Yeoman-Dale dreaming of a Rams Championship

SEFTON, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 08:  Match action during the Women's National Premier Leagues NSW Round 5 match between Bankstown City FC and Macarthur Rams Womens FC at Jensen Park on April 8, 2018 in Sefton, Australia. #NPLNSW @NPLNSW #NorthernTigers @Northern_Tigers  #HearUsRoar @NorthernTigersFootballClub  @RamsWomen @MacarthurRamsFC  (Photo by Jeremy Ng/www.jeremyngphotos.com for Football NSW)

Leading NPL NSW Women’s goalscorer Georgia Yeoman-Dale believes the Macarthur Rams have got the secret ingredient to bring home the Championship for 2018.

The Rams are currently sitting in third place, but with only two points separating first and fifth place and seven games left to play, the competition is as tight as ever.

You can’t blame the Macarthur side for being quietly confident in their endeavour for top spot.

Boasting arguably the most experienced side in the league with several W-League players on the roster, the second most goals scored for the season and not to mention two of their players featuring in the top five leading goal scorers, they are a dangerous threat.

Personally, Yeoman-Dale has played for the Macarthur Rams on and off for three years but has also played with her dual Rams and Sydney FC team mates, Kylie Ledbrook, Leena Khamis and Teresa Polias for even longer.

Scoring 19 goals during her 15 appearances this season, she attributes the team’s success to experience, knowing each other so well and being able to enjoy the game.

“We’ve got a core group within our team that have played together for years and we’re a team who play our best, when we are enjoying ourselves. That along with our ability to combine is our biggest strength.

“We’ve got combinations that we’ve used for years and because we’ve played together for so long, most of the time we are able to read what each player is going to do on the pitch.”

But as much as being able to read your player can be an asset, Yeoman-Dale says it can also be a point of frustration when things don’t go to plan.

“A weakness for us would be that when someone does something unexpected we can get frustrated with each other and lose focus. It means that even though we are scoring goals, we aren’t making the most of every opportunity.”

In between acting as a dominating force in the Women’s NPL and W-League and completing a double degree in civil engineering and commerce, Yeoman-Dale is a mentor and volunteer for AIME (Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience).

The 24-year-old attends various schools across Sydney once a week to act as a tutor and mentor for Indigenous students, bridging the gap between high school and university.

“I do what’s called tutor squad once a week where I head out to schools to help Indigenous kids with whatever they need to assist in their education, whether it be homework, assignments or study just to try and give them that extra resource.

“My motivation was to give back, but honestly I am getting more out of it than I ever would have expected. I have learnt and grown so much by spending time with these kids.”

With five caps to her name so far for the Matildas, Yeoman-Dale’s main focus for the rest of the year is to keep enjoying her time in the NPL, prepare for the upcoming W-League season and focus on her studies.

“For the last two years I’ve been balancing study with my football goals and commitments.

“This year, my focus has shifted to getting good grades and continuing to enjoy playing football as much as I do.

-By Liana Buratti