After a whirlwind summer culminating in winning the W-League Grand Final with Melbourne Victory, Monbulk Ranges recruit Emily Hulbert says her focus is now fixated on the upcoming 2014 Sportsmart Women’s Premier League season.
Hulbert had a mixed debut season in the W-League, in which a case of Glandular fever held her back from spending more time on the pitch.
Nevertheless the midfielder still managed to feature as a substitute in Victory’s 2-0 triumph over Brisbane Roar in the W-League decider.
“It was good experience with Victory and winning especially just topped it off but just have to focus now on the WPL,” Hulbert said.
“It still is in the back of my mind, the Grand Final day. I still see photos coming up but I’ve moved on.”
The 18 year old explained her switch from previous WPL club Box Hill to Monbulk, a decision which was largely motivated by her mid-season departure to the United States, bound for college football.
“I’m working full time at the moment, just saving up before I go to college in America and I grew up [in Monbulk] for years,” she said.
“Now that they have finally worked their way into the Premier League, I thought I’ll help them out a bit and just play with my friends I grew up with.”
There are two colleges on the radar for the teenager, with her most likely destination the eastern side of the United States.
“Im still talking to colleges at the moment but I’m looking at Penn State (Pennsylvania State University) or USF in South Florida (University of South Florida), so hopefully one of those two,” she said.
“I’ve still got to sit my SAT in May so after that I’ll get some offers and accept a place.”
Motivated by the challenge of survival in the Victorian women’s top flight, Hulbert is predicting her new side can make an impact on the Sportsmart WPL.
“To stay in the Premier League is definitely our aim and to give it a shake,” she said.
“We are all very humble to be in the highest division of women’s soccer at the moment but we all respect the level that we have to play [in].
“We’ll go out pretty strong, very physical team, hopefully take points off some of the bigger clubs here and there and hopefully beat the [lower] clubs.”
Joining Monbulk as one of the more experienced players, Hulbert nevertheless still feels as though she is part of the younger brigade, eager to improve and learn from her new team mates.
“We don’t actually have that many young girls, I’m still one of the younger ones, I still listen and learnt from [the older players], they are really good [to learn from].
“We’ve got a really good coaching staff this year, we’ve got [Jaroslav Dedic] who’s the technical director, he’s amazing and very professional.”
With Monbulk’s season kicking off Saturday afternoon against Heidelberg United, Hulbert eluded to some of the young talent in the squad, opposition and spectators should come to know throughout the year.
“Emma Heckenberg, a Melbourne Victory train-on for the season, she’s class,” Hulbert revealed .
“[We’ve] got a few good players who have been playing there for years that are just real class so it’ll be good.”