A rainy weekend in the nation’s capital meant that only two of four National Premier League Women’s fixtures went ahead, with matches at McKellar Park and Hawker Football Centre.
The first surviving match saw league leaders Belconnen United triumph 6-1 over finals-chasing West Canberra Wanderers on a sunny afternoon at McKellar Park, in a match that saw Scott Conlon’s side round their 2025 NPL goals tally to 48.
Having performed well against Gungahlin in their previous match, the Wanderers continued their positive momentum by taking a shock lead on 16 minutes against Belconnen, as Olivia Hicks launched a freekick into the top corner from well outside the penalty area, in a strike that will no doubt go down as one of the goals of the season.
Having held out the best attack in the league for the majority of the first half, a lengthy stoppage in the match, due to an injury to the returning Gabrielle O’Brien, saw West Canberra concede two quickfire Belconnen goals, as Alina Roberts and Bronte Pyke each scored to give the hosts a half time lead.
With O’Brien unable to continue in the second period, the Wanderers saw themselves again forced to deploy an outfield player in the net, as the goalscorer Hicks stepped in, and it wasn’t long before Belconnen scored a third and fourth, through second goals for Pyke and Roberts.
After Keira Bobbin’s finish took the total to five, an injury to stand-in goalkeeper Hicks saw Steve Rohan-Jones’ side field a third different player between the sticks, and if things weren’t going their way enough, Bobbin scored sixth for her team with two minutes remaining, to round off a thoroughly unfortunate day for the visitors.
Over at Hawker Football Centre Gungahlin United gave ANU WFC a bitter farewell to the NPLW in a 9-0 thrashing on Sunday afternoon.
With the University team no longer taking part in the competition from Round 8 onwards, Amalia Edevane’s side didn’t get the send off they would have desired, particularly after the Gunners were 3-0 up after just thirteen minutes.
A third minute strike from Natalie De Marco was followed by goals from Sharon Chao and Bonnie Young, to round off a comfortable first half for Marcial Munoz’s eleven, before Gungahlin enhanced their clinical edge after the break.
Sharon Chao brought her total for the match to two five minutes into the second half, after being supplied by Bonnie Young, before Megan Castle finished from close range after a stunning looped ball from Ginger Oliver found her target at the back post.
A four-goal flurry at the end of the match rounded the total to eight for the away side, as Ginger Oliver showed her class with a quality sixteen-minute hat-trick, to go along with a second of the match for Megan Castle.
Due to the inclement weather conditions across Canberra during the week, ACT Sportsgrounds were shut on the weekend meaning that the matches scheduled for Kambah 2, featuring Tuggeranong United against Majura FC, and O’Connor Enclosed, between Canberra Olympic and Canberra Croatia, were postponed.
RESULTS
ROUND 7
Sunday 25 May
Belconnen United 6 (Roberts 45+6’, 63’, Pyke 45+9’, 59, Bobbin 72’, 88’) West Canberra Wanderers 1 (Hicks 16’)
Gungahlin United 9 (N. De Marco 3’, Chao 12’, 50’, Young 13’, Castle 55’, 87’, Oliver 74’, 81’, 88’) ANU WFC 0
Canberra Olympic v Canberra Croatia – Match Postponed
Tuggeranong United v Majura FC – Match Postponed
TABLE
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Belconnen United | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 7 | +41 | 21 |
| 2 | Canberra Croatia | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 7 | +12 | 15 |
| 3 | Gungahlin United | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 33 | 8 | +25 | 13 |
| 4 | Canberra Olympic | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 12 | +6 | 12 |
| 5 | West Canberra | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 21 | 13 | +8 | 10 |
| 6 | Majura FC | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 28 | -21 | 3 |
| 7 | Tuggeranong United | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 34 | -29 | 3 |
