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Spencer Prior and APIA Leichhardt FC part ways

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National Premier Leagues NSW Women’s side APIA Leichhardt FC will kick off the 2024 season with a new manager in charge following the departure of coach Spencer Prior.

Prior spent three seasons at Lambert Park with 2023 being the most successful following the club’s first ever NPL NSW Women’s Premiership and inaugural Sapphire Cup achievement.

Both APIA and Prior mutually agreed on the decision with the prospect of returning to the club in the near future.

“I would like to thank Matteo, Alex, and the Board for their continued support over the past 3 years,” Prior stated in the official APIA Leichhardt press release.

“Having played a small part in seeing APIA become the best NPL women’s club in the Country, it’s been a privilege to lead our players development.

“With an outstanding SAP and Youth program, I’m sure we will see many more from APIA go on and become established A-League women’s players.

“I would like to close by thanking all the players for their effort and dedication to the club. You have embraced the Club culture and inspired the next generation.”

APIA Leichhardt FC General Manager Matteo Maiorana praised Prior’s time with the club.

“Spencer came in 3 years ago to help nurture our program and continue to build on the culture that has made the club so successful.

“Coaching at APIA is not easy, as there are always high expectations and Spencer met those expectations which culminated in the incredible success of 2023.”

The club will announce Prior’s successor shortly.

 

De Domizio credits NPL NSW Women’s competition for A-League Women’s opportunity

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Promising attacking star Kiara De Domizio has praised the National Premier Leagues NSW Women’s competition as the stepping-stone towards nailing an A-League Women’s contract with Western United thanks to a solid season at Sydney Olympic.

“The NPL NSW Women’s competition is undoubtedly one of the most competitive and highly ranked competitions across Australia,” De Domizio stated to Football NSW.

“The platform that it provides for players wishing to make it A-League Women’s is very important.

“I believe that the league has seen continuous growth in quality and the calibre of players year on year.

“This has been vital in helping me develop as a footballer.

“It is also fantastic to see improvements in facilities for NPL NSW Womens teams, the media and NPL TV, which all provided a supportive environment for female footballers to thrive.”

Having debuted with Sydney Olympic as a 17-year-old, De Domizio was part of the NPL NSW Women’s setup as a 13-year-old.

Throughout her years, the ambition of playing in Australia’s top tier Women’s competition was always high on the talented attacker’s radar and her dream was realised when Western United came knocking on the door for the 2023/24 A-League Women’s season.

“Initially, I was in contact with a few A-League Women’s clubs, before spending the first 2 weeks pre-season at WSW.

“In the midst of this, Western United FC Head Coach Mark Torcaso reached out and offered me to come down to Melbourne for a week to train/trial and I was up for the challenge.

“After a few training sessions and a pre-season trial game, I was beyond grateful to be offered a contract.

“This led to me relocating from Sydney.”

It was great way to end what was a tough season De Domizio endured at Sydney Olympic as the club missed out on playing finals football.

“As a team, I feel it was difficult for us to achieve consistency throughout the year, compared to previous seasons,” De Domizio stated.

“This can be attributed to a range of factors such as player rotations and injuries.

“However, there were some great moments too.

“On an individual level, my mentality from the start of pre-season was to ensure I elevated my game compared to last year, took full advantage of the opportunities presented to me and to grow in confidence.

“I put in a lot of work outside team training to fine-tune my skills and attributes while working on weaknesses and this evidently led to advancements in my game and growth as a football player physically and mentally.”

NPL plays key role in Tegan Bertolissio’s development

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The National Premier Leagues NSW Women’s competition has played a pivotal role in promising young gun Tegan Bertolissio’s football development that saw the 17-year-old earn herself an A-League Women’s contract with Canberra United following a successful season with the Macarthur Rams.

A regular feature in Stephen Peters’ squad this season, the versatile defender starred in what was a breakout year for the former Junior and now Young Matilda as she paid full credit to the NPL NSW Women’s competition.

“I believe the NPL NSW Women’s competition has had a massive impact on my development,” Bertolissio stated to Football NSW.

“This year was my first time playing in the women’s first grade competition and looking back at my performance from round 1 to the last round of the season, I feel I have grown and progressed as a footballer.

“Being able to learn from and play with and against a lot of experienced first grade players has played a big role in my development.”

