They may be more used to lining up together in the green of Canberra United but that didn’t stop Grace Gill and Bronwyn Studman from enjoying a full-blooded battle in Sunday’s Canberra FC-Belconnen United Federation Cup clash.
They may be more used to lining up together in the green of Canberra United but that didn-t stop Grace Gill and Bronwyn Studman from enjoying a full-blooded battle in Sunday-s Canberra FC-Belconnen United Project Coordination Federation Cup clash.
The two Westfield W-League players were on opposite sides as the annual pre-season competition kicked off at Deakin Stadium with this Pool A fixture in which fellow Canberra United players Jocelyn Mara and Maya Blasch (Belconnen United) and Ellie Raymond (Canberra FC) also took part.
And, while it was Studman-s Belconnen that claimed the points with a Michelle Thompson goal the only difference between the teams, it was the performance of Canberra FC that encouraged.
The Deakin based club only won two matches last season, but with Gill pulling the strings in midfield, alongside Canberra United train-on player Sophie Kochinos, they look a more formidable outfit than 2009.
The experience of playing in the competition is not lost on Gill. “It-s a little bit different playing in red!” Gill joked after the match. “It-s great to be playing with the local girl-s in the local competition, but I still think that green is my colour!”
Having the Canberra United players taking part in the Women-s Federation Cup is likely to make the tournament harder to win according to Gill.
“The introduction of the Canberra United players should make the competition a little bit fiercer as we are being spread evenly around the clubs,” Gill commented.
“It-s good for the United players to get experience in a different type of environment and to improve on different aspects of their games. It-s new, but it-s really exciting being in, and around, the squads and its humbling being asked for advice and tips before matches.”
Elsewhere more Canberra United players were enjoying their taste of the Federation Cup.
Midfield dynamo Cian Maciejewski was on target four times as holders, and three times in succession winners, Belwest Foxes got their defence of the crown underway with a 12-0 annihilation of ANU WFC. Snez Veljanovska joined Maciejewski on the score sheet with a brace whilst Georgia Chapman, sister of former United player Amy and who played ten matches for Adelaide United in season two of the Westfield W-League, also scored.
Midfielder Jennifer Bissett will be lining up for ANU WFC in the competition, although she missed the opening day defeat to Belwest, and Caitlin Munoz was listed in the Belconnen United squad and is hopeful of getting a run within the next few weeks as she completes her recovery from a knee injury that sidelined the Matildas international for the whole of the Westfield W-League season two campaign.
