now well and truly settled on the 2021 NPLW WA season, it’s time to look back on a year that was dominated by one club in terms of honours but had an exciting climax nonetheless.
The final table will show that Murdoch University Melville FC won by two points, but the league was essentially settled by a difference of one goal in the final game, as Northern Redbacks fell agonisingly short of the title by losing 2-1 against MUM FC when a draw would have seen them crowned league champions.
The league essentially became a two horse race by Round 15 when the gap between 2nd and 3rd blew out to 11 points, with the top two teams separated by just one point from Round 12 onwards. In the end, the gap between 2nd and 3rd was 19 points, and between 2nd and 5th it was 22 points.
One of the rationales for forming the NPLW was to break up the dominance of the old Premier League by Queens Park and Northern Redbacks, and yet this season has shown that both teams (MUM FC have a very large number of ex-Queens Park players in their team) are still capable of running away with the league. A proposed player points system may well make the league a little more competitive, but there also needs to be serious investment in player development by the NPLW clubs to bring new players into the league who are capable of playing at a higher level.
It’s hoped that a proposal from Football West for all NPLW clubs to have a U16 team in 2022 will finally see the start of this process, but this will only work if the clubs themselves are prepared to invest in their junior development by also having well-qualified coaches.
MURDOCH UNIVERSITY MELVILLE FC – League Champions, State Cup winners, Top 4 Cup winners, Night Series runners-up
P21, W17, D2, L2, GF 81, GA 15, GD 66, Pts 53
Without a doubt, Mark Jones’s MUM FC was the dominant force in the league. Only Northern Redbacks were able to keep pace with them, but even the Redbacks were unable to match the sheer intensity and desire of the MUM FC outfit when it came to crunch games at the end of the season.
A record of 81 goals for and just 15 against meant they boasted the most potent attack in the league and the strongest defence, scoring more than five goals in a game on nine occasions, including two nine goal maulings of the bottom clubs. The defensive record was equally impressive with twelve clean sheets and MUM FC only conceded two goals or more on four occasions. Baxter Thew was a rock at centre back alongside Jaymee Gibbons and Katie Schubert, whilst Thalia Organ and Poppy Hooks provided protection along the flanks as well as a significant attacking threat.
They also had probably the strongest midfield in the competition with captain Sadie Lawerence running the show, ably backed up by Grace Betti and Charli Wainwright.
MUM FC’s dominance against most teams was so great that they were able to call on players such as Katarina Jukic and Marianna Tabain to come off the bench if they needed to alter games. They had no less than five players who scored 10 or more goals, including leading scorer Tia Stonehill who netted 16 times during the campaign, plus the pair of Ellie La Monte and Betti who both netted 13 times.
Their U23 side also had a good season, making it into the Top 4, so the future looks good, which is an ominous sign for the rest of the competition as it’s difficult to see the current playing group being substantially broken up next season. This means that MUM FC may well be the team to beat again next season and a hat trick of titles is not beyond the realms of possibility.
NORTHERN REDBACKS WOMENS SOCCER CLUB – League runners-up, State Cup semi-finalists
P21, W16, D3, L2, GF 51, GA 19, GD 32, Pts 51
The sole female-only club in the competition had a season that probably exceeded their expectations but in the end, frustrated their coaching staff and supporters alike by not winning any silverware for only the second time since 2008.
Under new coach Carlos Vega Mena, the team only lost two games all campaign and were top of the table for most of the season, but dropped crucial points at times, including a shock 2-2 draw against Curtin University despite being 2-0 up and having 34 shots to their opponents’ 6.
This lack of accuracy in front of goal was the team’s real Achilles heel, as their conversion rate of chances to goals was just 30%, the third-worst in the league. The team relied too heavily on Larissa Walsh and Sarah Carroll for goals and they were the only players in the team to score more than five times. Teams that were able to limit the threat from those two were always in with a chance, as Redbacks very rarely had a Plan B to inject into the game and hardly ever went on a goal-scoring rampage, meaning that the defence had to be on its toes throughout games while defending one or two goal leads. Despite this lack of multiple goal-scoring threats, the team was still able to manage an impressive 51 goals with 11 different scorers, including 16 year olds Hannah Insch and Olivia Woods who both scored on their debuts.
The defence was once again superbly marshalled by Kim Carroll and conceded just 19 goals, with the ex-Matilda being in great form all season. Of equal importance to the side was Jacinta Coleman, whose tireless efforts in midfield helped provide a springboard for the team to counterattack from.
