MWFA

Suzy Broughton wins Football NSW State Award

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Manly Warringah Football Association would like to congratulate Suzy Broughton on being named as a recipient of a State Award at the 2023 Football NSW State Dinner.

Suzy has been a key player, committee member, volunteer and driver of Harbord Football Club, stretching back to the early 1990s.

She started as a player, manager and coach of the Seasiders Football Club’s Women’s All Age team that won the MWFA Women’s Premier League 12 times between 1991 and 2003, as well as three Football NSW State Cups and six Football NSW Champion of Champions titles.

In 2003, Seasiders Football Club merged with Harbord Diggers Football Club to become Harbord Seasiders United, and they have since undergone a name change to become Harbord Football Club. Since 2003, Suzy Broughton has been the heartbeat of the football club, holding positions of age coordinator, registrar, secretary, canteen manager, gear steward, coach (teams from U10s through to senior women) and competition secretary.

Like many grassroots clubs, Harbord Football Club survives on the goodwill and drive of volunteers and Suzy picks up everything that falls through the cracks. Quite simply, this small community club would struggle to exist without her.

Not only is Suzy a dedicated volunteer, but she is also an incredibly knowledgeable and balanced football administrator, whose ability to consider the entire sport and put “football first” is highlighted by her position on the MWFA Competition Committee.

In 2009, Suzy was awarded the MWFA Meritorious Service Award for her work with Harbord Football Club and the Manly Warringah Football Association.

Suzy is a magnificent servant to the game and the Manly Warringah Football Association are grateful for her continued contributions to football on the Northern Beaches.

 

Feature image courtesy Football NSW / Brett Nielsen Photography

FOREST KILLARNEY OVER 30 WOMEN WIN TITLE

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Forest Killarney have secured the Over 30 Women Champions of Champions trophy with a scintillating performance and an 8-2 victory against Epping Football Club.

The Northern Beaches side got off to a flying start, opening the scoring early on after a strong driving run from Jarka Rey was matched by a clinical finish into the bottom left corner. However, Amy Scott found the equaliser for Epping FC five minutes later with a good run and a clever, clipped finish.

In the back-and-forth affair that followed, it was Forest who prevailed, with Rey slipping Erika Alker in behind the defence, and the winger took the one-on-one chance, calmly slotting the ball into the back of the net.

Rey, who was fantastic on the day, scored again just after the interval, before completing her hat trick with a great finish to make it 4-1. Forest then netted a fifth and a sixth goal through Stacey Beer and Rey respectively.

There was a seventh Forest goal as Beer earned herself a brace, which was followed by Fatma Agar clawing a goal back for Epping FC with a stunning free kick.

The match would finish how it started, with Rey netting her fifth goal of the contest to see Forest take home the Over 30 Women Champion of Champions title.

 

Match Stats

Epping Football Club 2 (Amy Scott, Fatma Agar)

Forest Killarney Football Club 8 (Jarka Rey x 5, Erika Alker x 2, Stacey Beer) 

Epping Football Club: 1. Rebecca BOLTON, 2. Zoi FLANNERY, 3. Michelle REED, 5. Jennifer KIM, 7. Melanie LOPES, 8. Julianna BAKOS, 9. Shannon KAVANAGH, 10. Michelle GREENFIELD, 11. Vanessa POON, 12. Fatma AGAR, 13. Lisette ROBERTSON, 15. Alex THOMPSON, 16. Tracy DUNCAN, 18. Nikki BENHAM, 19. Abigail CLARK, 21. Sara COCO, 41. Tamara WIJETUNGE, 44. Amy SCOTT

Forest Killarney Football Club: 1. Shauna HAWKES, 2. Victoria VAN DYK, 3. Christina SUSSANNA, 4. Elissa HENSHAW, 5. Sophie SHEEDY, 6. Erika ALKER, 7. Lynette HILL, 8. Stacey BEER, 9. Monica VILLACORTA, 10. Jarka REY, 11. Chrystelle DUNCAN, 12. Suzannah BAYES-MORTON, 15. Sarah SCHWARK, 16. Angie KRAJANIC, 40. Yasmina ZABICA

 

By Jack George (Football NSW)

PITTWATER PUT ON A FIVE STAR PERFORMANCE

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Pittwater RSL have secured the Champions of Champions All Age Men title with a dominant 5-2 triumph over West Pennant Hills Cherrybrook.

After controlling possession and the state of the match in the opening fifteen minutes, it was Pittwater who took the scoreline advantage thanks to a header from Joshua Yeates off a deep corner into the area.

Pittwater doubled their lead through Riley Kilpatrick after a defensive error, as they continued to control the match.

Their control of the contest was amplified by a stunning solo goal from Jonathon Walker to make it three. The central defender made a strong interception on the halfway line and drove forwards with purpose, beating the defensive line with a positive touch and burst of pace before tucking the ball home in a sensational effort.

