Perth Glory head coach Alex Epakis has been busy assembling his squad for season 2022/23 and has already named 15 players who will don the purple shirt for the next campaign.
One of the first names in his new squad was Natasha (Tash) Rigby, who will also be captain of the team for the third consecutive year.
Rigby was recently announced as the Players’ Player of the Year at the recent Perth Glory Most Glorious Player Awards, and it’s clear she has the respect of her peers and Epakis, who had this to say following the announcement of her new contract.
“I and the club are very proud to have Tash back for the upcoming season. She has been a pivotal player for many years at the club and last season was a consistent stand-out player on and off the field.
“She is wholeheartedly invested in the team, plays a key role in defining our culture and always leads by example with her actions on and off the field. It is very clear that the team can trust and rely on Tash during difficult moments and she certainly never lets anyone down. She bleeds purple and I can’t wait to work with her again this upcoming season.”
This will be Rigby’s seventh season with the club and her third as their captain – in this period she has notched up 76 appearances for Glory. This includes a streak of not missing a minute of game time since coming off in the second half of the match against Adelaide in round 8 of the 2019/20 season.
This consistency has seen her through the highs and lows – Rigby has two grand final appearances and was also part of the 2020/21 Glory side that failed to win a single game.
Last season saw a remarkable transformation in results from the wooden spoon of 2020/21 and Rigby said that even though the team had improved dramatically, there was still a feeling of disappointment in the camp.
“Yes, it was really tough not making finals after so many challenges and sacrifices throughout the season. We will go away and work on bettering the team to ensure we can go one better this season. I do, however, think we still have a lot to be proud of, we definitely had a point to prove coming off 20/21 and going from finishing last to only missing out on finals due to goal difference was a solid achievement in itself. I think Alex (Epakis) had a big part to play in this, his vision, planning and dedication to the team speak volumes.”
The impacts of COVID on Glory and Wellington Phoenix have been well documented but Rigby re-iterated just what those challenges were, both on and off the field.
“Off the field (the challenges) would have to be those posed by the relocation, particularly in regards to navigating my professional career and being away from my major support networks. On-field, we had a few pretty significant injuries, including Gemma (Craine) and Mie (Leth Jans) who both broke their arms, as well as injuries to Cyera (Hintzen), Susan (Phonsongkham) and Lisa (De Vanna). This definitely affected our ability to play as we planned. The plus side of this is that it gave other players opportunities to shine.”
With such a wealth of experience playing at the top level, Rigby is in a good position to talk about the toughest she’s played against and also who she has learned the most from during her time at Glory.
“I would say that my toughest opponent would have to be playing against the speed, skill and strength of Ellie Carpenter or Caitlin Foord. I learnt a lot from Sammy (Kerr), specifically her tenacity and work ethic on the field, coupled with her humility and drive off the field.”
Rigby has only recently recovered from a knee injury, which kept her out of the local NPLW game for a few weeks, but she is now back playing with Fremantle City FC who currently sit third in the league.
She has always been a passionate advocate for WA football, and it’s no surprise that she has opted to stay in the West for the NPLW season rather than follow the path that many sandgropers have taken in relocating to the eastern states. This exodus has seen teams be transformed almost overnight and she had this to say about the state of the league and her own team.
“It is great to see some amazing young talent coming through the NPLW, definitely a few to watch! From Freo’s perspective, we have struggled a bit with numbers due to a multitude of reasons, some of those being injuries and illness, however it has been amazing to see our under 21’s really step up to the plate. I think the league is improving but still has a long way to go.”
Finally, Rigby had this to say about her Players’ Player of the Year award and offer of a new contract.
“I am sooo honoured and grateful for both. My teammates mean the world to me so I am so honoured to receive this award.”
