Blue was the colour of the last five teams lifting the major NPLW trophies. Belconnen won the last two Federation Cups, Olympic the last two Championships and the 2023 Premiership. An exciting duel is on the card at McKellar this Sunday, one that will likely decide who is to lift a sixth trophy in this clash of dynasties.
The action will start at Melrose Synthetic, with the Southside Derby between West Canberra Wanderers and Tuggeranong United. The Wanderers may be done celebrating by now, after their success over Croatia two weeks ago. Steve Rohan-Jones’ players will want to share another moment of joy with their fans for their last home game.
The first two games against Tuggeranong were hard fought battles, and twice Sarah Whitfield was the solution for the Wanderers. West Canberra since opened the goal scoring floodgate and would like to finish on a bang at Melrose. Tuggeranong had lost their first game against their neighbour in the South but managed to draw the second time they met.
Sarah West’s players, still after their first win of the season, will hope the series ends with a success. After conceding 14 goals in their last two outings, United’s first priority will be to tighten up their defence, a must-do for a result on Sunday.
ANU WFC and Canberra Croatia meet at Hawker Football Centre for the visitors’ last outing before the Finals series. Zoran Glavinic’s side will want to bounce back after suffering three consecutive defeats, the last one against the Wanderers. They had travelled to Melrose with a younger squad, without Jamie Berkeley, Isabella Barac or Brittany Palombi.
The trip North is the last chance for the Deakin side to rack up so much needed confidence before a post-season they will enter as underdogs. The ANU has done better than resist against Croatia this season.
Losing both encounters by a single goal, they even managed to secure a two-goal lead before letting it go in the final fifteen minutes at Deakin. To reiterate this kind of performance, they will need to turn the tide, after they have just suffered two severe losses, conceding ten without scoring.
McKellar Park will be the backdrop for the game of the season in NPLW. Belconnen United hosts Canberra Olympic to try and take the Premiership out of the hands of their rivals.
Scott Conlon’s team are three points behind, but the goal difference they carefully looked after all season would place them in the lead if they manage to best their opponents on Sunday.
The odds are not necessarily in their favour. The four-goal defeat conceded at O’Connor was a one-sided affair, and one the worst defeat conceded in the history of the team.
Frank Cachia’s team seems up for the challenge. Olympic has made a habit to raise up to big occasions in the past couple of seasons. This Sunday is one of them. The reigning champions have lost only once this season, on the very pitch they play on Sunday. The scene is set.
FIXTURES
ROUND 20
Sunday 25 August
West Canberra Wanderers v Tuggeranong United (Melrose Synthetic, 12:45)
ANU WFC v Canberra Croatia (Hawker Football Cnetre, 15:00)
Belconnen United v Canberra Olympic (McKellar Park, 15:00)
All matches are streamed live on BarTV Sports.
TABLE
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Canberra Olympic | 16 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 50 | 11 | +39 | 43 |
| 2 | Belconnen United | 16 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 63 | 15 | +48 | 40 |
| 3 | Gungahlin United | 17 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 40 | 21 | +19 | 35 |
| 4 | Canberra Croatia | 17 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 38 | 31 | +7 | 23 |
| 5 | West Canberra Wanderers | 16 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 19 | 33 | -14 | 14 |
| 6 | ANU WFC | 16 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 9 | 56 | -47 | 6 |
| 7 | Tuggeranong United | 16 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 4 | 56 | -52 | 3 |
TOP SCORERS
14: Alyssa DI-CAMPLI (Belconnen United)
12: Madelyn WHITTALL (Canberra Olympic)
11: Brittany PALOMBI (Canberra Croatia)
10: Ginger OLIVER (Gungahlin United), Reilly YUEN (Belconnen United)
9: Hattie CRAM (Belconnen United)
8: Keira BOBBIN (Belconnen United)
7: Katrina PERIC (Canberra Olympic)
6: Madison CACHIA (Canberra Olympic), Megan CASTLE (Canberra Croatia), Alex MARTENS (Gungahlin United), Darby WHITELEY (Gungahlin United),
5: Tehya ASPLAND (Canberra Olympic), Arusha CHEW (Canberra Croatia), Tatum MAZIS (Canberra Croatia), Sarah WHITFIELD (West Canberra Wanderers)
4: Ella BROWN (Canberra Olympic), Alyse JENSEN (Belconnen United), Tianah MIRO (Canberra Olympic), Alex NEALAND (Gungahlin United), Alina ROBERTS (Belconnen United)
3: Cara CERUTI (Canberra Olympic), Natalie DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Alexandra GIDIS (West Canberra Wanderers), Isabella HINDMARSH (Belconnen United), Sheridan MCELLIGOTT (ANU WFC), Madeliene PERCEVAL (Gungahlin United), Own GOALS
2: Isabella BARAC (Canberra Croatia), Jamie BERKELEY (Canberra Croatia), Jaya BOWMAN (Canberra Olympic), Olivia BUYTEWEG (Gungahlin United), Sharon CHAO (Gungahlin United), Lauren HALL (West Canberra Wanderers), Zoe HALPIN (West Canberra Wanderers), Olivia HICKS (West Canberra Wanderers), Nicole JALOCHA (Canberra Olympic), Pascale LA HEI (Belconnen United), Saskia NEWMAN (ANU WFC), Ella PALFRAMAN (Canberra Croatia), Sofia PALYWODA (Belconnen United), Allegra SENTI (West Canberra Wanderers)
1: Angelina BABIC (ANU WFC), Eliza BAKER (ANU WFC), Leila BILLINGTON (Belconnen United), Amy BONGIORNO (Canberra Croatia), Leah CARNEGIE (Canberra Olympic), Sofia CHAVERRA (ANU WFC), Luella COLEMAN (Belconnen United), Stella DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Corinne DENTON (Gungahlin United), Jade EMMS (Belconnen United), Rhiannon FENSOM (Canberra Croatia), Edith FORDYCE-CROKER (ANU WFC), Elvein IBRHAIM (Tuggeranong United), Sarah MATTHEWS (Tuggeranong United), Amy MOORE (Gungahlin United), Demi NIKIAS (West Canberra Wanderers), Tiana PHILLIPS-MAYNARD (Tuggeranong United), Sienna NESS (Canberra Olympic), Lauren PRESTON (Belconnen United), Bronte PYKE (Belconnen United), Bessie RIETHMULLER (Canberra Olympic), Pearl TEIN (Belconnen United), Michaela THORNTON (Canberra Olympic), Jane VANZINO (Canberra Olympic), Audrey WARD (West Canberra Wanderers), Matylda WELLS-SHEATHER (Tuggeranong United), Kayla WRIGHT (Gungahlin United), Nadia ZAKMAN (Canberra Croatia)
Words: Jeremy Magan
