The players each W-League club must retain next season

In the months leading up to the 2020/21 W-League season, each club will be reviewing their roster as they formulate a plan of attack for the new campaign.

In such an even competition, one or two individuals can be the difference between a Championship or a bottom of the table finish.

These are the players that your club must try to retain for the next W-League season.

Adelaide United - Mallory Weber

Adelaide entered the 2019/20 W-League campaign with emerging Matildas star Mary Fowler leading their attack. With an enormous weight on the shoulders of the then 16-year-old, it was crucial that the recruiting department surrounded her with experienced players who could help share the load.

Mallory Weber was recruited from NWSL outfit Utah Royals, following a Championship winning stint with Portland Thorns. Her strength and creativity as a forward helped Adelaide remain competitive against the top teams in the competition. She ultimately led the team for goals with four, and helped her younger teammates establish themselves in the competition.

An eighth-place finish was a disappointing outcome for Adelaide, but despite the club’s lowly position Weber still made the Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) Team of the Season. Adelaide fans will hope she returns next season to lead a new-look attack back up the table.

Brisbane Roar – Clare Polkinghorne

Clare Polkinghorne is almost synonymous with Brisbane Roar.

The veteran of four FIFA Women’s World Cups has made well over 100 W-League appearances, all for Brisbane. She has been the long-term captain of the club and is the bedrock of their defence. She has played every minute of their last two W-League campaigns.

Brisbane were faced with one of the biggest blows of the transfer period, losing leading goal scorer Hayley Raso to English club Everton. Other stars such as Carson Pickett and Celeste Boureille remain year-to-year propositions, on loan from their parent clubs in the NWSL.

Polkinghorne herself has made a move away from the USA, joining Avaldsnes in the Norwegian Toppserien.

It remains to be seen whether the move to Europe prevents her from an off-season return to her hometown club, but Polkinghorne remains the key player for Brisbane as they push to return to finals next season.

Canberra United - Simone Charley

Arriving in Canberra fresh from her NWSL rookie season with the Portland Thorns, Simone Charley had an immediate impact. A brace inside 11 minutes on her W-League debut against Perth Glory set the foundation for a campaign where Charley would score five of United’s 13 goals.

The collegiate track and field athlete became known for her signature pace on the wing as she regularly penetrated opposition defences.

Her attractive style of play and humble disposition ensured she would become a fan favourite and go on to win Supporters’ Player of the Year at the club’s annual awards night.

Charley has returned to the USA, and when the 2020 NWSL season begins will be looking to build on her 11 appearances in 2019. Should Canberra be able to secure her signature for the 2020/21 season, she will return to Australia an even more accomplished and threatening prospect than she was last season.

Melbourne City - Ellie Carpenter

Melbourne City went undefeated in the 2019/20 season on their way to securing a record fourth W-League Championship.

Their star-studded squad featured the likes of Matildas Steph Catley, Emily van Egmond and Lydia Williams alongside international talents Claire Emslie and Milica Mijatović. Picking the stand-out player was no simple task.

It was Ellie Carpenter however, who elevated her game to another level on the way to securing the Championship Club’s Player of the Year award.

Utilised by coach Rado Vidošić as an attack-minded wing-back, Carpenter pushed further forward than is typical of her role at Portland Thorns or the Matildas. She relished the creative freedom, finishing the regular season with two goals and three assists. She came second to Steph Catley for total crosses.

Ellie Carpenter is quickly becoming a household name in Australian football, and with the exodus of talent to European leagues it is possible her signature will follow shortly. Melbourne City will be hoping she remains available for the W-League season and can help push the club on to even more success in the future.

Melbourne Victory - Darian Jenkins

Melbourne Victory started the 2019/20 season with a clear statement of intent, announcing three high profile American signings. Speedy winger Darian Jenkins joined experienced defender Emily Menges and National Team player Haley Hanson as W-League rookies.

