The 2021 Capital Football NPLW1 season commences April 10th, and the eight teams in this instalment of the competition have three full rounds to look forward to.
Previous instalments:
Belconnen United
Canberra United Academy
West Canberra FC
Here’s how Gungahlin United is shaping in 2021. They finished the 2020 season in third place.
Team news from Head Coach Diego Iglesias
NPLW1 Coaching team for season 2021:
Head Coach – Diego Iglesias
Assistant Coach – Alen Marin
Goalkeeping Coach – Bernardo Zamora
Trainer – Carlo Meola
NPLW1 squad – players gained:
Anna Wilkinson – GUFC NPLW Reserves
Nat DeMarco – returning from overseas
NPLW1 squad – players lost:
Alex Paterson – interstate work
Dhiaan Sidhu – study
Teah Hayes – year off
Full squad:
| Kailey | TONINI |
| Maddie | PERCEVAL |
| Ruby | GAMBALE |
| Rachel | CORBETT |
| Brigitte | SANDER |
| Stefi | LEJINS |
| Ayla | ROBERTSON |
| Erika | PENNYFIELD |
| Ella | BROWN |
| Elke | AITOLU |
| Tianah | MIRO |
| Stella | DeMARCO |
| Nat | DeMARCO |
| Jade | BROWN |
| Anna | WILKINSON |
Any changes to the women’s programme for the 2021 NPLW1 season ?
Other than some minor changes in personnel both on the park and in the coaching ranks, 2021 will very much be a year of continuing to build on the solid foundations we’ve built over the past few years rather than making any major changes.
We now have a very settled and organised program with very high player retention rates, which allows us to focus on the ongoing development of our junior players and achieving results on the field.
Aims for the 2021 NPLW1 season ?
– Successful first team playing an attractive brand of football.
– Ongoing technical improvement in our players.
– Competitive teams across all grades.
– Ongoing high retention rates across the program.
Anything else to add about season 2021 ?
After a terrible 2020 [due to Covid] we are very much looking forward to completing a full season in 2021 and testing ourselves against the other clubs.
Player profiles: Stefi Lejins
How many seasons have you played NPLW1 with your current club ?
This will be my second season with Gungahlin United and I’m super excited to see what this season will bring.
Likely onfield position ?
I’m not too sure where I’m going to be playing this year. At the end of last year I filled in as centre back which was a really cool challenge. This year I think I’ll be playing more on the wing or in the midfield.
What’s got you excited about the season ?
I’m definitely excited for a long season this year. Last year we were only able to have 9 rounds but now it’s 21 which will really show who the better teams are.
I’m also excited for how close the competition is going to be, especially for the top four spots.
Who is a rising star in your team that fans should watch out for ?
Elke [Aitolu] is so young and never fails to impress me. She definitely is finding her groove and I’m excited to see what she brings this season.
Are there any match-ups you are particularly looking forward to ? (This could be a specific opposition player, and/or another club)
I’m always excited to play against Canberra Croatia FC as it’s always a tough match. I love the challenge and really think we could come out with a win against them this year. Otherwise, I like playing against Michaela Thornton! She always puts in a good fight and is an impressive player.
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