Sarah Sumner has signed with Galaxy United for the 2016 NPLW season.
A versatile defender and midfielder, the move ends her current three-year association with South Melbourne, a stint that yielded two Women’s Premier League Championships.
The former Victorian representative at Under-17 level started her WPL career at South, before moving to Geelong in 2009.
In 2010 to 2012 she spent two separate seasons at Preston – either side of a campaign at Altona in 2011 – with both clubs struggling to assert themselves in the WPL and suffering eventual relegation.
It was a period of Sumner’s career she described as going “a little to pieces.”
Her fortunes began to turn when she arrived at Lakeside in 2013, as Bill Mihaloudis’ side finished top of the ladder before succumbing 1-0 to Sandringham in the Grand Final.
South went one better in 2014, winning the Premiership-Championship double, with caretaker coach Matt Maslak guiding the side to a 1-0 win over Heidelberg for the title.
While the reigning champions finished third in 2015, they went on to repeat their Grand Final heroics in a penalty shootout against the more fancied Boroondara Eagles.
However, Sumner saw her game time limited under new manager Socrates Nicolaidis.
The 23-year-old’s move to Galaxy will see her link up with former South Melbourne teammates Laura Spiranovic and Jade Feakes in the newly revamped Women’s National Premier League.
She is Vicenzo’s Ierardo’s sixth signing, joining Spiranovic, Feakes, Whitney Knight, Sky Jensen and Kariah White as confirmed squad members for the 2016 season.