Myimbarr Park in Shellharbour plays host to 32 Grand Finals this weekend including 13 female Grand Finals on Sunday. The massive weekend is headlined by the action in the Builder’s Club Women’s Division 1 through 5 Grand Finals as well as the Women’s Youth League decider.

 

Builder’s Club Women’s Division 1 - Albion Park vs University

Myimbarr Field 1 @ 3.30 pm

 

Sunday’s main game is the Builders Club Women's Division 1 Grand Final which sees Albion Park facing off with University. There are no prizes for guessing who the favourites are heading into the clash with Albion Park finishing 19 points clear of second-placed Uni.

 

There isn’t much to say about Albion Park which hasn’t already been said. The side have won their past 55 matches and if they notch up number 56 on the weekend it will be their fifth Grand Final win in a row.

 

Jessica Hanly has been with the side throughout this unprecedented run and she admits the nerves don’t change despite the success, “The nerves are still the same, every game is different, the pressures are different. If anything the nerves are probably higher this year given what we have achieved so far and the success of the club.”

 

As for University, they had a barnstorming start to the season with eight wins from their first 10 matches which led to some chatter that they could challenge for League title honours, however, three wins in the final two months of the season curtailed that.

 

This is a very inexperienced University side with a majority of the squad playing in their first year or two of senior football. With this in mind, there is a sense that regardless of Sunday’s Grand Final, the best is yet to come, a sentiment echoed by Uni’s Rachel Abbott, “I think every year should be a year which lays the foundations for the year ahead... hopefully, we can improve individually and as a team in the years to come.”

 

University have lost all four games against Albion Park this season by an aggregate score of 21-3, however, they led by a goal in the first two encounters and the last meeting in the Major Semi Final was 2-1 in the 83rd minute before Park netted two cheap goals as the Unicorns pushed forward for an equaliser.

 

This match is a perfect opportunity to see some of the best players in the region and here are a couple from both sides I recommend keeping an eye on. For Albion Park, Brittany Ring is the best in the business with 96 goals in 83 Division 1 matches in the last five years. The other is fullback Michelle Foscarini who for mine is the best crosser of the ball in Division 1 and is equally adept from dead ball situations.

 

As for University, Kristen Gorgieski is one to watch with her 21 goals this season the best in the League after scoring 39 goals for Albion Park’s Youth League side in 2017. Elise Battin is another for the Unicorns, she’s one of the more experienced heads as well as one of most consistent. She knows all about Albion Park after numerous meetings with them during her time with Tarrawanna and Wollongong Olympic.

 

Sunday’s decider will also feature three female on-field officials for the second season in a row in referee Lottie Cabassi Powers and her assistants Casey Flemming and Demi Goddard.

 

Builder’s Club Women’s Division 2 - South Coast United vs University

Myimbarr Field 1 @ 1 pm

 

The Division 2 Grand Final also feature University who take on South Coast United who are also represented in the Division 4 decider. Uni took out the League title in the second tier after finishing five points ahead of second-placed United. These two sides were by far the pacesetters with the chasing pack a further nine points back.

 

University have a number of players with a few years of experience in the top two divisions while a bulk of the United squad were playing youth football in recent years.

 

Geraldine Ponce has 24 goals in 18 matches this season and she is aided by Lisa Prior and Tearra Hudson who have both notched double figures in 2018. Not to be outdone, United young guns Ashleigh Matthews and Melissa Romero Baquero have combined for 29 goals this season.

 

The Unicorns got the better of South Coast on both occasions in the regular season, however, United gained the upper hand with a 2-0 win in the Major Semi Final.

 

Builder’s Club Women’s Division 3 - Oak Flats Wildcats vs Kiama Quarriers

Myimbarr Field 2 @ 1.15 pm

 

Division 3 was the most competitive of all five tiers with just six points separating first from fourth. Grand Final day will see the top two sides go up against each other with table toppers Oak Flats Wildcats taking on the Kiama Quarriers.

 

After 18 rounds there were only three points between the Wildcats and the Quarriers with the former winning 12 from 18 matches this season. Kiama are a side who spread the goals around with 12 different scorers this season, however, their main threat is Hayleigh Fisher who scored 12 goals in 19 matches plus a goal in four Division 1 outings.

 

The ledger is slightly in Oak Flats’ favour with two wins from the three matches between these two sides including a 3-2 win in the first week of the finals.

 

Builder’s Club Women’s Division 4 - Coniston vs South Coast United

Myimbarr Field 2 @ 11 am

 

Coniston are red hot favourites heading into the Division 4 decider against South Coast United after winning 19 of 19 matches so far this season. Coniston have scored the most (108) and conceded the least (3) across the five divisions and posses the strikeforce of Stephanie Harris and Jaimie Bailey who have combined for 59 goals this campaign.

 

South Coast finished 14 points behind the Sunday opponents in third but they are on a strong run of form with eight wins from their last nine matches including a 4-2 win over the Fernhill Vixens in the Preliminary Final.

 

Coniston won the last encounter between the two sides 6-0, however, back in Round 7 it was a closer 2-0 affair.

 

Builder’s Club Women’s Division 5 - Wollongong United vs Jamberoo

Myimbarr Field 2 @ 8.30 am

 

The first match of the day is the Division 5 Grand Final which pits together two sides competing in their inaugural seasons. United won the division by seven points over Jamberoo after winning 16 of 18 matches.

 

This match also sees the two top goalscorers go head to head with Jamberoo's Simone Boulton finding the back of the net 21 times this season, once more than United’s Kiara Teuma.

 

United had three fairly comfortable wins over the Roos in the regular season including an emphatic 6-0 win in Round 15. However, the Major Semi Final a couple of weeks ago with a tighter affair with United edging it 2-1.

 

FSC Women’s Youth League - Thirroul vs Warilla

Myimbarr Field 1 @ 11 am

 

The Women’s Youth League Grand Final is another encounter between the top two sides from the 18 round regular season with first-placed Thirroul taking on second-placed Warilla. While the Wanderers had to settle for second in the League, they finished up with a goal differential which was 19 goals superior to their Sunday opponents.

 

While this is an under 21s competition, there is a sprinkling of players who have already featured in senior women’s football. Perhaps the most notable of these include Warilla’s Emma Gomez and Thirroul’s Ashleigh Walter who have already made their Division 1 debuts.

 

Sunday’s decider will the fifth time these two sides have met in 2018 with Thirroul leading the way with three wins to Warilla’s one with an aggregate score of 6-3 in the Thunder’s favour.

Preview by Dylan Arvela, on Twitter @dylanarvela