Before halftime, West Pennant Hills clawed a goal back with Dash Ratnam finishing strongly into the bottom left-hand corner, but that was mitigated by a beautiful freekick from Odin Seoane Racano which kept the game in Pittwater’s hands.

The Northern Beaches team added a fifth in the 67th minute courtesy of a corner, which was converted once more by Yeates, but Andrew Zalunardo clawed back a goal for West Pennant Hills through a clinical penalty.

Pittwater saw out the match calmly and clinched the All Age Men Champions of Champions trophy.

 

Match Stats

West Pennant Hills Cherrybrook 2 (Dash Ratnam, Andrew Zalunardo)

Pittwater RSL 5 (Joshua Yeates x 2, Riley Kilpatrick, Jonathon Walker, Odin Seoane Racano)

West Pennant Hills Cherrybrook: 1. Jacob IRWIN, 2. Scott WILLIAMS, 4. Ryan FRANK, 5. Cody RUDD, 7. Cole RUDLIN, 10. Dash RATNAM, 16. Tim IRWIN, 18. Andrew ZALUNARDO, 21. Andrea BIASUCCI, 22. Liam KELLY, 23. Michael RAWLIN, 27. Lachlan IREDALE, 28. Dylan HUNTLEY, 29. Cameron PESAVENTO, 30. Shane CAMPBELL, 32. Ryan GUNN

Pittwater RSL: 4. Jonathon WALKER, 9. Matthew STIRRAT, 10. Michael McGINLEY, 11. Samuel WALLING, 12. Elijah BUCKNELL, 13. Alfred HUNT, 15. Nicholas DIAZ, 20. Joshua DIJKSTRA, 22. Thomas WOODWARD, 23. Max BOGUNOVIC, 24. Riley KILPATRICK, 27. Joshua YEATES, 29. Conrad MEULMAN, 32. Nicholas LEHNER, 35. Christopher RILEY, 80. Odin SEOANE RACANO

 

By Jack George (Football NSW)

SEAFORTH GO BACK-TO-BACK IN CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS

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Things have gone swimmingly for Seaforth FC and the Northern Beaches side are All Age Women Champion of Champions for the second consecutive year after defeating Jamisontown Giants 3-1.

Jamisontown had a great chance to take the lead on 12 minutes when they won a penalty. However, Seaforth shotstopper Kierly Wiggins made a giant save to deny Hollie Wilson.

Instead, it was Seaforth who would make waves by scoring twice in quick succession. Michelle Le Roux made it 1-0 on 18 minutes by smashing the ball into the net after a corner hadn’t been cleared. Two minutes later, Hannah Griffiths took a free kick from 35 yards out and went directly for goal, with the ball sailing over Jamisontown custodian Kaitlin Hansen.

Seaforth didn’t have it all their own way and Jamisontown pulled a goal back near the end of the first half. Kaitlin Harms took a difficult chance well, her left footed strike from the edge of the penalty area going in off the post.

It was 3-1 to Seaforth eight minutes after the restart, Kristina Reisinger doing well to convert Briana Brown’s cross.

The two sides largely cancelled each other out for the remainder of the second half, which included plenty of stoppage time due to an unfortunate injury. In the time added on, the clearest chance came when Seaforth’s Julia Murphy and Abbey Cosh combined to set up Carla Rothwell, who was denied by Hansen’s one-on-one save.

Match Stats

Jamisontown Giants 1 (Kaitlin Harms 43’)

Seaforth FC 3 (Michelle Le Roux 18’, Hannah Griffiths 20’, Kristina Reisinger 53’)

Jamisontown Giants: 1. Kaitlin HANSEN, 3. Courtney ATKINS, 4. Grace CHAMBERLIN, 7. Jessica BELL, 9. Erin CONNELL, 10. Jade MANNA, 11. Elise SAVANNAH, 12. Tori AXISA, 13. Dimitie WHITEMAN, 14. Breanna SAMPSON, 17. Kaitlin HARMS, 23. Jessica ELLIOTT, 24. Bridgette POTTER, 27. Kirsty GAGAN, 30. Hollie WILSON

Seaforth FC: 3. Carla ROTHWELL, 4. Corinne WINKLER, 6. Hannah GRIFFITHS, 9. Kristina REISINGER, 10. Skye LUDLOW, 11. Kierly WIGGINS, 12. Amber HARTMANN, 13. Abbey COSH, 15. Anna McGREGOR, 19. Briana BROWN, 21. Madeleine KILPATRICK, 22. Annabelle PAKIETO, 24. Julia MURPHY, 27. Michelle LE ROUX, 28. Alex MILLER, 31. Chloe GRAHAM-SMITH

 

By Eric Subijano (Football NSW)

BROOKVALE U21 WIN CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS

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Brookvale are the 2023 Champion of Champions for the 21 Men division after defeating Cronulla Seagulls 2-1. A goal in each half would ultimately take Brookvale to victory after a wind-affected game.