| 8 | ANU WFC | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 42 | -42 | 0 |
TOP SCORERS
11: Tamara COCHRANE (West Canberra Wanderers)
10: Keira BOBBIN (Belconnen United)
7: Megan CASTLE (Gungahlin United), Alyssa DI-CAMPLI (Belconnen United), Bonnie YOUNG (Gungahlin United)
6: Ginger OLIVER (Gungahlin United)
5: Liliana ALTAMORE (Belconnen United), Jamie BERKELEY (Canberra Croatia), Natalie DE MARCO (Gungahlin United)
4: Sharon CHAO (Gungahlin United), Anneke CORRY (Belconnen United), Zoe HALPIN (West Canberra Wanderers), Carmel LYNCH (Majura FC)
3: Tia BURRIDGE (Canberra Olympic), Leah CARNEGIE (Canberra Olympic), Alexandra GIDIS (West Canberra Wanderers), Alex MARTENS (Belconnen United), Bronte PYKE (Belconnen United), Alina ROBERTS (Belconnen United), Own GOALS
2: Acacia ARGENTO (Tuggeranong United), Isabella BARAC (Canberra Croatia), Ella BROWN (Canberra Olympic), Arusha CHEW (Canberra Croatia), Sofia FURLANETTO (Majura FC), Isabella HINDMARSH (Belconnen United), Alyse JENSEN (Canberra Olympic), Ailish MCDONAGH (Belconnen United), Riley MCQUEENIE (Canberra Croatia), Sofia MERKOUREAS (Canberra Croatia), Katrina PERIC (Canberra Olympic), Nikita PERRY (Canberra Olympic), Michaela THORNTON (Canberra Croatia)
1: Elke AITOLU (Canberra Olympic), Angelina BABIC (Canberra Croatia), Leila BILLINGTON (Belconnen United), Sienna BIRNIE (Canberra Olympic), Madison CACHIA (Canberra Olympic), Lisa CARY (Belconnen United), Stella DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Elvein IBRAHIM (West Canberra Wanderers), Mollie JONSSON (Tuggeranong United), Tarah MANTHONGSY (Tuggeranong United), Sofia MARTINIELO (Majura FC), Jessica MITCHELL (Tuggeranong United), Tatum MAZIS (Canberra Olympic), Perri NASH (West Canberra Wanderers), Eliza-Jane NORRIS (Canberra Croatia), Brittany PALOMBI (Canberra Croatia), Madeliene PERCEVAL (Gungahlin United), Lauren PRESTON (Belconnen United), Ellie RAYMOND (Canberra Croatia), Maddison SAWKINS (Belconnen United), Maddie STEINACKER (Belconnen United), Pearl TEIN (Belconnen United), Rachel VAN AALST (Gungahlin United), Darby WHITELEY (Gungahlin United)
TOP ASSISTS
7: Isabella BARAC (Canberra Croatia), Anneke CORRY (Belconnen United), Bonnie YOUNG (Gungahlin United)
6: Keira BOBBIN (Belconnen United)
5: Alina ROBERTS (Belconnen United)
4: Isabella HINDMARSH (Belconnen United), Ginger OLIVER (Gungahlin United), Audrey WARD (West Canberra Wanderers)
3: Ella BROWN (Canberra Olympic), Megan CASTLE (Gungahlin United), Natalie DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Zoe HALPIN (West Canberra Wanderers), Alex MARTENS (Belconnen United), Perri NASH (West Canberra Wanderers),
2: Arusha CHEW (Canberra Croatia), Tamara COCHRANE (West Canberra Wanderers), Stella DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Alyssa DI-CAMPLI (Belconnen United), Chelsea HATELY (Gungahlin United), Tatum MAZIS (Canberra Olympic), Bronte PYKE (Belconnen United), Abigail RICHARDS (Majura FC), Rachel VAN AALST (Gungahlin United), Darby WHITELEY (Gungahlin United)
1: Elke AITOLU (Canberra Olympic), Esperance ANDERSON (Tuggeranong United), Eliza BAKER (Majura FC), Jamie BERKLEY (Canberra Croatia), Sienna BIRNIE (Canberra Olympic), Tiana BOOTS (Canberra Croatia), Tia BURRIDGE (Canberra Olympic), Olivia BUYTEWEG (Gungahlin United), Madison CACHIA (Canberra Olympic), Lucy D’ARCY (Gungahlin United), Rhiannon DAVIS (Canberra Olympic), Alexandra GIDIS (West Canberra Wanderers), Olivia HICKS (West Canberra Wanderers, Alyse JENSEN (Canberra Olympic), Ariana KASHAN (Majura FC), Claire KENNEDY-SPENCER (Tuggeranong United), Jada LAMOND (Gungahlin United), Tarah MANTHONGSY (Tuggeranong United), Olivia MARTINIELLO (Majura FC), Ailish MCDONAGH (Belconnen United), Amy MOORE (Gungahlin United), Demi NIKIAS (West Canberra Wanderers), Stephenie NIKIAS (West Canberra Wanderers), Nikita PERRY (Canberra Olympic), Lauren PRESTON (Belconnen United), Madison SAWKINS (Belconnen United), Allegra SENTI (West Canberra Wanderers), Michaela THORNTON (Canberra Croatia)
Words: Sam Watson