The club faces difficult challenges going forward, as its playing numbers of just over 100 are dwarfed by others such as Fremantle City and MUM FC with 1300 and 1100 respectively, restricting their ability to compete financially with the larger clubs. They must also find a new home ground for 2022 as their base at Celebration Park is not deemed suitable due to the lack of fencing around the pitch.
On the positive side is the fact that the club gave 1st team debuts to no less than 12 players under the age of 20, and they had the Golden Boot winners in the U23 and Amateur League competitions.
PERTH SC – Top 4 Cup runners-up
P21, W10, D2, L9, GF 43, GA 27, GD 16, Pts 32
In the inaugural season of the NPLW, Perth surprised many in the WA football community by finishing second in the league. The arrival in the offseason of Gemma Craine and Caitlin Doeglas brought a sense that they now had the experience and firepower to seriously challenge for the title in 2021.
However, this optimism proved unwarranted as the Azzurri mostly struggled for rhythm and really only had any significant consistency towards the end of the campaign when they went on a four-game winning streak to move into third place.
A serious injury to Doeglas during a 5-1 loss against MUM FC in Round 8 meant she took no further part in the campaign, and Craine was also out injured for a period of time. Former Irish youth international defender Kerrie Ryan only played 10 games before leaving the club in July and these disruptions made life difficult for coach Danielle Brogan.
Captain Zoee Spadano was a shining star for the club and was named Player of the Year by Perth. Goalkeeper Rebecca Bennett had another fine season in goal, even playing a few minutes of outfield football during the Top 4 Cup Grand Final loss to MUM FC.
The performance of the U23 team in lifting the Top 4 cup in their competition will give cause for optimism that they have a core of talented youngsters to build on, and with Doeglas hopefully back to full fitness next season Perth will be looking to bridge the gap between themselves and the top two in 2022. The team will also have a new coach at the helm, as Danielle Brogan has now moved into the new role of Director of Women’s Football at the club.
FREMANTLE CITY – State Cup semi-finalists
P21, W9, D3, L9, GF 33, GA 34, GD -1, Pts 30
At the end of 2020, Fremantle had every cause to feel optimistic for 2021 with a third place finish, a strong showing in the Top 4 Cup and three Perth Glory W-League players on their books.
By the beginning of the campaign though, Perth Glory captain Tash Rigby decided to have a year’s break from the game, fellow W-League player Jamie-Lee Gale stopped playing and Gemma Craine moved to Perth SC. The club also had a new coach, Cisco Jorquera.
None of this seemed to affect them much as they started the campaign brightly, winning their opening game against MUM FC at Murdoch and going four games unbeaten.
Consistency then became an issue after Fremantle endured a 5-0 loss to Northern Redbacks in Round 6 and they would struggle to string together runs of two or more games unbeaten for the rest of the season. They also became the first team to lose to Subiaco in the NPLW era after a 2-1 defeat in Round 16.
In August the club parted ways with coach Jorquera, and Technical Director Garry Church stepped in to guide them through the last part of the season. Fremantle basically limped over the line to finish fourth, with injuries playing a significant part in their struggles towards the end of the season when they lost five of their last seven games.
Their U23s again performed admirably, winning the league and finishing runners-up in the Top 4 Cup, so they have good stocks of young players to draw from. The playing base at the club is huge, and with Garry Church now confirmed as the new head coach, there is no reason why the club can’t get back to challenging for honours again in 2022.
FOOTBALL WEST NTC
P21, W8, D5, L8, GF 39, GA 41, GD -2, Pts 29
As is always the case with an NTC side, the lack of consistency is going to be a headache for any coach and this year’s crop was no exception. NTC earnt the dubious distinction of being the only side to lose to both Curtin and Subiaco, but on the bright side they were also the only team to take points off both of the top two teams, earning draws against MUM FC and Northern Redbacks.
The team was capable of playing an attractive possession-based game and were the competition’s leader in the number of passes with an average of 565 per game, almost 100 more than 2nd placed Northern Redbacks (469). Statistics can sometimes lead to wrong conclusions though, with the number of chances created from all of those passes only being the 4th highest in the league.
NTC suffered from a fixture pile-up towards the end of the season as the home ground at Ashfield became practically unplayable for long periods of time, having to play seven games in August due to bad weather in July and COVID lockdowns. They played some solid football in that period but were forced to play both MUM FC and Perth SC in a 48 hour period and lost both games, which ultimately cost them 4th spot.
The team also developed a more aggressive approach in 2021 and this led to some ill-discipline at times. Their tally of two red cards and 14 yellows during the campaign was the highest in the league and probably not the sort of numbers you would want to see from a development squad.
