Another round, another Team of the Week. This one is dominated by some of the league’s big names, who put on a show for fans around the grounds with some scintillating performances. There’s also a concentration of a few teams who put on some huge wins by blowout margins.
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GK: Teresa Morrissey (Senior NTC)
By our count, that’s three straight appearances in the Team of the Week, and this week’s performance was arguably the pick of them. She was immense against South Melbourne, halting a number of opportunities, especially in the first half. Her save off Brittany Dudley-Smith – a superhuman stop with her right palm to deny the forward – was her personal highlight in the 2-1 win.
CB: Maddie Stockdale (Bulleen Lions)
The NTC graduate has been a consistent performer for Bulleen Lions this season in the centre of defence, but she now makes her first appearance in the Team of the Week for 2015. She had a super game against South Yarra, ensuring attacks were halted early in their production, while providing great and consistent distribution across the pitch which saw plenty of chances fall the way of Bulleen.
CB: Sky Jensen (Boroondara Eagles)
Commanding at the back to deny Ashburton, helping restrict the visitors to only a few chances on goal. Also popped up to score a goal from a corner. From a team perspective would be disappointed not to have kept a clean sheet.
CB: Jaimee Williams (Senior NTC)
While the first two centre-back spots were reserved for NTC graduates of 2014, the last is reserved for young Jaimee Williams who was consistent throughout against South Melbourne. A technically sound defender, her pace and mobility ensured that the South Melbourne forwards were kept accountable. She made a fantastic last ditch clearance to keep NTC’s lead before half time.
DM: Charlee West (Bulleen Lions)
The holding midfielder was the standout performer for Bulleen in their big win against South Yarra. She was creative, setting up Cindy Lay and Beattie Goad for a goal each, and made herself incredibly busy in the second half with an energetic display in the engine room.
CM: Enza Barilla (Bundoora United)
The Bundoora skipper is having an immense year for Bundoora in 2015, and was again in the thick of the action against Box Hill. There was a reason why their opponents were restricted to such a small amount of chances, and that was because of the dogged work from Barilla and compatriot Jess Pitts in keeping the visitors at bay. She provided purposeful runs on the ball and dictates the play from the middle with ease.
CM: Caitlin Friend (Bulleen Lions)
Friend makes her sixth Team of the Week appearance for the season after a busy performance in midfield for Bulleen. She displayed her close control, deft touch and her complete vision, assisting in a number of the goals in the 7-0 rout, while scoring a ripper herself from midfield.
AM: Rachel Alonso (Bundoora United)
The attacking midfielder was immense for Bundoora, as she proved the difference in her sides 4-1 win over Box Hill. She scored a delectable opener, breaking the lines and rounding the keeper to finish, then set up the second soon after. She showed good movement and awareness to tap home her second before both earning and finishing a penalty for her hat-trick.
AM: Annabelle Gibney (Sandringham SC)
Gibney makes the Team of the Week for her clinical touch, which saw her grab two goals against Caulfield United. Her second in particular was a great effort, composing herself before striking cleanly to put the game beyond doubt at 4-0.
ST: Taryne Boudreau (Boroondara Eagles)
Really, what else is there to say about the Canadian? Once again dazzled with a classy brace to leave Ashburton mesmerised. A constant threat who provides some amazing solo efforts that deserve to be filmed for a highlights reel (hint, hint, FFV).
ST: Christy Zwolski (Heidelberg United)
The American continued her blistering form since landing on our shores, firing in a hat-trick in the first half hour to kill off the contest early against Casey Comets. Her finishing top was top class, and while the second half was much quieter, by then the damage had been done.
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Bench:
Steph Parton (Sandringham SC)
Despite conceding two late goals to Caulfield United, Steph Parton had a strong game in the centre of defence, hardly putting a foot wrong in a tidy performance. She did well to contain the threat that Caulfield posed, once again alongside Sienna Fogarty.
Aneta Komijat (Heidelberg United)
A tricky display on the left wing from Komijat, who showed great speed and skill on the left wing. Almost scored a superb solo goal with a darting run down the flank only to be denied by the ‘keeper. Like the rest of the team, eased off in the second half before earning a rest on the bench.
Jess Au (Bundoora United)
Each game, we seem to see little flashes of the Jess Au of 2014, little moments of magic out of nowhere that create a good chance. Those moments are becoming more and more frequent as the winger returns to form following an injury complaint which halted her impact in the early stages of the season. Made a number of purposeful runs down the right flank and supplied Alonso the ball for her second goal.
Alex Gummer (Boroondara Eagles)
A more than useful utility, who had previously been used along Boroondara’s backline, but on the weekend was pushed higher up and also thrived in a more advanced role, linking well with the forwards with good vision and neat passes. Was also dangerous on set pieces, setting up a goal with one and rattling the crossbar with another.
Akeisha Sandhu (Senior NTC)
The NTC winger grabbed herself two goals in a bright display in the shock win over South Melbourne. Sandhu opened the scoring with a well thought out free-kick, before getting on the end of a team move for her second.
Beattie Goad (Bulleen Lions)
Goad was once again bright for Bulleen as she’s begun to find her feet again this season. She created a number of avenues on goal, and bombarded the South Yarra keeper with multiple efforts, which culminated in a well earned brace.