The third-last round of the 2025 National Premier League Women’s season will likely see the race for finals take another twist, as first newly-crowned League Champions Belconnen United host fourth-placed Gungahlin United at McKellar Park.
The Blue Devils clinched their long sought after prize with a victory over the only remaining threat to top spot Canberra Croatia, with another dominant performance, winning 1-0 after creating the greater weight of chances.
Two victories from two meetings this season against the Gunners will offer more confidence for a side already instilled with an irresistible winning mentality, having won 16 of their 16 in the league up until this point.
While Scott Conlon’s team will have eyes fixed on becoming invincibles with just three matches remaining, Gungahlin still have plenty on the line themselves, having jumped ahead of West Canberra Wanderers into fourth with a mid-week victory away at Tuggeranong United.
Holding onto that finals position will be the firm focus for Marcial Munoz, whose side play Tuggeranong again, and then finish with a bye to conclude the season, making three points in these remaining matches crucial to holding off charges from the teams around them.
One such team is West Canberra Wanderers, who kickoff simultaneously to the side that displaced them from the top four, in their visit to third-placed Canberra Croatia at Deakin Stadium.
Steve Rohan-Jones shipped six goals to Croatia the last time they met in the league, but have been held by the Wanderers in previous games, needing penalties to win in the cup, and a single goal in the league.
West Canberra have stood up to their fellow top four challengers frequently throughout the season, and will be determined to prove they are deserving of a top four spot with a win against a Croatia side that have had a much improved 2025 season.
Musie Elongo’s outfit, despite being unable to overcome Belconnen last week, remain the side that have most significantly challenged the table-toppers this season in the league, and will undoubtedly be targeting a top two rematch on Grand Final day, making wins against their finals place competition essential in ensuring they have every opportunity of being there.
Majura FC host the final match of the round against Canberra Olympic, in their attempt to secure sixth position and avoid the bottom of the NPLW table, with a match at the end of the season against bottom side Tuggeranong looming.
Davide Ruberto’s team have found their first season in the NPLW difficult, however for such a youthful outfit to experience competing against the best sides in Canberra will likely set up Majura well for the team’s future campaigns in the competition.
Taking on Olympic will be another match that tests the inexperienced side, and despite losing both meetings with their opponents this season, the Round 4 meeting particularly, where Majura lost narrowly having gone ahead, will give them confidence they can trouble Frank Cachia’s team again.
The away side however, have it all to play for in the context of their finals race, and coming off a victory midweek against Croatia, the confidence will be high amongst the squad in the final matches to not only clinch a top four position, but to make a run to the Grand Final.
FIXTURES
ROUND 19
Sunday 17 August
Majura FC v Canberra Olympic (Ainslie Field 2, 15:00)
Canberra Croatia v West Canberra Wanderers (Deakin Stadium,15:00)
Belconnen United v Gungahlin United (McKellar Park, 15:00)
TABLE
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Belconnen United | 16 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 106 | 9 | +97 | 48 |
| 2 | Canberra Olympic | 15 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 54 | 27 | +27 | 30 |
| 3 | Canberra Croatia | 14 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 52 | 18 | +34 | 28 |
| 4 | Gungahlin United | 16 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 55 | 22 | +33 | 27 |
| 5 | West Canberra | 16 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 49 | 29 | +20 | 26 |
| 6 | Majura FC | 15 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 11 | 68 | -57 | 7 |
| 7 | Tuggeranong United | 17 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 9 | 121 | -112 | 4 |
| 8 | ANU WFC | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 42 | -42 | 0 |
TOP SCORERS
21: Keira BOBBIN (Belconnen United), Tamara COCHRANE (West Canberra Wanderers)
14: Alyssa DI-CAMPLI (Belconnen United)
13: Brittany PALOMBI (Canberra Croatia)
12: Megan CASTLE (Gungahlin United)
11 Zoe HALPIN (West Canberra Wanderers), Bonnie YOUNG (Gungahlin United)
10: Jamie BERKELEY (Canberra Croatia), Anneke CORRY (Belconnen United), Bronte PYKE (Belconnen United)
9: Talia BACKHOUSE (Belconnen United)
8: Tatum MAZIS (Canberra Olympic), Ginger OLIVER (Gungahlin United), Own GOALS
7: Natalie DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Darby WHITELEY (Gungahlin United)
6: Liliana ALTAMORE (Belconnen United), Alexandra GIDIS (West Canberra Wanderers), Alina ROBERTS (Belconnen United), Pearl TEIN (Belconnen United)
