The first instalment of the Playstation 4 National Premier League Women’s in Canberra has been a strong inaugural year, with a multitude of high-scoring, entertaining matches showcasing just how many talented women we have playing football in the nation’s capital.

The branding and expansion of the league to 8 teams and 21 rounds has been a boost to an already competitive competition that saw 6 teams playing 15 rounds last year, with newcomers Monaro Panthers and Canberra Olympic playing some entertaining football in their respective returns to the competition.

Mitchell Keenan had a look at where the teams are sitting around the halfway mark of the season, ahead of Round 13.

Belconnen United

P 12 W 11 D 0 L 1       PTS 33

Top Scorer(s): Maddy Whittall (1^st) 19 & Chloe Callaghan (2^nd) 17

Sitting atop the table, Belconnen United have established themselves as the team to beat in the PS4 NPLW once again, having lost only one match, conceding 2 goals and scoring a frightful 60 after 11 rounds. Antoni Jagarinec’s side were handed a shock 1-0 loss to Tuggeranong United in the second round, but since that game the Blue Devils have won all 9 of their fixtures, scoring 58 goals and conceding 0. 

Belconnen’s dynamic attack has seen the goals spread throughout the squad, with a hefty tally of 19 goals coming from Maddy Whittall up front and another 17 coming from Chloe Callaghan on the wing.

With 9 games left of the regular season, it’s hard to see anyone else challenging Belconnen for top spot before the finals, and if Jagarinec’s squad can continue to play their dominant style of football, the Blue Devils will likely make a return to the 2017 grand final.

Canberra United Academy

P 11 W 8 D 0 L 4         PTS 24

Top Scorer: Jasmine Genovesi (tied 3^rd) 12

After a winless campaign in 2016, the Canberra United Academy made a dream start this year, winning their first 5 games and currently sitting second in the league. Aroon Clansey’s young side used last year to gel as a squad, and their playing style uses a tactical and patient approach to break down their opponents.

As the season has progressed, the Academy have struggled against physically strong opponents due to an age gap, but the experience of playing in Canberra’s top women’s league is valuable to the young talent developing within the squad.

Although the CU Academy are not able to win the competition, Clansey’s squad have provided a new threat within the PS4 NPLW, applying further pressure on the teams competing at the top of the league.

Gungahlin United

P 12 W 8 D 0 L 4         PTS 24

Top Scorer: Ashleigh Palombi (tied 3^rd) 12

Gungahlin United have had a strong presence in the NPLW for a number of years now, and this year is no exception to that, with Diego Iglesias’ side tied for second place next to the Canberra United Academy and firmly locked into the battle for finals football.

With prolific sisters Ashleigh and Brittany Palombi continuing to ply their trade as two of the best attacking talents in the league, as well as some strong performances from Alex Lawrence and Georgia Fogarty, who is still recovering from an injury, Gungahlin have cemented themselves as a contender once again.

Iglesias’ side will hope to go one better on last year’s defeat to Canberra FC in the preliminary final, but first they must focus on producing the consistency of football that has got them to third place at the half way mark.

Canberra FC

P 12 W 6 D 2 L 4         PTS 20

Top Scorer: Chantel Jones (5^th) 11

Last season’s grand finalists have had a rollercoaster season to this point, going down to Tuggeranong convincingly in the first round and often failing to take hold of the closer games, but on their day Canberra FC have shown they are more than capable of breaking down any side.

Lacking composure at times, Mark Risteski’s side missed the experienced Grace Gill in the middle of the park, but the young Canberra FC have played some attractive football, with Chantel Jones demonstrating her dominant style and top-scoring for the side with 11 goals from the midfield.

With a tough bunch of fixtures headed their way over the coming weeks, Canberra FC will need to prove that they can see out the tighter games in order to remain among the top teams on the table across the second half of the season.

Woden Weston FC

P 12 W 5 D 3 L 4       PTS 18

Top Scorer: Cassia Mcglashan & Sarah Crittenden (tied 17^th)

Woden Weston FC have been the surprise package of the season so far, already sitting 4 points higher than their final points tally of 13 in 2016, with Diego Elmoudawar’s side showing signs of improvement every week.

The Wanderers had a tough start to the season, going down to the CU Academy and Gungahlin United, but strong performances against a high-flying Tuggeranong and the Monaro Panthers handed Woden-Weston a much needed boost.

Losing last year’s top scorer Erika Pennyfield to Gungahlin United has hurt the Wanderers up front, with the clubs top scorers Cassia Mcglashan and Sarah Crittenden sitting on 3 goals apiece, demonstrating a need for a more consistent goal-scorer to lead the line.

Sitting just two points astray of the top 4 at this stage, Woden Weston are more than capable of reaching this year’s finals, but Diego Elmoudawar will need the goals to match his side’s strong performances if he wants to challenge for the remainder of the season. 

Tuggeranong United

P 12 W 4 D 1 L 7       PTS 13

Top Scorer: Meg McLaughlin (tied 8^th) 6

Tuggeranong have displayed some of the best performances of the season so far, and some may feel that Michael Aldred’s side are unlucky to be where they are on the table, but as the season goes on, the south side club must learn to better see out their games.

A quick-fire start to the season included huge wins over Canberra FC and Belconnen United, who played out last year’s grand-final, but an injury to striker and playmaker Meg McLaughlin marked the start of a 3 game losing streak that set Tuggeranong back in the standings.

United will look to rediscover the form that saw them victorious against both of last year’s grand-finalists as we head into the second half of the season, and Aldred’s side are more than capable of challenging for a place in the finals if they can provide some more consistency in their games.  

Monaro Panthers

P 12 W 1 D 3 L 8       PTS 6

Top Scorer: Zoe Szeremet (tied 7^th) 7

One of the youngest sides in the competition, Angelo Maralit’s side is brimming with potential as the Panthers return to the competition after missing the 2016 instalment of the NPLW. Although a great deal of the Monaro side are new to the NPLW, Maralit’s side have adjusted well, earning three draws and a win against some tough opposition in an already established league.

Starting the season with a win was a highlight for the Panthers, downing Olympic at the Riverside Stadium, but Monaro have put in a number of strong performances against some of the league’s top teams, including a 1-1 draw with Woden Weston and an amazing comeback against Tuggeranong to finish the game at 4-4 in round 7.

Maralit has done a good job to prepare his girls for the season, using a strong tactical approach to really put the pressure on the top sides, and some star performers for his side have been top goal-scorer Zoe Szeremet and Alicia Meuronen in the Panthers forward line.

Canberra Olympic

P 12 W 0 D 1 L 11       PTS 1

Top Scorer: Nat McCann (tied 25^th) 2

It was always going to be an uphill battle for a side that last played in the NPLW in 2014, having to call it quits due a lack of numbers, and so far this year Canberra Olympic have had some tough results go against them.

As much as the new side have struggled, Rob Scott has seen some incredibly strong performances come from his side as well, including a narrow 1-0 defeat to last year’s grand finalists Canberra FC and tight games with Tuggeranong and Gungahlin in recent weeks.

Nat McCann has been a standout for Olympic, but the goals have been shared around by a side that enjoys to pressure teams on the counter and it seems that it is only a matter of time before Rob Scott’s side secure their first win of the season after a very strong showing last weekend.

This year’s Playstation 4 National Premier League Women’s has seen a dominant Belconnen United show that they are the team to beat, while a number of position changes through the middle of the table have made for an exciting battle heading into the second half of the season and into the finals.