With the W-League season looming and a scheduled clash between its commencement and the finale of the state competition, there is bound to be some big name players who’ll be out of action for their WPL sides.
This isn’t new news, and with WPL clubs ensuring contingency plans were set for the football body’s fixture structure, it shouldn’t be news at all.
Yet Bundoora United have come under scrutiny for the potential loss of star players Gulcan Koka, Maika Ruyter-Hooley and Enza Barilla, who were all a part of last seasons Melbourne Victory squad.
Bundoora coach Mark Torcaso has revealed that the club had always planned on the potential loss of their players, insisting that success on the pitch is much less important than the progression of his squad.
“Obviously at Bundoora there is a few Melbourne Victory players, ex-Melbourne Victory players in our squad and I just wanted to make comment that from Bundoora’s point [of view] – obviously with the W-League starting early and all that – we’d knew all along that we’d be possibly losing those players for the finals series,” he said this afternoon.
“We took that responsibility on and we wanted it to be a place for these Melbourne Victory players to be playing regularly prior to them fitting into their W-League squad.
“It’s just that there are a few people out there that are saying that Bundoora are going to be in trouble when the finals series comes around and they won’t have their Victory players.
“If we go on and win with the players we’ve got, with the depth of our squad then I think that’s fantastic but in the meantime to have the Victory players in our squad during the year, that helps the lesser known players and that’s better.
Focusing on the girls themselves, Torcaso held the belief that WPL clubs should be aiming to hone the ability of these star players, giving them an environment and the ability to train regularly, with the W-League – or higher honours – always the main focus.
“I just want to squash a few things that other people have been like ‘Bundoora’s going to be stuffed without their W-League players’ but I wanted to make it pretty clear that we took that on because we wanted to have a ground for them [to play before the W-League season commences],” the head coach said.
“The WPL should be the breeding ground for our best players so if clubs can accommodate these best players and for them to go on to bigger and better things then that’s how it should be.
“We wanted to have them to be able to continue to train basically. From our point as coaches it’s obviously fantastic to be able to coach some of the best players of the state and that’s why we took that responsibility on.
“If we are without them for finals then so be it. At least we know that we’ve been able to help out some of Victoria’s best players to get themselves ready for the national competition.
“When you’ve got big name players like Maika [Ruyter-Hooley] and Enza [Barilla], they’re only going to help the lesser known players at Bundoora get better.”
Torcaso has also revealed that the Melbourne Victory have stayed in contact with the WPL coaches in order to smoothen the process of losing the players to the W-League season.
“As far as I know, the Victory coach is trying to work with all the WPL coaches to try and make sure a smooth transition works for both [leagues] which has been fantastic so far.
“I think Pep [Joe Montemurro] has been talking to the coaches and trying to sort of work with them to make sure it works for both parties.
Switching his attentions briefly, the United coach is happy with the way recruits Padiki Dade, Louisa Bisby, Daniella Galluccio, Stacey Papadopoulos and Amanda Lawless have slipped into life at Bundoora, with the coaching addition of Paul Kilpatrick – all from Box Hill – a great addition for the club and the playing group.
“We had a few move from Box Hill, and that’s the other thing. We’re very happy with the move and the players that have come in from Box Hill are gelling well and that’s happening quite slowly, but it’s happening and it’s really good for both parties for the new players coming and the old players at the club.”