You don’t play 100 W-League games by accident. The seasons are too short and the sacrifices too big to allow just anyone to hit the milestone. As such, the W-League has only seen centurions emerge in the last few seasons.
Casey Dumont is set to become the 25th woman and only the second goalkeeper to hit the ton when Melbourne Victory take on Newcastle Jets at No. 2 Sportsground.
“I knew [my 100th] was coming up this season, I just didn’t know exactly when,” Dumont admitted during our chat.
“It’s been hard to keep track with all the seasons changing from 10 rounds to 12 rounds to 14 rounds and then you’ve got to count finals so I’m glad someone else worked it out for me!”
This season is Dumont’s 10th in the W-League but she still remembers her first – back in 2008-09 with the then Queensland Roar – vividly.
“I remember playing the first game and then I had to go away with the Young Matildas and that was the one game we lost that season.
“It was phenomenal. I was a 16-year-old and, not only that, I was starting ‘keeper and back then I was with Kate McShea, Lana Harch; I was with the old school Matildas.
“I remember we played Canberra United [in the grand final] and I got kicked in the head. I remember the semi-final where we went to a penalty shootout. I remember everything from that season. Absolutely everything.”
It was an environment where everyone was playing their role and success followed. But it was a far cry from today’s standards.
“There wasn’t the professional environment of physios and an actual training field for you. Back then we didn’t make any money, we struggled to have a physio even at our training grounds. The men’s team didn’t even know we existed, we trained completely away from the club,” Dumont said.
Thankfully, this is something that has changed across the league and it continues to improve.
In many ways, Dumont and the league have grown up together. Being a W-League player has never been a particularly lucrative pursuit and early contract negotiations weren’t easy, but she has seen and felt the changes first hand with the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) chief among them.
“The negotiating was terrible, it was disgusting, it was the worst part of trying to get a contract or get what was in your contract.
“Whereas now it’s okay, at least I know what my minimum wage is, I know what I should have as standard in my contract. That part has definitely helped [and is] better than most sports but we’ve definitely lagged in trying to stay ahead.”
Like many players, Dumont recognises the changes that have been made but still wants more.
“It has changed but it hasn’t. We haven’t grown as much as we should have by now. We should have had a home and away season by now, we should have had more teams involved. But I think that’s with everything; you see the changes, but you kind of wish there were a lot more and [they happened] a lot quicker.”
Four seasons and two titles with the Roar were followed by moves to Sydney FC and later Western Sydney Wanderers.
It was a time of ultimate highs and crushing lows. She endured a torrid run of injuries including misdiagnosed osteitis pubis, which kept Dumont bedridden for seven months, and a lacerated liver. These were followed by her Matildas debut – a game against New Zealand in the lead up to the 2015 World Cup. In that same match she tore her ACL.
“Physically, obviously, at the time it almost feels like the end. But then when you start seeing improvements, you think ‘physically, I’ll be fine.’”
Mentally, however, was a different story.
“To this day, I’ll admit I struggle and I still have these inner demons that started due to injuries and stuff.
“Sometimes you just hope [the injury is] not long at all because the longer it is, the more you’re going to have to battle mentally.”
She credited both the clubs and PFA with how much they have stepped up in regard to players’ mental health and providing that support in any way they can.
“It’s grown massively in that they understand that if the mind is injured in any way, you’re not going to get the performance you want out of your player.”
Dumont’s story is familiar across the W-League in a way: a player also working outside of football and sticking around because of a love of the game.
The Gold Coast native is also a nurse and has considered giving up one career to pursue the other, but for now she has the ability to do both, and it’s something she enjoys. She has been able to spend the past two seasons focusing solely on the W-League during the season and then combining nursing and NPLW NSW commitments; first with North Shore Mariners in 2018 and then with Blacktown Spartans last year.
“It’s pretty demanding [juggling] both of them – and I know now you kind of have to live and breathe soccer – but I was brought up in the space that nursing was my outlet from soccer … and then soccer was my outlet for nursing.
“Luckily enough, I have a great supportive family, I have a great supportive partner. They know I have a dream and they’re saying ‘chase it because that doesn’t last forever’.”
Support is a constant theme in our chat and there are a small group of people Dumont singles out; family and friends, as well as the likes of Alen Stajcic and Mike Mulvey. A man who comes up frequently is current Victory coach Jeff Hopkins.
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“I have a huge, huge appreciation and respect for him because he gave me the chance at 16, and he’s still giving me the chance now at 28. So he’s a big, big factor in my development.
“He’s a coach that I want to be coached by, he makes an environment good, you want to be there because there’s no other place you want to be.”
The environment seems to be suiting Dumont perfectly. Both club and player are reaping the rewards, with the Melbourne side winning four of their last five games, while the 28-year-old was named as the PFA Player of the Month for December.
“I think I’m having a good season because one, I’m doing my job on the field, but two, my teammates have been great off the field. I can’t fault my housemates. Grace [Maher], Flea [Annalie Longo] and Angie [Beard] – every day we’re giggling, I’m having fun.
“All those aspects off the field are being taken care of. So they’re showing on the field.”
The camaraderie among this Victory team is evident in Dumont’s voice, and is no doubt pushing the team’s charge towards another finals series. The club will be hoping to better its semi-finals exit from last season.
As for what’s beyond this season, Dumont is keeping her options open. The plan is to return to Blacktown Spartans but the lure of playing overseas – and all the challenges that presents – is strong.
“I would love that opportunity of playing at a club that I’ve never been at, or in an area I have no idea about. Also having challenges with the language barrier and just getting to see the world outside of Australia.”
Similarly, representing Australia is still something she wants to do. But adding to her three caps may take a while yet.
“I’ll put it straight forward: the national team is not in my grasp. I’ve been told that. I got the brutal truth basically that I will not be picked for Matildas again which made me have to re-evaluate what I want.
“I’d always love to represent my country again, I feel like that’s unfinished business. And I can only keep doing what I’m doing. Hopefully that wakes a few people up and gives them a bit of a slap in the face to see what talent you’ve got in the league.”
Despite this knock back, it’s definitely not knocking Dumont down.
“It’s kind of changed things unfortunately but I’m trying to just control what I can which is playing good. With playing good you get offers from overseas but also you might be able to step up and do the job if you get the call.”
Read more Melbourne Victory coverage on Beyond 90.
