This season’s Westfield W-League fixtures are out and Glory have a Round 1 blockbuster to look forward to in the form of a Grand Final rematch with reigning champions, Melbourne City.
This massive match-up will take place on October 27th at nib Stadium, with stars such as our very own Sam Kerr and Marianna Tabain and City’s Jess Fishlock and Steph Catley set to sparkle under the Friday night lights (kick off is at 7pm).
Testing away trips to Brisbane and Adelaide are next on the agenda for Bobby Despotovski’s side, before they return to nib Stadium once again to tackle Melbourne Victory in Round 4.
Late November and early December, meanwhile, will see the women make three consecutive away trips, including one to Canberra United, the side that claimed the minor premiership last season.
But all that pre-Christmas travel means that four of Glory’s last five games are at home and there is a special treat in store for our supporters from south of the metro area as the Round 12 clash with Canberra United on Saturday 20th January will be played at Hay Park in Bunbury.
And a week later, the final game of the regular season will see a return to nib Stadium for a Sunday evening showdown with Western Sydney Wanderers.
Despotovski himself was philosophical about the draw, but clearly excited at the prospect of the new campaign getting underway.
“A draw is a draw and we have to adapt to it,” he said. “It’s very difficult to make a draw that suits everyone in the league and we understand that. Now we have to make a plan in terms of how we tackle it.
“Four of our first six games are away from home, but we’ll adjust to that and play the best we can.
“We are all really looking forward to it.”
And the former Glory striker also feels that his players will enjoy performing at each of the three home venues set to stage Westfield W-League games this year.
“nib Stadium is the best A-League stadium in the country,” he said, “and it’s always a buzz to go there. It makes the players feel special. But we’re also really happy to play at Dorrien Gardens which is another great ground.
“And, of course, I’m really looking forward to the Bunbury game and catching up with some of the people I know who promote the women’s game down south. Hopefully we can get a couple of thousand of people along there to support us.”
In terms of the squad he has assembled for the new campaign, meanwhile, Despotovski is more than satisfied.
“I’m very happy with it,” he said. “The main thing for us is that the players we sign are willing to play for us. We don’t want to bring in players who go through the motions and everyone we’ve brought in this year really wants to play for this proud football club.”
Westfield W-League memberships represent incredible value, so if you want to get behind your Glory side this year, click the link below to join and help #CREATEDESTINY
http://membership.perthglory.com.au/packages/w-league
The draw in full is as follows:
