Brisbane Roar W-League and Capalaba Bulldogs Under 13 NPLW
Over the weekend, our Capalaba Bulldogs Under 13 NPLW squad were afforded the privilege of being invited to observe Brisbane Roars pre-game training session last Saturday and to attend their W-League game against the Newcastle Jets at AJ Kelly Park on Sunday.
The girls who were able to attend the training session on Saturday, were able to witness at close quarters how the elite players prepare for a match, with the level of intensity in the activities and competitiveness between all members of the Roar squad. Unfortunately, weather intervened with the threat of severe storms and hail putting an early end to the session and the chance to have a chat with the Roar players, with all and sundry heading for the exit. Despite this, Mel Andreatta, the Roar Head Coach came over and thanked each and every one for attending and promised to see them all at the game on Sunday.
Yesterday, 11 of the Capalaba Bulldogs NPLW squad made the trek up to AJ Kelly Park for the W-League match between the 2nd placed Brisbane Roar and 3rd placed Newcastle Jets, with the Bulldogs girls being handed the honour of walking the Newcastle team onto the pitch. There was plenty of banter and competition between the Bulldogs girls as to who would be paired with the Newcastle and Matilda's vice-captain, Emily van Egmond. Amity won out and led the team, hand in hand with Emily. Sitting pitchside, the Bulldogs girls were able to get up close to the action and watch Australian and Roar stars such Katrina Gorry, Tameka Butt, Mackenzie Arnold, Hayley Raso and, of course, our local products, Emily Gielnek and Claire Polkinghorne in action.
Watching the game closely, the girls were able to pick up some handy playing tips from their idols and hopefully will be able to put them into practice once our season gets underway. At the conclusion of the game, our girls all lined up enthusiastically to meet their idols. Competition was fierce as to how many Matildas and Roar players they could have sign their hats, shirts, and balls and how many photos they could get with the players.
Despite the result not being the desired outcome, the Roar players were very welcoming and enthusiastic to interact with our girls and chat briefly with them. The highlight seemed to be when local Matilda girl, Emily Gielnik and fellow Matildas star mid-fielder, Katrina Gorry posed with a large number of the Bulldogs girls for a series of photos and chat. The smiles and grins on all the Bulldogs girls was a sight to see.
From a developmental perspective, this kind of interaction is invaluable for young players who aspire to be footballers - they can see first hand the intensity and commitment required to be an elite player but also the joy those same players get from interacting with the young fans and aspiring footballers.
When asked what did they take out of the weekend, the Bulldogs girls replied with gems such as;
“Know when to use your tricks and when not to”, “Have fun at training and laugh with your teammates”, “always try and beat your teammate”, “don’t stop trying” and “always help your teammate”
A great weekend for the girls and one which will hopefully drive them to success in their first NPLW season which kicks off in February. Thankyou to Brisbane Roar and Scott Giles for orgainsing this opportunity, and a massive thank you to the Brisbane Roar players!