The Qualification and Elimination Finals are on at McKellar Park this Sunday. The duel between the two teams dominating the competition for the past two years will precede an equally exciting encounter between Gungahlin United and Canberra Croatia.
The last time Canberra Olympic was at McKellar Park to face Belconnen United, they walked out with their hands on a trophy. Silverware won’t be quite at play this Sunday, but rather a coveted weekend off – and more importantly a spot in the Grand Final.
Canberra Olympic went through another professional season under Frank Cachia, where it took a few weeks for the training wheels to come off, and during that time, they were beaten in the Federation Cup and lost their first duel to the Blue Devils.
Since that defeat on 11 May however, Olympic is undefeated. They proceeded to tally up thirteen wins and two draws, one of them last week when they were already champions, seven clean sheets, and 43 goals for only 7 conceded.
They will walk on to McKellar as the favourites to defend their Championship two weeks later, especially given their last two encounters with Belconnen ended twice with a dominant 4-0 success.
All these fancy stats are probably only more fuel to the Blue Devils’ fire, and their appetite for revenge after the last two outings against the Champions. Scott Conlon’s team also has in mind last season’s Qualifying final, and the two Sofia Palywoda goals that sent them to the Grand Final.
The stage is set for another memorable afternoon with the two powerhouses of the WNPL, and don’t be late, there was a goal within the first ten minutes of their last two encounters.
Gungahlin United and Canberra Croatia will battle it out to stay in the race for the title later that evening. Having only lost to Olympic and Belconnen this season, the Gunners will start this Elimination Final as favourites.
The two teams met four times this season, and only once Croatia was able to end on top, in the Federation Cup semi-finals. In the league, Gungahlin won twice, and the last game ended in a one all draw.
These matches were some of the fiercest battles this season. The games were only decided by a goal, the team who scored first would always concede the equaliser, and the Gunners’ two success were both earned with a late winner, at the 87th and 94th minute.
Gungahlin have been the more consistent outfit, defeating Belconnen and drawing against Olympic, without losing a single point to the bottom three. Ginger Oliver was again the most threatening upfront with eleven goals, helped by Darby Whiteley’s seven strikes and Alex Martens’ six.
Canberra Croatia finished the season closer to fifth place West Canberra on the table than Sunday opponents Gungahlin, twelve points away. The season was not easy for Zoran Glavinic’s troops, in the midst of a rebuild with a younger team, while missing experienced players to injuries.
The Elimination Final last season was already a duel between these two teams, and after two early goals form the Deakin club, the Gunners had made their deficit back before a late Tatum Mazis goal. Expect the same level of drama this Sunday at McKellar Park.
FIXTURES
QUALIFICATION FINAL
Sunday 8 September
Canberra Olympic v Belconnen United
(McKellar Park, 16:00)
ELIMINATION FINAL
Sunday 8 September
Gungahlin United v Canberra Croatia
(McKellar Park, 19:00)
TOP SCORERS
17: Alyssa DI-CAMPLI (Belconnen United)
13: Madelyn WHITTALL (Canberra Olympic)
11: Hattie CRAM (Belconnen United), Ginger OLIVER (Gungahlin United), Brittany PALOMBI (Canberra Croatia)
10: Reilly YUEN (Belconnen United)
8: Keira BOBBIN (Belconnen United)
7: Megan CASTLE (Canberra Croatia), Katrina PERIC (Canberra Olympic), Darby WHITELEY (Gungahlin United)
6: Ella BROWN (Canberra Olympic), Madison CACHIA (Canberra Olympic), Arusha CHEW (Canberra Croatia), Alex MARTENS (Gungahlin United), Tatum MAZIS (Canberra Croatia), Sarah WHITFIELD (West Canberra Wanderers)
5: Tehya ASPLAND (Canberra Olympic), Alyse JENSEN (Belconnen United)
4: Alexandra GIDIS (West Canberra Wanderers), Lauren HALL (West Canberra Wanderers), Tianah MIRO (Canberra Olympic), Alex NEALAND (Gungahlin United), Alina ROBERTS (Belconnen United)
3: Cara CERUTI (Canberra Olympic), Natalie DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Zoe HALPIN (West Canberra Wanderers), Isabella HINDMARSH (Belconnen United), Nicole JALOCHA (Canberra Olympic), Sheridan MCELLIGOTT (ANU WFC), Madeliene PERCEVAL (Gungahlin United), Own GOALS
2: Angelina BABIC (ANU WFC), Isabella BARAC (Canberra Croatia), Jamie BERKELEY (Canberra Croatia), Leila BILLINGTON (Belconnen United), Jaya BOWMAN (Canberra Olympic), Olivia BUYTEWEG (Gungahlin United), Sharon CHAO (Gungahlin United), Sofia CHAVERRA (ANU WFC), Olivia HICKS (West Canberra Wanderers), Pascale LA HEI (Belconnen United), Saskia NEWMAN (ANU WFC), Ella PALFRAMAN (Canberra Croatia), Sofia PALYWODA (Belconnen United), Tiana PHILLIPS-MAYNARD (Tuggeranong United), Lauren PRESTON (Belconnen United), Bronte PYKE (Belconnen United), Allegra SENTI (West Canberra Wanderers), Kayla WRIGHT (Gungahlin United)
1: Eliza BAKER (ANU WFC), Amy BONGIORNO (Canberra Croatia), Leah CARNEGIE (Canberra Olympic), Luella COLEMAN (Belconnen United), Rachel CORBETT (Gungahlin United), Stella DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Corinne DENTON (Gungahlin United), Jade EMMS (Belconnen United), Rhiannon FENSOM (Canberra Croatia), Edith FORDYCE-CROKER (ANU WFC), Julia HOGAN (ANU WFC), Elvein IBRAHIM (Tuggeranong United), Claire KENNEDY-SPENCER (Tuggeranong United), Tarah MANTHONGSY (Tuggeranong United), Sarah MATTHEWS (Tuggeranong United), Amy MOORE (Gungahlin United), Demi NIKIAS (West Canberra Wanderers), Sienna NESS (Canberra Olympic), Bessie RIETHMULLER (Canberra Olympic), Maddie STEINACKER (Belconnen United), Pearl TEIN (Belconnen United), Michaela THORNTON (Canberra Olympic), Jane VANZINO (Canberra Olympic), Audrey WARD (West Canberra Wanderers), Matylda WELLS-SHEATHER (Tuggeranong United), Nadia ZAKMAN (Canberra Croatia)
Words: Jeremy Magan
