Beyond 90’s Steffen Moebus fulfilled a long-held wish this week, chatting with best friends Grace Maher and Nicki Flannery about their Canberra United home-comings and prospects for Season 13 of the W-League.
Thanks for chatting with me. Can we start with talking about the excitement I imagine there must have been at your first session, and the vibe with everyone re-uniting with the Canberra United-Sydney University connections across the squad?
Grace: Yeah, it was really cool. We got in [that] Sunday night for our first training to meet everyone and [we found] these weird connections with everyone. There [were those who had] played this most recent season; those returning from [previous] seasons; Canberra locals that Nicki and myself have played with or against in our junior years. Our keeper coach [Chantel Jones] is an ex-player of ours and ex-teammate. And then also, having people knowing Vicki [Linton, head coach] for a while, it was just this cool camaraderie where everyone wanted to learn about each other but somehow we had a good understanding of how we all operated.
Nicki: A few weeks back before pre-season Grace and I both came down to be part of the trials. [We wanted to] keep that training up but also to see who could be a potential teammate [to add to] a really good environment, [and to] meet Vicki, and work with Vicki from the get-go. And the girls just made us feel like at home again, even though we’ve both been away on our different paths.
It was just the most rewarding feeling coming back and not feeling so much pressure or that everything’s changed since we’ve been gone. Because we’re the same people; we haven’t changed, we still love and respect the club. So yeah, it was such a nice thing to come back to in the early weeks and [that helped to] build up the momentum to start the season on a high.
It’s so great to see you all back, including Michelle Heyman, Kendall Fletcher, and Clare Hunt. The league is likely to have a different character to it this time around, with fewer international players and Matildas. What are your thoughts on that?
N: I think it’s a great opportunity for people that once been the level below the Matildas and the international players, and have been in the Dub for a few years, to step up and push the younger ones up. It’s a great opportunity for people to showcase what they have. It’s obviously a very different setup, but I love it. You don’t know what teams are going to be like this year. In the past, there have been big competitors that have great players on paper. And this year, equally it’s great, but very different team sheets.
I think it’s so refreshing to have like a reset, almost pressing the restart button, and seeing what local talent in Australia we have that can hopefully build momentum with the Matildas in the future.
G: Yeah, and I think that’s what’s really cool about this season.
Budgets aren’t coming into play as much. Coming into the season, how teams will go [will depend upon] the effort that comes in pre-season, but also the philosophy of the coach and the structure of the team.
I think that’s a leveller – [it’s] really coming down to a battle of who can do their role and who can play to the team structure. It’s going to be a lot more football-based as opposed to just domination from one or two teams.
Let’s go back in time a bit and talk a bit about when you first met and became friends. Nicki, you mentioned junior athletics…
[both laugh]
G: We didn’t even know each other back then but we found a photo from 2007. One day after already knowing Nicki for a few years, I was watching a photo slideshow on my Mum’s computer, and there was this photo of my first ever running race at the AIS when I had just moved to Canberra [from Dubbo]. And in that race was Nicki and me next to each other. No idea at the time that we were. [laughs] Little blonde Nicki with a big headband; I think I was wearing slip-on shoes.
And then it wasn’t until we were 11 – we were playing up [an age-group] and we were preparing for the Under 13 nationals at the end of the year – that we were together. We were left and right-wingers. From that moment, we were best friends.
N: Yeah, I mean, we used to play against each other – she for Majura and I played for Woden, but when it later came to ACT representative [football] we were inseparable. We played together for eight years, then both went our separate ways, and somehow we’ve found our way back to each other.
Can we talk a little bit about Sydney Uni? Grace, how did you come to play there?
G: So I’d had the season in Iceland, and I was looking to go over to Europe again. And I was in contact with some people, sussing it out, and was in Melbourne, we were in the finals. We finished a little bit later, and then all of a sudden there was this big rush to get home. So I got home to Canberra and then knowing that I wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon, kind of realised … I had an idea of how quickly things could escalate with coronavirus. And I think I played it on the cautious side knowing that this year football might not go ahead. And I just decided I’m not going to leave Australia. I didn’t necessarily want to take that risk and be stuck in isolation or doing quarantine and the league be cancelled and I’d be overseas. So I just decided not to go.
