Trudy Simmons prepares for big season ahead
Bulls FC Academy (formerly Northbridge Bulls) are back in the National Premier Leagues NSW Women’s competition, but so is experienced custodian Trudy Simmons.
The Bulls goalkeeper is a famous name in New South Wales football circles and it is great to see her return to the top tier of football in the state.
Her last stint in the competition was in 2019 with the Illawarra Stingrays but had previously had successful spells at the Macarthur Rams and Sydney University.
“Last time I played in the NPL NSW Women’s competition was in 2019 with the Illawarra Stingrays before my move over to Northbridge (Bulls FC) where I have been ever since,” said Simmons.
“It’s great to be back in the top tier and I’m really excited for the challenge.
“The team has been working hard throughout preseason so I can’t wait to watch it all come together.”
The road back to the NPL NSW Women’s competition was not easy for the 31-year-old or the Bulls but after a lot of hard work, they managed to achieve their goal.
“Over the past three seasons, the League One Women’s competition has grown from strength to strength, and it really shows how quickly the women’s game is developing,” said the Bulls keeper.
“The club put together a team back in 2020 to get the club promoted and unfortunately with Covid, promotion and relegation was put on hold for the League, so to do the job three years in a row and finally see the club achieve what it had set out to do was amazing.
“Last year we had to work really hard for it and it came down to the last game of the season. I couldn’t be prouder of the team who stuck together for the three seasons to get the job done.”
Jaime Gomez, a well-recognised Championship winning coach, has come in at the Bulls and Simmons has been impressed with how pre-season has unfolded.
“Jaime has been a great addition to the club, and we are very fortunate to have someone of his quality and experience working with us. The team he has put together is a good balance of experienced senior players and some absolute quality young guns that are the future of the club.
“We are in very good hands,” said Simmons.
Bulls, despite being one of the newly promoted teams, are expected to have a strong season in the 2023 NPL NSW Women’s competition.
“The team has very high expectations of themselves this season. Although we are a newly promoted club, top 4 is a realistic goal for this team. We know it’s going to be a battle every game, but we are more than up to the challenge,” Simmons said.
Simmons says that there are a few names to keep an eye out for this year along with a couple of returning NPL NSW Women’s players.
“We definitely have players to watch in this team. The likes of Avaani Prakash and Tamires Souza have plenty of goals in them and will cause trouble for the opposition.
“At the opposite end of the field, players like Jess Seaman and Liz Grey who are also back in the NPL will help lead the team and offer the younger players a lot of guidance with their experience.”
By – Nikola Pozder
