Alina Roberts’ hat-trick stole the headlines in Belconnen United’s 4-0 OPC National Premier League Women’s Grand Final victory over Canberra Olympic, in a match which saw Scott Conlon’s team complete an undefeated season and claim their fourth piece of silverware of 2025.
With these sides contesting the last three editions of the big day out, it was only fitting for them to meet a fourth time in the Grand Final, however it was the Blue Devils who roared their way to success, and it didn’t take long for them to get started, after Roberts opened the scoring on eight minutes.
Pascale La Hei’s determination down the right wing saw her eventually cut the ball back to Roberts, and the striker’s shot from close range couldn’t be kept out by Janet King in Olympic’s net despite her best efforts, the ball squirming past the goalkeeper and trundling into the bottom corner of the net.
Just a minute later the young forward was at it again, this time played in behind by a stunning Anneke Corry pass, before an early shot from Roberts from the edge of the box surprised King and nestled in the bottom corner to make it 2-0.
It was a stunning start to the contest, but no surprise to those who have watched the Blue Devils domination and their propensity to score goals in clutches throughout the 2025 season.
Olympic might have got a way back into the encounter on the cusp of half-time as Madison Cachia forced her way past the Blue Devils defence and set off on goal. Ailish McDonagh made the despairing challenge and was judged to have won the ball despite Olympic protestations.
Heading into the break, up by two goals, it took only eight second half minutes for the Blue Devils to extend their lead to three, after Talia Backhouse won the ball back in midfield. Once more, it was Roberts, who had hit the post in the first-half, found in behind, who finished coolly to secure a hat-trick on Grand Final day.
Given her form this season, Keira Bobbin was always going to find the back of the net, and she did just that with 68 minutes played, after Ailish McDonagh again exploited the Olympic line with a well-placed path into the feet of the league’s top scorer, who finished coolly to make it four.
It was the twenty-seventh goal of the season for the NPLW Golden Boot winner and wrapped up another trophy, and an overall incredible Belconnen United invincible campaign. They ended the year with twenty-five wins from twenty-five matches played.
STATISTICS
GRAND FINAL
Saturday 20 September
Belconnen United 4 (Roberts 8’, 9’, 53’, Bobbin 53’) Canberra Olympic 0
THE LINE-UPS
Belconnen United: 41. Claire JOSEPH, 2. Ailish MCDONAGH, 3. Lauren PRESTON, 4. Bronte PYKE (13. Lisa CARY 64’), 7. Stefi LEJINS, 8. Anneke CORRY (21. Pearl TEIN 64’), 11. Keira BOBBIN, 14. Pascale LA HEI (37. Samantha SHEA 81’), 18. Isabella HINDMARSH, 28. Alina ROBRTS (19. Alex MARTENS 81’), 38. Talia BACKHOUSE (35. Maddison SAWKINS 75’)
Substitute not used: None
Monaro Panthers: 1. Janet KING, 2. Liana ALVES, 6. Jane VANZINO (5. Madelyn WHITTALL 59’), 10. Katrina PERIC, 11. Tianah MIRO, 13. Corinne DENTON (3. Sienna BIRNIE 76’), 16. Alyse JENSEN, 17. Nicole KALEB (4. Olivia GURNEY 76’), 26. Madison CACHIA, 27. Tayla HAMPSON (8. Tehya ASPLAND 46’), 33. Tatum MAZIS (44. Ella BROWN 84’)
Substitute not used: None
THE OFFICIALS
Referee: Bradley FARMER
Assistant Referees: Emily DOWNS, Sarin TIATRAGUL
Fourth Official: Cameron WALLACE
DISCIPLINE
Yellow Cards: 6. Jane VANZINO (Canberra Olympic)
Red Card: None
TOP SCORERS
27: Keira BOBBIN (Belconnen United)
21: Tamara COCHRANE (West Canberra Wanderers)
16: Brittany PALOMBI (Canberra Croatia)
14: Alyssa DI-CAMPLI (Belconnen United)
13: Jamie BERKELEY (Canberra Croatia), Megan CASTLE (Gungahlin United)
12: Bronte PYKE (Belconnen United), Bonnie YOUNG (Gungahlin United)
11 Talia BACKHOUSE (Belconnen United), Zoe HALPIN (West Canberra Wanderers), Tatum MAZIS (Canberra Olympic)
10: Anneke CORRY (Belconnen United), Own GOALS
9: Ginger OLIVER (Gungahlin United), Alina ROBERTS (Belconnen United)
8: Madison CACHIA (Canberra Olympic), April HILL (Canberra Croatia), Pascale LA HEI (Belconnen United), Carmel LYNCH (Majura FC), Tianah MIRO (Canberra Olympic)
7: Natalie DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Darby WHITELEY (Gungahlin United)
6: Liliana ALTAMORE (Belconnen United), Alexandra GIDIS (West Canberra Wanderers), Pearl TEIN (Belconnen United)
5: Isabella BARAC (Canberra Croatia), Ella BROWN (Canberra Olympic), Isabella HINDMARSH (Belconnen United), Alyse JENSEN (Canberra Olympic), Alex MARTENS (Belconnen United)