Finishing runners-up to APIA Leichhardt FC for the Premiership, the Rams hit another gear in the finals series which saw them clinch a second successive Championship following a 2-0 victory over the Bulls FC Academy in the Final.

Bertolissio played a massive role in the Rams’ pursuit for silverware in 2023 so much so, she also earned herself a spot in this year’s NPL NSW Women’s ‘Team of the Year’ following her consistent performances that caught the attention of many, including Canberra United.

Not bad for a youngster that made the sudden jump from reserve grade football this season.

“The whole year for me has been one to remember.

“Coming from playing reserve grade all last year, to then making a big step up and playing my first season in first grade has been a time of transition and development for me.

“I had to work extremely hard to earn to the respect from my new teammates coming into the team and contest against quality players to earn my starting spot in the team at Macarthur Rams.”

Speaking on how the Canberra United offer came about, Bertolissio stated that it was thanks to the NPL she had the exposure to showcase her talent which caught the attention of Head Coach Njegosh Popovich.

“It all came about thanks to a midweek NPL NSW Women’s match with the Rams when I remembered seeing Njegosh watching.

“The following day my Dad got a phone call and it all started from there.”

Set for a massive A-League Women’s season, Tegan has also been ultra proud of her brother Joel, who too, has gained national attention thanks to the NPL following a huge year with the Bulls FC Academy which earned him a spot in Mile Sterjovski’s A-League side.

It’s been that competitive nature that has certainly spurred the Bertolissio siblings at home to reach new heights as Tegan further explained.

“It’s a very competitive household but Joel and I push each other to be better.

“We can both relate to each other’s football experiences, and we help each other through the highs and lows of football.

“When he watches my games, he is not afraid to critique me on how I can improve my game.

“As much as I hate him telling me what to do, I respect what he says because he is a very intelligent footballer.

“Having Joel has definitely helped me to develop as a young footballer.”

Macarthur Rams crowned 2023 Champions

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The Macarthur Rams made it back-to-back Grand Final victories on Sunday night at Valentine Sports Park as the legendary Leena Khamis stole the show late on against Bulls FC Academy. 

Khamis came on as a second half substitute and scored a late brace to secure the second straight Championship for the Rams.

It was the Rams that came out of the blocks hungry by putting the pressure on the Bulls.

They almost had the lead on 11 minutes after some neat passing, Mel Caceres threading the ball for Beth Gordon who forced Trudy Simmons into a save.

It was the Rams again threatening, this time a cross coming in from Olivia Sloan from the left, Kelli Brown the target but unable to steer her header goalwards.

India Breier then found space on the edge of the area 10 minutes from half time but she got the shot all wrong.

Things started heating up on the pitch as the Rams saw three players booked in the final five minutes of the half.

Deep in first half stoppage time, Simmons was alert again as Caceres blasted an effort toward the top corner, the veteran keeper somehow tipping the ball out.

The resulting corner saw Madison McComasky rise highest in the area, only for the ball to be cleared off the line.

The second half started very even with neither side creating a clear cut chance until we hit the hour mark.

A Beth Gordon deflected pass bounced into the path of Brown as the prolific striker drove a low shot toward the far corner, the ball going inches wide.

Shortly after, Khamis entered the fray with 25 minutes left on the clock.

Finally, the Bulls had an opportunity with 15 minutes to go as Tamires Souza showed fantastic technique to beat her defender but unable to trouble Khamis who saved comfortably.

With 8 minutes to go, the Rams hit the front as the crowd exploded.

Tenealle Hay showed why she earnt her way back to the top tier, chasing down Claudia Valetta before delivering an inch perfect cross into the box for Khamis who showed fine composure to bury her effort.

Not long after and Khamis turned provider, feeding in Brown who was stopped by Simmons who again made a good save.

As the Bulls pushed for an equaliser, the Rams extinguished any hope with a second goal.

As she has for many years, Khamis had another with a fantastic header, rising highest in the box to head home a delightful Brown delivery.

A Ram through and through, it was a fairytale finish to the game as one of the greatest strikers to ply their trade in the top flight showed she isn’t ready for retirement yet.

Khamis almost made it a hat trick late on but wasn’t able to find the back of the net on that occasion.

It was also a special moment for Stephen Peters who not only made it two straight grand final wins but also helped the Rams break Sydney University’s record of 18 undefeated games, taking their streak to 19 now.

