In part 2 of our NPLW WA 2022 Season Review, we take a look at the teams participating in this season’s Top 4 Cup.
PERTH REDSTAR
There is little to add to what has already been written about the Champions, as they have been simply outstanding. RedStar scored three or more goals on 15 occasions and conceded two goals in a game on just two occasions. No team took the lead against them and they were particularly dominant at home, with 47 goals for and just five goals against. As was the case with all other teams, RedStar had to contend with illnesses and injuries, but players brought into the 1st grade setup from the U21s slotted in smoothly and didn’t look out of place. Their U21 team also had a great season, missing out on winning their league by goal difference only.
Coach Carlos Vega Mena had this to say about his team, their season, how he viewed the league as a whole and which player from opposition teams impressed him the most.
“After last season where we missed out on winning the league by two points and lost only two games, we decided this season we would focus on one game at a time. We were very happy with our performance in the Night Series and once the competition wrapped up, we decided to do our best to bring home this season’s League trophy. At some point, the players set themselves the ambitious and extremely difficult task of not only winning the league, but doing so undefeated, and were committed to seeing it through to the end. I want my players to be good people, not just good players, and the team spirit, respect and support that the girls show each other means that they can successfully work towards their goals as one.
“At the start of the season, I don’t think we were considered the favourites but we quickly proved that we were up for the challenge. We have a great combination of age and experience, and youth and energy that just seems to work on the pitch. We also have high calibre players on the bench and in our U21s, so there isn’t a negative impact on the pitch when players come off the bench.
“All teams have struggled with injuries, illness and players moving on this season, and we were no exception. In terms of the league, even though we managed to put distance between ourselves and the other teams from the start of the season, I believe the league has remained very competitive. All teams have battled for a spot in the Top 4 for some time and we couldn’t be sure who was going to fill the slots until pretty much the last round.
“The defining moment for me this season was when we won the Night Series. It was clear that everyone had the same goal and everyone was ready to do whatever it took to get there. Like the other teams, we managed to juggle injuries, illnesses including COVID, player movements and player unavailability. There were several games where we were missing up to six players from the first team but we put our heads down and got on with it. The determination of the players, both first team and those stepping up to fill vacant positions, to leave their heart out on the pitch every game was always impressive, their commitment to the task never wavering.
“There is a lot of talent spread throughout the teams, and a lot of talent coming up through the ranks, I enjoy seeing young players challenging themselves on the pitch. It’s important for these players to benefit from the experience and knowledge of the older players. I have been impressed by both young players and the more experienced players this season. I don’t like to single out players but I think Perth SC defender Alyssa Van Heurck has stood out for me this season.”
PERTH SC
In any other season, Perth SC’s performance would have seen them challenging more closely for the title. One of only two teams to take points off RedStar, they proved to be a very difficult team to beat and ended up with the second-best defensive record in the league (14 goals conceded). Up front, they struggled for a little while but in the final third of the season, Perth SC found their scoring boots and their total of 45 goals scored was the third highest in the league. They may well prove to be RedStar’s biggest challenger in the Top 4 Cup, and coach Peter Rakic can be justifiably proud of his team’s performance this season. Rakic provided us with an insight into his views of their campaign:
“I think from our team’s perspective we can be quite content with what we’ve achieved, and what we are hoping to achieve as the finals are fast approaching. It’s been difficult to say the least, having to battle week in and week out to hold onto a fit and healthy squad and keep them performing at the level that I have constantly outlined as our playing standard. I’ve openly addressed my frustration now that while we have successfully grabbed 2nd place in the league, and made it to a State Cup final, we are still yet to play a full-strength starting 11, let alone a full-strength squad of 16 players. Although it feels like we have been way off the leaders, our last two performances against the run-away winners will tell a different story, and these are huge positives for us to consider going into next season and if we find ourselves in another final face-off.
“In terms of the league itself, I think it’s fair to say that all teams have suffered the same fate as us, in terms of player unavailability, but the depth of RedStar meant they had the ability to cover the absence of players. It’s a credit to Carlos and his group of girls for sticking together over the last couple of seasons and allowing for that luxury, as well as the talent that has come through their juniors set up, such as Olivia Wood.
“I think we had multiple defining moments and they were all somewhat related to the absence of key players, this halted our momentum and ability to evolve our team chemistry as the season quickly ran away from us. Jaymee Gibbons, Judy Connolly and Caitlin Doeglas, who all spent 10 weeks or more on the sidelines were the most notable ones, while Jaime Duncanson, Liana Cook, Nadia Harvey, Faye Phillips and Emma McMurdo have also been absent throughout periods. There was also the late departure of captain Zoee Spadano, at a pivotal point of the season.
