With the NSW NPLW season complete and a champion crowned, now is the time to look back with fondness at the incredible, almost unbelievable, year that was 2020. And so, in keeping with the traditions of competitions past, we set about the arduous task of separating the metaphorical wheat from the chaff and settling on who we’d name as the league’s best.
There were only three rules: we had to pick a starting XI – using a formation of our choosing – and five substitutes; each player must have played at least six games after the season restart; and each club could only feature a maximum of three players in the 16-strong list. Discussions were had, sacrifices were made, players were swapped back and forth, but after much angst and deliberation, we present to you the Beyond90 NSW NPLW Team of the Year.
Goalkeeper: Casey Dumont (Blacktown Spartans)
As in 2019, Dumont’s experience was priceless, especially for a Spartans side that had to contend with the loss of former Young Matildas centre back Hannah Bourke in the opening round. At one point the 28-year-old kept four consecutive clean sheets, going almost six hours without conceding a goal. Unfortunately, Dumont won’t don the gloves for the upcoming W-League campaign after suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon in the final round, but she has shown amazing levels of determination throughout her career and is sure to bounce back.
Left Back: Emma Ilijoski (NWS Koalas)
Koalas have done brilliantly to find a rising star in a position where finding players that fit is usually a challenge. Ilijoski displays maturity beyond her years, both in a defensive sense and when supporting the attack, so it will come as no surprise to learn that she was part of the Junior Matildas leadership group during the most recent cycle of U17 World Cup qualifiers. The others from that group (Darcey Malone, Jessika Nash & Nia Stamatopoulos) have all received attention from W-League clubs – it won’t be too long until the former Canberra United Academy player joins them.
Centre back: Tori Tumeth (Sydney University)
This is Tumeth’s second appearance in a B90 Team of the Year, and anyone who has watched her play will not be surprised – she combines exceptional tackling ability with technique that makes most midfielders envious. An ever-present in a Sydney Uni backline that finished the season with more clean sheets (nine) than goals conceded (five), the former Junior Matildas captain hasn’t missed a game for Uni since July 2018. With four NSW NPLW First Grade campaigns under her belt at the age of 19, it’s scary (for opposition forwards) to think that her best years are almost certainly still ahead of her.
Centre back: Cassidy Davis (Manly United)
Manly went from allowing almost two goals a game in 2019 to conceding only 13 goals in 13 games this time around. Despite the truncated nature of the 2020 season, the Champions also kept five clean sheets, two more than last year. Davis is defensively strong both on the ground and in the air, and her leadership was the reason Manly’s back three worked so well. She also used her composure when in possession to advance into midfield and start attacks – if there’s one thing Beyond90 loves, it’s a ball-playing central defender.
Right back: Isabella Foletta (Northern Tigers)
Foletta is now a permanent fixture in the Tigers defence. The 20 year old appeared in all 12 matches for Jason Eagar’s side, following on from a 2019 campaign in which she only missed two games. It’s unusual to see an opposition winger trouble Foletta, and she also has the capacity to help her own wingers by frequently making overlapping runs. She can play at right back, left back, on either wing and even in central defence – with this kind of adaptability and reliability, it’s not hard to see why Vicki Linton has added Foletta to the Canberra United squad.
Central midfield: Libby Copus-Brown (Manly United)
A veteran of six W-League seasons while still only being 22 years old, Copus-Brown is a fierce competitor with an incredible work ethic, never giving her direct opponents any peace. However, she offers much more than just midfield scrapping. Copus-Brown caught the eye with her dribbling and passing technique, while her versatility allowed her to act as a playmaker from both deep-lying and advanced positions. This creativity was on full display in the semis as Copus-Brown inspired a late comeback to send Manly into the Grand Final.
Central midfield: Clare Wheeler (Sydney University)
It’s not just a certain member of The Far Post podcast who loves Clare Wheeler. The dynamic midfielder has appeared in 47 consecutive games for Sydney Uni, the longest active streak in the team. Her uncanny knack for being in the right place at the right time helps the Students win midfield battles, and she also chips in with her fair share of goals (four in 2020). Wheeler is one of Sydney FC’s new signings, and if her development continues, the 22-year-old might just be the long-term solution to the Matildas’ number six problem.
Attacking midfield: Kendall Fletcher (Sydney University)
Readers who remember Fletcher’s time in the W-League might have been surprised to see her operate in the number 10 role, but she fit that position perfectly. Brilliant off-the-ball movement allowed her to constantly find dangerous attacking positions, and although she may not celebrate goals with backflips anymore, some excellent shooting technique meant Fletcher finished the season with five goals in 11 games. Fletcher’s impact is probably best described by how much Sydney Uni missed her in the Grand Final – without her prompting, Uni were unable to break down a packed Manly defence.
