W-League team announced

[adam]

Adelaide United 2011/12 Westfield W-League team announced

Football Federation SA is pleased to announce the Adelaide United Westfield W-League squad for season 2011/12.

FFSA Head of Women’s Football and Adelaide United WWL coach David Edmondson unveiled the squad at the FFSA Women’s and Girls’ Awards Night on Friday, October 14.

The squad is comprised predominantly of young, local talent, but will be led by three highly experienced internationals.

New Zealand international Abby Erceg was named captain while fellow Kiwi Anna Green will make her debut in the WWL and USA striker Ashleigh Gunning returns for her second season with Adelaide United.

The Lady Reds have a total of 10 players under the age of 21 including Australia Westfield Women’s U17 trio Emma Checker, Grace Henry and Ebony Philcox who are all set to make their national league debut while Daniela Di Bartolo, Vanessa Reed and Katherine Ebbs have also been selected for their maiden WWL season.

Ruth Wallace, Rachael Quigley, Marijana Rajcic, Angela Fimmano, Donna Cockayne, Georgia Macri, Nenita Burgess, Sian McLaren, Leanne Slater, Greta French-Kennedy and Kristi Harvey all have W-League experience and will be eager to improve on last year’s performance.

Adelaide United kick-off their Westfield W-League campaign against Canberra United on Saturday, October 22 at Hindmarsh Stadium in a curtain raiser to the Hyundai A-League match between Adelaide United and Sydney FC.

Adelaide United

Westfield W-League - Squad - Season 2011/12

Sian McLAREN (TBC)
GK

Ruth WALLACE
DEF/MID
delaide Olympic

Anna GREEN (NZ)
DEF
Three Kings United (NZ)

Daniela DI BARTOLO
MID/FW
Adelaide City

Abby ERCEG (NZ)
DEF
Fencibles United (NZ)

Ebony PHILCOX
MID
Fulham United

Rachael QUIGLEY
FW
Adelaide University

Leanne SLATER
MID
Cumberland United

Marijana RAJCIC
FW
Fulham United

Angela FIMMANO
MID
Cumberland United

Ashleigh GUNNING (USA)
FW/MID
Ekiltuna United (SWE)

Greta FRENCH-KENNEDY
MID/DEF
Adelaide City

Vanessa REED
FW
Sturt Marion

Donna COCKAYNE
MID/FW
MUWFC Magic

Emma CHECKER
DEF
Cumberland United

Grace HENRY
DEF/MID
Adelaide City

Katherine EBBS
MID
Adelaide Olympic

Georgia MACRI
MID
Fulham United

Nenita BURGESS
DEF
Fulham United

Kristi HARVEY
GK
MUWFC Magic

[mccormickbl]

All the very best to the team! You'll be wonderful ambassadors of the game.

[scipio africanus]

very surprised that jodi bruce was not signed.

Jodi's work rate and versatility would have been a welcome addition to the squad.

Best of luck to the team.

[beaches]

Agree re Jodie Bruce. All the best to the ladies selected.

[Red-4-Life]

Fairly young team that I think will take a season or 2 to work things out. I do believe it will be a better season for the Lady Reds this year though. Looking forward to seeing their opening hitout next week. Good to see lots of local talent in the side!

[3lionsonashirt]

Along with Jodie surprised that Jess Nagel didn't make the squad either!! Some of the players selected is a real surprise...just don't get it!!

[gubs]

There will always be ppl who disagree with squad selections but thats just how it goes. We dont know what happens behind the scenes n what exactly they are looking for. Saying that I am disappointed that Jodi didnt make it as she was in good form in the premier league this season n is a quality player

[redblacks]

Agree totally with Jodie, always a hard worker, but surprised with other choices what happened to the Premier League player of the year? Ebs a shoe in I would have thought, also Bec fastest on the wing and Maddi DiReiu, impossible to beat all year!
Is it compulsory to include a player if they makes the u17 Aust squad even if well below the standard of other midfielders? Curious how the outcome of awards night didn't reflect squad selections.....

[Red-4-Life]

Abby Erceg announced as captain

[bennylava]

boo, should be gunning.

[Red-4-Life]

I agree with that, seems like a good leader out on the park. That's not taking anything away from Erceg though, obviously the coach sees something in her leadership abilities.

[bennylava]

Yeah I'm sure erceg is a top quality leader. it seems odd to replace gunning considering she's was our current captain and did a brilliant job last season.

new coach hasn't worked with gunning though, he's probably seen promise in erceg.

[Red-4-Life]

Yeah that is true. I think this will be a better season for the girls. New coach seems to be doing things better than what Barnett was. Lets hope we can look back at the last season and say it was the turning point for the Lady Reds to reach new heights

[SAD GAL]

You got to be kidding me.

This squad represents nothing more than the FSSA's team of the year.

No depth. What's happened to those otther players who were the cream of the crop 5 years ago? GONE and LOST to the GAME.

How can our state be taken seriously?

Where has our game develoepd since the days Kev was running the Sensations? Hate to say it, but its gone back 100 miles per hour!!!!

How can the womens' soccer community be enthused?

Another long. Tireseom. Embarassing year.

