Every season has its fair share of upsets, unexpected results, glorious moments where the team battling to avoid being the wooden spoon overachieves and a big team falls as a result.
In 2023, Olympic losing to West Canberra almost cost them the Premiership, but Belconnen fell themselves victim of the Academy, seeing the precious trophy slipping through their fingers at the finish. This season, we are yet to live these emotions. Could it be the weekend for it?
Gungahlin United hosts Tuggeranong United at Gungahlin Enclosed Oval after a weekend off. During that time, they have seen Canberra Croatia coming back on the table, but remain only five points behind Belconnen. Undefeated in their last three outings, the Gunners need to extend their run to keep the pressure on the top two.
Ginger Oliver is hitting form with two goals in her last two starts. She has now scored six goals this season, equaling her teammate Alex Martens’ tally. Gungahlin will need their two main offensive threats in form on Sunday, against a Tuggeranong defence that has given most teams a headache this season.
Tuggies earned their second point and scored their third goal of 2024 last week. Resisting the West Canberra armada was a good warm-up for what they are facing this Sunday. Tuggeranong will have their work cut out for them against a team that has averaged close to three goals per game in the WNPL this season.
ANU WFC has the daunting task of visiting Belconnen United at McKellar Park a week after the Federation Cup winners conceded their worst defeat in years. The University Club came out of a strong performance at Deakin despite no point to show for it.
Their hard work kept Canberra Croatia mostly quiet, yet they failed to capitalise on it at the other end of the pitch. Sharing the bottom spot with Tuggeranong, they also are still after their first win in 2024.
Scott Conlon’s team will likely be animated by an eagerness to bounce back after giving a six-point lead to Olympic on the table. Still with a game in hand, the Blue Devils need a perfect end to the season if they want to win their first Premiership since 2019.
The best offence in the league has many arguments to hurt the ANU this Sunday, as their one-sided encounter in Round 7 shows (8-0 at Hawker Football Centre). That day, Alyssa Di-Campli and Keira Bobbin both scored a hattrick, and reiterating such performance would do Belconnen a world of good.
The last game of the round will be played on Wednesday. Canberra Olympic travels South to Melrose to face the West Canberra Wanderers. Solid leaders, the team coached by Frank Cachia now hold their fate in their own hands, en-route to defend their titles. With eight goals in their last two outings – five of them courtesy of Madelyn Whittall – Olympic seem to have now officially sorted the lack of an end product they encountered early in the season.
They have been surprised by the Wanderers in recent years, and Steve Rohan-Jones will try his best to see his team get a result again this coming midweek. West Canberra scored in seven of their ten games this season, but Olympic is one of these teams that kept them quiet.
This is the first thing they need to fix if they hope for an upset. They can count on a defence that has gone from strength to strength this season to try and resist at the other end.
FIXTURES
ROUND 13
Sunday 7 July
Gungahlin United v Tuggeranong United (Gungahlin Enclosed, 14:00)
Belconnen United v ANU WFC (McKellar Park, 15:00)
Wednesday 10 July
West Canberra Wanderers v Canberra Olympic (Melrose Synthetic, 18:30)
All matches are streamed live on BarTV Sports.
TABLE
P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | ||
1 | Canberra Olympic | 11 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 31 | 8 | +23 | 30 |
2 | Belconnen United | 10 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 43 | 11 | +32 | 24 |
3 | Gungahlin United | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 28 | 15 | +13 | 19 |
4 | Canberra Croatia | 11 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 26 | 20 | +6 | 19 |
5 | West Canberra Wanderers | 10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 25 | -15 | 8 |
6 | Tuggeranong United | 10 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 31 | -28 | 2 |
7 | ANU WFC | 10 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 36 | -31 | 2 |
TOP SCORERS
10: Reilly YUEN (Belconnen United)
9: Alyssa DI-CAMPLI (Belconnen United)
8: Madelyn WHITTALL (Canberra Olympic)
7: Brittany PALOMBI (Canberra Croatia)
6: Madison CACHIA (Canberra Olympic), Hattie CRAM (Belconnen United), Alex MARTENS (Gungahlin United), Ginger OLIVER (Gungahlin United)
5: Darby WHITELEY (Gungahlin United), Sarah WHITFIELD (West Canberra Wanderers)
4: Arusha CHEW (Canberra Croatia), Katrina PERIC (Canberra Olympic)
3: Keira BOBBIN (Belconnen United), Megan CASTLE (Canberra Croatia), Isabella HINDMARSH (Belconnen United), Tianah MIRO (Canberra Olympic), Alex NEALAND (Gungahlin United)
2: Isabella BARAC (Canberra Croatia), Jamie BERKELEY (Canberra Croatia), Jaya BOWMAN (Canberra Olympic), Ella BROWN (Canberra Olympic), Olivia HICKS (West Canberra Wanderers), Nicole JALOCHA (Canberra Olympic), Alyse JENSEN (Belconnen United), Pascale LA HEI (Belconnen United), Tatum MAZIS (Canberra Croatia), Sheridan MCELLIGOTT (ANU WFC), Ella PALFRAMAN (Canberra Croatia), Sofia PALYWODA (Belconnen United), Madeliene PERCEVAL (Gungahlin United), Own GOALS
1: Tehya ASPLAND (Canberra Olympic), Eliza BAKER (ANU WFC), Leila BILLINGTON (Belconnen United), Amy BONGIORNO (Canberra Croatia), Olivia BUYTEWEG (Gungahlin United), Sofia CHAVERRA (ANU WFC), Sharon CHAO (Gungahlin United), Natalie DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Corinne DENTON (Gungahlin United), Jade EMMS (Belconnen United), Rhiannon FENSOM (Canberra Croatia), Alexandra GIDIS (West Canberra Wanderers), Lauren HALL (West Canberra Wanderers), Elvein IBRHAIM (Tuggeranong United), Sarah MATTHEWS (Tuggeranong United), Amy MOORE (Gungahlin United), Saskia NEWMAN (ANU WFC), Lauren PRESTON (Belconnen United), Bessie RIETHMULLER (Canberra Olympic), Alina ROBERTS (Belconnen United), Allegra SENTI (West Canberra Wanderers), Pearl TEIN (Belconnen United), Michaela THORNTON (Canberra Olympic), Jane VANZINO (Canberra Olympic), Matylda WELLS-SHEATHER (Tuggeranong United), Kayla WRIGHT (Gungahlin United), Nadia ZAKMAN (Canberra Croatia)
Words: Jeremy Magan