With the World Cup still fresh in our memories, the new Liberty A-League season provides an opportunity to see what sort of an impact it will have on the local game. There are already signs of a renewed interest in the league, with membership records being broken, Matilda stars returning from overseas, and there is a real sense of excitement building for the opening round.
Perth Glory head coach Alex Epakis took time out of a busy pre-season to sit down and chat about his experiences working at the World Cup, whether he thinks there will be increased interest and larger attendances for the season ahead, the impacts of having an extended A-League Women’s season and his thoughts about how his team will perform this season.
You were working at the World Cup for the Philippines national team. Can you provide an insight into what you were doing and some thoughts about the World Cup as a whole?
“The Women’s World Cup was a great opportunity and an occasion for women’s football and Australia and New Zealand to showcase itself. It was a real phenomenon and (there was a) great atmosphere across both countries and I believe it really generated a lot of positive interest in the women’s game.
“From a personal point of view, getting the chance to be involved as an opposition analyst for the Philippines was exceptional. I had the chance to work closely with Staj (Alen Stajcic) and his staff and learn a great deal whilst offering support in providing opposition scout and analysis. It was a historic timestamp for Philippines football to qualify for their first World Cup, win a match against the host nation in Auckland and have a very positive tournament overall. To see it all first-hand and be part of it was nothing short of special.”
Given the enormous interest generated by the World Cup, what do you think are realistic expectations for attendances at A-League Women’s games this season?
“I certainly hope that some of the ’new’ supporters to the Women’s game who attended matches during the Women’s World Cup can also filter across to the A-League Women’s across the country. Many fans would have been seriously entertained by the quality of the games and attacking football that was on show and I hope that those same people can support their A-League Women’s clubs throughout what will be a strong and entertaining competition this Summer.”
Can you give us your thoughts on the new A-League Women’s format. Will this lead to an improvement in the league and do you think it will lead to players being attracted back as we have already seen with Kyah Simon, Emily Gielnik and Lydia Williams?
“The extended competition is exactly where we need to be right now. The game is ready to grow with leaps and bounds, and the extension of full home [and] away will allow the clubs and players a platform to evolve further. Seeing (those) Matildas return home to the competition no doubt allows the quality of the competition and excitement to grow further. These are healthy and positive signs for the competition which all clubs/players can benefit from.”
Looking at the season ahead now: we know that coaches are notoriously coy about predictions for their team, but with six teams in the finals, are you setting a target of finals football?
“The team and staff want to be very bold with our targets. We know we have put in the right type of work and preparation during the off-season and the pre-season and it gives us the foundation to really launch a serious attack on the competition this season. There is no ceiling on the group but I am confident we will play attacking football, compete in each match and play to win in every match regardless of the opposition.”
In terms of your squad, you have had a large turnover from last season with 12 new players being signed, including a number of visa players. How has the pre-season gone in terms of integrating these new players?
“We certainly have got a strong and competitive squad this season. The balance we have across the team is strong in terms of age, experience, character, player profile and attacking threats. These were key things that we looked at during the off-season across retention and recruitment. The squad has been excellent across the first month of pre-season (and) there is a great level of energy and focus to what we are doing. Each session gives us the chance to connect further as a group and integrate.”
Finally, who should we look out for from your team?
“To be completely honest it is hard to look past any particular player. Every player is performing at the required level across the pre-season and it is making the group as a whole very very strong. Our strength is certainly in our depth this season and different types of player profiles will give us versatility and dynamism in our play.
“Our three young local players; (Tanika) Lala, (Georgia) Cassidy & (Grace) Johnston have had a great pre-season and I think those three will excite the local fan base. All the returning players have come in and really built into a strong pre-season routine and all players are hitting form and fitness at the right time. I am very excited about this group, and myself and the staff are enjoying the opportunity to work with the players each day.”
Alex Epakis and his Perth Glory team kick off the 2023-24 A-League Women season at home against last season’s runners-up Western United.
Perth Glory vs Western United
Macedonia Park, Balcatta
Saturday 14 October – 7:00pm AWST (10:00pm AEDT)
