The Clarence Zebras loom as the team to beat ahead of the 2020 Women's Super League season which kicks off this weekend. The WSL season will be shortened slightly, reduced from 20 games down to 15 due to the Covid-19 imposed delay that prevented the competition from kicking off back in March and on paper the Zebras would appear to be favourites, with the Olympia Warriors poised as the team best set to challenge them. Kingborough, Ulverstone, South and University will look to close the gap from the runaway top two of last year, but it would be a surprise to see a side other than Olympia or Clarence hoisting the WSL trophy come seasons end.
The 2019 Super League season saw a hotly contested title race between Olympia and the then Hobart Zebras that went all the way to the final day, where the Zebras won the last game of the season 3-2 to claim the title in dramatic scenes after a season of duking it out for the top spot on the table. Following the amalgamation of the Hobart Zebras and Clarence United, the new look Clarence Zebras have only got stronger, adding some quality depth to an already strong core. Whilst a 2020 title race won't technically be a rematch of last seasons title race, given that the core of the squad comes from the Hobart Zebras and the fact that Chris Hey is the coach, it’s close enough and 2020 should once again be a hotly contested showdown between these rivals.
The Clarence Zebras side is well balanced. They have a superb attack led by Allie Berry, Zoe Nichols and Danielle Kannegiesser, class in midfield with Burt, Bowden and O'Brien, and now add the imperious Zara Dixon to an already imposing defence. That along with their strong depth and Summer Cup triumph in which they downed the Warriors 4-1, has sent ominous message to the rest of the Super League and firmly installed them as the favourites. But with reigning MVP Madi Chambers, speedster Bonnie Davies, and star midfielder Inocent Michael, the Warriors have a potent attack themselves and the weapons to provide plenty of headaches at the back. The delay to the season has allowed them to get stronger, as they welcome back star midfielder Olivia Bomford and Centre back Maddi Black, who otherwise would've been in America and Canberra respectively.
Both sides claimed wins in their respective Statewide Cup games last weekend to start the season off in style and will look to carry that into this weekend. Olympia ran out 4-0 winners over fellow WSL side Ulverstone, whilst Clarence were far too strong for Northern Championship side Devonport, claiming a 7-0 win. It was a Devonport side boasting some familiar names that previously wore Ulverstone colours, with Lucy Foote, Georgia King and Jazmine White all departing for their Coastal neighbours. It leaves a big hole in the Reds lineup that makes a title push akin to their 2017 run seem unlikely. They do have some high quality youngsters coming through the ranks to fill that void in the seasons to come however. Both Meghan Gaffney and Rising Star winner Amy Bissett showed extremely promising signs in season 2019 and even some of their more established names like Lucy Reimer and Georgia Anderson are still teenagers. With a strong defence led by one of the competitions best defenders in Emily Nellis, they are still going to be a tough opponent for anyone who plays them, but this feels like more of a developmental year than title push.
Another side boasting plenty of promising youth are the Kingborough Lions who will miss the services of midfield general Zoe Horgan, but with the likes of Davis, Tatton and Moore, they still have plenty of creativity. They appear to have unearthed another young gun in 15 year old Holly Bonertz-Benn, who hit a hat-trick in their Statewide Cup win over the Somerset Sharks and could add some extra bite into an attack that has at times been too reliant on Laura Davis. If they can diversify their scoring threat it will go a long way to them improving on their 2019 season, because whilst you can certainly guarantee that Davis is going to provide them with plenty of goals, too often in the big games she has been left isolated.
South Hobart had a truly horror run with injuries in 2019 and will be hoping that they can actually get something resembling their best XI out on the park this year. They will likely head into the season as the youngest playing group assembled, but will be boosted by the return of gun striker Phoebe Djakic. An attack boasting Djakic and Choi with Mary Coy pulling the midfield strings has potential for goals, but the biggest thing they need to address is their defence. They were too easy to score on last season and whilst injuries played a big part in that, if they are to improve on their 2 wins from last year they must tighten up at the back.
