In case you missed it, last week APIA Leichhardt pulled off what is probably the biggest coup in the history of the NSW NPL competition – securing the services of Lisa De Vanna for the remainder of the 2021 campaign. B90 were fortunate enough to be granted an interview with the Matildas legend.
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De Vanna explained that her history with APIA 1st Grade Head Coach Spencer Prior played a large part in her decision to sign for the Inner West club. The two had previously worked together in both the Matildas squad and at NSW NPL side North Shore Mariners.
“We’ve been in touch for many years, but recently when he signed for this club, we started talking about it.”
This move is made even more special because of De Vanna’s Italian heritage.
“I’ve just come back from Italy a year ago. I loved Italy, and being half Italian, it’s nice to embrace the culture.”
De Vanna is looking to build on the most recent Matildas Talent ID camp and put herself in the best position to be selected for the upcoming Olympic Games tournament. She was impressed with how the players performed during the camp, but is also aware these camps need to be more frequent for the sake of the national team.
“It actually surprised me a little bit, the intensity of the players. It’s also good for the players to see what it takes, what they need for the next level, because there’s a big bridge from NPL to W-League, from W-League to Matildas, and closing off that gap will be good for the Matildas.
“It can’t be a one off camp, there has to be more of those so that players can feel comfortable. Obviously, there’s a bit of nerves, so we want them to come into these camps knowing their role and knowing what’s needed.”
She is also happy to take on a leadership role at her new club.
“Being a mentor’s not something that I choose, I think it’s just something that I naturally do. I think because of who I am, a lot of people respect me, I think they take a lot of my advice on board. I’m quite honest with a lot of the players and I’m constructive, but I also say it how it is, so I think that’s something that they appreciate.”
It didn’t take De Vanna long to settle in to her new surroundings, scoring three minutes into her APIA debut, then scoring another before halftime as APIA defeated Northern Tigers 3-1.
De Vanna will be in action on Sunday as APIA Leichhardt take on league leaders Macarthur Rams at 7pm. All games from the NSW NPL competition are available both Live and On Demand at NPL.TV (free to sign up!).
