There were plenty of causes for all the debuts; from first-time internationals playing in Australia and other imports not having arrived yet, to rehab for World Cup-bound Matildas from strategically placed surgery, to the Young Matildas being away in Lebanon.

For now, the number of players with one career game to their name has almost doubled in size.

Prior to Round 1, 34 of the 571 players to take the field in a W-League match made one and only one appearance. Only three of those players were announced as being contracted for the current season.

Laura Hughes was the one player who left the one-game club at the weekend, starting for Canberra United in their 2-0 win against Melbourne City to take her career appearances to two.

Of the remaining 62 players now on one appearance, within two weeks the number will be significantly reduced. It’s safe to assume the 13 imports all new to Australia and the W-League will get a second start and many more. Barring injury, yet-to-arrive internationals like Yuki Nagasato (Brisbane Roar) and Elizabeth Addo (Western Sydney) will only make a passing stop on a solitary game.

But how many of the 16 Australians will we see again? While many of the new faces in impressed in round one, the return of Young Matildas and arrival of imports will inevitably push some not to the bench, but out of the match-day squad altogether.

Looking at the one-gamers who’ve come and gone in previous years, seven of the 34 were goalkeepers.

While there are not comprehensive stats on unused subs in the W-League, there would be just as many if not more goalkeepers on zero career games who were recruited to sit on a bench in the desperation of an injury crisis, or simply never got their shot behind a safe starter.  

Queensland/Brisbane Roar has the most one-gamers in their history with seven, perhaps reflective of how difficult a team the Roar has been to break into and stay in through the years.

Some of the individuals on the list still play NPL or State Leagues today like Katelyn Leadbeatter (Wanderers/Illawarra Stingrays), Tessa Sernio (Melbourne City/Bulleen Lions) and Elysha Magor (Adelaide United/Adelaide University). Others like Renee Tomkins (Western Sydney) and Zoe Palandri (Perth Glory) have switched to Australian Rules.

Three imports, English goalkeeper Carrie Simpson (Brisbane Roar), American Brooke Elby (Melbourne Victory) and Singaporean Shiya Lim (Perth Glory) got just the one opportunity on the pitch. Elby’s came as a replacement player when a match coincided with a FIFA international break in 2015.

The only player to score in their one and only W-League appearance was Candace Sciberras, who netted in stoppage time for Western Sydney at the end of a 3-0 win against Newcastle in 2012.

To play in the W-League is an achievement to be proud of, and hundreds of players strive with that dream to get on the pitch just that once. For the active players this season now on one appearance, they’ll be hoping the weekend just gone will be just the first of many more games.  

Teo Pellizzeri is a football commentator for Fox Sports’ live coverage of W-League and A-League

Statistics credit to FFA Statistician Andrew Howe and the ozfootball.net database