Gungahlin United are determined to make 2023 a season to remember and are looking to put recent struggles behind them.
Recent years haven’t been kind to United’s NPLW side; however, they are committed to hit the ground running to start the new season.
The Gunners had a strong end to last season, winning three out of their last five games as they made a late charge for the finals, ultimately falling agonisingly short finishing in fifth place, just three points shy of fourth place West Canberra Wanderers.
Head Coach Andrew Woodman says establishing the right culture within the club will be key for the team moving forward.
“This is a group that wants to take the next steps… making finals will be great, but we’d like to see what we can get out of ourselves,” he said.
“It’s more about the standards we want to have and how we want to build our performance environment, and hopefully show some consistency in games.”
This year will also mark Head Coach Andrew Woodman’s first full season in charge after taking over the reigns mid-way through last season.
Woodman said that already being part of the Gungahlin community has made life at the club very comfortable for him.
“The fact that I live in Gungahlin was a nice touch in terms of having that natural connection with the area,” he said.
“I already knew what the group was about, and I knew a lot of the players already… so that made the decision to come on board very easy.”
United were hard a work during the pre-season in the recruiting department, making some crucial signings in key areas, to add further depth to an already talented squad.
The addition of Karen Clarke from Belconnen United is an exciting acquisition for Gungahlin who are looking to bolster their defensive line.
Clarke’s pedigree as a footballer is unparalleled and she was a major contributor to the success of Belconnen United’s NPLW side winning three Minor Premierships, three Federation Cups and two Grand Finals during her time at the club.
The signings of Ginger Oliver from and Alison Seeney will add an extra layer of attacking threat going forward for United this season.
Oliver had a breakout season with West Canberra Wanderers last season whilst Seeney impressed during her time at Tuggeranong United earning promotion into the first team.
Despite not having lots of NPL playing experience, Woodman is excited to see what Oliver and Seeney bring to the team.
“We were really impressed with what Ginger brings to the squad in terms of strengthening some of those attacking areas of the field… building partnerships and connections with the other players… we are stoked that she has come on board” he said.
“Alison has great versatility and is a very smart player who makes great runs off the ball, and has the ability to create open spaces for her teammates.”
In addition to the new signings United have managed to also re-sign a lot of key players including last season’s top goal scorer Sharon Chao, and have seen a lot of young talent emerge from the different pathways as well as in reserve grade.
Woodman is eager to be part of the bright future that’s ahead for United and is keen to see the emerging talent that the club is currently producing.
“We are very excited to see what all of the teams can do this year from under 14’s all the way up to first-grade,” he said.
“We have a lot of talent come into reserve grade over recent years and it’s been important to strengthen that group in order for them to take that next step.”
United are looking to carry all the momentum from the backend of last season as well as coming off a very strong pre-season to hit the ground running to start 2023.
You can catch every game of the NPLW season live on BarTV Sports.
Words: Dion Stergiopoulos
