Brad Attard arrived at Lambert Park in 2024 with a task to win trophies and will get the opportunity on Saturday afternoon in the National Premier Leagues Women’s NSW Grand Final.
After winning the Premiership and Sapphire Cup in 2023, all that APIA didn’t win was the Championship.
They now get that chance and Attard is relishing the occasion at CommBank Stadium to potentially lift the Championship trophy against Premiers, Macarthur Rams.
“It’s an incredible feeling to be in the Grand Final and what better venue to be at than CommBank Stadium,” said Attard.
“I’m super proud of the players, in my opinion, they deserve the chance to be playing for a title on the last day of the season and I am confident that we’ll arrive up to the challenge.”
As mentioned earlier, APIA won two of three trophies last season, but Attard says that his side is ready to write new chapters and isn’t focused on what happened in previous seasons.
“There’s always some level of pressure in this game, especially when you’ve had success in the past (and at a club like APIA, we know that), however, we try not to let that affect us.
“We spoke in pre-season about not trying to fit in any shoes of the past, rather create our own stride as a group, so I think our focus has been the process and we have the opportunity to sign out of 2024 as Club Champions and First Grade Champions.”
Attard believes his side has grown and improved, in particular after a difficult start to the 2024 campaign where they lost their opening two fixtures.
“I’m really proud of the group. The players have shown tremendous growth, both individually and as a team.
“We’ve had our ups and downs, especially starting the season 0-2, but the way this group has come together and responded to challenges has been fantastic.
“Towards the back end of the season we started to break down with a number of injuries, but we will move into Saturday close to full strength, so its come at a good time.”
APIA’s rise in the women’s game has been remarkable, this Grand Final appearance the club’s first in the top tier.
“Reaching the Grand Final is a significant achievement for the club, especially given the journey we’ve been on since promotion and the trophies in that period,” Attard said.
“It’s a testament to the hard work and commitment of everyone involved. Winning it would be the perfect way to cap off what’s been a remarkable season, but we’re under no illusions—it’s going to be tough.
“What’s most important is that we give it everything we’ve got and represent the club with pride.”
Attard acknowledged the system the club has in place to achieve success and continue to grow to bigger and better things, consecutive Club Champions a major statement from the Inner West side.
“There’s a strong culture here of hard work, dedication, and a desire to improve,” said APIA’s coach.
“The results we’ve seen this season are the outcome of that culture. It’s about setting high standards and creating an environment where everyone is pushing to be their best, day in and day out.
“Matteo Maiorana (APIA Leichhardt GM), in my opinion, needs a fair amount of acknowledgment for this, he keeps the club true to the goal, and it drives the coaches and players.”
Ahead of the final, Attard paid respects to his opponents and opposite number Stephen Peters.
“Our opponents are a fantastic side, and they’ve shown that consistently throughout this season and in fact, the past two seasons.
“They’re well-coached, disciplined, littered with talent and they play some excellent football. We have a lot of respect for them, and we know we’re going to have to be at our best to beat them.
“It’s an incredible achievement to be going for three in a row – It speaks to their quality. They’ve set the benchmark in First Grade, and it’s up to us to rise to the challenge.”
Attard believes his team has what it takes to beat the Rams and believes they are ready to go.
“We believe in our team and what we’re capable of, its been an intense 180 minutes this year, where we’ve shared the points with Macarthur.
“For us on Saturday, it’ll be about us staying honest with the football we want to play and hopefully we can make it exciting to watch come Saturday, 2pm.”
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By – Nikola Pozder
