With the Football West NPL Women’s season reaching its half-way mark, it’s the perfect time to take stock of where all eight teams stand with 11 fixtures left to play. Beyond90‘s Western Australian correspondent Neil Bennett takes a look back at the first half of the competition, and looks forward to 2024 as a new league structure takes shape.
PERTH REDSTAR
P10 W7 D2 L1 GD +17 PTS 23
After losing the night series and suffering their first league defeat since 2021, the 2022 champions appeared to be a shadow of their former selves in the opening round. Losing their captain, leading goal scorer, and highest appearance-maker was always going to be a challenge, but they also had to adjust to losing a goalkeeper on the eve of the season as well as being without Kim Carroll for the first month, and this all appeared to be beyond them as NTC deservedly took the three points.
A hugely important 2-0 win against MUM FC in the second game of the season followed by a moral boosting draw against a red-hot Perth SC in round three provided the springboard for Carlos Vega Mena’s side to slowly get back to last seasons form. They have also welcomed Reina Kagami and Chiori Ikeda into the team and the two Japanese players have often been at the centre of RedStar’s best performances.
They have been unbeaten since round 1 and are currently top of the table four points clear of Fremantle City in second place. They have the best defence in the league, but they are not as invincible as last season as their inability to capitalise on chances created means they are heavily reliant on their back four to keep things tight for 90 minutes. Rather bizarrely the leaders have scored among the fewest number of goals in the league, with 23 and only Curtin University (two) have scored fewer.
If they can re-discover some scoring form it’s hard to see them finishing outside of the top two and back-to-back titles are not out of the question.
FREMANTLE CITY FC
P10 W6 D1 L3 GD+15 PTS 19
Fremantle had a slow start to the season with two losses in the first two games, followed by a big win against Curtin Unversity and then a draw against Balcatta Etna in round four.
Since then, they have only lost one game – against Perth RedStar – and have shown they are a tough resilient team. The arrival of Natasha Rigby and Abbey Green during April has been significant, with the latter playing some of her best football at the NPLW level since the initial season of 2020. Veteran Carys Hawkins has also shown there is no substitute for experience and she has been a solid performer at left-back.
Faye Chambers’ side takes a no-nonsense approach to the game and is one of the most physical teams in the league, but with players like Kat Jukić, Laura Waltman and Jamie-Lee Gale in the side, as well as Green, they have no shortage of skill either.
With more female players than any other club in WA, Fremantle don’t need to worry about injury concerns but they will be mindful of finding a replacement for Green who is rumoured to be heading to Europe for an extended holiday during the season.
Fremantle is well-placed to remain in the top two and will be looking to maintain their current winning streak of three games to keep the pressure on RedStar as they look for their first title in the NPLW era.
PERTH SC
P10 W5 D2 L3 GD +24 PTS 17
Tipped by many to be genuine title contenders this season, Perth made the perfect start to the season with 16 goals for and none against in their first four games which saw them win three and draw one, but then a loss to the NTC in round five has seen them win just two of the next five.
A major reason for this has been a horrendous injury list which has seen coach Peter Rakić without the services of players such as Ellie La Monte, Jaymee Gibbons, Gemma Craine, Poppie Hooks, Jaime Duncanson, Alyssa van Heurck and Faye Phillips for long periods of time. Craine and Hooks are now back playing but Phillips and Duncanson look like they will be out for the rest of the season, whilst La Monte, Gibbons and van Heurck are likely to be out for a lengthy period.
Despite this injury list, they are still a competitive unit and they showed that by knocking RedStar out of the cup and earning a draw against them in the last seven days. Whilst Craine, Hooks and Monigue Godding are on the pitch they will remain a test for anyone.
Their excellent start to the season and large goal difference means they are still a good bet for the top four, but the six-point gap from the leaders means they have a tough task ahead of them if they are to gain their first league title of the NPLW era.
MUM FC
P10 W5 D1 L4 GD +7 PTS 16
MUM has been the surprise package of the season so far and they’ve had some excellent results in the first half of the campaign.
Despite the very young age of the squad they have shown they are capable of mixing it with every team in the league and have already taken the scalps of the NTC, Fremantle City and Balcatta Etna. The only side that has really put them to the sword was Perth SC who beat them 6-0 in round 4. A 5-1 win against NTC in a re-scheduled round 3 game has been the highlight of the season so far.
Coach David Biancusso has his side well-organised when they don’t have the ball and with Charli Wainwright and Clara Hoarau driving them forward they have plenty of energy and skill when they do have it. The recent addition of Andrea Preiato has provided a little more experience to the frontline and this is bound to be of assistance to young talents such as Samantha Mathers.
If MUM FC are to maintain their current top-four spot then they will have to win their games against Balcatta and the NTC whilst trying to eke out points against those above them.
