Lady Reds coach Ross Aloisi is close to finalising his squad ahead of the 2014/15 Westfield W-League Season.

A number of the 2013/14 Season players have returned to Adelaide along with some new faces.

Veteran Kristy Moore who has spent the off season playing in Canada for Ottowa Fury will return to her home town and the Lady Reds Captaincy following a third place finish in the USA W-League.

Moore is looking forward to returning and building on the success from last season.

“I’m looking forward to the up coming season with the Lady Reds. I think we have a great mixture of players and a group of girls that show courage and determination and have that never say die attitude. We also have great coaching staff around us with so much experience and heart and a genuine love of the game.
 
“Last season we showed glimpses of what we are capable of under Ross and his coaching staff. We were a little inconsistent at times, however that is expected with a group of young players and we had to get to know each other as a team and learn each others strengths and weaknesses.

“I think with last season under our belt we can use that experience and now with a few more experienced players coming into the squad that can make for a very exciting season ahead. 

“As Captain last year I was very proud of what we achieved, setting new standards for the Lady Reds and this year it would be great to top that and bring home some silverware.”

Joining Moore will be Lady Reds Player of the Year Jenna McCormick. McCormick has spent the off-season with local SA club Adelaide University.

Lisa-Marie Woods, Tiarn Powell, Jessie Wharepouri, Daila Borg and Westfield W-League Goal Keeper of the Year Melissa Barbieri also return to the side.

Monique Iannella, Emily Condon and Isabel Hodgson re-join the squad after their off-season in Aloisi’s SA National Training Centre (NTC) program.

The SA NTC also producing two new recruits in Dylan Holmes and Alexandra Chidiac.

Holmes , 17, has performed outstandingly in the NTC program this season according to Aloisi and is deserving of her elevation into to the Lady Reds squad.

“Dylan has excelled in the NTC with the position she plays in, as a holding midfielder. Tactically she is very smart and dictates play; she is very good technically. Like all young players, we are looking at improving power and strength but she has really done well in the past 3 months in that role.”

Chidiac, 15, was named the Bob Bush Women’s Premier League Player of the Year and Rising Star Player of the Year in 2013 as well as being selected into the U17 Matildas, at just 14 years of age.

Lauren Steer also from the NTC joins the Lady Reds for her first season in the Westfield W-League along with ex-Melbourne Victory player Rachel Alonso and Georgia Campagnale from Women’s Premier League side, Adelaide City WFC.

Aloisi notes that keeping a core group from the past season was important.

“Being loyal to the players that were loyal to the Lady Reds and were successful on the field last season in the W-League is part of our culture. It is great to have those girls back and it is like any other professional sport, if you perform you gain a contract.

“Because we have a lot of young girls coming through, our plan is to develop our top young players and create a culture here for the Lady Reds that in 3-4 years time that our majority of players have come through our programs.

“That is how you build a strong culture and we started that last year, hopefully we can build on that and continue to be successful.”

The Westfield W-League kicks off on September 13 with the Lady Reds first home game at the Adelaide Shores Football Centre on Sunday 21 September.

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Goal Keeper of the Year Returns