The final side competing in the league this year will be a returning University SC. The Bees were far too strong for the Southern Championship last year after being relegated in 2018 and it's good to see them back in a league that their talent levels suggest they belong in, but it will certainly be a sharp step up for them that they will need to adjust to. A 3-0 win over Taroona in the Statewide Cup was the perfect way to kick things off, but they will face a major test this week against the title favourites in Clarence Zebras. There is some quality in the side with WSL experience that should aid them in that endeavour. The underrated Mich Tadros was one of the best midfielders in the WSL before their relegation and along with Emma Cazaly and the Young sisters, they have some quality.
The season kicks off on Saturday with Ulverstone playing host to Kingborough at 2:15pm on the Coast, with the other two games slated for Sunday. Olympia will take on South Hobart at Darcy Street from 2:15pm, whilst the Zebras take on the newly promoted University at Wentworth Park at 2:30pm. After a long wait, the WSL is finally back, good luck to everyone and let the title race begin.
Both sides claimed wins in their respective Statewide Cup games last weekend to start the season off in style and will look to carry that into this weekend. Olympia ran out 4-0 winners over fellow WSL side Ulverstone, whilst Clarence were far too strong for Northern Championship side Devonport, claiming a 7-0 win. It was a Devonport side boasting some familiar names that previously wore Ulverstone colours, with Lucy Foote, Georgia King and Jazmine White all departing for their Coastal neighbours. It leaves a big hole in the Reds lineup that makes a title push akin to their 2017 run seem unlikely. They do have some high quality youngsters coming through the ranks to fill that void in the seasons to come however. Both Meghan Gaffney and Rising Star winner Amy Bissett showed extremely promising signs in season 2019 and even some of their more established names like Lucy Reimer and Georgia Anderson are still teenagers. With a strong defence led by one of the competitions best defenders in Emily Nellis, they are still going to be a tough opponent for anyone who plays them, but this feels like more of a developmental year than title push.
Another side boasting plenty of promising youth are the Kingborough Lions who will miss the services of midfield general Zoe Horgan, but with the likes of Davis, Tatton and Moore, they still have plenty of creativity. They appear to have unearthed another young gun in 15 year old Holly Bonertz-Benn, who hit a hat-trick in their Statewide Cup win over the Somerset Sharks and could add some extra bite into an attack that has at times been too reliant on Laura Davis. If they can diversify their scoring threat it will go a long way to them improving on their 2019 season, because whilst you can certainly guarantee that Davis is going to provide them with plenty of goals, too often in the big games she has been left isolated.
South Hobart had a truly horror run with injuries in 2019 and will be hoping that they can actually get something resembling their best XI out on the park this year. They will likely head into the season as the youngest playing group assembled, but will be boosted by the return of gun striker Phoebe Djakic. An attack boasting Djakic and Choi with Mary Coy pulling the midfield strings has potential for goals, but the biggest thing they need to address is their defence. They were too easy to score on last season and whilst injuries played a big part in that, if they are to improve on their 2 wins from last year they must tighten up at the back.
The final side competing in the league this year will be a returning University SC. The Bees were far too strong for the Southern Championship last year after being relegated in 2018 and it's good to see them back in a league that their talent levels suggest they belong in, but it will certainly be a sharp step up for them that they will need to adjust to. A 3-0 win over Taroona in the Statewide Cup was the perfect way to kick things off, but they will face a major test this week against the title favourites in Clarence Zebras. There is some quality in the side with WSL experience that should aid them in that endeavour. The underrated Mich Tadros was one of the best midfielders in the WSL before their relegation and along with Emma Cazaly and the Young sisters, they have some quality.
The season kicks off on Saturday with Ulverstone playing host to Kingborough at 2:15pm on the Coast, with the other two games slated for Sunday. Olympia will take on South Hobart at Darcy Street from 2:15pm, whilst the Zebras take on the newly promoted University at Wentworth Park at 2:30pm. After a long wait, the WSL is finally back, good luck to everyone and let the title race begin.