O’Neil ready for Stingrays challenge

One player who will be used to the surroundings at Blacktown Football Park on Sunday afternoon in the Women’s Premier League grand final is Linda O’Neil.
At the tender age of 21, O’Neil has already played in the W-League grand final scoring against Brisbane Roar.
“It was an amazing feeling scoring against Brisbane in the grand final”, she said.
Having also played for the Newcastle Jets she is now at the Western Sydney Wanderers.
“Western Sydney Wanderers are an awesome club. I wouldn’t really want to play anywhere else. The Fans are no doubt the best in Australia, they are important to us all. Credit to the RBB as they also came to some of our games last year and really inspired us!”
This week though, she puts on the sky blue jersey, not of rival Sydney FC but that of the Marconi Stallions. Having played for the Stallions junior under 14’s and under 16’s teams, she made a return this year.
She has helped her team this year with 8 goals but says she’d rather assist them.
“It’s weird, but I’d rather assist a goal than score one.”
The Stallions are a famous Australian club, both male and female and O’Neil says the expectations are always high.
“Our aim pre-season and all throughout the season was to finish within the top four, now being in the final, it is definitely to take the win.”
Unfortunately, O’Neil was missing from the squad that ‘stole’ the minor premiership from the Illawarra Stingrays in that famous rescheduled game against Sydney University.
“I was on a Uni Prac that evening. So you could say It was an unseeable feeling that we became Premiers that Night. I was very excited and proud of the girls that night!”
The Marconi team is motored by the experienced Heather Garriock, we asked O’Neil how it was to play with a player of such high quality.
“I have known Heather for about 8 Years we have trained together at the NSWIS and I played at Sydney FC with her.”
“She has a lot of experience and I always listen to what she has to say. She has great knowledge, always wanting the best for development and the overall team performance. I have a lot of respect for her as a player and a person.”
This season, the Stallions have defeated the Stingrays three times, 5-1 the last time they met in the major semi final. Can they repeat the feat in the grand final?
“We have to play well as a team and really do it for each other. It is going to be tough game, it always is.”
“The Stingrays are a number one team like us. We should not underestimate them. It’s going to be a battle to the end.”
-By Nikola Pozder