Goal difference may well be vital in the race for the top four and with two more games to come against Curtin, they will be looking to reproduce the sort of goal-scoring form that saw them score 10 against them in round 5.
HYUNDAI NTC
P10 W5 D1 L4 GD +4 PTS 16
On their day, and with all of their players available, they can beat any side in the league, as shown by their victory against Perth RedStar in round one.
For the first four games of the competition, they looked to be as strong as Perth SC but they then ran into a physical Fremantle team to lose 2-1, picking up a couple of injuries during the game including their first-choice goalkeeper Lily Bailey who is still sidelined.
They also lost the services of Tanika Lala for a couple of games whilst she pursued options in Europe, and have had to contend with the absences of Ruby Cuthbert and Ischia Brooking for periods of time when they have played for the Junior Matildas or attended national training camps. Some ill-discipline resulting in a red card also saw them without the services of captain Georgia Cassidy and without those key players they have struggled in recent games.
Every NTC coach has to juggle the demands of developing players and getting them ready for the annual NTC Challenge whilst trying to remain competitive in the league. For Ben Anderton, this season is different as he has the added complication of the challenge falling during the NPLW season so it’s going to be hard for him to maintain his player’s focus in the period leading up to it. They will also have to deal with rescheduled games when they return.
Their current form of just one win in their last five games must be worrying for Anderton, but he will still be confident that with all his players back he can beat anyone. The big question is if they can turn their recent form around, especially as they have now conceded 13 goals in the last four games. Unless this can be arrested they may well find themselves not playing finals football this season.
BALCATTA ETNA FC
P9 W4 D2 L3 GD +12 PTS 14
Coach Tim Cash’s side made a slow start to the season, with the only win in the first six rounds being an opening day 9-0 thumping of Curtin University. They then beat Perth SC 2-1 in round seven at Dorrien Gardens and this has been the catalyst for their recent run which has seen them unbeaten in their last four games.
This has put them nine points behind the leaders which is possibly too large a deficit for them to make up, but they are only two points outside of the top four and have a game in hand over the teams immediately above them so finals football is still well within their reach.
Playing a counter-attacking style that relies on the pace of Tia Stonehill and Monique Prinsloo to get their goals, and with a back line being well marshalled by Kim McCartney and the always dependable Gabby Dal Busco in goal they are a difficult side to break down. The addition of Perth Glory midfielder Sadie Lawrence has added to this resilience and results against Perth SC, NTC and Fremantle have shown how effective this type of football can be.
In the last week though they have been knocked out of the cup, drawn in the league and conceded six goals in the process. Whilst not being a major cause for alarm it will be a worry for Cash with difficult games coming up against teams ahead of them.
With the gap between fourth and sixth being just two points, goal difference may well come into play for the make-up of the top four and the two games they played against Curtin have helped boost theirs to +12 compared to +4 for NTC and +7 for MUM FC. Both of those teams have yet to play Curtin for a second time so the race between these three teams for a top-four spot could become even tighter.
With much more experience in their team when compared to NTC and MUM FC the advantage lies with them, but it’s going to be a tense second half of the season to see who will be playing finals football.
SUBIACO AFC
P9 W2 D1 L6 GD +3 PTS 7
Last season’s resurgence suggested that Subiaco could push on and potentially make a challenge for a top-four place in 2023, but with some key players not returning and some major rebuilding still going on it appears highly unlikely that Subiaco will feature in finals football this season.
Sitting in seventh spot with just two wins and a draw to their name they are safe from relegation but are too far behind to make a serious challenge for the top four.
Coach Greg Farrell has continued to work on building a different culture at the club and this has resulted in the team playing a much more possession-orientated style of football. He has also instilled a greater defensive discipline and they have lost by 3 goals or more on just two occasions.
They managed to set a new NPLW scoring record with their 13-0 defeat of Curtin in round two, but the goals have dried up since then with only 11 more in the other eight games.
Marianna Tabain continues to show why she was a Young Matilda, played over 100 ALW games as well as in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, and her six goals this season lead the way for the club but she is short of support up front and games are being lost as a result of chances not being converted.
They are nine points behind the top four, and even with their game in hand it’s unrealistic to expect them to bridge that gap given the form shown in the first half of the season. With little to fear in the way of relegation, it may well be that Farrell now uses the rest of the season to blood younger players in preparation for 2024.
CURTIN UNIVERSITY
P10 W0 D0 L10 GD -82 PTS 0
There is little to be said about Curtin that can be viewed as positive or optimistic. From the moment the pre-season night series started it was obvious that the team was not of NPLW standard and every game has been a struggle for them. They have now let in over 80 goals and have been beaten by double-figure margins on four occasions. In a number of games, they haven’t registered a shot on goal or even forced a corner.
