Women's NSL - Reports
Australian Women's Football Tournament 2005 (replacing WNSL)
Football Federation Australia has changed the format of the Womens National League for 2005. The new format will be known as the Australian Women's Football Tournament and it will be staged in Canberra at the Australian Institute of Sport from 30th September to 9th October. Soccer NSW will enter 2 teams while one team each from Queensland, Northern NSW, ACT, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia will also enter.
Australian Women's National Soccer League 2004
NSW Sapphires versus Queensland Sting
Archive Photo 2002 - Carlos Furtado (Courtesy of Soccer NSW)
Queensland Sting 2 (Jessica Mitchell 6', Sasha McDonnell 80') defeated NNSW Pride 0
The 2004 final between NNSW Pride and Queensland Sting in Brisbane tonight was won by the Sting, with goals by Jessica Mitchell in the 6th moinute and another late in the game to seal it by Sasha McDonnell in the 80th minute
NSW Sapphires captain Taryn Rockall has been named winner of the 'Julie Dolan medal' as player of the year for the 2004/05 Women's National Soccer League season. The 27-year-old midfielder, who has made 11 appearances for the Qantas Matildas, wins the award for the second time after also claiming the prestigious honour in 2000/01. Rockall finished ahead of a number of Qantas Matildas to win the honour named after former long-serving national team player and captain Julie Dolan. The top five polling-players were rounded out by Northern NSW's Joanne Peters and Katie Gill plus Queensland Sting duo Lana Harch and Sarah Walsh.
The WNSL Rising Star award has been claimed by 18-year-old Queensland Sting striker Sasha McDonnell. Scorer in the Sting's 2-0 Grand Final triumph over Northern NSW last December, McDonnell is eligible for the award which is presented to the highest polling player who made their starting debut during the season.
Northern NSW's Katie Gill who figured prominently on the Qantas Matildas recent successful tour of China is also confirmed as winner of the 2004/05 WNSL top goalscorer award with 13 goals, six goals clear of Queenslanders Jessica Mitchell and Lana Harch.
Qantas Matildas coach Tommy Sermanni will present the Julie Dolan Medal to Taryn Rockall on Sunday 6 March at 2.55pm at Cook Park (St Marys) ahead of the Arrive Alive NSW Womens Super League match between Penrith Nepean United and Sutherland Association.
The women's national league first kicked off in season 1996/97 (formerly known as the Ansett Australia Summer Series) and has become an integral part of Australia's elite program.
Soon to kick off its ninth year, the league remains a major platform for selection into the Qantas Matildas and Qantas Young Matildas national teams.
The WNSL is contested by the States with an elite Institute/Academy program, with top players from outside those States being drafted into an appropriate team by the National Coach.
The same six teams will again contest the new season scheduled to kick off on 9 October 2004 - Canberra Eclipse, NSW Sapphires, Northern NSW Pride, Queensland Sting, Adelaide Sensation, and Victoria Vision. In addition a new team - the Western Waves from Western Australia will join and play a limited number of games.
Fourteen full or partial rounds and a grandfinal will be played, with the league to finish before Christmas again this season. The grandfinal is set down for the 19 December 2004.
Check out the fixtures - which include the first game, a derby between Northern NSW Pride and NSW Sapphires on Saturday 9 October at Wanders Oval, Broadmeadow, and the Western Waves make their debut against the Queensland Sting on Tuesday 12 October at Qld Sport & Athletic Centre.
Western Waves (WA) - 2004 team
(Photo - Official Waves Squad)
The Western Waves get six games - in the first half of the season one against each of the other six
teams - who play each other twice in addition for an 11-game season over 14 rounds. Top two at the end battle it out for the WNSL Championship, and because WA is only in it for the first half of the season, there's a trophy awarded to the team on top after the seventh round - the Challenge Plate.
From a team perspective, there is the fierce interstate rivalry in the battle for the WNSL crown. NSW Sapphires are the reigning champions after defeating old foes Queensland Sting in the 2003 grand final, the two largest States each with a total of three WNSL titles, whilst Adelaide Sensation and Canberra Eclipse have each won once.
Back Of The Net endeavours to bring you occasional match reports, or you can catch up with results through the links on the left of this page.
NSW Sapphires versus Adelaide Sensation at Pittwater Park, Sydney prior to a Northern Spirit NSL game
(Photo 7/12/2003 - Chris Dunkerley)
2004 Fixtures (pdf)
2004 Game Reports
