The NPLW Victoria was rolled out to much fan-fare in 2016 and in it’s inaugural season, has delivered in its promise to foster a more competitive womens top-flight competition. Nine teams slogged it out for 24 games plus finals as Calder United claimed a league double to establish themselves as the powerhouse of the competition. In full retrospect of the 2016 season, we honour some of the best performers of 2016 in The Corner Flag’s Team of the Season, which you can have your say in by voting via the poll below and using the hashtag #NPLWTOTS.
Whether they’re the creative force pulling the strings from behind the strikers, or the more conventional attacking midfielder with more freedom to drift into the channels, these players are not only proven goal scorers but are often the focal point of team attacks as they angle deliveries to their two wide players as well as directly to the striker in front of them. These are some of the best attacking midfielders that 2016 had to offer.
NPLW Victoria Team of the Season: Goalkeepers
NPLW Victoria Team of the Season: Centre Backs
NPLW Victoria Team of the Season: Fullbacks
NPLW Victoria Team of the Season: Central Midfielders
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Annabelle Gibney (Alamein FC)
The attacking midfielder was one of three players that signed on from Sandringham SC at the beginning of the season for Sinisa Cohadzic’s side, and she was the pick of the bunch in a season that saw her claim Alamein FC’s Best and Fairest award. She helped gel together the immensely talented attacking group in front of her and also contributed with five goals of her own.
Saphri Lines (Southern United)
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We were introduced to Saphri Lines in last year’s WPL competition with South Melbourne as a technically gifted winger. This season, she was re-invented as a central player and it has paid dividends for Stuart Munro’s side, as she was the main catalyst for Southern’s mini-resurgence in the second half of the season. Finished as the top scorer in the team with a double-digit haul of 10 goals.
Julia Nicolaci (Heidelberg United)
While she somewhat flew under the radar this season, given her explosive 2015 campaign, Julia Nicolaci was still an incredibly important figure for Heidelberg United as she helped pull the strings from behind the strikers. American Leigh Gray was the biggest profiter from her work as Nicolaci combined beautifully to help her towards a 20 goal tally, while she herself grabbed a respectable five goals from midfield.
Sofia Sakalis (Senior NTC)
The youngster was one of the bright sparks to come out of the inaugural NPLW competiton and announced herself with one of the goals of the season, where she beat four Alamein FC defenders in traffic before firing a composed finish underneath the keeper. 15 games under her belt and four goals at senior level is a fantastic building block heading into next season’s competition.
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