Our preparations for Westfield W-League Season 2019/20 are well & truly in full swing with our Roar Women’s Winter Season about to get underway.
Our Westfield W-League squad begin their winter campaign this Wednesday – a campaign that provides players with regular football throughout the off-season in preparation for the Westfield W-League 2019/20 season.
The program also provides a pathway for younger players, offering them the opportunity to play regularly with some of the club’s experienced players.
Brisbane Roar Westfield W-League Breakthrough Player of the Year Indiah-Paige Riley was one of a number of youngsters to make a top flight debut last season after impressing during the Club’s winter program.
Head Coach Mel Andreatta was full of praise for all involved in the program.
“I really want to acknowledge the staff both football and back of house as well, who work hard to support us to put a really world class program together in the winter to support these players and help us perform in the [Westfield] W-League,” Andreatta said.
“The staff in the winter put in so much time and effort and are very resourceful in developing these players and putting a program together that allows them to grow and get an opportunity to play [Westfield] W-League.”
“And of course it’s a credit to the players, they earn that contract and they take that opportunity with two hands as we saw this season.
“Lets not forget, last season’s Julie Dolan Medal winner Clare Polkinghorne spent the previous winter with the Club as well.”
As well as participating in the Roar’s winter program, a number of our Roar Women are also plying their trade for local NPLW clubs as well. Allira Toby & Natalie Tathem are lining up for Moreton Bay United, as is Abbey Lloyd at Capalaba Bulldogs.
“We’ve taken another step this season working with our local NPLW clubs. Our players not only train with us in the mornings and play midweek with the boys, they also return to their NPLW clubs to play on the weekend,” Andreatta said
“Fostering that relationship between NPL and [Westfield] W-League is really important for us because there’s so much expertise and so much talent in this state that it would be silly not to harness that for the betterment of the team and for the player.
“It’s a really important time, a little bit less pressure and a lot more about development. I guess on the flip side, it’s a different kind of pressure because you really are so invested in these individuals that you want to give them everything to have first of all the best chance of earning a Westfield W-League contract and then seeing how they perform at that level.”
