The Women’s Super League enters its final month as we approach the finish line, and Round 18’s Match of the Round will feature the Glenorchy Knights taking on South Hobart at KGV. The Knights have surprised many this year with a strong first year showing in the league and should present a challenge for South Hobart who are looking to hold onto second place.
Speaking at a Friday morning press conference on behalf of the women’s side, Ken Morton said the side has been trending in the right direction over the past few weeks.
“I think we’ve seen a real improvement in the last couple of weeks, we had a real dip in form for many reasons, but particularly injuries and sickness," he said.
"But the last couple of weeks we've got back to getting a stronger XI on the field and with those players back the performances have improved and we’ve got some good results.”
Morton conceded the title race was all but over, but said finishing second place was the main focus and ensuring that they won their remaining matches to finish the year on a high.
“We’ve got to win every game from here and hope Devonport lose 2 or 3 which isn’t going to happen, but I think we can finish in second spot if they keep winning their matches,” he said.
"It's still about getting results as well, you want to finish as high as you can, as that also lifts the players and keeps people who might be interested in coming to the club.”
Whilst it hasn’t been the title defence the Club has been after in 2024, Morton suggested it was always going to be tough given the circumstances facing the club.
“We lost a lot of big players, to injury and to the mainland in the off-season, so they were very hard to replace," he said.
"When you lose creative midfield players and strong defenders at the back that leaves big holes to fill.
"I think realistically we have done well to do that, and the season has been okay when you take into account the circumstances around the playing group.”
Morton said he has been impressed by what he had seen of this week’s opponents in Glenorchy Knights.
“I've seen them a few times now and some of the football they’ve played has been exceptional, they’ve been a bit up down but that happens when you're a young side, finding that consistency is the key and they are on the way," he said.
When asked if he saw Knights on a similar trajectory to where South themselves were several years ago, Morton agreed.
“Without a doubt, the first year we struggled to get results but the performances from a young group were very good and I think Knights are similar in that regard.”
Knights Captain Sarah Bolonja was pleased with how her side has handled the step up to the WSL this season, with the side having claimed five wins so far in 2024.
“I think we have had a good first season, getting established in the WSL," she said.
"We are a young side, so I’ve expected some inconsistencies in our play, but on the whole I think it's been a good effort in our first season.
“The results have been pretty good - we were disappointed after our loss against Riverside last week but overall we have done well this season ... we have really improved as a team and got to know each other.”
Bolonja suggested the biggest adjustments came in the form of new players learning to play with each other and the pace of play.
“It's mainly just adjusting to the pace of the game, getting to know each other as a team and establishing our footing into the league, but it has all been pretty good so far," she said.
As one of the youngest captains the WSL has seen, Bolonja said she had enjoyed the experience of leadership in the side's maiden campaign.
"It’s different, I’ve been a captain of some teams prior to this, so I’m kind of used to being in a leadership role, but it was definitely a big ask coming up against these older teams with older leaders out there, but I have enjoyed it so far,” she said.
“The biggest thing I’ve learned this season is getting to know everyone in the team and finding ways to help them get through games and be very encouraging whilst balancing that with having to play the game myself, balancing the highs and lows of a young team.”
Bolonja said that whilst the side's performance was more important than results in the final month, the side was still hungry for wins to close out the year.
“I think it’s more performance related, we just want to do the best we can and really see if we can get a couple more wins, but we want to challenge the opposition and show everyone what we are capable of and hopefully win a couple more games," she said.
As for this week’s game and the final weeks ahead, Bolonja felt the side wanted to show everyone what they were capable of against a side they respected.
“South Hobart are definitely a very good side, they are very strong, very physical," she said.
"If we play our best, we can do well against them, I believe that, but I think it's just about everyone putting in 100% effort against South - we want to prove ourselves against a tough opposition and see how we go.”
In the weekend’s other fixtures, the Devonport Strikers will return to action after their week off for the bye as they host Riverside Olympic and look to take a step towards closing out the title, needing just four more points to make it mathematically certain. Indeed, should they win and South were to slip up on Sunday, then the champagne corks can be popped.
Whilst at Birch Avenue, Launceston United will look to solidify fourth spot on the table against a Taroona side who will be eager for points themselves, having slipped to the foot of the table following Round 17.
Round 18
Saturday 17 August
Devonport Strikers v Riverside Olympic, Valley Road, 12:00pm LIVE STREAM
Launceston United v Taroona FC, FloorWorld Park, 4:30pm LIVE STREAM
Sunday 18 August
Glenorchy Knights v South Hobart, KGV, 3:15pm LIVE STREAM