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| Canterbury United Pride captain Annalie (Flea) Longo with the trophy Enzo Giordani |
The historic first ever two round National Womens League finished last Saturday with Canterbury United Pride winning their fourth title in six years with a 3-2 extra time win over Northern Lights.
It's been an eventful year in women's football, but after the turmoil of the Heraf debacle it's nice to see things taking on a positive note with this competition, the U17s amazing performances to finish third at the U17 World Cup and the Football Ferns qualifying for next years World Cup in France as well as the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
I asked various coaches, CEO's and fans their thoughts on the season.
THE FORMAT
The two round format got a huge thumbs up. The double header round didn't, the short turn around and travel meant a lack of recovery time for the players and heightened the risk of injuries. Tweaks to the draw were suggested such as keeping it in the same order unlike this year where you had Central and Southern meeting on the opening and closing rounds of the competition. Also suggested was a more thought out geographic spread in fixtures, while this applies mainly to Auckand it's something NZF need to look at co-ordinating with the mens National League. EG having Capital and Team Wellington playing at the same time on opposite sides of the city and then the next week having no games whatsoever in Wellington was just silly.
A popular sentiment that came through was that it shouldn't be just the top two playing off for the final, but there should be a semi final. In previous season we had the second and third place teams playoff to see who would meet the minor champions in the final, lets get back to that.
Of course one of the big headaches for NZ Football in that would be timing. This could be resolved by working with the federations to finish their leagues earlier, This was actually a very popular sentiment that was mentioned by almost every coach and several fans. The popular consensus was that teams need a 4-6 week lead in to the league. While moving the leagues shouldn't pose too much of an issue, there could be issues with the Kate Sheppard Cup, but then NZF don't have to tie it to the Chatham Cup and could run it as a stand alone final.
MEDIA COVERAGE
The general feedback on the media coverage was that it was better than it had ever been before. The big improvers were NZ Football, who really stepped up to the plate, launching the competition alongside the men's one and ensuring it got the same level of coverage. Providing federations with templates and putting out weekly player of the round, golden boot and general updates. There was a suggestion that given that NZF do record all the games and use them for the FFDP program and sharing amongst coaches that they could look at compiling a highlights package from this, which would be fantastic.
For the federations it was interesting to note the ones that had the most positive feedback on their coverage were the ones that have worked hard on creating their own identifies within their federation, Canterbury United Pride, Northern Lights and Southern United (OK Southern United don't have a seperate name, but its clear the women have a strong seperate identity within their federation.)
The Return Fixture podcast rated very highly, especially with coaches, and they seem to have got that balance of intelligent discussion, humour and some fantastic interviews. (I should note that while all the podcast members contributed to this piece, none of them rated or commented on the podcast itself)
HIGHLIGHTS \ LOWLIGHTS \ BEST PLAYERS
League : P-12 W-6 D-4 L-2 F-26 A-11 Pts-22
3rd Place
Coach : TRACEY WRIGLEY (TW)
Defending champions with a new coach, a team loaded with talent, maybe too much as they suffered with several departures to the U17 World Cup and the Football Ferns, although were in it right up until the last round.
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| Auckland before the game against Capital The JourneyFan |
TJF : WHAT WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE SEASON FOR YOU?
TW : In
a playing sense the first round win over Canterbury, it was significant
mainly due to the manner of the performance and as they'd been unbeaten
until that point. It was the performance we had the potential to
produce and it came on the back of the unsuccessful doubleheader weekend
and short turn around.
TW : The double header weekend! Not only did we fail to fire a shot but of course it was against our closest rivals.
TJF : WHO WERE THE BEST PLAYER(S) FOR YOU?
TW : Liz Anton was a stand out for me; composed and always wanting to involve herself in clutch plays - not shying away from pressure. The other player that joined us later in the campaign and started to have an impact on games before the Ferns came calling was Grace Jale - she's able to make the game look easy.
