New era for Women’s football at APIA
It is a new dawn for women’s football at the APIA Leichhardt Tigers.
The men’s club has produced more Socceroos captains than any other club, and since the inception of the A-League, more players have made the move from APIA to clubs in the top tier of Australian club football.
Now, it is time for the women’s game to catch up, and the club is making all the right moves ahead of the 2016 season.
It is no secret the women’s game has been neglected in the past, but new women’s football manager Matteo Maiorana said that is all about to change.
"I’m really excited for the project, it’s a massive opportunity for the club," he said.
"I think with the long term and short term planning, it will be great to see how far we can take APIA.
"It’s about making sure the 13 and 15 year old girls have the opportunities to move through the ranks."
Those girls will receive such opportunities in abundance, particularly with current Matildas Servet Uzunlar and Teresa Polias now part of the club.
Uzunlar and Polias will be involved in the club on a number of different levels, and they both see the project Maiorana and the club is investing in, as opportunities they wish they could have received during their own development.
"When I was growing up we didn’t have these opportunities, it was a small pool. To see girls play at a World Cup and to have the opportunity to give back to the game at a grassroots level… we’re building the future of women’s football," Uzunlar said.
"When you put your name to something, you want to leave a legacy. I’d love to see women’s football as a whole go from strength to strength."
"There are some very exciting plans coming up," Polias said.
"It was a great opportunity to get involved. Matteo is a very passionate person too, he supported me in my career, and he’ll do the right thing by the girl’s side of the club in order to achieve success."
APIA Leichhardt’s long serving honorary president Tony Raciti freely admitted this is a turning point for the club’s women’s operation.
"The success of the Matildas has inspired the club to change its mindset," Mr Raciti said.
"We’d like to match the men’s achievements in the women’s side, and in two years we hope they will be in the top tier of women’s football in NSW.
"We’ve had this project in mind for two or three years, we’ve just needed someone to drive it.
"We’re excited too that the facility to accommodate not just boys and men but girls and women too.
"We’ve got them on equal footing. When Lambert Park was upgraded it was done with the development of girls and women in mind. There aren’t many clubs at this level that have four dressing rooms."
-By Matt Connellan
