Brisbane Roar Women Head Coach Belinda Wilson has announced her 20-player squad ahead of this weekend’s Westfield W-League 2012/13 season opener against Canberra United at McKellar Park.
Brisbane Roar Women Head Coach Belinda Wilson has announced her 20-player squad ahead of this weekend-s Westfield W-League 2012/13 season opener against Canberra United at McKellar Park.
There are plenty of familiar faces returning to don the orange jersey – including five players from the inaugural Roar squad back in 2008 – with some new faces also thrown into the mix by the new coach.
“I-m over the moon to finally have the squad finalised,” said Wilson, who was only named Head Coach last month.
“Now that it-s organised, I-m looking forward to concentrating on the football and our own performances.”
Clare Polkinghorne will wear the captain-s armband as she has done for the past three Westfield W-League seasons, while Elise Kellond-Knight will return from a year-long absence with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury to support her from the vice captain-s role.
Two former Roar understudy goalkeepers Hoshimi Kishi and Kate Stewart will battle it out for the number one jersey after news that long-time Brisbane custodian Casey Dumont will miss the 2012/13 season due to an osteitis pubis injury.
“Kate has been with the club previously and has been invited back, along with Hoshimi from Japan, who was here last year,” Wilson said.
“Kate is currently coming back from injury so it looks like Hoshimi will start this weekend, at this stage.”
Wilson also scoured the local leagues to find the best female football talent in south-east Queensland with her search resulting in striker Emma Pittman from The Gap and Redlands United trio defensive Georgia Chapman, goalkeeper Joanne Buckley and utility player Sachiko Tatsuoka.
“We went to the local Diamond League and we found some great players, including Sachiko,” she said.
“She-s a very highly technical Japanese player who played in the Nadeshiko League in Japan, the top level over there.”
Young central defender Erika Elze returns to the Roar after a season in the west with Perth while Brisbane local Katrina Gorry will play for her hometown club after two seasons with Melbourne Victory.
Coach Wilson has also added English striker Hannah Beard to the squad with her former LA Strikers teammate Amy Chapman also returning to the club after a year off with knee injury.
“Hannah-s been playing more recently over in America in the college system,” she said.
“She-s an exciting player – an out-and-out striker who brings speed and has an eye for goal.”
Brisbane Roar open their Westfield W-League 2012/13 season with a Grand Final re-match against Canberra United on Saturday, 20 October at McKellar Park.
Brisbane Roar Westfield W-League 2012/13 squad
1. Hoshimi KISHI (gk), 2. Laura ALLEWAY, 3. Amy CHAPMAN, 4. Clare POLKINGHORNE, 5. Brooke SPENCE, 6. Ashley SPINA, 7. Erika ELZE, 8. Elise KELLOND-KNIGHT, 9. Emma PITTMAN, 10. Lana HARCH, 11. Vedrana POPOVIC, 12. Rebecca PRICE, 13. Tameka BUTT, 14. Georgia CHAPMAN, 15. Hannah BEARD, 16. Sachiko TATSUOKA, 17. Emily GIELNIK, 19. Katrina GORRY, 20. Kate STEWART (gk), 30. Joanne BUCKLEY (gk)
