With four games left to play in this extraordinary 2023 season, there is still a lot to play for, and potential upsets looming. From ranking in the top four to the fight for survival at the bottom of the table, expect an entertaining Round 21 this weekend.
Canberra Olympic hosts Tuggeranong United on Thursday at Woden Park. The new Premiers’ third game in six days will feel easier to play now that the trophy is back at O’Connor. Nicole Begg’s troops have an opportunity to finish with a bang, two weeks before their first post-season game.
The visitors have all intention to spoil the celebrations, while at the same time trying to secure their seventh spot on the table. The three points will ensure the Wanderers cannot come back to Tuggeranong’s level, and Paulo Romero will want this ordeal sorted as early as possible.
ANU WFC and Belconnen United will play their last game this season tonight as well. At Greenway Enclosed, the University Club ends a season full of promises for their future. They will one last opportunity to highlight their talent and ambition against a wounded Belconnen team, hoping for a marquee success to tease a sure-to-be exciting second season in WNPL.
The Blue Devils need to dig deep once more to get at least a point and secure their second place, two days after a heart-breaking defeat at Riverside. The task will not be easy for the team coach by Scott Conlon, who has lost points to ANU this season once already. A third defeat in seven days would leave the possibility for archrivals in Deakin to overtake them at the table.
The game between West Canberra Wanderers and Canberra Croatia could be crucial for the end of the season if the Thursday results are favourable. West Canberra could have one last chance to leave the bottom of the table, provided they can cause the sort of upsets they have been known for over the years.
Their narrow defeat to Olympic last week showed their defensive potential, this week they need more of it, as well as finding a way to really threaten in the attacking third.
The team coached by Zoran Glavinic can at least gain one spot at Wanderers Park on Sunday, and at best two, if Belconnen United fails to get a point on Thursday. If a point is enough for the Deakin side to leapfrog Gungahlin, a significant success paired with a Blue Devils misstep could see an incredible end to the season and Canberra Croatia sitting second on Sunday night.
Canberra United Academy and Tuggeranong United will close the curtain on the WNPL regular season at Hawker Football Centre. Best of the rest Canberra United can finish a successful campaign with one last home win. Against a team they beat twice already this season, the team coached by Matt Moore will want to ride the momentum gained with the season-changing win over Belconnen.
Tuggeranong will have a second chance to avoid ending wooden spooner in four days at Hawker. After conceding nineteen goals in the last three games, Paulo Romero’s team need to tighten up at the back, while keeping on upfront. They stayed in the game until the very end last time they met the Academy, this time they want to prove once again they have the talent required to play their football at WNPL level.
FIXTURES
ROUND 19
Thursday 31 August
Canberra Olympic v Tuggeranong United
ROUND 21
Thursday 31 August
ANU WFC v Belconnen United
Sunday 3 September
West Canberra Wanderers v Canberra Croatia
Canberra United Academy v Tuggeranong United
TABLE
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Canberra Olympic | 20 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 45 | 10 | +35 | 47 |
| 2 | Belconnen United | 20 | 14 | 1 | 5 | 57 | 14 | +43 | 43 |
| 3 | Gungahlin United | 21 | 13 | 2 | 6 | 53 | 26 | +27 | 41 |
| 4 | Canberra Croatia | 20 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 54 | 21 | +33 | 40 |
| 5 | Canberra United Academy | 20 | 9 | 2 | 8 | 26 | 40 | -14 | 29 |
| 6 | ANU WFC | 20 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 17 | 43 | -26 | 13 |
| 7 | Tuggeranong United | 19 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 18 | 67 | -49 | 10 |
| 8 | West Canberra Wanderers | 20 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 15 | 64 | -49 | 8 |
TOP SCORERS
21 Brittany PALOMBI (Canberra Croatia)
14 Hattie CRAM (Belconnen United)
13 Bessie RIETHMULLER (Belconnen United)
11 Talia BACKHOUSE (Belconnen United), Tatum MAZIS (Canberra Croatia)
9 Darby WHITELEY (Gungahlin United)
8 Michelle HEYMAN (Gungahlin United), Ginger OLIVER (Gungahlin United), Madelyn WHITTALL (Canberra Olympic)
7 Isabella BARAC (Canberra Croatia), Sharon CHAO (Gungahlin United), Olivia GURNEY (Canberra Olympic), Nicole JALOCHA (Canberra Olympic), Charli MITCHELL (Canberra Croatia)
6 Tamara COCHRANE (Canberra United Academy),
5 Keira BOBBIN (Belconnen United), Alyssa DI-CAMPLI (Canberra United Academy), Michaela THORNTON (Canberra Olympic), Own GOALS
4 Jade BROWN (Gungahlin United), Tia BURRIDGE (Canberra Olympic), Maddison CACHIA (Canberra Olympic), Lauren HALL (West Canberra Wanderers), Roxie SWART (ANU WFC), Pearl TEIN (Belconnen United), Samantha WOOD (Tuggeranong United), Kayla WRIGHT (Gungahlin United)
3 Ella-Rose BROWN (Gungahlin United), Sofia CHRISTOPHERSON (Canberra United Academy), Natalie DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Rhiannon FENSOM (Canberra Croatia), Alyse JENSEN (West Canberra Wanderers), Rainey NILES (Tuggeranong United), Erika PENNYFIELD (Gungahlin United), Zoe TERRY (Tuggeranong United), Sarah WHITFIELD (West Canberra Wanderers), Reilly YUEN (Belconnen United)
2 Elke AITOLU (Canberra Olympic), Sienna BIRNIE (Canberra Croatia), Jaya BOWMAN (Canberra United Academy), Cara CERUTI (West Canberra Wanderers), Sofia CHAVERRA (ANU WFC), Arusha CHEW (Canberra Olympic), Alexandra COOK (Canberra Olympic), Rachael CORBETT (Gungahlin United), Edith FORDYCE-CROKER (ANU WFC), Isabella HOPKINS (ANU WFC), Sheridan MCELLIGOTT (ANU WFC), Riley MCQUEENIE (Canberra United Academy), Peri NASH (Canberra United Academy), Alexandra NEALAND (Canberra United Academy), Katrina PERIC (Canberra Olympic), Nikita PERRY (West Canberra Wanderers/Canberra Croatia), Marija RATHOUSKI (Belconnen United), Madeleine STEINACKER (Belconnen United), Kate WALKER (West Canberra Wanderers), Kayla WRIGHT (Gungahlin United)
1 Tehya ASPLAND (Canberra Olympic), Latisha BABIC (Canberra United Academy), Jamie BERKELEY (Canberra Croatia), Amy BONGIORNO (Canberra Croatia), Jade EMMS (Belconnen United), Emma DOUGLAS-OLIVEIRA (ANU WFC), Charli GREGSON (Tuggeranong United), Isabella HINDMARSH (Belconnen United), Abby HURMAN (Tuggeranong United), Ashlyn LEWIS (Tuggeranong United), Sarah MATTHEWS (Tuggeranong United), Ailish MCDONAGH (ANU WFC), Maya OSMOND (Canberra United Academy), Madeleine PERCEVAL (Gungahlin United), Alina ROBERTS (Belconnen United), Vanessa RYAN (Canberra Olympic), Alexandra SERRAS (ANU WFC), Elisha WILD (Canberra United Academy), Juliet WILLIAMS (ANU WFC), Zoe WILLIAMS (Tuggeranong United), Jasmine ZABEL (Canberra Olympic)