Image: Natasha Morello
Coach: Paul Kilpatrick
2016 finish: 3rd (qualifying final defeat to Galaxy United)
Summary: It looked promising early for Bulleen, taking the league lead for a while, but numerous departures and injuries meant the Lions stumbled to the finish line, compounded by heavy defeats to Heidelberg United in the Team App Cup final and Galaxy United in the league finals.
In: Emily Shields (Box Hill United), Salma Tawfic, Saphri Lines (Southern United), Britt Dudley Smith (Southern United), Alexandra Amore (Eltham Redbacks), Tyla-Jay Vlajnic (Calder United), Olivia Edwards (Alamein FC)
Out: Maddie Stockdale, Daniela Gudelj (Calder United), Jaime Pollock (South Melbourne), Alison Baker (Alamein FC), Beattie Goad, Shelby Green (Box Hill United), Natasha Lusi
Re-signed: Tessa Sernio, Isabella Scott, Olivia Ellis, Charlee West, Caitlin Friend, Lia Privitelli, Liana Iaconis, Alex Natoli, Emily Dolzan, Lauren Farrugia, Keely Lockhart
Player Q&A: Tessa Sernio
How’s pre-season going? Where have you been with the team?
Pre-season has been going as well. It’s been a little bit interrupted but credit to the girls they’ve worked hard and have adapted to the new coaches and changes really positively. We haven’t been anywhere we’ve trained and played all our practice matches at home.
What have the club’s pre-season results been?
We’ve played a couple of intra club games and some games against opposition within the league. We lost against Calder, drew against Alamein and won against Bayside and Heidelberg.
How are the new signings settling in?
With all new signings it takes a little while to settle in and get used to the way we operate. They have all been impressive not only in their performances but in the way they have embraced the culture.
Who are the Bulleen players to watch in 2017 (new or existing) and why?
There are some exciting new players we’ve bought in, quite a few of them are attacking players who know how to create and score goals so I would be looking out for them.
Who are the some of the bigger characters off the pitch and why?
I wish I could single out one or even a couple of people but we have quite a few big characters, each in their own way. As a group we get on really well and that’s probably a contributing factor as to why we are able to retain majority of players each year.
Which team/player are you most looking forward to facing this year?
You always want to beat the best and last year that was Calder so looking forward to seeing how we go against them.
Which opposition club(s) have impressed you most in pre-season?
Given their display in the Community Shield game and our practice match against them I’d have to say Calder again.
What are the expectations/objectives in 2017?
Internally the coaches, players and staff have set high standards and expectations of each other on and off the pitch. In terms of performances to do better than last year is a consistent objective however we want to do that by successfully attempting to implement the style of play Paul and Jeff would like us to play.
What’s one headline we may see about Bulleen this season?
We had very poor results last year in big games especially finals so hopefully if we get to a final there’s a headline about us winning one!