Two of the most consistently-excellent teams in this year’s FSA NPL Women’s, it’s no shock that Salisbury Inter and Football South Australia NTC are meeting in the Big Dance. Despite both finishing behind Adelaide Comets in the regular season, these two sides have accounted for just about every team in the league come rain, hail or shine.
For NTC, this weekend represents their first opportunity at silverware, never before having progressed to an NPLW grand final. For Inter, this match represents an opportunity for redemption, having lost this season’s Women’s Premier & State Cup Final to Comets.
Salisbury will again look to their attacking duo Roxy Dodd and Haruna Sugihara for inspiration in the final third. Scorer of the side’s only goal against NTC in their most recent meeting, former Jumonji Ventus striker Sugihara has been one of the team’s standouts this season. Alongside the Japanese native is club top-scorer Dodd, whose nearly-dozen goals this year have helped one step further Inter further than last season.
For NTC, Junior Matildas midfielder Miley Grigg will again be one of the youngsters’ keys to success. Selected in Rae Dower’s May training camp ahead of the team’s U-17 Women’s Asian Cup Round 2 Qualifiers, the combative pivot has been among the squad’s best this season. Sitting in a three-player midfield, Grigg has been key to NTC’s breaking up of play in the centre of the park, protecting space in front of her defensive colleagues and distributing as needed.
Having suffered only two defeats in their past seven matches – to Adelaide Comets on the final day of the regular season, and to this week’s opponents in the first week of finals – FSA NTC can hold every confidence of earning a result this Sunday. Nevertheless, Salisbury will look to their victory in the semi-finals, and to their demolition of Comets in the preliminary final, for reassurance in the helter-skelter that is finals football.
With nothing but chaos assured, both clubs will be praying for a moment of brilliance to deliver this year’s silverware.
NPL Women’s South Australia Grand Final
Salisbury Inter vs Football South Australia NTC
ServiceFM Stadium, Gepps Cross
Sunday 17 September – KO 2:30pm local (3:00pm AEST)
📺 Coverage available via NPL.TV