Despite being only 24 at time of signing, Jenkins already boasted experience with two NWSL clubs including the dominant North Carolina Courage. Fans eagerly anticipated her ability to link up with club stalwart Natasha Dowie and the goals that would ensue. Jenkins did not disappoint, scoring five times and assisting twice in her debut campaign.

Darian Jenkins was named as a starter in the PFA Team of the Season, capping off a superb year which saw Melbourne Victory finish second on the W-League table. As Dowie moves into the later years of her career Jenkins looms as the ideal signing around which to build Victory’s attack.

Newcastle Jets - Claire Coelho

While high profile international signings dominated conversation at the outset of the 2019/20 season, Newcastle Jets slipped under the radar with a unique strategy. They invested heavily in young and emerging Australian talent, giving opportunities to local players from the region. Claire Coelho was one such player.

After biding her time as a backup in seasons past, she was finally given the role of first-choice goalkeeper and did not disappoint. In a team that struggled defensively Coelho shone, starting all 12 games and leading the league for saves with a total of 68.

Whether the Jets reconsider their recruiting strategy after a bottom of the table finish remains to be seen, but there is no doubt they unearthed a top-tier player in Coelho. As she enters the prime of her career she will be an excellent foundation around which Newcastle can build a squad to challenge in future seasons.

Perth Glory - Morgan Andrews

The biggest question mark surrounding Perth Glory at the outset of the 2019/20 W-League season was a Sam Kerr shaped hole in the heart of attack.

Kerr’s absence was enough to change the complexion of the entire league, and after an indifferent start Perth looked doomed to an inglorious slide from grand finalists to the bottom of the table.

Into the void stepped Morgan Andrews.

The OL Reign midfielder was far from the most heralded import at the outset of the season but her rich vein of form in the second half of Perth’s campaign led to an instant reversal in their fortunes. Her seven goals, including a brace against eventual grand finalists Sydney FC, led to a share in the Golden Boot. An impressive strike rate from a midfielder who is yet to find the back of the net for her NWSL side.

While they still missed out on a finals appearance, Andrews’ performances laid the foundation for what a post-Kerr Perth might look like. Securing her services should be the first step in a prospective climb back up the ladder in 2020/21.

Sydney FC - Sofia Huerta

Sofia Huerta has established herself as one of the premier imports in the W-League. The NWSL journeywoman has become a regular in the Australian topflight, playing both with Adelaide and then as part of Sydney FC’s 2018/19 Championship winning team.

An international player with USA and formerly Mexico, Huerta is known for her versatility, used both as an outside back and a midfielder pushing forward to score. She was a decisive influence on the pitch, helping guide a youthful attack of Remy Siemsen and Princess Ibini to the club’s third consecutive Grand Final appearance. She punctuated her 2019/20 W-League campaign with three goals and one assist.

Huerta has recently joined OL Reign in the NWSL for the 2020 season. Sydney FC will be hoping they can again secure her services on loan and go one better by winning the Championship next season.

Western Sydney Wanderers - Kyra Cooney-Cross

Western Sydney Wanderers had been perennial W-League cellar-dwellers, but a raft of big-name signings including USA national team striker Lynn Williams showed a clear intent to reverse that trend.

The big names – Williams, Kristen Hamilton and Denise O’Sullivan – all shone as expected in a team that reached its maiden finals series. But it was an Australian youngster who stole the spotlight.

Acquired in the off-season from Melbourne Victory where she had struggled for minutes, the then 17-year-old Kyra Cooney-Cross had an instant impact for her new club. She scored the winning goal from a stunning long-range free kick in the dying minutes of her debut appearance against Adelaide.

She went on to score three more times for the Wanderers and was a constant threat from the midfield – never looking out of place amongst her more experienced teammates.

With a growing number of appearances and goals for the Australian national team at both U-17 and U-20 level, clubs both here and abroad will likely be circling for Cooney-Cross’s signature.

Western Sydney Wanderers will be keen to secure her services for another year lest she joins the ever-growing number of Australian prospects seeking an opportunity in Europe.