Alex [Epakis, then-head coach] had already tried to get me to come before then […] And I just caught him one day and thought “I already have friends there …” I didn’t really know much about the Sydney league, but had trained with the Sydney Uni girls before. My best mates are there […] I’ve got family up in Sydney. Called him up and that was it; moved up, and started as soon as we were allowed to be back training.
You’ve been there for a while Nicki – four years – what keeps you coming back? And have you received any attention from any other NSW clubs?
N: What keeps me coming back is the group of girls and the setup is very professional, as professional as it can get in the offseason here in Australia, in my opinion. The facilities we have are really good and the access to studying for girls like myself [is excellent].
We have the elite athlete program and they assist us with scholarships and free dietitian appointments, free psychology appointments, all these really helpful things when you need support, or [some leeway] when it gets to the end of the semester and maybe an extension here and there because your preseason training ramps up. They’re really amazing on that front.
It’s just been a great team camaraderie from four years ago when I set foot there and it’s a really great club and I’ve loved every minute of it. And I guess in terms of other clubs, reaching out, yes at times they do but to be honest, not many. And I take that as a compliment because I am very loyal to Sydney Uni and I was very passionate about achieving what we wanted to achieve at Sydney Uni and making sure we got there… I was tunnel-visioned with those aims.
You both had injury layoffs during the NSW season. How are you both now?
G: Yes, we both had little niggles – mine was my first-ever soft tissue injury. Going through them is never fun but coming out of them you always learn a lot about yourself. So it was good for me to understand my body and what’s right and what’s wrong. I was coming back right at the end of the season, and then Vicki was great in allowing me to keep [managing it] going into preseason so I’ve kind of had that rest in an offseason.
N: [laughs, looking somewhat sheepish] Mine wasn’t soccer-related – I fell over running from my car to my friends in the rain. So it was a bit of an unfortunate incident but, I mean, I’ve had a few niggles in the past and one thing that they do teach you is how bad you don’t want to be in that position. So when you get back out there you just want to enjoy it for all it’s worth, not taking anything for granted, it could [all] be gone the next day. So yeah, it was difficult. But I’m back into the swing of things and Vicki’s been great in monitoring my load in coming back, making sure I’m not overdoing it, but also that I’m doing enough to be ready come game one.
Grace, an abiding memory I have is the 2016-17 season where you played with Yukari Kinga in the middle of the park. Kinga was awarded both Canberra United Player of the Year and Player’s Player, while you were awarded Rising Star. Was it as special for you as it was for us fans?
G: [eyes lighting up] Yeah, that was such a special season. I love to say I had the privilege of playing with Kinga, and you know, we found great success that season and it was a great team that had a great balance and gave an opportunity for us young ones to get game time and take that step up because the people around us were phenomenal and that’s including the staff, the fans, and the support we had.
I look back on that season and it holds such a special place in my heart. Not only was Kinga there but Celeste Boureille covered so much ground and was such a workhorse… we played this formation because of an overwhelming amount of talent up front and then that’s a testament to Rae Dower [then-coach] that Karly Roestbakken was able to play up front, and Nicki got lots of game time up front. That’s how competitive the squad was, everyone was pushing each other. I think the game that stood out for me the most was when we beat Melbourne City for that first time ever.
N: I get goosebumps…
G: The circumstances surrounding that were so special – I think I ended up in centre back at the end as Ellie Brush had torn her MCL during the game, Steph Ochs had a vomiting bug, and Hayley Raso was out. For Nicki to get the assist – Kinga setting up Nicki to play the assist for Karly to score… and I think I got an assist for Jenna’s header – that was so special. Yeah, I love that season.
N: Just the best season…
And what about you Nicki, who was someone you have played with where you had a deep connection and where you clicked, and whom you loved working with?
N: Grace! [laughs] I think Grace is the one who understands me the most. I’ve had the privilege to play and train with a lot of incredible players – another player I loved playing with was Denise O’Sullivan. She was unreal, so dynamic as a midfielder and always such a workhorse but always so positive and a great team player and a great person. And last year at Newcastle Jets I really loved playing with Tara Andrews – she’s so composed and technically skilled. I’ve learned a lot off her in the season just gone by.
Can I ask you both what your biggest take outs are from your time away from Canberra United?
G: I had a real mixed bag experience, some amazing success and some really hard times, and I think one of my things was never, never being comfortable, in a positive way.
I’ve been away from home and there’s a lot of excitement and new challenges, [and] in essence, the moment you get comfortable – the moment you [tell yourself] “I’ve earned it” – it’s probably going to be taken off you.
