The inaugural NPLW WA season is now at the halfway stage, and whilst Football West would have hoped that its introduction would lead to a competitive league when it was launched in March, it’s doubtful they would have envisaged the season being as intriguing as it has been so far.
Every round seems to throw up unusual results, and for the most part the games are tight affairs that are being well supported both at grounds and online. Viewing figures for the live streams on YouTube and Facebook regularly reach 8,000 – 10,000 per game.
With just five points separating first and fourth, there are bound to be many twists and turns between now and the end of the season. We decided to look at each of the teams and stick our necks out to predict where they may finish!
MUM FC
Sitting at the top of the table, they have been the form team of the season so far with five wins, one loss and one draw. MUM FC are the joint highest scorers with 20 goals and in Katarina (Kat) Jukic have the top goalscorer in the league (eight goals to her name so far). They also have the league’s meanest defence: goalkeeper Danelle Cornish has only conceded six goals so far in 2020. MUM FC are well drilled by coach Peter Rakic and are capable of changing their game plan according to circumstances.
If they can maintain their form then there is no doubt they will be very hard to dislodge from the top spot, but the big question mark against them is how they will cope if they are hit with injuries or suspensions in the second half of the season. So far they have not had to change their starting 11 too often, but question marks remain about their strength in depth.
TIP – Champions
PERTH SC
Currently second, Perth SC has been the biggest surprise of the season so far. Based on their performances in the pre-season night series competition, very few pundits would have predicted they would be just three points off the pace, in second place at the halfway mark. They produced two outstanding results in their opening two games to make the league sit up and take notice, and whilst they weren’t quite able to maintain that level of performance in the next four games they then upset NTC with a gritty 2-1 win in Albany last weekend.
It’s possible that the wins in the first half of the season were as a result of teams not being fully aware of Perth’s potential. That won’t happen in the second half of the campaign and for Perth to maintain a top-four spot they are going to need their players with W-League experience such as Jenna Onions, Katie Holtham, Abbey Meakins and Liana Cook to really stand up and perform to their highest levels.
TIP – 6th
BALCATTA FC
In third spot is Balcatta FC. One of the oldest teams in Women’s football in WA, they have always been fierce competitors and in coach Lisa Tana they have one of the best in the local game. This season they have been consistent without being outstanding, although they did produce the biggest win of the competition last week with an 11 goal drubbing of Subiaco, and are the only team to have beaten MUM FC.
They have a well-organised defence with goalkeeper and captain Gabby Dal Busco marshalling those in front of her, while in Caitlin Doeglas they have one of the best strikers in the league. Doeglas is also capable of dropping deeper and pulling the strings in midfield, and has formed a very effective partnership with Christiane Astorp. The pair have 11 goals between them and are a constant threat to opposition defences.
As with all the teams, they need their first 11 to stay fit and healthy but unlike MUM and Perth, Balcatta has had a reserve team for a number of years so the replacements should be better equipped to play in the senior team if called upon.
TIP – 3rd
NORTHERN REDBACKS
Currently fourth, last season’s double champions have been strangely lethargic this campaign. They haven’t put in a consistent 90 minute display in any of their games and seem to be trying to get through them on reputation alone. In addition, goals have dried up and they’ve not scored more than two in a game since the second round. This puts pressure on the defence and with the back four changing from game to game, it’s no real surprise that points have been dropped in games they have led.
If they are to mount any sort of challenge for the title then the experience of ex-Matilda Kim Carroll, ex-Kiwi International Renee Leota, midfielders Carla Bennett and captain Shawn Billam, as well as last season’s golden boot winner Sarah Carroll will be key. If they can inspire more consistency from the crop of youngsters coming into the 1st team and match other teams’ intensity for the full 90 minutes, then the sole women-only club in the competition might be a top four chance.
TIP – 5th
FREMANTLE CITY
The port side were red hot favourites for the title after their night series win, but a shock loss in the opening round to Perth SC plus further losses to Redbacks and NTC have put a big dent in their title aspirations. There are some signs of the side starting to gain some momentum though, and they are unbeaten in the last three games, including a win against Balcatta last time out. If they can maintain this form then there is no reason why they shouldn’t still be considered a title contender.
However, they are six points behind MUM and need to rely on other teams taking points off the leaders, as well as staying unbeaten themselves, if they are to have a realistic chance of winning the title. They have also recently lost Courtney Butlion to college football in the USA and whilst she wasn’t their biggest goal threat, she was still an important part of their attack.
TIP – 2nd
HYUNDAI NTC WOMEN
At times this young team has produced some outstanding football and been great to watch, but their lack of consistency has been their undoing, dropping points against teams they should have easily disposed of. For coach Ben Anderton this must be terribly frustrating, and he must try and find a way to make his charges become more game savvy in order to improve on their current sixth place. There is no doubt he has some highly talented players at his disposal and in Tijan McKenna he has probably the best defensive midfielder in the league. Her performances week in and week out have been most impressive.
Only MUM FC and Balcatta have scored more than the NTC, but they have also conceded more goals than anyone else except for Curtin and Subiaco. This leads to some excellent entertainment for spectators but does mean teams are always likely to score against them. If they can tighten things up at the back then they can still be a possible top four contender, as any team with Abbey Green, Hana Lowry and Leticia McKenna in it will be difficult to beat.
TIP – 4th
CURTIN UNIVERSITY
Along with Perth SC, Curtin are newcomers to the top level of women’s football in WA, and they struggled during the pre-season night series, failing to win a game. COVID also hit them hard with overseas and interstate students unable to play for them, so the signs were not looking good for them when the season commenced. Their opening game couldn’t have been tougher as they faced up to the Hyundai NTC, but they produced a gritty and determined display, pushing their opponents all the way to earn an honourable 2-2 draw.
They can be a difficult team to play against as they press high and are a strong side physically, but if the opposition can break their press then they are quite vulnerable at the back, and hence their goals against record is the second worst in the league. They also struggle to score goals at the other end with just six so far. It’s difficult to see them making any significant improvement in the second half of the season. However, if they can maintain the same level of intensity as they showed in the recent 1-1 draw against Redbacks, then teams will have to work hard to earn points against them.
TIP – 7th
SUBIACO
With a squad largely drawn from their victorious State League campaign of 2019, the question about Subiaco for 2020 was always going to be if their players would be able to take the next step up and match those with international, W-League and Premier League experience. Unfortunately, so far the answer has been no. They are firmly rooted to the bottom of the table with only two points and a goal difference of -31.
It’s not all been doom and gloom though as they nearly earned an unlikely victory against NTC in round three, being denied the three points by an injury-time penalty. They also came back from a goal down to salvage a point against Curtin University in round six. An injury to their captain and goalkeeper, Marissa Pidgeon, in their last game is a major blow for them and the damage to their confidence after the 11-0 defeat to Balcatta could take a long time to repair. For the sake of the competitiveness of the league, Subiaco has to try and find a way to stem the flow of goals against them otherwise the next seven rounds will be very difficult.
TIP – 8th