TJF : WHO WERE THE BEST OPPOSITION PLAYERS
GL : Tiana Hill (WaiBOP), Gabi Rennie (Pride) and Lara Wall (Southern United) were all stand outs for their team's against us. BTW we didn't face Grego so can't comment on her!
League : P-12 W-9 D-0 L-3 F-41 A-19 Pts-27
WON FINAL 3-2 aet
Coach : ALANA GUNN (AG)
Fan : Phil Clayton (PC)
The standard setters, four titles in six seasons. While Alana Gunn was a new coach, she wasn't unknown to the players, coming from the Coastal Spirit club. With the leagues best player in Annalie Longo (Flea) what was impressive was the young players that stepped up while the internationals were away. They continue to be the team to beat.
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| Alana Gunn TJF |
TJF : WHAT WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE SEASON FOR YOU?
AG : Two rounds, creating more of a league, adds value and more opportunities. Our second game vs Auckland was a massive tactical change that played a massive part in mindset of players and gave us huge learning that helped with the final. Oh and winning!!!
PC : On-field: tense, exciting grand final, champions!
Off-field: 2 rounds, plus podcast / interviews and other coverage giving some insight into other teams.
TJF : WHAT WOULD YOU RATHER FORGET ABOUT THE SEASON \ LOWLIGHT?
AG : forget nothing, the stuff you want to forget is usually what you can learn from the most. Our first Auckland game was our worst outing but biggest learning.
PC : On-field: late goal loss for Pride at Capital
Off-field: underestimation by media of teams other than Pride - there were some great squads on paper, and their depth showed in later rounds
Off-field: underestimation by media of teams other than Pride - there were some great squads on paper, and their depth showed in later rounds
TJF : WHO WERE THE BEST PLAYER(S) FOR YOU?
AG : Flea is a game changer, shaped the league , inspires all, such an amazingly talent person and footballer, by far MVP for more reasons than just her technique on the pitch. Absolutely champ.
PC : Annalie Longo (Flea) skill on the ball, positioning, always available to receive the ball, desire to win
TJF : WHO WERE THE BEST OPPOSITION PLAYERS?
AG : Nicole Stratford (Northern Lights) had a great season and is a really valuable player.
Grace Jale and Steph Cleave (nee Skilton) from Auckland and Central's Mackenzie
Barry I thought where the hardest opponents that challenged us the most.
PC : Anna Green (Capital) played various positions and made telling contributions in each
of them.
League : P-12 W-6 D-2 L-4 F-36 A-30 Pts-20
4th Place
Coach : EMMA EVANS (EE)
Fan : Ella Reilly (ER)
A slow start to the season and a conceding a late goal against Auckland are what cost Capital this season. They were a tenacious team that never gave up and won a couple of games with goals in the last minute.
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| Emma Evans TJF |
This turned out to be Emma Evans last season in charge at Capital as she has taken up a role as Women's Development Officer at the Oceania Football Confederation. I'd just like to say congratulations and a big thank you. Emma has been fantastic in her support of me and this site. She (and Sam Morrisery) were the first ever interview I'd ever done and she's always given me time and helped out when I've asked for it, oh and she's managed to turn out some half decent football teams as well. Best of luck in your new role Emma, you will be missed.
TJF : WHAT WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE SEASON FOR YOU?
EE : The highlight for us was our game against Canterbury Pride at home. It was the first time that the squad has picked up three points against the Pride since Sam (Morrisery) and I have been at Capital (TJF - it was Capital's foirst win over the pride since 2014), and to do so in a thrilling 4-3 win was a great feeling. The way every player applied themselves, coupled with their attitude and determination, was more than we could have asked for. To see a player who made her debut this year come off the bench and score a 90th minute winner (Dani Ohlsson) was a fantastic feeling and a moment the whole squad and staff will always be proud of.
ER : Greggo's last minute winner against WaiBOP
ER : Greggo's last minute winner against WaiBOP
TJF : WHAT WOULD YOU RATHER FORGET ABOUT THE SEASON \ LOWLIGHT?