5: Isabella BARAC (Canberra Croatia), Ella BROWN (Canberra Olympic), Madison CACHIA (Canberra Olympic), Alyse JENSEN (Canberra Olympic), Carmel LYNCH (Majura FC), Alex MARTENS (Belconnen United)
4: Sharon CHAO (Gungahlin United), April HILL (Canberra Croatia), Tianah MIRO (Canberra Olympic), Perri NASH (West Canberra Wanderers)
3: Tehya ASPLAND (Canberra Olympic), Sienna BIRNIE (Canberra Olympic), Tia BURRIDGE (Canberra Olympic), Leah CARNEGIE (Canberra Olympic), Sofia FURLANETTO (Majura FC), Olivia GURNEY (Canberra Olympic), Isabella HINDMARSH (Belconnen United), Pascale LA HEI (Belconnen United), Sofia MERKOUREAS (Canberra Croatia), Nikita PERRY (Canberra Olympic)
2: Acacia ARGENTO (Tuggeranong United), Leila BILLINGTON (Belconnen United), Hannah BOURKE (Canberra Croatia), Arusha CHEW (Canberra Croatia), Olivia HICKS (West Canberra Wanderers), Claire KENNEDY-SPENCER (Tuggeranong United), Olivia MARTINIELO (Majura FC), Ailish MCDONAGH (Belconnen United), Pia MCGHIE (Canberra Croatia), Riley MCQUEENIE (Canberra Croatia), Madeliene PERCEVAL (Gungahlin United), Katrina PERIC (Canberra Olympic), Ellie RAYMOND (Canberra Croatia), Michaela THORNTON (Canberra Croatia), Reilly YUEN (Canberra Croatia)
1: Elke AITOLU (Canberra Olympic), Liana ALVES (Canberra Olympic), Angelina BABIC (Canberra Croatia), Lisa CARY (Belconnen United), Stella DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Tayla HAMPSON (Canberra Olympic), Elvein IBRAHIM (West Canberra Wanderers), Nicole KALEB (Canberra Olympic), Mollie JONSSON (Tuggeranong United), Tarah MANTHONGSY (Tuggeranong United), Audrey MCLAREN (West Canberra Wanderers), Jessica MITCHELL (Tuggeranong United), Abigail MOSS (West Canberra Wanderers), Demi NIKIAS (West Canberra Wanderers), Saskia NEWMAN (Canberra Croatia), Eliza-Jane NORRIS (Canberra Croatia), Lauren PRESTON (Belconnen United), Maddison SAWKINS (Belconnen United), Maddie STEINACKER (Belconnen United), Rachel VAN AALST (Gungahlin United), Jane VANZINO (Canberra Olympic), Audrey WARD (West Canberra Wanderers), Lauren WATT (Tuggeranong United), Maggie WRIGHT (Majura FC)
TOP ASSISTS
13: Keira BOBBIN (Belconnen United)
11: Isabella BARAC (Canberra Croatia)
9: Alina ROBERTS (Belconnen United), Bonnie YOUNG (Gungahlin United)
8: Anneke CORRY (Belconnen United)
7: Tamara COCHRANE (West Canberra Wanderers), Alexandra GIDIS (West Canberra Wanderers), Isabella HINDMARSH (Belconnen United), Brittany PALOMBI (Canberra Croatia)
6: Ella BROWN (Canberra Olympic), Natalie DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Alex MARTENS (Belconnen United), Audrey WARD (West Canberra Wanderers)
5: Talia BACKHOUSE (Belconnen United), Megan CASTLE (Gungahlin United), Zoe HALPIN (West Canberra Wanderers), Tatum MAZIS (Canberra Olympic), Bronte PYKE (Belconnen United), Pearl TEIN (Belconnen United), Jane VANZINO (Canberra Olympic)
4: Stella DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Alyssa DI-CAMPLI (Belconnen United), Ailish Madison CACHIA (Canberra Olympic), MCDONAGH (Belconnen United), Riley MCQUEENIE (Canberra Croatia), Ginger OLIVER (Gungahlin United)
3: Jamie BERKELEY (Canberra Croatia), Tiana BOOTS (Canberra Croatia), Tia BURRIDGE (Canberra Olympic), Lisa CARY (Belconnen United), Tianah MIRO (Canberra Olympic), Perri NASH (West Canberra Wanderers), Nikita PERRY (Canberra Olympic), Madison SAWKINS (Belconnen United), Darby WHITELEY (Gungahlin United)
2: Tehya ASPLAND (Canberra Olympic), Olivia BUYTEWEG (Gungahlin United), Arusha CHEW (Canberra Croatia), Annaliese GROVE (Gungahlin United), Olivia GURNEY (Canberra Olympic), Alyse JENSEN (Canberra Olympic), Tayla HAMPSON (Canberra Olympic), Chelsea HATELY (Gungahlin United), Olivia HICKS (West Canberra Wanderers), April HILL (Canberra Croatia), Claire KENNEDY-SPENCER (Tuggeranong United), Jada LAMOND (Gungahlin United), Carmel LYNCH (Majura FC), Tarah MANTHONGSY (Tuggeranong United), Amy MOORE (Gungahlin United), Abigail RICHARDS (Majura FC), Juliana ROBERTSON (West Canberra Wanderers), Madeleine STEINACKER (Belconnen United), Michaela THORNTON (Canberra Croatia), Rachel VAN AALST (Gungahlin United)
1: Elke AITOLU (Canberra Olympic), Liana ALVES (Canberra Olympic), Esperance ANDERSON (Tuggeranong United), Eliza BAKER (Majura FC), Layla BARBOUR (Majura FC), Leila BILLINGTON (Belconnen United), Sienna BIRNIE (Canberra Olympic), Lena CHRISTOPHERSON (Tuggeranong United), Lucy D’ARCY (Gungahlin United), Rhiannon DAVIS (Canberra Olympic), Ariana KASHAN (Majura FC), Pascale LA HEI (Belconnen United), Stefi LEJINS (Belconnen United), Olivia MARTINIELLO (Majura FC), Pia MCGHIE (Canberra Croatia), Demi NIKIAS (West Canberra Wanderers), Stephenie NIKIAS (West Canberra Wanderers), Madeliene PERCEVAL (Gungahlin United), Lauren PRESTON (Belconnen United), Ariana RATHOUSKI (Belconnen United), Allegra SENTI (West Canberra Wanderers), Caitlyn SKILLICORN (West Canberra Wanderers), Ivy STEVENS (Gungahlin United), Sonja TOMANOVITS (West Canberra Wanderers), Maggie WRIGHT (Majura FC)
Words: Sam Watson
