The Corner Flag is back with the Team of the Season, rewarding the most consistent performers over the course of the Women’s Premier League campaign. In a new format, we’ll publish an article with two teams: our media select, along with a fan voted XI, where you select your standouts in 2015. Every few days we’ll post the shortlist for a particular position.
We now take a look at the players that often fly under the radar, the fullbacks. Usually the fittest on the pitch, the wide defenders have to expertly balance their forays forward with their marking job of keeping their opposition winger quiet. Their importance to a team is most felt when they’re out of the side and the crosses into the box start flying.
Pick the two fullbacks that you believe have stood out most this season via the link at the bottom of the page. You can vote once per day and make sure you share this around to ensure your pick makes the cut!
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In alphabetical order:
Left Backs:
Liv Ellis (Boroondara Eagles)
Despite Ellis joining after the season started, you wouldn’t have known it, such was her seamless transition into the side. And whilst she mostly played on the left, she also did fill in at right back, but you wouldn’t have known the difference, such was her comfort at using both feet. A dazzling season from the youngster who is set for bigger and better things.
Emily Morris-Krause (Sandringham SC)
The youngster made her senior debut in the WPL at the back end of 2014 and handled herself valiantly on that day at Kingston Heath. When she was thrusted into the starting line-up on day dot for the 2015 edition of the competition, no eyelids were batted after a convincing 90 minute display at fullback. She’s flown under the radar all season with some solid displays and while she hasn’t come out on top in all her battles, she’s more than held her own in her first full season in Victoria’s top-flight.
Holly Richardson (Ashburton United)
While she may have split her duties between the middle and the left in 2015, we’ve found home for Ashburton’s unsung hero in the fullback nominations. In the space of 12 months, the balanced defender went from being a squad player with the Bulleen Lions to a starting player at Ashy, where she’s underpinned the success they’ve had this season. Defensively sound, her stature has seen her add a huge aerial presence in defence, while finding a way to shut out the best attackers in the comp. More importantly, her form helped free up Emma Checker into midfield where her teammate starred in the back end of the season.
Tyla-Jay Vlajnic (Bundoora United)
A force to be dealt with on the left side of defence, Vlajnic went about her business with little fuss week in, week out. May not be the fastest on this list, but she’s ever reliable in almost everything she does, whether that be shutting out her opponent or supplying crosses into the box. Two-footed and an expert set-piece taker, TJ is one of the league’s premier fullbacks.
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Right Backs:
Monique Iannella (Bundoora United)
One of the most attacking and technically gifted fullbacks in the league, Iannella was an astute pick-up by Mark Torcaso and Paul Kilpatrick at Bundoora this season. Despite not featuring much at the back end of the season, her attacking runs were a delight to watch, resulting in two goals of her own. It’s no surprise the former Adelaide United player was picked up by Melbourne City, such are her capabilities at right-back.
Annabel Martin (Senior NTC)
The ambidextrous Senior NTC skipper excelled in 2015 given some consistency in her playing position after stints in defence and midfield in 2014. Has an excellent tank and provides gut-running up and down the right flank, and much like the rest of the Elite Pathways products, is adept to playing systematic, possession football with a good eye for a pass.
Natalie Martineau (South Melbourne)
When Socrates Nicolaidis told the Corner Flag one of his players would be making a positional switch at the beginning of the season, the last thing we expected was Nat Martineau at right-back, given her importance in South’s midfield. Whilst she did move between right-back and central midfield when required this season, her contribution at right-back was quite brilliant, winning the ball and carrying it up the wing with confidence, earning plenty of assists in the process.
Demi Mihaloudis (Heidelberg United)
In a team with plenty of standouts this season, Mihaloudis may have flown under the radar a bit, but that doesn’t mean her contribution hasn’t been duly noted. Her all round ability to shut down her opponent, move the ball up the other end, and even take set pieces for her side means she was a key cog in the Bergers run to the finals.
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