Perth Glory players Isabella Wallhead, Tijan McKenna and Taneesha Baker had relatively quiet campaigns, but Monique Prinsloo caught the eye with her 10 goal haul, half of that total coming during a purple spell in the last two games, including a hat trick against Curtin in the last match of the season.
Predictions for 2022 are almost impossible to make for the NTC as the trial process for their intakes and the separations due to players aging out of the system mean the squad can change dramatically.
BALCATTA FC – Night series winners, State Cup finalists
P21, W8, D1, L12, GF 28, GA 35, GD -7, Pts 25
At the beginning of the season, it looked as though Tim Cash’s side would be one of the front runners for the title, as they had defeated MUM FC to win the pre-season Night Series tournament and started the campaign brightly with two wins.
They then ran into a rampant MUM FC in round four, going down 6-0, which seemed to de-rail the side as they followed that defeat with a three game winless streak.
A 1-0 win against Northern Redbacks in Round 8 showed that they were capable of mixing it with the top teams, and they were a well-marshalled side that could be difficult to break down, as evidenced by their State Cup run which saw them defeat Perth SC and Fremantle City en route to the final.
Skipper Gabby Dal Busco showed that she is still one of the best keepers in the league, and Kimberley McCartney had an excellent season at the centre of their defence. However, a replacement for Caitlin Doeglas was never found and, despite the best efforts of Ashleigh Panaia who scored nine for them, the lack of a cutting edge meant Fremantle struggled to overcome deficits if they fell behind.
The club has a strong youth set-up, and it may well be that they can tap into those ranks to help them compete with teams in the top half of the table next season.
CURTIN UNIVERSITY
P21, W2, D5, L14, GF 21, GA 80, GD -59, Pts 11
2021 was a season that the University side would probably like to forget with just two wins, a change of coach midway through the campaign and many heavy defeats.
They used 34 players during the campaign as a result of some serious injuries and players moving on during the season (including one who went to America to play college football), but the sheer number used suggested that the coaching staff had difficulties deciding on a starting eleven. The arrival of new head coach Dom Gangemi in June even led to trials in an attempt to find new players.
There was a slight bounce in fortunes when Gangemi took over and he was able to tease out a draw against Northern Redbacks in his first game in charge, and also recorded a win against NTC in his third. However, the rest of the season was less successful – they ended up with just two wins, 80 goals conceded and had five or more goals scored against them on 10 occasions, including a painful 9-0 defeat at home against MUM FC.
The attack was never going to be able to overcome those sorts of scorelines, and a return of just 21 goals in the season illustrated there were also issues at the attacking end of the park as well.
It’s difficult to see how this situation can be turned around quickly given there are rumours of yet another head coach departure. In addition, the total absence of any junior teams in the U14, U16 and U18 leagues means that any player development will have to be a long-term project. There is also the possibility that a new home ground may need to be found as the current pitch doesn’t adhere to Football West regulations.
The lack of relegation from the NPLW for this season and possibly the next provides the opportunity for some rebuilding to take place, and there is some comfort to be drawn from the U23s reaching the top 4.
SUBIACO
P21, W2, D3, L16, GF 13, GA 58, GD -45, Pts 9
Subiaco can look back on this campaign and note a significant improvement from the 2020 season, as they recorded their first-ever win in the NPLW era when they beat Fremantle City 2-1 in Round 16.
This sign of improvement needs to be tempered though, as the side still failed to get off the bottom of the table and found themselves on the receiving end of some heavy defeats, including a 9-0 loss against MUM FC.
With over 30 players used Subiaco struggled to field a settled side, but the coaching staff had instilled a similar style of play in the U23s so that those youngsters that did come in played the same form of aggressive pressing and had high levels of fitness.
Towards the end of the season, this high press and counterattack style of play was particularly effective at home, where the pitch at Rosalie Park made any sort of close control and possession football next to impossible. Subiaco made life very uncomfortable for visitors during this period and they only conceded three goals in their last three home games, including a clean sheet against NTC whom they beat 1-0.
Goalkeeper Marissa Pidgeon proved to be a solid last line of defence, and whilst the number of goals scored was small, there was always a chance that Jennifer Walsh would be around to make life uncomfortable for opposition defences.
Subiaco has a large female player base to work with, and it will be interesting to see the impact that new coach Nassa Atekhis will have next season, as he re-joins the club after taking a year break. He will be assisted by the club technical director Adi Juri.