There have been few signs of any improvement as the season has progressed, although they did manage to score two goals in successive games against the NTC and Subiaco. The goalkeeping position seems to be particularly problematic with a number of players being used in that position but none of them have stemmed the tide of goals.
With promotion and relegation to the Women’s League now confirmed by Football West, Curtin University are highly likely to be the first team to get relegated, as their league position alone makes this almost certain. They are also without a U21 side or any junior sides so they currently don’t meet some of the eligibility criteria for an NPLW license and this may also cause them to lose their spot in the NPLW as explained by Football West:
“Football West can confirm there will be promotion and relegation between the NPLWA Women’s competition and the Hyundai Women’s League Division One at the end of the 2023 season, subject to the promoted team meeting the eligibility criteria to play NPLW.
“This will see the winners of Division One replace the team which finishes bottom of the NPLW.
“If the team which finishes top of Division One does not meet the criteria, then there will be a one-game playoff between the bottom of the NPLW and the Division One runner-up to determine who plays in the NPLW next year.
“Again, the Division One runner-up must meet the eligibility criteria for NPLW before they can take part in the playoff.
“If neither of the top two teams from Division One meets the criteria to play NPLW then there will be no automatic promotion or play-off match.
“Please note the team which finishes bottom of the NPLW must also meet the eligibility criteria for NPLW before they can take part in any play-off. If they do not then they will be automatically relegated, regardless of whether or not a team is being promoted from Division One.
“All teams must meet the eligibility criteria by the date stipulated in the Football West Club Licensing Manual to play in the NPLW in the 2024 season.”
HYUNDAI WOMEN’S LEAGUE
With this new structure of promotion and relegation now in place, Football West has started the journey of expanding the number of local players capable of playing NPLW, thus improving league standards.
There are eight teams in the Hyundai Women’s League, however only six are eligible for promotion, as Subiaco and Fremantle currently occupy two of those positions.
In order to be accepted into the women’s league the teams should ideally have a under-21 side, a junior side, and facilities that are capable of hosting NPLW games. Not all teams in the league are able to fulfil those criteria and some would not be capable of playing in the NPLW if they were to be promoted.
Beyond90 contacted the six teams eligible for promotion to obtain an understanding of their capabilities and from the responses received at the time of writing it appears as though the University of WA and Nedlands (UWA Nedlands FC) are leading the way in terms of fulfilling NPLW criteria.
In terms of their playing structure, UWA Nedlands appear to have all bases covered.
“We have a nominally U21s side playing in the Central divisions, which is following on from our U23 side in 2022,” the club told Beyond90.
“The club has made a conscious choice to mirror the NPLW age groups in the last few years in preparation for NPLW opportunities, and to create an environment for younger players to transition into.
“We have five MiniRoos teams, two under-14s and one under-16 girls teams, and over 200 girls playing in our Joey Soccer competition. While we could have easily fielded an under-13s team, in the interest of our Academy team’s development we chose to play them in under-14s Division 1.
“Our club has a dedicated Female Football Plan, which is being refreshed this year. We run a number of girls-specific programs, understanding that girls’ needs are not the same as boys, and have successfully delivered consecutive Girls Invitational Tournaments in the pre-season for clubs across Perth.”
UWA Nedlands currently sit in second spot on the ladder and are the 2023 Hyundai Women’s League Night Series champions, having beaten the NTC side that plays in the NPLW U21 competition in the final.
Sitting in top spot is Hamersley Rovers who are unbeaten so far this season, but they are not as well advanced in their women’s football area as UWA.
The club is home to a youth team comprising around seven U17s and some U21 players who play in the fifth tier of the women’s competition, and also have a number of junior teams. As is the case for many of the teams in the Women’s League, ground facilities are not at the NPLW level, but in terms of their first team, they are the strongest in the league and have a number of ex-NPLW players in their ranks. A recent 3-0 loss to MUM FC in the State Cup was a demonstration that they have a first team that could be competitive in the NPLW.
These two teams currently occupy the only spots that can be considered for promotion, but a third team, Perth AFC, could also challenge for promotion given they are currently three points below UWA Nedlands. The Coolbellup-based club also features a team in the second tier of the Hyundai Women’s League, but it’s not known if this is a U21 side. They also have junior teams, and currently share game-day facilities with State League Division 1 men’s club Western Knights, one division below NPL Men’s.
Other teams in the division are Port Kennedy, Mandurah and Sorrento but all of these would appear to be too far behind to make it into the top two.
In a statement to Beyond90, Sorrento confirmed the club is not applying for NPL Women’s for 2024, but will continue to work towards promotion in the coming years.
“[Our] talent pool of players is not sufficient for us to make that jump to add value to that league. Sorrento FC is fully supportive of NPLW [and] we continue to regularly review our position about applying for a position within NPLW.”
