Graphics: Alesich Design
GK: Alyssa Dall’Oste (Box Hill United)
The youngster continues to shine in 2016 and came up trumps in a game against top opposition. A number of handy saves at important times helped her team keep a clean sheet against Galaxy United and earn three points for their troubles.
LB: Stacey Papadopoulos (Calder United)
The Calder left-back has not quite caught the eye like last year, where she finished runner-up by a single vote to Hannah Keane in the media Player of the Year award. Monday night was Papadopoulos’ chance to remind us of her best, running at and through the Bulleen midfield on a regular basis in a stellar counter-punching performance
CB: Alex Gummer (South Melbourne)
With Antonia Niteros out injured and Alex Cheal more inclined to lock down on an opponent, Alex Gummer’s ability to not just win the ball but play out from the centre of defence stands her apart compared to many players deployed at centre half in the NPLW.
CB: Sky Jensen (Heidelberg United)
A stern defensive display from a committed Heidelberg defence and midfield means any number of their players could have made Team of the Week for keeping NTC off the scoresheet. But Jensen gets the nod, quite literally, for her headed goal that decided the match 1-0 at Olympic Village.
CB: Emma Littlewood (Box Hill United)
Littlewood did what she’s done for years in the Victorian top-flight, putting in a polished performance for her side. To shut out one of the league’s most effective and mobile forward lines required plenty of smarts and she was able to get the better of her high-profile attacking counterparts to give her side the win.
RB: Georgia Koutrouvelis (Box Hill United)
Showing up top-of-the-ladder is no mean feat. To do so, Box Hill required some of their top-end talent to shine through and Georgia Koutrouvelis wilfully obliged to play a starring role in the big win. A strong performance in defence and a brilliant run from deep to seal the win.
CM: Aimee Medwin (South Melbourne)
With Jamie Pollock away for a mid-term overseas break, South coach Soc Nicolaidis needed no invitation to shuffle his pack of players once again. However a dynamic display of ball-winning and passing, and a fortunate goal, means Aimee Medwin’s move to the midfield may prove a long-term option.
CM: Caitlin Doeglas (Alamein FC)
A cumulative pick of sorts for Doeglas who gets in off the back of the good tandem efforts of herself and Mari Pastor in the engine room. While there was only room for one, it was Doeglas who gets the nod as the one that dictated the flow of the game.
LW: Tiffany Eliadis (South Melbourne)
With De Vanna terrorising Southern’s defence and Medwin dominating defensive midfield it was Eliadis that glued South Melbourne’s lines together on Sunday evening. There’s been an understated return to consistent good form from Eliaidis that will no doubt encourage those still invested in seeing the forward unlock her potential.
ST: Lisa De Vanna (South Melbourne)
Credit to Southern. The likes of Indre Christy and Mikhaila Bowden set themselves for the challenge of stopping the Matildas legend and won their fair share of tackles to dispossess the superstar. However, De Vanna’s will to drive South forward meant the wealth of chances proved far too many to handle for a severely overworked Southern defence. Another goal, another win, another team of the week
RW: Dani Gudelj (Calder United)
There’s nothing that gets the Calder pocket rocket up like a game against her former club, with Gudelj, the aforementioned MelindaJ Barbieri and Cindy Lay turning on Calder’s best passing performance of the season. Gudelj nearly netted the goal of the year too, but will have to be satisfied with drawing one of the saves of the year from Bulleen keeper Emily Shields.
Bench:
Ingrid Phillipe (Bayside United)
The goalkeepers at both ends of the park played well as Alamein and Bayside battled out a low-scoring affair. The damage could’ve been more, were it not for the work of the Bayside stopper. Young defender India Tait was another standout for Bayside.
Claudia Fruscalzo (Calder United)
“Her own patch of the field” was how FFV Radio described Claudia Fruscalzo’s marauding display at right wing back on Monday night. The Calder flyer was an outlet pass to get out of danger and launch countless counter attacks in a display of her straight-line speed and threatening crosses
MelindaJ Barbieri (Calder United)
After playing for Calder in the cup on Tuesday and the NPLW select on Wednesday, MelindaJ Barbieri found an extra gear for her third game in a week on Monday. Beautifully weighted passes were the order of the night as the Young Matilda conquered the synthetic surface at the Veneto Club as ably as any player to walk it this season.
Enza Barilla (Calder United)
Scoring mere minutes after being introduced in the second half on Monday night, Barilla gave Calder a lead it would not relinquish, then scuppered any threat of a Bulleen comeback with an assist from a volley at the corner. While barilla did not have a huge impact on the ebb and flow of the game, her ability to finish gave Calder a cutting edge it had lacked through a wasteful first half on Monday.
Kelsey Minton (Alamein FC)
A game-deciding goal gave debutant manager Melissa Maizels the perfect introductory passage into the NPLW coaching ranks. A well-taken effort from a player who continues to prove her worth when given starting opportunities.
Sarah Richardson (Heidelberg United)
While the level of performance may not have been as prolific as recent weeks, Richardson picked her moments to impact the game with physicality and aggression.