So it’s really for me that mentality of every day trying to get a little bit better because who you are today needs to be better tomorrow. I’ve come back into Canberra here and because the squad is so much closer, it is tight, it’s going to be hard to push for that starting eleven.
N: I was going to say it was necessary, I needed a change of environment, and I wanted to challenge myself in that way. Probably the biggest takeaway is when you move into a new environment, you start to pick up on [new] things. I picked up on a few things in Newcastle that I didn’t know I was capable of doing. But I found it from within, and I’m very grateful for that.
But also in saying that, when you have played for Canberra from the get-go, you just want to come back. I think you realise how much the club’s meant to you when you step away from it. The drive to come back was definitely there.
G: It’s such a good point and… we haven’t even played in front of the home fans yet. But that was something that I didn’t have at Victory. And that’s so true. The enjoyment and the extra mile you do for a club that’s given you so much, and then you feel such connection to, you can’t fake.
N: In Newcastle, [the home crowd] was definitely there. And I think it was harder for me to grasp, because I’m [thinking] “that’s not my home town.” But yes, here it is, it’s our story.
It’s early days but what are some points of difference you’ve noticed under Vicki compared to previous stints here?
G: I’ve now had four different coaches at Canberra. And I had Vicki as an assistant when I was a bit younger for a tournament and some camps. So I was really excited to see what more like, she could give me. I’ve missed one week [for Matildas Talent Identification camp]. So I’ve had two weeks under my belt with her. And I’m already a better player. I don’t say that lightly, her attention to detail and the simplicity, she tells me the first thing I need to work on to improve me the most and builds on that. She’s honest, she’s caring, like she’s really checking in on us. And giving us feedback and facilitating that learning, which is just… it’s infectious within the team.
Today we had a really great session focusing on one versus one, and that’s all about accountability because no one else is there to support you. And the tips they gave me, I had light bulbs going off all training.
So I’m learning and I think I felt a bit stagnated in my learning, maybe over the last couple of years. It was so much about just performance, and I forgot to work on myself.
So that’s honestly what she’s given me already.
N: Every coach you have brings something different, and teach certain things in certain ways. But in terms of Vicki’s approach, like Grace said, her attention to detail is so specific, and it’s just something so complex is dumbed down to the bare minimum and it’s so easy to comprehend and apply to multiple situations. And she’s so approachable. You can ask her any question. Yeah, I’m really enjoying working with her. And just the fact that she’s very supportive. Even the girls that are train-ons, she’s wanting the best for them as well and wanting the best for everyone in the team. So I think that’s gonna make a really powerful team environment to be a part of.
Some of those team connections have been there a long time. Grace, you went to Grace Gill’s birthday earlier this year, and there was that photo of you and Nicole and Ash and Brushy and the others, and it was just so great that you’re keeping those connections over the years.
G: It’s so cool. But I think what speaks so much volume is that every season is you build friends and lifelong friends. It’s not just football teammates that are “Oh, if you’re in that country, I might visit you,” but it’s really like, good people. And I think that’s been such a catalyst in Canberra United – it’s people first – and that’s staff, players, and fans.
These girls @CanberraUnited pic.twitter.com/kMfolJ1eCO
— Grace Gill (@gracegill9) June 28, 2020
It was thought initially, that there would be a nice, long lead-in to the season. But as it turns out, you’ve only got about five weeks, which is not that much different from previous seasons. In some years you’ve had as little as three weeks. So the connections you’ve got with Canberra United and Sydney Uni and so much crossover between them could be really important early in the season, to give you a bit of early momentum …
G: Vicki has expressed that too … we’ve been playing friendlies against the boys and I think we have a friendly against another W-League team right before the season kicks off and she’s been speaking and training about competitiveness every week. It’s ramping up because in a 12 game season, unfortunately, getting a good start, getting a couple of wins in your first five games – it’s [already] halfway through the season.
With Victory last year, we had a really tough run at the start of the season with a trip overseas, and we were picking up some losses and some draws. What ended up happening was we finished second on the table, but the whole season, we felt like we were behind. And that’s why it’s so important. If you get off to a good start, you build on that.
N: Yes, definitely. We’ve [almost] all played together in the past or played against each other. So we know a few attributes of each other that we can work off, which is really helpful. And in saying that, we have everyone here at the moment from the get-go, which is really great to build that momentum heading into Round 1. So we’ve definitely been putting in the hard yards, it’s just a matter of applying what we are being taught.