EE : The
hardest moment for us would be our second game against Auckland at
home. We drew 2-all, with Auckland scoring in the last minutes of the
game. Both Sam and I were extremely proud of the performance from the
squad in this game, which made the disappointment of not getting more
out of it that much harder, especially as it was a must win game to keep
us in the running for a finals spot.
ER : Auckland's last minute equaliser against Capital
TJF : WHO WERE THE BEST PLAYER(S) FOR YOU?
EE : We
were extremely pleased to see the way our squad come together this
year. It was a mix of young up and coming players, experienced NWL
players, and Football Ferns, but the way the squad united and supported
each other to reach their goals was more than we could have hoped for.
We were very proud of the younger players who excelled through the FTC
programme and transitioned in to NWL seamlessly this year. However, the
two standout players for us this year were Emma Main and Sarah
Gregorius. Emma Main was moved from wide forward in to the full back
position and was not only defensively sound, but also added a huge
attacking threat down the right-hand side. Sarah Gregorius is a player
who leads by example in all that she does and has a huge influence on
everyone around her. Her on field performance and impact speaks for
herself – picking up the golden boot with 12 goals in just 7 games
ER : Football
Ferns Sarah Gregorius and Anna Green were obviously the standout
players for Capital. Charlotte Wilford-Carroll was the surprise of the
season.
TJF : WHO WERE THE BEST OPPOSITION PLAYERS?
EE : The
toughest players we came up against were Kate Loye (Northern Lights),
Annalie Longo (Pride) and Shontelle Smith (Southern Utd). Every one of
these players has a huge impact on the game – their experience,
technical ability and decision making in the midfield allows them to
dominate games and cause problems for their opposition. These three
players are great examples of what young players in New Zealand should
aspire to.
ER : Flea was immense for the Pride, and I was really impressed with Southern's Shontelle Smith and Northern's Helena Kelderman.
League : P-12 W-1 D-0 L-11 F-5 A-64 Pts-3
7th Place
Coach : Donald Piper (DP)
For what was a tough season having lost several players to Capital and fielding an extremely young team, Central were surprisingly positive and earned a lot of respect for the way they battled through the league.
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| The crowd at Massey University for Central v Capital The JourneyFan |
WHAT WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE SEASON FOR YOU?
DP : Honestly the team spirit and determination shown by the squad in the face of massive adversity. Given their tender age....wow they impressed me!
TJF : WHAT WOULD YOU RATHER FORGET ABOUT THE SEASON?
DP : I'd like to forget flight delays and only arriving 50 minutes before the kick off to our round 2 match against Auckland. Although it didn't impact the day, man it didn't help!
TJF : WHO WERE THE BEST PLAYER(S) FOR YOU?
DP : Honestly the team spirit and determination shown by the squad in the face of massive adversity. Given their tender age....wow they impressed me!
TJF : WHAT WOULD YOU RATHER FORGET ABOUT THE SEASON?
DP : I'd like to forget flight delays and only arriving 50 minutes before the kick off to our round 2 match against Auckland. Although it didn't impact the day, man it didn't help!
TJF : WHO WERE THE BEST PLAYER(S) FOR YOU?
DP : Jenna Barry was immense and got our NVP, led the squad with absolute courage and determination and was a galvanising presence. Special mention to Maggie Pedersen who made massive leaps over the course of the season and to youngster Charlotte Lancaster, i think she'd a player!
TJF : WHO WERE THE BEST OPPOSITION PLAYERS?
DP : It would be easy to select the likes of Green, Longo and Gregorious but for me Mikaela Hunt from Southern was a standout. Led her team with pride, gave 110% on the pitch and was humble off it.
DP : It would be easy to select the likes of Green, Longo and Gregorious but for me Mikaela Hunt from Southern was a standout. Led her team with pride, gave 110% on the pitch and was humble off it.
