While they may no longer be in the Victorian top-flight, things at South Yarra SC are looking rosy, after both their senior and reserve side continued their unbeaten start to the State League One season.
Both teams have registered two wins and a draw from three games and sit in the top two of their respective leagues, an impressive feat from the pace-setters who impressed with their endeavour in the 2015 WPL season.
Senior head coach Jeff Thomas has outlined some of the reasons for the club’s good start to the 2016 campaign.
“First, we are building on the foundation left by previous coaches Danny Hall and Dean Wixen over the previous two seasons,” Thomas said.
“The club is becoming known as a place for serious female adult players, who want organized, focused practices, teammates who care about the game as much as they do and the opportunity to enjoy the ups and downs of a football season together once the game is over.
“Second, a year of pushing ourselves to the limit every week in last year’s WPL means our returning players are hardened and hungry for success, and understand there is another level good teams play at that they can strive to reach too.
“We’ve also had a comprehensive pre-season, with practices well attended and both squads playing four to six games against a variety of opponents. This allowed us to define our game, test different combinations of players, and find a place for almost everyone who wanted to be part of the club.
“Finally, these other three factors are attractive to players looking for a new home to play football, and we have gained new players who have added to the depth and strength of both squads.
“It was a great testament to the spirit of our players that we had people walking up during our pre-season practices at Fawkner Park saying that it looked like fun and asking ‘Could they join?’
“The players were also inviting friends they knew from other sports or football teams to be part of South Yarra in 2016.”
The only downside has been a couple of early season injuries to players who would usually play a prominent part on the field.
“We know we have a few players leaving for overseas during the season, but we also have a couple more waiting for international transfer clearances, ” Thomas said.
“So while there may need to be some positional changes when that happens, we also know the squad strength will continue.”
He added that there were “too many” outstanding players to single any one out for special mention over the others.
“We have had different players step up at different times to make outstanding contributions in all our games,” Thomas said.
“For everyone to be contributing to and celebrating everyone else’s individual success no matter what their own challenges are is absolutely critical in any team sport.”
Compared to last year’s chastening WPL experience, the season got off to a remarkable start for the Lions with the reserves scoring four goals in the first half of a 6-3 victory, including a hat-trick for Gretel Templeton before the break, who only entered the game as a substitute 20 minutes in.
The seniors, who had been sidelined from the TeamApp Cup that most other clubs had entered, took out their frustration with a powerful first half of their own against Eltham, dominating the game and scoring three goals before the break in a 4-1 rout.
It was a tougher opponent in Round Two, with the Knights playing a style of football well-suited to their small home pitch; the seniors coming away with a 2-2 draw, the reserves a 3-1 win.
The Lions’ needed to also counter a greater physical challenge, but both South Yarra teams dominated possession in their respective games and thereby limited the danger of the opposition.
Thomas said his senior squad was “somewhat disappointed” to come away with only a draw after creating more scoring chances on the day.
Like many other clubs, South Yarra faced a different hurdle in Round Three, as it was scheduled during a long weekend.
This meant more than a dozen players across the two squads were unavailable for the weekend’s fixture.
“[New ressies coach] Nick Hoen and I agree to share a number of players on the day to ensure both squads could field 11 players, and still provide some support from the substitutes bench,” Thomas said.
“We knew Ballarat were motivated to do well, and ready to play us head-to-head after their own early season success.”
Both teams took the lead during the second half only for both to get pegged back.
The reserves finished locked at 2-2 – both goals by Lesley King after great build up work from her team mates – while the seniors managed to push on for a late winner courtesy of Eliza Mealin.
King had also netted for the seniors – both the aforementioned players having played in two games on the afternoon – after captain Marcela Marques had opened the scoring for the third week in a row.
Next up for South Yarra is a trip to bottom-of-the table Yarra Jets, while are also looking forward to match-ups with competition leaders South Melbourne (round 7) and Melbourne University (Round 9)