I suppose if you keep going out to trials you will inevitably get selected.

[juniorsupporter]

Sad Gal, I understand your point about losing players from the game and your cynicism towards FFSA, but your comment is pretty harsh with respect to the players selected, even for you. Those girls don't deserve that.

[3lionsonashirt]

SAD GAL brings up a good point, i think that some of most of the girls in there deserve it but others are in their due to the fact that they know people in the right places...

[billy the kid]

I see SG’s point and II think its borne out of frustration.

The former Womens national league was NOT the place for young up and comers. That’s what State championships are all about.

There is no stability on the squad and obviously its being run by a group that ahs little or no knowledge of the local scene.

I would be surprised if the interstate teams have such a turn over and representation from such a poorly equipped unit. I mean you cannot go straight from local prems to national league in one hit.

At least when SASI provided the bulk of the WNSL team, they were already up to it in terms of the impact of high intensity training, more sessions, and most importantly and a game plan that was developed over the year. AND there was stability in selection.

I shudder to think of what 2011-2012 will look like for SA football.

[scipio africanus]

I just checked the FFSA website for some player stats ...

I note Ange Fimmano is down as having played ONE game all year for Cumberland in the prems, and I assume she is currently injured and not training (I haven't seen her listed as a player in the coaches blogs to date), yet a proven, consistent, fit and in form performer in Jodi misses out??????

Can someone explain the selection process??

[ball_girl]

Heres an out there idea...
lets wait to see how the team that has been selected performs before we start criticising...
it is only a few days.

of course everyone is going to have their favourites & their opinions, but in this case, our opinions dont even matter because its the coaches decision.
give it a chance.

[scipio africanus]

Heres an out there idea...
lets wait to see how the team that has been selected performs before we start criticising...
it is only a few days.

of course everyone is going to have their favourites & their opinions, but in this case, our opinions dont even matter because its the coaches decision.
give it a chance.

I sincerely wish the girls all the best, but I think I raise a fair point on a football discussion forum.

Selections are always going to be controversial, as each individual would most likely come up with a different squad.

Your right 100% in that the coach will be judged by the results, but I would be interested in knowing the selection logic.

It would appear form/fitness has been overridden by potential in some cases.

[juniorsupporter]

I don't have a problem with people questioning the selection- as SA rightly points out, football is a sport of opinion. But is one thing to say that potential has been selected over form/fitness, as this is the coach's and the program's prerogative. However it is quite another thing to suggest that players have made the squad simply for showing up enough times or because they know someone. It's the questioning of the integrity of the people involved that I have a problem with- it's cynical and not appropriate.

[SAD GAL]

Juinor Supporter

Fail to keep people on the ball and accountable will result in sub standard administration which will culminate in decisions that do not benefit the sport.

We've lost the SASI Women's Football program

What's next?

Do nothing and you're guilty of complacency.

[Butterfingers]

I thought we gained something not lost it....

Under 13-14 squad not sure what they do but I heard we had one...

Under 15 squad that trains all year around and plays in Premier League....

Under 16-17 squad that trains all year and plays in the Under 14 boys league.

W-League team that trains all year and plays in the Under 16 boys comp....

So instead of 1 SASI we have 4 age groups working all year round....what have we lost....

All over seen by a new head coach that by all reports knows what he is doing.....and has already implemented a plan for all of the above....


In My Opioin things are looking up for soccer in South Australia.....Give them a chance....nothing is going to change over night...sometimes it is a slow process but there is a light...

[pvfc]

The actual plan has changed slightly;

U13 - train all year and play in U12 JPL

U14 - train all year and play in U13 JPL

U15/U16 - train all year and play in WPL

NTC - players nominally U16-U18 + nationally identified players - train all year and play in U15 JPL

W-league -Shadow W League squad (February to September)
W League or fringe W League players not eligible for the
NTC squad will train and play approximately once a month
to remain in contention for W League selection.

[SAD GAL]

From my experience....

Coaches who have come in with the catch cry "train them hard and longer...." I agree as most players have come off a bery low base, however, its quality and quantity. Unfortunately from my expsoure to the women's scene, the coaches best intents have not been matched by ability AND have always been at odds with the player's clubs.

Good luck. And I hope iit works . The results in future years will be the beneficiaries.

[Lucas Leiva]

It's a case of damned if you do, damned if you don't, isn't it?

It has to be tried to see if it produces results in the long-term, even if in the short-term we yield poor performances.

In the end, it's about the way we play. If the girls are competitive even if losing, at least it's a step up from last season (I'm referring to W-League here).

You're never going to pick a squad that'll make everyone happy (just look at the contrast in debate on the forum about the performances of Susak, Dilevski and Caravella from Friday), so given Edmondson is happy with his team, let's see what eventuates.

[SAD GAL]

Agreed.

[BeNatural]

What happened to Barbiero

[beaches]

Having a Tinkle at Newcastle.

[3lionsonashirt]

lets hope that next year, the coach watches the girls play all year round to get a good idea of how they perform. not just looking 6 weeks of trials.

i agree that everyone would have a different team selection.. it would be interesting to know what the selection was based on as each player got in for a different reason.