Ferns star excited by extended competition

A new era for women’s football in New Zealand begins this weekend, as the national league gets under way with a full home-and-away season for the first time.

Football Ferns midfielder Annalie Longo is back for Canterbury United Pride and she’s glad to have a dozen round-robin games in front of her, rather than six.

‘‘It was hard as a player to prepare and do all your pre-season and then have your pre-season almost be longer than the season,’’ she said, reflecting on a development she has wanted for some time.

‘‘It’s exciting as a player to have that opportunity to have that homeand-away fixture. It means a bit more as a competition, you can learn from opposition.

‘‘There was quite a lot of pressure with one round. If you slipped up on your early results, it made it hard to go through, but now there’s a bit more leeway, and a lot more preparation goes in when you get to watch teams and prepare properly.’’

The Pride were beaten by Auckland in extra time in last year’s final – their fifth straight appearance in the decider, but their second loss in three years – and loom as frontrunners as the new season begins, with their conquerors needing to adjust to a new coach and a raft of personnel changes.

It’s hard to get a gauge on where teams are at, especially when the winter club season only ended last Sunday, with the Kate Sheppard Cup final.

Many of the national league teams are effectively still in preseason, but one benefit of the double round is that there is plenty of time for them to get things sorted, with the top two meeting in this year’s final on December 16.

The Pride and Capital stand out thanks to their superior pre-season preparation, while Auckland and Northern will always have the talent to compete – it’s just a matter of whether or not it gels in time.

Last year’s surprise package Southern United will be looking to build off Dunedin Technical’s shock win in the Kate Sheppard Cup last weekend, while Waikato-Bay of Plenty will be hoping they might be the upstarts this time around.

Central are likely to claim the wooden spoon, but will be hoping the extended season gives them a better chance to grow week to week.

The season is set to be impacted by international commitments on two fronts, with the Football Ferns off to New Caledonia in November for the Oceania Nations Cup, and the national under-17 team off to Uruguay for their World Cup at the same time, depriving the league of both players and coaches.

Football Ferns striker Sarah Gregorius is set to be one of those affected, but her Capital team will largely be unscathed otherwise, and she believes that could be a boost to their chances.

‘‘Minimal disruption is definitely best, particularly now that it’s two rounds. Over a significant period of time, if you’ve got the ability to train together as a group for up to three months, that’s going to pay off.’’

Canterbury face Capital in the marquee match of the opening round tomorrow, with WaiBop hosting Auckland and Southern hosting Central in the two matches today. Northern have the bye.

At a glance

‘‘A lot more preparation goes in when you get to watch teams and prepare properly.’’ Annalie Longo, above

National Women’s Football League 2018, round one: ❚ Today: 2pm, Waikato-Bay of Plenty v Auckland; Gower Park, Hamilton; 3pm, Southern v Central; Forrester Park, Dunedin ❚ Tomorrow: 1pm, Canterbury United Pride v Capital; English Park, Christchurch