She might only be a couple of weeks into her first Canberra United season, but midfielder Emma Robers can already sense the family feel that the clubs is famous for.
Having spent the last five years in Melbourne, with stints at Melbourne Victory and Western United, a phone call from Head Coach Antoni Jagarinec persuaded the midfielder to make the move to the nation’s capital for the new season, with top-class facilities a massive drawcard.
“Speaking with Ant, it seems like there is such a family community kind of feel here and I felt that straight away as soon as I came in,” Robers said. “The girls have been wonderful. Ant has been wonderful. I’m just really excited to get going.
“Just the way he spoke about the football philosophy here and the community here. Obviously, I’ve played against Canberra many times as well, and it is hard to come here. The crowd, the culture, the family feel, it is hard to look past that.
“He sold it to me, and I’m really excited about what’s being built here. We obviously get to play at fantastic facilities, the Australian Institute of Sport, I don’t think it gets much better than that. At the end of the day, it was an easy decision to come down.”
As one of the six newcomers to the city, Robers believes that the shared experience of moving away from home to join the club helps build that family feel the club is known for.
“We’re spending a lot of time with each other on the field and in the gym, but also outside of that too, which I think is really important to create that kind of culture and unity that we hope to emulate on the field,” Robers said.
With plenty of young faces in the refreshed squad, Robers is adding plenty of experience to the side but is not feeling the pressure of having to lead young players and knowing that she herself can still learn more.
“Having played in the league for a few years now, it’s nice to come in with a lot of young ones who are so willing to learn and eager to get out there. I hope I can make my stamp and help them, kind of guide them through this season,” she continued.
“You can already see how much they’re learning so quickly, and not to say I don’t have a lot to learn as well. It’s exciting that I can guide them a little bit, but also, they help me and push me to keep going as well.”
Robers’ experience is a key reason that Jagarinec brought her to the club, with her versatility and dynamism a perfect fit for the upcoming season.
“I think bringing in a little bit of leadership and experience in is definitely a big part of that,” Robers revealed. “I am quite a defensive minded player as well. I think being strong defensively is what we’re going to look to do first and foremost. I hope to just be a bit of a steady character in the middle and bring that to the squad.”
