Newly crowned Westfield W-League queens Canberra United say they will aim to lift the bar even higher next season as they seek back-to-back championships.
Newly crowned Westfield W-League queens Canberra United say they will aim to lift the bar even higher next season as they seek back-to-back championships.
Canberra capped a near-perfect season with a deserved 3-2 victory over Brisbane Roar in Saturday-s grand final to go through the campaign undefeated, becoming the first Westfield W-League side to do so.
The result ended a lengthy hoodoo for Canberra who had failed to overcome the two-time champions in eight matches dating back to the opening contest of season one.
Brisbane were the only team that Canberra failed to beat over the course of the season, but that demon was emphatically laid to rest in front a buoyant capacity crowd in the nation-s capital.
Now Canberra-s Czech coach Jitka Klimkova, who indicated to supporters at the post-match function that she will return next season, says the team will aim for continued growth in what is an ominous warning to those eyeing United-s throne.
“For me we had a cruise this season, and next season we go to the mountain,” said Klimkova, the first female coach to secure the Westfield W-League title.
“It will be harder, it will be much more work and that can be the motivation for everyone to come back and work on our performance for next season.”
Elated championship-winning skipper Ellie Brush says Canberra is a model club that is hungry to develop even further.
“The support shown for us over the season amongst the Canberra community… I hope it continues to grow,” she says. “We are leading the way I suppose in terms of what we have been able to achieve, not only on the field but amongst the public.”
Asked how they will back-up next year, Brush said: “The aim is to keep it growing. I can-t wait for the challenge ahead of going back-to-back.”
“We spoke during the week we just wanted to enjoy our week and enjoy each other-s company (in the build-up) which is what we did.”
“So we set about playing the same way we have all season. Roar were the only team we haven-t beaten all season so that was our aim.”
There was also perhaps extra incentive for the veterans of the United team which lost the first Westfield W-League grand final to Brisbane three years ago.
Brush, Jennifer Bisset, Lydia Williams, Caitlin Munoz, Grace Gill and the Sykes twins each exacting a measure of revenge on Saturday.
“A few of us have felt that heartbreak of what it is like to lose, so (I said before the game) ‘let-s go out there and feel what it is like to win-,” said Brush, who also skippered United in that match at Ballymore.
Klimkova said the unified approach was a crucial part of the team-s success. “I-m proud of the team, I-m proud of the girls,” she said.
“Everyone worked really hard on and off the field. I think we were really united this season and that was the main thing.”