League : P-12 W-9 D-2 L-1 F-33 A-8 Pts-29
LOST FINAL 2-3 aet
Coach : GEMMA LEWIS (GL)
Fan : Helena Wiseman (HW)
A new name, new image, new coach (last years championship winning coach) and a huge amount of depth saw the Lights shake of the last minute goals curse they had suffered in the previous two seasons. Also had the great idea of giving players control of the instagram account.
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| Northern Lights The JourneyFanx |
TJF : WHAT WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE SEASON FOR YOU?
GL : It’s a really difficult one for me as I wasn’t actually here for this highlight (TJF : Gemma was in Uruguay helping the U17s finish 3rd so we'll forgive her :-)) but the coaching staff and players stepping up to create an unbeaten run of 7 games where they didn’t drop a point even though both the Ferns and the U17’s players were away. It just demonstrated the depth of the squad and the work put in behind the scenes to train as one team.
HW : Capital at home, a tight game and then a goal-fest. (Northern won 4-2)
TJF : WHAT WOULD YOU RATHER FORGET ABOUT THE SEASON \ LOWLIGHT?
GL : Missing out and being away for so much of a great season.Potentially losing the final in extra time.
HW : The weeks where there were no games in Auckland, then no games not in Auckland. That seemed silly.
TJF : WHO WERE THE BEST PLAYER(S) FOR YOU?
GL : Claudia Bunge, Malia Stienmetz, Ava Pritchard (U15), Liz Savage, Nicole Stratford
HW : Nicole Stratford, Helena Kelderman
TJF : WHO WERE THE BEST OPPOSITION PLAYERS
GL : Flea (Pride), Sarah Gregorius (Cap), Auckland's Steph Skilton, Liz Anton and Sarah Morton. Southern United's Shontelle Smith & Georgia Brown - this list could be a lot bigger
HW : Annalie Longo (Pride), Capital's Sarah Gregorius and Mickey Robertson
League : P-12 W-5 D-1 L-6 F-37 A-28 Pts-16
5th Place
Southern Football CEO : Chris Wright (CW)
Fan : Morgan Jarvis (MJ)
No longer the easy beats, they have now beaten every team in the league in the last two seasons. Probably a little disappointed with fifth place.
TJF : WHAT WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE SEASON FOR YOU?
MJ : Southern United’s opening match of the season versus Central at Forrester Park - Southern played with a confident swagger we're just not used to seeing down here. It was a picture-postcard perfect day in a beautiful setting in front of a big crowd. I wrote about it here: https://in-the-back-of-the.net/2018/09/16/great-expectations/
TJF : WHAT WOULD YOU RATHER FORGET ABOUT THE SEASON?
CW : Not much, while the run of five losses in the middle of the season, which included a double header round against Canterbury and then an away game to Capital who had just had a week off, weren't great, they weren't big losses and it did feel we could beat anyone on their day.
MJ : Harr to find one to be honest. I've found the competition has taken a huge step forward going to two full rounds this year. From a Southern perspective, the disappointment would obviously be the five consecutive losses mid-season which put paid to a shot at the final.
TJF : WHO WERE THE BEST PLAYER(S) FOR YOU?
CW : Kirsty Hayr - she won player of the year and coaches player of the year and played outstandingly. Last season we had 2 outstanding players, however this year it was everyone that stepped up especially the likes of Lara Wall, Mikalya Gray, Emily Morison, Shontelle Smith and Mikaela Hunt was a fantastic captain.
MJ : Really tough to single anyone out this year, purely because it really has been a strong collective team effort this season. I'd probably have to pick out Mikaela Hunt, captain and center back who played every minute of the season.
TJF : WHO WERE THE BEST OPPOSITION PLAYERS?
CW : Annalie Longo, it was the first time I'd actually seen her play live and she was just a step above, very intellegent. Sarah Gregorius as well was a player that could change a game, those two would have been the hardest to play against
MJ : Annalie Longo - such a dominant player, she's simply a joy to watch. She really does float around the pitch like a butterfly, and then stings like a bee!
