Season Launch points towards a Ravens Renaissance in Gladesville.
Women’s State League club Gladesville Ravens last week launched their season with a gala event, attended by over 100 members and guests. The players were presented with their kits and the club announced its vision for the upcoming season.
After failing to get the required points last season to stay in the Women’s Premier League, the Ravens have embarked on an ambitious program in order to get the best out of their 2013 State League campaign. Women’s Football Director Rob Barbagallo calls it the “Ravens renaissance.”
Part of this renaissance includes the appointment of former Dutch international Sandra Awondatu as the new Technical Director. “It’s the gap we’ve been missing all along” explains Barbagallo, “we’ve realised the mistakes of last season, where we didn’t have the right structure in place.”
The ‘Dutch invasion’ of Australian football has been questioned in some quarters, but the Ravens are excited to have Sandra Awondatu on board, who has a wealth of experience as both a player and a coach.
Awondatu has only been in the country since January, but she is keen to learn about Australian football, and is already halfway through Johnny Warren’s autobiography Sheilas Wogs and Poofters. The Indonesian-born, Dutch-raised Awondatu explains that she is not interested in simply replicating the Dutch style at Gladesville. “I’m not just working as a Dutch person. We should be looking to use the beautiful Australian culture to create your own style.”
“Australians have a great fighting spirit, but it’s not only about fighting. You need a bit of structure."
Awondatu has previously worked in a similar capacity in the Netherlands with ASV Wartburgia and Fortuna Wormerveer, while she also has experience coaching in futsal. She got into coaching back in the 1980s, at a time when it was difficult to find coaches for women in Holland.
And while she is still adapting to a new environment, Awondatu is relishing the challenge in a country where women’s football is booming. Indeed, she arrives at an important juncture in Australia’s football development.
Awondatu says she is excited by the enthusiasm for football in Australia, and particularly impressed by the attitude of her five coaches at Gladesville – Wayne Richardson, Daegal Richardson, Albert Di Sciascio, Mark Boyd, and John Jiggins.
Having a well-connected and ambitious woman in charge certainly has its benefits for the Gladesville Ravens. Present at the season launch was Matildas coach Hesterine De Reus, who came as a guest of Awondatu. De Reus presented each player with their jersey for the season, and commented, "always play to the best of your ability, and never give up."
The presence of the national coach had the Gladesville girls buzzing, and added to the excitement for the upcoming season. Barbagallo has been particularly impressed with the work Awondatu has already put in with the young girls, commenting that she is a “wonderful role model for our females.”
Indeed, rebirth was a feature of the season launch, as the club laid out its vision for the future. The Ravens has a rich history in the area, and has the largest women’s program in the northwest region. Gladesville have been a conveyor belt of female talent over the years, boasting Matilda Ellyse Perry as a former player and FIFA Board Member Moya Dodd as a member.
Having secured a technical director who can implement the FFA’s new coaching curriculum and provide the best instruction to both coaches and players in Gladesville, Barbagallo’s focus now returns to upgrading the club’s facilities. The club has been working with the council for some time to ensure that Gladesville continues to be an attractive place for people to play football.
Barbagallo is putting in the groundwork for Gladesville Ravens to regain their place in the Women’s Premier League. “If not next year, the year after” he promises, “and when we get there, we’ll stay there.”
-By Joe Gorman
