The Nordic countries (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Finland) have long been a viable destination for Aussie footballers, and 2021 was no different with over a dozen players choosing the Nordic countries to ply their trade.
It’s the final Nordic Wrap for 2021, and our Denmark based Aussies played in the last round of the Elitedivisionen’s home-and-away campaign. The season will resume after the new year to determine the championship, UWCL qualification and relegation/promotion.
It was a joyous final Danish Elitedivisionen game of the year for second-placed Fortuna Hjørring, who will be well satisfied with their 4-1 home win over long-standing rivals Brøndby IF.
Clare Wheeler, Angie Beard, and Indiah-Paige Riley all started and were substituted within the final ten minutes of the game, while Alex Huynh was named on the bench. Riley had a hand in two of the goals with her quality delivery from the right wing.
Fortuna are well-positioned for 2022-23 Champions League qualification after finishing the regular season in second place with ten wins, three draws and just a single loss. They head into the winter break with an eight point lead over third-placed Brøndby, giving them a strong springboard for Danish medal placings. The competition will be completed in early 2022 with a set of playoff games.
Wheeler and Beard are both included in the Matildas squad for the two games against the USA, beginning this weekend.
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Jenna McCormick and her seventh-placed AGF team are also destined for playoff games after the winter break. However, these will be against eighth-placed AaB and the top four teams from Division 1 to determine the right to play in next year’s Elitedivisionen.
AGF finished the year with a home 2-2 draw against AaB, with McCormick once again playing the full 90 minutes.
AGF was climbing towards mid-table early in the season but then fell away, recording two wins, two draws and ten losses.
Round 14 results
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The 2021 Toppserien is complete, with just three Aussies involved in this campaign after six took part in the 2020 edition.
One of the three, Matildas goalkeeper Teagan Micah, only played six games for eventual 2021 champions Sandviken before venturing to Sweden and finding success with FC Rosengård. Micah will look back on a remarkable 2021 where she played for two championship-winning Nordic teams in the same year.
Matildas defender Karly Roestbakken took part in her second campaign for LSK Kvinner, and the Lillestrøm-based club finished third. Whereas Roestbakken made 16 appearances for the club last year, a frustrating bone injury in her foot restricted her to just two appearances this year.
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The team were presented with bronze medals after the final game of the season.
Tusen takk til alle dere som møtte opp i LSK-hallen på lørdag for å sette et herlig punktum på 2021-sesongen💛🖤🥉#viosssammen
📸: @AndreasKBerge / @Kvinneidrett pic.twitter.com/iFZwcMijkr
— LSK Kvinner (@LSKKvinner) November 15, 2021
As the second year of her current two year LSK Kvinner contract approaches, Roestbakken will be looking forward to playing with freedom and an injury-free 2022, all things going well. The loss of their two most experienced players at the end of this season means LSK will surely be glad to have Roestbakken’s talent available to them once again.
(Beyond 90 would like to thank Jack Roestbakken for his expertise and assistance during 2021.)
Ex-Canberra United co-captain Nikola Orgill has recently returned home to Australia. Orgill spent the last two Nordic seasons in Norway – first with Kolbotn and then with Klepp – but her 2021 campaign was cut short in July due to injury and she has not played since. The football community wishes Orgill a swift return to the pitch, wherever that may be. Klepp finished at the bottom of the ladder and is destined for the second tier of Norwegian football in 2022.
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The 2021 Swedish Damallsvenskan season has concluded. Those Aussies who took a leap of faith by joining the competition must be ecstatic about their decision, especially considering all of them were chosen to join a Matildas camp at some point during the year.
FC Rosengård took out the 2021 trophy as gold medallists after a fine season. Rosengård and second-placed BK Häcken stood clearly ahead of the pack. Teagan Micah arrived at Rosengård partway through the season from 2021 Norwegian champions Sandviken, while Charli Grant was on board for the entire season. Both players have been selected in the Matildas squad to take on the USA.
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Like Grant, Dylan Holmes may not have been a regular starter for her Häcken team but there have been many memorable moments, including a Svenska Cup final win. Her 2021 journey is not yet over as the Champions League continues to December 16th before taking a winter break. Follow Holmes’ Champions League progress with Häcken each week via the Beyond 90 podcast.
Guldet tillhör Gulsvart! 👊 pic.twitter.com/9YSbTtlfoc
— BK Häcken (@bkhackenofcl) May 13, 2021
Clare Polkinghorne enjoyed her time with Vittsjö GIK so much in 2021 that she has signed on for another two seasons. Her team finished a highly creditable fifth and narrowly missed a 2022 Champions League berth. Polkinghorne has also been selected in the latest Matildas squad.
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While chronic knee pain ensured that Elise Kellond-Knight didn’t see much on-field action for Hammarby IF this season, her team finished in seventh place and were as high as third at one point. With two difficult years behind her, things can only look up for Kellond-Knight as she continues her recovery from floating bone and partial nerve removal.
Winonah Heatley‘s Växjö DFF are bound for lower league football in 2022, but it was great to see Heatley finish the season with 51 minutes against Hammarby IF to close out her 2021 Swedish football experience.
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Ladder
The Úrvalsdeild Kvenna 2021 season is over!
Urvalsdeild Ladder
1.deild Ladder
Follow all our coverage of Aussies and Ferns Abroad here, and Aussies in Nordic football here.