Match Stats     

Bulls FC Academy 0

Macarthur Rams 2 (Khamis 82’, 87’)

Sunday, 17, September, 2023

Valentine Sports Park

Bulls FC Academy: 1. Simmons, 3. Grey, 4. Seaman, 5. Lancaster (8. Rutstein), 7. Prakash, 9. Chessari, 10. Souza, 11. Valletta, 13. Di Sciascio, 17. Volkanovski (12. Corry), 19. Cheeseman (Gyzen).

Substitutes Not Used: 21. Segavcic, 22. Popovic.

Macarthur Rams: 1. S. Khamis, 3. McComasky, 10. Caceres (20. Duggan), 14. Sunaga (9. L. Khamis), 17. Breier (28. M. Malone),19. Sloan (Barton), 22. Huynh, 25.  D. Malone, 32. Gordon, 35. Hay, 44. Brown (8. Dipple).

Substitutes Not Used: 21. Clarke.

Match Officials

Referee: Mikayla Ryan

Assistant Referees: Alexis Johnson and Lara Hogan

Fourth Official: Isabella Mossin

By Nikola Pozder   

NPL NSW Women’s 2023 Grand Final Preview

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The Grand Final for the National Premier Leagues NSW Women’s competition is finally upon us as the Bulls FC Academy take on the Macarthur Rams on Sunday evening at Valentine Sports Park. 

Two teams that have without a doubt deserved their place in the big dance will look to secure silverware.

Clashes between the two have been competitive affairs despite the Rams winning both.

The first clash went the way of the Rams at Lynwood with a 4-1 win but the result does not do the game justice with the Bulls in fact taking the lead before a late flurry helped the home side over the line.

In the second, it took a fabulous last minute strike rom Leena Khamis to settle the points for the Rams in a five-goal thriller.

After gaining promotion in 2023 back to the top tier after a number of years in the Football NSW League One competition, Bulls FC Academy have been fantastic in their first season back.

They snuck into the top four late in the piece after being in and out of the finals places for the majority of the campaign.

Booking their place in the Grand Final after an impressive performance against the Premiers APIA Leichhardt last week, Bulls enter this one full of confidence.

With a solid mix of youth and experience, they also have a coach in the dugout who has been there before.

Jaime Gomez won the Grand Final in 2014 with a very talented Football NSW Institute team, defeating none other than the Macarthur Rams on that day.

Nine years later, he is there again, this time with a fine Bulls FC squad.

It all starts with the leaders at the back, Trudy Simmons in goals and the central defensive duo of Jess Seaman and Liz Grey.

Amy Chessari is tireless in midfield and has been one of the standouts, while in the front third, perhaps the most inform duo of Charlotte Lancaster and Avaani Prakash will cause a lot of problems for the Rams defence.

At the other end arrive the Macarthur Rams, currently looking unstoppable on an 18-match unbeaten run.

They are one win away from beating Alex Epakis’ record which he set with Sydney University a number of years ago now.

On their bench is Stephen Peters, who will look to make it back-to-back Championship victories for himself and the Rams, showing his ability to rebuild and improve his team 12 months on.

It’s not easy to do what Peters has at Lynwood Park but the numbers are incredible.

Their semi final win came a bit tougher than perhaps expected, needing three goals in the last 10 minutes to secure their place, despite dominating the match for large parts.

Similar to the Bulls, the trio in the centre of defence has been impeccable, Sham Khamis in goals with Alex Huynh and Madison McComasky sitting in front.

This defence only conceded 24 goals all season and were the best in the competition.

Some say the best form of defence is offense and their numbers at the other end are just as impressive.

They scored the most goals in the league, 70, almost averaging three goals a game for the campaign.

Kelli Brown has been a phenomenal signing, scoring 23 goals this season and finishing second in the golden boot race.

But what is a striker without support from those behind her and the likes of Beth Gordon, Mel Caceres, Indi Breier and of course Miku Sunaga have all done their part.

This game will be a fabulous display of quality and the perfect way to end the season after the excellent football we have seen across the NPL NSW competition from round one.

Tale of the Tape 

Round 11 

Macarthur Rams 4-1 Bulls FC Academy

Round 24 

Bulls FC Academy 2-3 Macarthur Rams

2023 NPL NSW Women’s Grand Final

Sunday 17th September

Bulls FC Academy v Macarthur Rams

Valentine Sports Park

6pm

NPL.TV will broadcast live both the NPL NSW Women’s Reserve and First Grade matches respectively.

By – Nikola Pozder