WHAT KARLOVIC SAID

"The new owners have continued to help me develop and increase the professionalism within our program.

"They haven't changed the way they treat the W-League side, but it's been treated with the respect it deserves from the moment they walked in. They're constantly supportive of me being able to improve the program, which is all I can ask for.

"Being in Adelaide, from a population point of view, we don't have the numbers. So it's trying to work closely with our local association to improve the pathway and the coaching and resources to the players at a younger age group.

"We'll add more experience to the side, get some of our internationals in. They're young, but a lot of our girls are now into their fourth or fifth W-League season, because they're no longer first year players so they need to continue playing on like they are experienced players."

THE 16-YEAR-OLD SUPERSTAR IN THE ROOM

So much of our excitement around Adelaide - and the W-League - this season comes down to the most exciting young talent in Australian football, who will proudly don the Red shirt this season alongside her similarly talented sister.

Mary Fowler enters the W-League season fresh from an electric spell in the AFC U/19 Championships, where she's scored three goals in her last two matches (absolute crackers as well).

"She's a natural goalscorer," Karlovic says.

"It's hard to find in the men's and women's game. You've got fantastic natural instincts in front of goal and although she's experienced a lot from an international point of view, she's still relatively raw in a professional sense.

"We're mindful of that, we have to look after her and help develop her into the player we all think she can become.

"She's had enough experiences now, a lot more than some of the other players have. She knows a lot of the girls from the Young Matildas. From our point of view, we just don't want to put that much pressure on her."

Given how important her goal scoring is teed up to be for Adelaide this season, the Reds' toughest task may be not putting all their hopes on Fowler.

KEY PLAYERS

Mallory Weber

Reds' US import Weber burst onto the scene at US College team Penn State, where she scored a whopping 36 goals in 100 appearances to become one of the most prolific strikers in the team's history.

By 2013 she was a regular for the US U/20 national team, going on to spend three years moving up all the way into the U/23 squad.

She was drafted unexpectedly late in the 2016 NWSL draft but bounced back with a trade to league powerhouses Portland Thorns, winning the 2016 NWSL Shield and 2017 NWSL Championship is quick succession.

Now she's been brought in to add international experience to a squad that desparately needs it and if anyone can, she'll be the one to take the pressure off Fowler.

Sarah Willacy

For the first two months of the season, Willacy was arguably the standout goalkeeper in the competition and central to Adelaide's competitiveness.

Now 24-years-old and entering her fifth year at the club, her performances haven't gone unnoticed outside of Adelaide and this will be a key year for her.

If she can cement the consistency needed to propel Adelaide to a strong finish this year, it will put her firmly in the shop window among the league's fastest-rising goalkeepers.

ONE-TO-WATCH

Adelaide United have bolstered their attacking stocks with the re-signing of attacker Isabel Hodgson, who returns from the US College system.

Hodgson has now made over 20 appearances for Adelaide and brings another option to Ivan Karlovic's side, who are beginning to form a wealth of young stars in their attacking positions.

“Isabel showed last season she is more than capable of playing at the W-League level after coming back from America,” Karlovic said.

“She will provide us good competition in attack and I’m looking forward to seeing her continue her development."

THE SQUAD BEFORE US

PLUS...

Confirmed! Every W-League 2019/20 transfer and squad

The transfer, loan and mutual termination window is wide open and the who's who of female footballing talent is once again making the trek Down Under for W-League 2019/20.