G: And I haven’t been in a team where we’ve got two assistant coaches [Sarah West and Emily Husband], so everyone’s got someone that they can work off and it’s just fantastic. Everyone’s getting the answers they need.
With regards to the draw, you’ve got three of the top four teams from last season both home and away. There are two ways that can go: they can sharpen you up and be really good for you, or it can hurt if things are falling away a bit.
N: To be honest, I’m not that fussed about the draw. Every game is going to be different, players are going to be different, so if we just stick to what we’re going into the game with, I don’t see any reason why we can’t beat them. I mean, we saw Newcastle Jets beat Sydney FC in a trial match so that’s interesting for us, to unpack that. But like I said earlier, it’s going to be a completely different season so just going into every game in full confidence of what we’re doing and being aware of the opposition, I can’t see why [we won’t do well].
G: What I love is we don’t have two away games in a row. I think that’s massive because anyone that plays or knows Canberra United knows how big a home game is for us and what we bring to that.
I feel like the momentum’s always going to keep rolling.
Grace, congratulations on your selection for the Matildas Talent Identification Camp. It’s been almost four years since you’ve been in that environment, and looking across the group that was there this time, you must be in a very different space from when you were back then, when you were one of the younger ones in the camp. This time I can imagine that there are other younger ones looking to you for a bit of leadership. Is that the way it felt to you, that you are one of the ones that others could look up to a bit?
G: Yeah, definitely. It was our first training, we went into a drill that required a lot of communication because some of the girls didn’t get the rules. And immediately I was just like, “Right, this is what it is.” And took the lead, and I’m naturally … someone that likes to lead and yeah, it was … weird. Brushy and I were having a laugh about being the old ones. And then she’s like, “Wait, how old are you again?” And she didn’t really want to hear how old I was. [laughs]
And with the camp itself, everyone was there for a reason. This isn’t just looking at people to come into a camp now. This is for 1-2-3 years up to the World Cup. So it was really interesting and a good experience. And I’m glad that it was earlier in pre-season because I’m excited to be back with the [Canberra United] girls.
How much over the last few years have you both been involved with the Matildas coaching crew?
G: It’s all focused around tournaments I think. In a way you could always say they’re always watching but … Ante was always coming in for that year. And it wasn’t really ever going to be a big change over our [playing] pool. I was only involved with Staj [Alen Stajic], and when Ante came in I hadn’t met him or had any communication, and it’s only really now with this next [set of building for future tournaments] and getting the World Cup on home soil that we’ve then been both brought back into scope.
N: I’ve kind of been out of the picture since Young Matildas, but then pretty much as soon as the NSW NPL season finished, I was invited to a few elite matches, and on the extended list for the camp. Being honest, it’s just nice to be recognised again and knowing that you’re kind of in the frame again, and have that little bit of hope.
Finally, who’s someone you’ve spotted at Canberra United training that’s impressing you and who the fans should keep an eye out for this season?
G: Well, I’ve been really excited and had spoken about her before I even knew that she was signing to Canberra, little Jess Nash.
She’s been coming in and loading herself back into training. So I haven’t seen her full self yet, but I love seeing young kids with the confidence and the composure, to be discussing in training and calling in and communicating with older players. I think that shows a real intention of their confidence in themselves. And so I’m really excited to see Jess and she’s a lovely girl. I’m so glad that she gets to come to Canberra for her first season.
Jessika Nash’s potential hasn’t gone unnoticed ✨#WLeague @CanberraUnited pic.twitter.com/WVm84c74b9
— Westfield W-League (@WLeague) October 30, 2020
And then Shell’s [Michelle Heyman] looking awesome. That’s so exciting because – good on her! It’s great. She’s the senior of the team this year and she’s taking it in her stride and just seeing how she’s matured in that period away – it’s exciting.
Michelle Heyman shares how the comeback to Canberra United took place! pic.twitter.com/EtyLhRaAFN
— Canberra United (@CanberraUnited) November 16, 2020
N: Paige Satchell. She is so fast… the most hardworking player I think I’ve seen in a little while now. You don’t know what she’s gonna do – yeah, exciting. She’s a great player, and I think the fans will absolutely love her.
Beyond 90 thanks Grace Maher, Nicki Flannery, and Canberra United.
Read more about Canberra United’s squad in the Canberra United Season 13 preview.