League : P-12 W-1 D-1 L-10 F-14 A-36 Pts-4
6th Place
Coach : Michael Mayne (MM)
Fan : Enzo Giordani (EG)
The Return Fixture podcast had some discussion about team identities and suggested some. They didn't mention WaiBOP, but if they had the name 89ers would have been appropriate this season as that's when they seemed to stop playing! What could have been if they'd managed not to concede any goals in the last minute!
TJF : WHAT WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE SEASON FOR YOU?
MM : There were a number of highlights throughout for us, even though it was a tough campaign. But I think if there was one highlight, I think for us as a group, the 1-1 draw with a bare 11 against Auckland Football in our second to last game was a massive result for the group. That was a proud moment for me to see them come together and play the way they did and stick together against a team challenging for the title and final. That game encompassed what football teams should be about and the way you need to work together to be successful, even when everything and everyone is against you. Was a positive day, regardless of another shockingly late equaliser against us!
EG : The massive boost in profile that the double round robin and step up in media and marketing brought to the league. There was so much coverage around the traps and it was no less than the players deserved.
TJF : WHAT WOULD YOU RATHER FORGET ABOUT THE SEASON?
MM : Outside of the four or five games we were leading and ended up losing late in tight games in the 85th+ minute, probably the "home games" where we had to travel and play away from home (Auckland and Palmerston North!). Having those home games are important for the team and it is something we need to make sure we are sorted for in 2019.
EG : WaiBOP's injury time heart breaker at the hands of Capital at Gower Park - having to sing part of the operatic section of Bohemian Rhapsody to an audience of hundreds as a result. Don't make stupid bets, kids.
TJF : WHAT WOULD YOU RATHER FORGET ABOUT THE SEASON?
MM : Outside of the four or five games we were leading and ended up losing late in tight games in the 85th+ minute, probably the "home games" where we had to travel and play away from home (Auckland and Palmerston North!). Having those home games are important for the team and it is something we need to make sure we are sorted for in 2019.
EG : WaiBOP's injury time heart breaker at the hands of Capital at Gower Park - having to sing part of the operatic section of Bohemian Rhapsody to an audience of hundreds as a result. Don't make stupid bets, kids.
TJF : WHO WERE THE BEST PLAYER(S) FOR YOU?
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| Tiana Hill & Kat Dow Enzo Giordani |
MM : Our skipper, Tiana Hill was the most consistent performer and gave the team everything she had this campaign. She has grown more as a Captain and I was pleased I had a chance to work with her.Grace Wisnewski and Kelli Brown played crucial parts in the team this year and both grew towards the ultimate goal of playing a part in the U17 World Cup. Being successful there and chipping in with some important goals in Uruguay was really pleasing to see. Emma Cawte showed some of her potential at this level and she has a lot to offer as a player. Chloe Henderson and Lily Muspratt both emerged as real future prospects for the region. Both in their first campaign at this level, they showed a great amount of potential and Chloes goal against Northern in our last game was a great summation of how far she has come this campaign.
EG : Best player on my team was Tiana Hill. She wears the word "beast" on her writs tape and it describes her perfectly on the pitch. Also a humble and determined leader in the squad. Leads by example.
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So there you have it the 2018 National Women's League. In general its been great, there are a few things to iron out but NZF seem to be really making an effort and hopefully all the federations will also. The next couple of years in NZ women's football should be massive. We have the World Cup in France next year and the Ferns have warm up games lined up in a mini tournament in Australia against Australia, Argentina & South Korea in March as well as a game against current World Champions USA in May (just need one or two games in NZ now!). 2020 will see the Olympics in Tokyo as well as U20 & U17 World Cups. It will also mark the 50th anniversary of Hungaria setting up the first women's football club in New Zealand. Hungaria are now part of Wellington United and I know they are talking about events to mark this occasion.
I'll leave you with what was my highlight of the season - winning photo of the week for this shot of Sarah Gregorius celebrating Charlotte Wilford-Carroll goal against WaiBOP.
BRING ON 2019
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