Devonport Strikers vs Launceston United
Date: Sunday March 28
Venue: Valley Road
Kick-off: 12:00 PM
2020 record: Devonport Strikers: 1-0-0 (third in WSL) Launceston United: 1-0-0 (first in WSL)
Top scorers: Devonport Strikers: Jazmin White/Danielle Mitchell (1) Launceston United: Laura Dickinson/Danielle Gunton/Gonya Luate/Annika Reitsema/Sofie Verhaegen (1)
Preview:
Both of these sides may be new to the Women's Super League, but they both arrived with a bang in round one to notch their first wins of the season. Launceston United were particularly impressive, dominating against last season's runners-up and running out 5-1 winners over the Zebras. 17-year-old midfielder Gonya Luate was a standout, scoring the club's first goal in the WSL and finding ways to make an impact across the park. What really stood out was their balance across the park-- five different goalscorers, including two substitutes, showed a remarkable amount of depth for a squad that was in the Northern Championship last season. That attacking spark combined with a rock-solid defensive unit should cause plenty of issues for every team in the league, including their opponents this week. The Strikers failed to beat United in their two matchups last season, but they will take some confidence from claiming their first win of the season on the road last round. Valley Road has long been a fortress for the club's men's side, and the WSL team would be hoping to build a similar reputation starting this week. They certainly have the attacking firepower to challenge United, even though their conversion was a little sloppy against South.Key player: Jazmin White, Devonport Strikers
White loomed as the key to Devonport's success before the season started, and she would have been glad to hit the scoreboard in round one after a year away from the game. The multi-time Golden Boot winner scores goals for fun-- if anyone can crack Launceston's defence, it's her.South Hobart vs Kingborough Lions
Date: Sunday March 28
Kick-off: 2:00 PM
Venue: Darcy Street
2020 record: South Hobart: 0-0-1 (fifth in WSL) Kingborough Lions: 0-0-0 (fourth in WSL)
Top scorers: South Hobart: Lucy Roberts (1) Kingborough Lions: N/A
Preview:
Kingborough were impressive in the pre-season, making it all the way to the Summer Cup final, and they will open their WSL campaign this week after a round one bye. They travel to face a South Hobart team that would have been disappointed to drop all three points in their season opener, particularly at home and against a Northern side. There were some positives to take from the performance, though, with an assured performance from goalkeeper Georgia McMullen and a stunning goal from Lucy Roberts the highlights. They also held a Strikers team with a phenomenal scoring record in 2020 to just two goals, and that should give them some momentum heading into a clash with one of the league's best attacking lineups. Former Zebra Danielle Kannegiesser and star striker Laura Davis alone make the Lions a constant threat; add in up-and-coming sisters Holly and Kate Bonertz-Benn and a deeper squad than in previous years, and Kingborough could easily emerge as a title threat. They should have too much talent for South to overcome, as was the case when they met in the Summer Cup and the Lions prevailed 4-1.Key player: Laura Davis, Kingborough Lions
Davis didn't hit the scoresheet in that pre-season hitout, but she will surely be keen to start the new season with a bang. She has previously been left too isolated at times in the final third, and it will be interesting to see if that changes with more attacking talent around her in 2021.Taroona FC vs Clarence Zebras
Date: Sunday March 28
Kick-off: 2:15 PM
Venue: Kelvedon Park
2020 record: Taroona FC: 0-0-1 (sixth in WSL) Clarence Zebras: 0-0-1 (seventh in WSL)
Top scorers: Taroona FC: Hannah Price (1) Clarence Zebras: Madeline O'Brien (1)
Preview:
Two winless teams will face off here, but they enter in very different circumstances. On one side are Taroona, freshly back in the Super League after a brief hiatus. Maybe that should have lowered their expectations entering the season, but after seeing both of their fellow newcomers claim wins in round one they would surely be desperate to impress. They were far from disgraced against the Warriors, and while they struggled to create many scoring chances, it's hard to judge them too harshly up against the defending champions. This would have looked like another nightmare matchup based on last season's standings, but fresh off of a close title race in 2020, the Zebras slumped to a comprehensive 5-1 loss against Launceston United in round one. They lost plenty of talent over the offseason, so maybe that shouldn't have been a surprise, but they have enough good players left to expect better than that. This game will be a perfect barometer of where both teams stand-- can Taroona be competitive in their first season back, and can the Zebras remain a title contender?Key player: Zoe Nichols, Clarence Zebras
One of the league's most dangerous forwards last season, Nichols has lost a lot of her support in the final third this year. She will need to shoulder a much heavier load if the Zebras want to stay in the title race, and that could start against a Taroona side that is still something of an unknown.