With over 50 caps for the Matildas and 100 appearances in the Westfield W-League, Kim Carroll has seen it all in the women’s game in Australia.
But the powerful defender is more excited than ever for season 2017/18 after re-signing with Glory.
“I was only meant to be here for five months when I signed in 2015, but I’ve enjoyed the lifestyle, football and group of players here so much that I had no reason to leave,” the 30-year-old revealed.
There are plenty of reasons for the Queenslander to be pumped for her third season in Perth, but perhaps the most poignant is the watershed deal she helped to achieve alongside the Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) in regards to the 360% increase in the minimum wage of players in the league.
“There was a lot of work behind the scenes to put into that decision,” the 2010 Asian Cup winner said.
“The FFA really did a lot of research and built the base for the players to push for this result, so to get that stepping stone into a full-time structure is great. We’re getting there and this is a massive step in the right direction.”
Carroll believes the off-field progression during the off-season will serve to inspire the squad as they look to go one better after coming agonisingly close to clinching both the Premiership and Championship last season.
“We’ve had a few changes, but all the girls are keen to do better than last year,” she said. “We want silverware, so I think that’s a drive in itself for us.”
The centre-half insists that the squad looks even better than this time last year and is hoping to continue to lead the team from the heart of the defence.
“Training has been high-quality,” she said. “Bobby [Despotovski] and Jessine [Bonzas] have been pushing us really hard so we can be ready for the season opener.
“I think the girls came to the start of pre-season in much better condition this time around and I think everyone’s ahead of where they were fitness-wise.
“For me personally, I want to continue to give the right information to the players in front of me, then off the field, it’s all about trying to lead by example and to keep enjoying myself.”
With a number of new faces at the club adding depth to the squad, Caroll was quick to note the speed at which they have adapted to the style of play employed by Head Coach Despotovski.
“It’s great to have Marianna Tabain and Nicola Bolger join the team,” she said. “They’re both quality players and they’ll bring some really nice attacking play in midfield for us this season, like they showed against the State Team”
With just a fortnight to go until Melbourne City visit nib Stadium, Carroll feels that the Grand Final re-match is a stage and contest that the entire team will relish.
“It’s always a great opportunity to play at nib, the pitch is immaculate, so it’s nice to play in that professional setting and it definitely lifts everyone up that extra 5% on the field,” she said.
Carroll and the rest of our Westfield W-League side open the new season on October 27th and tickets are available now via Ticketmaster: http://bit.ly/2yGAUA7
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