Left wing: Aideen Keane (Football NSW Institute)
Keane is the kind of player that gives opposition fullbacks sleepless nights. The Young Matilda is relentless when running with the ball, using her pace and physical presence to ensure a torrid time for even the most seasoned defenders. Although she only appeared in seven games, Keane still managed to score nine goals, four of them coming in 34 minutes against Bankstown City. As W-League clubs search for the next batch of young stars, Keane looks set to make her mark on the national stage in the very near future.
Centre forward: Tara Andrews (Manly United)
Her goal scoring record in this competition was well known after previously reaching the 25 goal mark with both NWS Koalas and Northbridge FC. However, knowing about Andrews is the easy part: stopping her proved too difficult for most teams. The former Matilda repeated her efforts from the 2016 Grand Final by scoring in this year’s decider, and this time she would end up on the winning side. It’s not just the 13 goal haul, aerial threat and penalty box prowess that puts her in this team – Andrews would often drop into midfield, engineering several chances for her teammates.
Right wing: Cortnee Vine (Sydney Olympic)
She’s normally a centre forward, but Vine can play on the wing and we’re not leaving her out of this team. The 22-year-old has been electrifying over three seasons in the NSW NPLW competition, scoring 48 goals in only 49 games. Vine’s incredible speed makes her unplayable at times and this year she scored multiple goals in six out of 12 appearances (including this hat-trick in Round 7). A tally of 14 goals makes Vine the 2020 Golden Boot winner, and unsurprisingly her performances have been rewarded with a spot in the Sydney FC squad.
Substitutes
Goalkeeper: Eliza Campbell (Northern Tigers)
In four seasons with the Tigers, Campbell has played a big part in their transformation from top-flight newcomers to contenders. Campbell’s calming influence at the back and shot-stopping ability helped the northern suburbs outfit keep four clean sheets in the nine games she played, while her neat footwork also meant the Tigers could play out from the back efficiently. Despite missing her team’s last three games with a shoulder injury, the 25-year-old is fully deserving of a place in our Team of the Year.
Centre back: Kirsty Fenton (Emerging Jets)
Another Junior Matilda, Fenton played in every game, impressing with her coolness when facing this competition’s assortment of experienced and wily attackers. Fenton can also play as a fullback, and she has been a regular First Grade starter for the last two seasons. Incredibly for someone so young, her Jets First Grade debut was back in April 2017. It was hard to choose between Fenton and fellow Jets defender, New Zealand U17 international Mona Walker – not only do these two make for a promising duo, they could also be given the nickname of “the #AsOne centre back partnership”.
Central midfield: Teresa Polias (Sydney Olympic)
Polias has helped guide Olympic to second place finishes in both of their NSW top flight campaigns, and the Sydney FC legend is yet to miss a game since making the switch from Macarthur Rams. She plays a much more attacking role for Olympic than those in sky blue would be accustomed to, providing an excellent passing range and set piece expertise in addition to the terrier-like defensive work she is known for. Polias also scored three times, including this long range strike in the semi-final against Manly.
Winger: Lauren Allan (Northern Tigers)
In her first NSW NPLW campaign, Allan showed exactly why she was part of the Newcastle Jets squad for the 2019-20 W-League season. The former New Lambton star constantly harassed opposition fullbacks with her speed and scored seven goals in 12 games, a healthy tally for a wide player. One of those goals was this late winner in Round 8 against the Spartans, which would prove crucial in pushing the Tigers towards a second consecutive finals appearance. However, we didn’t select her purely for goal scoring – Allan is more than happy to track back and help in defence.
Centre forward: Charlie Rule (Football NSW Institute)
Institute played some absolutely scintillating football in 2020. Rule added plenty of venom to their attack, scoring four goals in ten appearances while also linking well with Aideen Keane and Bryleeh Henry. The Junior Matilda has a wide array of skills, as seen in this clever finish against the Spartans, this brilliant assist against Sydney University, and this precision free kick against Bankstown City. Sydney FC coach Ante Juric is clearly a fan, and he has brought Rule into his W-League squad for the upcoming campaign after she trialled with the Sky Blues in 2019.
Coach: Alex Epakis (Sydney University)
It’s true that Epakis’s final game in charge of the Students didn’t go to plan, however there’s no denying that Sydney University have been the benchmark during his three years in charge. His teams are renowned for dominating possession and suffocating opponents on the relatively rare occasions when Uni don’t have the ball. Three Premierships, three Grand Final appearances, one Championship and a 32 game unbeaten run are just some of the reasons why his successor will have their hands full maintaining the standard set by the former Canberra United assistant coach.
