Evenly-matched rivals kick it all off
THE whistle will finally sound to mark the start of the 2020 football season tonight, as Southside Comets head over the range to take on Mareeba United Bulls.
The women’s contest will mark the first official Premier League contest of the year, and with two similarly-matched sides, it promises to be a tight contest to get the ball rolling in the shortened season.
Mareeba’s new coach Marcello Savaglio said his team
FNQ Women’s Premier League: Round 1
Tonight: Mareeba United v Southside Comets at 8.30pm. Tomorrow: JCU Strikers v Innisfail United at 1pm. Sunday: Stratford v Leichhardt at noon.
Edge Hill United has the bye, was looking good ahead of the 14-round sprint to the finals.
“We had a few good runs in the trials and some impressive results, but it’s been good to be back training after everything,” Savaglio said.
“It’s been difficult to get everyone at training with the squad spread across the Tablelands and a few in Cairns, but we’ve had a few good sessions.
“Everyone wants to improve on last year, when the girls made it to the semi-finals.”
For Southside coach Nathan Paull, it’s a season where player development and the creation of a stable women’s program are the priorities.
A team featuring a mix of young and returning senior players, Southside is back in the FNQ Premier League for the first time in years.
Immediate success isn’t on Paull’s radar.
The midfielder, who plays in the men’s Premier League team, said there was no statistical measure of success, with the long-term future of the club’s women’s program the most important part of his job.
“We have a few young girls who have been keen to get into the competition, and with a few experienced and senior players alongside them, it’s given the team a bit of depth,” Paull said.
“Some of the younger girls will play in the reserve grade side before sitting on the bench, and they’ll get experience throughout the season.
“Before all of this, our goal was for the stability of our women’s program at Southside and to get them playing the Comets way, which is an exciting brand of football.”
Reserve grade kicks off at 6.30pm with the Premier League from 8.30pm.