Canberra Croatia's Sienna Birnie. Photo: David Jordan

With less than a month until the start of the 2022 Capital Football NPLW season, a sizeable crowd converged on Gungahlin Enclosed Oval to witness the first winter football occasion of the year, the second-ever Women’s Charity Shield. The Men’s Charity Shield fixture followed, but the women were more fortunate because the rain held off until halftime of the first game.

This event raises money for an organisation prominent in helping the community. For the second year running, the chosen charity is Fortem Australia, a not-for-profit organisation providing mental health support to first responder families.

Normally this game would feature last year’s Champions and last year’s Federation Cup winners. With Canberra Croatia winning the Federation Cup and also at the top of the league when games stopped after Round 17 in 2021, it was decided that Federation Cup runner’s up West Canberra Wanderers would compete for the Shield.

Much of the excitement in this fixture stems from seeing who will line up for the teams; new faces in amongst old, and perhaps the realisation that some favourites are no longer there.

It was no different this time around, and the following points of interest emerged regarding the two starting lineups:

Canberra Croatia

  • a new coach in Zoran Glavinic
  • Nat Vasta returns in goals, having last played in the team three seasons ago
  • familiar faces in the backline, including Bella Tammaro returning after a year with Belconnen United, and ex-Canberra United player Bec Kiting featuring at left-back where Alice Churchill would normally be found, Renee Junna was absent from the squad
  • the gifted Bella Barac as a number ten, occasionally interchanging with Dianne Wilson at nine on Wilson’s return to the top grade, Olivia Fogarty was absent from the attack
  • Chantel Jones is believed to not be playing this season and it is uncertain if Grace Gill will
  • Sienna Birnie (from the 2021 Tuggeranong United U18 boys team) on the wing

West Canberra Wanderers

  • Ally Hinson in goals, up against her team from last season
  • ex-CUA players Stephanie Nikias and Sophia Medina in the backline 
  • no sign of attackers Sofia Chaverra Calle and Kilkie Leten (both were multiple goal scorers in 2021)
  • key 2021 midfielders Briana Maguire and Alex McKenzie were also absent from the teamsheet
  • an attacking front three of Daisy Canavan (ex-CUA), Johanna Biddle and Hattie Cram, with Ginger Oliver (ex-Cowra and Country NSW, and Uni of Canberra Stars) as a number ten

With two goals in the first ten minutes and the experienced midfield duo of Jen Bisset and Krista Hagen exerting their influence, Canberra Croatia largely had control of the game. However, there were swathes of both halves where the Wanderers competed well and threatened with the speed of their attacking trio. Cram looked in good touch and Canavan has that great combination of speed and physicality, although she was required at right-back after half an hour when Medina rolled her ankle.

Birnie was impressive on the right wing for Canberra Croatia and enjoyed a dream start to her top-grade career, scoring inside two minutes. Barac’s delightful through ball into the Wanderers 18 yard box found Birnie unattended, and her low finish found the net for the lead.

Sienna Birnie, Bec Kiting and Bella Barac celebrate the team’s first goal. Photo: David Jordan

CCFC’s second goal came after ten minutes. Wanderers captain Whitfield attempted a clearance inside the box after a Bisset piledriver hit the crossbar, but the ball ricocheted off Barac and into the net.

The Wanderers settled and it took until the opening five minutes of a wet second stanza for CCFC to reassert itself, with Jamie Berkeley sliding a delightful ball through for Wilson, who slotted cleanly in the bottom right corner.

Canberra Croatia’s Jamie Berkeley. Photo: David Jordan

Once again the Wanderers toiled enthusiastically for the next half hour, but the scales tipped back CCFC’s way when a fit-looking Brittany Palombi brought her multi-golden-boot abilities into the game for the final ten minutes. All three of Canberra Croatia’s late substitutes (Shania Settin, Mia Giorgi and Palombi) scored in the last four minutes of the game, with Palombi scoring one and involved in the other two. 

  

Glavinic and his team will have gone home satisfied with the silverware and the CCFC performance. The game was closer than the score suggested for all but three minutes, so Wanderers coach Rey Castro will also take learnings and positives out of their first hit-out for 2022.

Bring on Round 1!

Final score

Canberra Croatia FC 6 (Birnie 2′, Barac 10′, Wilson 49′, Settin 88′, Palombi 89′, Giorgi 90’+1)
West Canberra Wanderers 0

Teams

Canberra Croatia – Coach: Zoran Glavinic

Nat Vasta, Amy McLachlan, Rhiannon Fensom, Bella Tammaro, Bec Kiting, Jen Bisset (c), Krista Hagen, Dianne Wilson, Sienna Birnie, Bella Barac, Jamie Berkeley

Subs: Zoe Barling (87′ => Vasta), Brittany Palombi (57′ => Barac)), Mia Giorgi (57′ => Wilson), Bianca Di Pulio, Shania Settin (82′ => Birnie))

Yellow cards: Birnie (45′), Berkeley (75′)

West Canberra Wanderers – Coach: Rey Castro

Ally Hinson, Sophia Medina, Stephanie Nikias, Sarah Whitfield (c), Melinda O’Callaghan, Tara Cannon, Demi Nikias, Ginger Oliver, Daisy Canavan, Johanna Biddle, Hattie Cram

Subs: Jelena Josipovic, Liz Edwards (73′ => Biddle), Sam Briggs (80′ => S. Nikias), Jemima Millar-Carton (29′ => Medina), Ella Ross (80′ => Millar-Carton)

Yellow cards: Nil 

A BarTV Sports highlights package of the game is available here, and the full game is available here.

Follow all our ACT NPLW coverage.

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