For the first time, the Capital Football Charity Shield will feature both a men’s and women’s match.
The inaugural women’s game will kick off 6.30pm at Deakin Stadium this Saturday, 27 March.
“It’s great to see female sport getting involved and it not just being something that the men get to have a go at”, Canberra Croatia Football Club player Alice Churchill said.
A 2020 NPLW Grand Final rematch between Canberra Croatia FC and Belconnen United Football Club, Churchill said it’s always a tough battle between the two sides.
“The rivalry has been going back for quite a few years now,” she said.
“We just pipped them last year but that was pretty tight and obviously a shortened season, so hoping this year we can have a good match up against them and continue our trend of coming out on top”.
Without Grace Field and Anna Bennett this season, Canberra Croatia FC said there’s some exciting new talent rising through the ranks.
“We’ve picked up a couple of really great young guns which is great and then some people who are coming back to the game after a few years out with injuries,” she said.
“We’ve been gelling pretty well in practice matches and things like that so year just excited to see how we go and test ourselves on the weekend.”
Belconnen United FC’s Michaela Thornton said her side has been trying some new things on the pitch, which they’re excited to test out on Saturday.
“We’re all pretty fit and all raring to go, it’s been a while since we had a game for a trophy and we’ve got heaps of new plans at training,” Thornton said.
“Our style of play and what we want to do in the game, it’s quite different to what last year was so it’s going to be good to actually put all that we’ve been working on in training, into practice.”
Both sides are coming together for a common cause, in raising money for Fortem Australia.
“I think for everyone in Canberra, it’s a very important charity,” Thornton said.
“We probably all know someone or a number of people who have been affected by all the recent happenings so anything we can do to help is positive.”