4: Sienna BIRNIE (Canberra Olympic), Sharon CHAO (Gungahlin United), Olivia MARTINIELO (Majura FC), Riley MCQUEENIE (Canberra Croatia), Perri NASH (West Canberra Wanderers), Nikita PERRY (Canberra Olympic), Ellie RAYMOND (Canberra Croatia), Reilly YUEN (Canberra Croatia)
3: Tehya ASPLAND (Canberra Olympic), Tia BURRIDGE (Canberra Olympic), Leah CARNEGIE (Canberra Olympic), Sofia FURLANETTO (Majura FC), Olivia GURNEY (Canberra Olympic), Sofia MERKOUREAS (Canberra Croatia), Madeliene PERCEVAL (Gungahlin United), Katrina PERIC (Canberra Olympic), Michaela THORNTON (Canberra Croatia)
2: Acacia ARGENTO (Tuggeranong United), Liana ALVES (Canberra Olympic), Leila BILLINGTON (Belconnen United), Hannah BOURKE (Canberra Croatia), Arusha CHEW (Canberra Croatia), Olivia HICKS (West Canberra Wanderers), Nicole KALEB (Canberra Olympic), Claire KENNEDY-SPENCER (Tuggeranong United), Ailish MCDONAGH (Belconnen United), Pia MCGHIE (Canberra Croatia), Audrey WARD (West Canberra Wanderers)
1: Elke AITOLU (Canberra Olympic), Angelina BABIC (Canberra Croatia), Layla BARBOUR (Majura FC), Lisa CARY (Belconnen United), Stella DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Charlotte DOLDISSEN (Tuggeranong United), Tayla HAMPSON (Canberra Olympic), Elvein IBRAHIM (West Canberra Wanderers), 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), Halle NYAMEKYE (Majura FC), Lauren PRESTON (Belconnen United), Maddison SAWKINS (Belconnen United), Maddie STEINACKER (Belconnen United), Rachel VAN AALST (Gungahlin United), April VAN DUREN (Majura FC), Jane VANZINO (Canberra Olympic), Lauren WATT (Tuggeranong United), Maggie WRIGHT (Majura FC)
TOP ASSISTS
16: Keira BOBBIN (Belconnen United)
12: Anneke CORRY (Belconnen United)
11: Isabella BARAC (Canberra Croatia), Brittany PALOMBI (Canberra Croatia)
10: Isabella HINDMARSH (Belconnen United), Bonnie YOUNG (Gungahlin United)
9: Tatum MAZIS (Canberra Olympic), Alina ROBERTS (Belconnen United)
7: Talia BACKHOUSE (Belconnen United), Tamara COCHRANE (West Canberra Wanderers), Natalie DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Alexandra GIDIS (West Canberra Wanderers)
6: Ella BROWN (Canberra Olympic), Madison CACHIA (Canberra Olympic), Alex MARTENS (Belconnen United), Riley MCQUEENIE (Canberra Croatia), Pearl TEIN (Belconnen United), Audrey WARD (West Canberra Wanderers)
5: Megan CASTLE (Gungahlin United), Zoe HALPIN (West Canberra Wanderers), Ailish MCDONAGH (Belconnen United), Ginger OLIVER (Gungahlin United), Bronte PYKE (Belconnen United), Jane VANZINO (Canberra Olympic)
4: Stella DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Alyssa DI-CAMPLI (Belconnen United), April HILL (Canberra Croatia), Tianah MIRO (Canberra Olympic)
3: Jamie BERKELEY (Canberra Croatia), Sienna BIRNIE (Canberra Olympic), Tiana BOOTS (Canberra Croatia), Tia BURRIDGE (Canberra Olympic), Lisa CARY (Belconnen United), Olivia GURNEY (Canberra Olympic), Alyse JENSEN (Canberra Olympic), Olivia MARTINIELLO (Majura FC), Perri NASH (West Canberra Wanderers), Nikita PERRY (Canberra Olympic), Madison SAWKINS (Belconnen United), Madeleine STEINACKER (Belconnen United), Darby WHITELEY (Gungahlin United)
2: Tehya ASPLAND (Canberra Olympic), Leila BILLINGTON (Belconnen United), Olivia BUYTEWEG (Gungahlin United), Arusha CHEW (Canberra Croatia), Annaliese GROVE (Gungahlin United), Tayla HAMPSON (Canberra Olympic), Chelsea HATELY (Gungahlin United), Olivia HICKS (West Canberra Wanderers), Claire KENNEDY-SPENCER (Tuggeranong United), Pascale LA HEI (Belconnen United), Jada LAMOND (Gungahlin United), Carmel LYNCH (Majura FC), Tarah MANTHONGSY (Tuggeranong United), Amy MOORE (Gungahlin United), Eliza-Jane NORRIS (Canberra Croatia), Madeliene PERCEVAL (Gungahlin United), Ellie RAYMOND (Canberra Croatia), Abigail RICHARDS (Majura FC), Juliana ROBERTSON (West Canberra Wanderers), 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), Lena CHRISTOPHERSON (Tuggeranong United), Lucy D’ARCY (Gungahlin United), Rhiannon DAVIS (Canberra Olympic), Sofia FURLANETTO (Majura FC), Nicole KALEB (Canberra Olympic), Ariana KASHAN (Majura FC), Stefi LEJINS (Belconnen United), Pia MCGHIE (Canberra Croatia), Saskia NEWMAN (Canberra Croatia), Demi NIKIAS (West Canberra Wanderers), Stephenie NIKIAS (West Canberra Wanderers), Lauren PRESTON (Belconnen United), Ariana RATHOUSKI (Belconnen United), Vanessa RITCHIE (Majura FC), Allegra SENTI (West Canberra Wanderers), Caitlyn SKILLICORN (West Canberra Wanderers), Ivy STEVENS (Gungahlin United),Shayma TAWEEL (Majura FC), Sonja TOMANOVITS (West Canberra Wanderers), April VAN DUREN (Majura FC), Zoe WILLIAMS (Tuggeranong United), Maggie WRIGHT (Majura FC)
Words: Sam Watson