“Personally, I don’t think there has been one big standout performer from our opponents, which probably suggests a higher number of complete team performances as opposed to individuals stealing the limelight, however there are a number of players that I will happily give praise to. The Redstar midfield is a worthy mention with Jay Coleman, Carla Bennett and Shawn Billam all proving to be a tough task for anyone. I think their understanding of each other and continuous work rate makes it difficult for teams to penetrate the middle of the park. Another midfield maestro is Georgia Cassidy from NTC, my admiration for Georgia’s ability has definitely grown over the past season, I think there are very few players left in the league that have the ability to pick out 40-50 yard passes consistently, and the last player still standing with this trait would be Sadie Lawrence. Another from the NTC camp would have to be Tanika Lala, who is showing a lot of raw potential and a proper hunger in front of goal. Monique Godding from Balcatta and Andrea Preiato from MUM FC are also ones who caught my eye. Despite the chaos that unfolds around Monique, she always looks to play football and settle things in a simple manner. Andrea gets my applause also as she appears to be a no-nonsense type of footballer and proved to be a worthy addition to the MUM FC ranks.”
FREMANTLE CITY
On paper, the Fremantle squad is one of the strongest in the league with exciting talents such as Matilda Boyle, Kayla McCulloch, Kate Nolan and Janice Kiama being integrated into a team that included Tash Rigby, Mikayla Lyons, Laura Waltman, Jamie Lee Gale and Katarina Jukic. This squad should have been challenging for the top position but, as with every other team, they were struck by the effects of COVID, illnesses and absences at various points in the season.
Fremantle experienced a lack of consistency and dropped points at crucial times, with the 2-2 draw against Curtin University in Round 15 probably the best example of this. The almost constant changing of the team from week to week impacted their defensive record and their goals against record of 33 compares poorly with that of Perth RedStar (nine) and Perth SC (14).
They had no problem scoring goals though, and their total of 50 was the second highest in the league. The strike force of Jess Darmago (nine), Mikayla Lyons (ten) and Jamie-Lee Gale (nine) was always a threat.
Their form going into the finals has been very strong with three solid wins in their last three games, scoring 10 goals and conceding just one in the process. Fremantle will be a tough opponent for anyone in the postseason competition.
HYUNDAI NTC
For the first time in the NPLW era, NTC has made the Top 4 Cup, and they have done so by playing some of the best possession-based football in the league.
As a development squad with no senior players to rely on when things get tough, there were bound to be difficult moments – losses to Subiaco and MUM FC threatened to de-rail their push for a Top 4 place. However, NTC also beat Perth SC twice and drew twice with Fremantle City.
In attack, the impressive Tanika Lala was a strong focal point and her goal tally of 13 was bettered only by Golden Boot Larissa Walsh, but coach Ben Anderton would probably be concerned about his defence as the 41 goals they conceded were the third worst in the league.
NTC will go into Friday’s semi-final against Fremantle City knowing they will have to be much more effective defensively if they are to avoid a repeat of the 3-1 loss they suffered on Sunday.
Anderton was asked about how he viewed the season and had this to say:
“Looking back it’s clear that it was one of if not the most difficult seasons to date due to the heavy impact from COVID, resulting in never being able to fill a fully fit and healthy squad coupled with short and long-term injuries. Obviously, we were not alone in this situation as it seems all teams had to dig deep to combat this issue. That being said I feel the season still served its purpose for the development of both the individual and the team to help us in the upcoming NTC challenge tournament, where the players can showcase their abilities for hopeful national team identification. This was shown by a strong showing of performances and a playing style from the team, leading them to a first Top 4 position in the NPLW era, along with two players in Georgia Cassidy and Lilly Bailey being invited into national team training camps, with Georgia Cassidy also taking part in the winning Australian U18 AFF Championship team.
“Stepping back and looking at the league in a bigger picture, despite the obvious runaway leaders of the competition in RedStar, it seemed as though the league was definitely more competitive in terms of results and the finishing league table. Whether that is a product of a stronger league appearing or the obvious absence of some high-quality players and teams from the league, the future will tell.
“It’s hard to set a defining moment in our season as we gauge our success on different metrics compared to other clubs. From day one each player shows me an elite and growth mindset to better themselves in their development, to boost their chances of national identification which is the main function of the NTC program.
“We were lucky to once again have a lot of senior talent in the league with both national and W-League experience from the likes of Kim Carroll, Lisa De Vanna and recently Ella Mastrantonio and Mariana Tabain. Couple that with some young talent from Perth in both Zoee Spadano and Abbey Meakins, it is really hard to single out one individual as the top performer. However, I must mention Jay Coleman from Perth RedStar. I think she is an exceptional player who may fly under the radar if you are not watching the game closely. Her ability to constantly find herself in the right position is not by chance and is due to her high football IQ and movement. Very rarely does she play the wrong pass and I believe she is one of the main reasons for the success of Perth RedStar.”
Beyond 90 would like to thank the coaches from Perth RedStar, Perth SC and Hyundai NTC for their contributions to this article.