The Northern Beaches team had the first chance when Nicholas Hawkins showed quick feet and drew a save out of Seagulls shotstopper James Riach. This was followed by a good period for the Seagulls, with Anthony Mann and Ryan Hardie having chances, while Brookvale custodian Jannie Nel denied Jackson Sumich. Nel’s services were required again just past the half hour mark to deny Hardie.

Brookvale’s tenacity in defence paid off and they drew first blood on 44 minutes as Luca Ball finished emphatically, Leonardo Zuppardi doing brilliantly to set him up.

The tension grew during the second half as the Seagulls pushed for an equaliser, while Brookvale were both defending stoutly and looking to capitalise on counter attacking opportunities. One of these counters presented Hawkins with a tricky chance, and his clever lob landed just past the far post.

There were ten minutes to go when Brookvale’s Thomas Sims blasted the ball across the face of the goal. At the other end, Bailey Fowler made an enterprising run and swooped on goal, but the Seagulls flyer could only find the side netting.

A spectacular free kick from Sims in the 89th minute doubled Brookvale’s advantage. This goal would prove to be the winner, but not before the Seagulls gave the fans a grandstand finish. Mann’s cool side-footed finish in stoppage time gave the Sutherland side hope, and then they nearly fashioned an unlikely equaliser, but Armstrong couldn’t hit the target.

Match Stats

Cronulla Seagulls 1 (Anthony Mann 90+1’)

Brookvale FC 2 (Luca Ball 44’, Thomas Sims 89’)

Cronulla Seagulls: 2. William LUMB, 4. Benjamin ARMSTRONG, 7. Jackson SUMICH, 9. Adam CASTLE, 10. Luke ROBERTS, 12. Kyle YEO, 13. Dimitry KHACHUMOV, 14. Ryan HARDIE, 15. Joshua ANDERSON, 16. Martin CHAVE, 23. Bailey FOWLER, 24. Jamie BOLLARD, 29. James NUNN, 42. Lachlan ZDEBSKI, 44. Anthony MANN, 66. James RIACH

Brookvale: 3. Felix LOMBARDO, 4. Mark MARINOVIC, 5. Jonathan VESCIO, 6. Josh EAKIN, 7. Daniel EVANS, 8. Dante MANNARINO, 10. Leonardo ZUPPARDI, 11. Nicholas HAWKINS, 12. Jannie NEL, 14. James GLYKAS, 17. Ben HATZIMANOLIS, 18. Luca BALL, 20. Teo BONDAREFF, 21. Matteo FRAGASSO, 22. Damiano MELANI, 99. Thomas SIMS

 

By Eric Subijano (Football NSW)

WAKEHURST W15 ARE THE BEST IN THE STATE

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Wakehurst romped to the 15 Girls Champion of Champions title after a convincing 4-0 win over Lilli Pilli FC.

Wakehurst opened the scoring in the fourth minute through Jessica Clagnan. She cushioned her effort off the right post to make it 1-0. It was double delight for Clagnan in the eighth minute after she was sprung with a well-timed pass and arrowed a shot into the bottom right corner for 2-0.

Lilli Pilli had chances to pull a goal back in the first half. Jade Seidel and Zahli Johnston had efforts which were repelled by the Wakehurst keeper.

The Northern Beaches side then added a third goal through Kiera Gard. She was able to sneak her free kick home at the near post to make it 3-0 after 30 minutes.

Coming out of the break, Wakehurst felt just fine. Lexi Clayton strode through the defence before the ball fell to Clagnan, who turned home for 4-0.

Lilli Pilli pushed until the final whistle for a consolation goal but it was Wakehurst that ran out comfortable winners in the 15 Girls final.

 

Match Stats

Lilli Pilli FC 0

Wakehurst FC 4 (Clagnan ‘4, 8 ‘41, Gard ‘30)

Lilli Pilli FC: 2. Makayla BROWN, 3. Evy CROSS, 4. Matilda PALTRIDGE, 5. Ella LOEWENTHAL, 6. Emily MORAN, 7. Tamra SIMPERLER, 8 Chloe CALLANAN, 10. Jade SEIDEL, 11. Sophie ROBB, 12. Zahli JOHNSTON, 12. Elsie SMITH, 19. Maddison KEMISTER, 21. Layla JOHNSTON, 23. Sabina DE BATTISTA, 31. Cyan GEELAN, 98. Gabrielle KENT, 99. Lara DUFFY

Wakehurst FC: 1. Sienna FROGGATT, 2. Suzie DALZELL, 3. Romy GRIGG, 4. Chloe MOCK, 5. Joelene DAVIS, 6. Emily JACK, 7. Catalina BOLTON, 8. Leah WORRELL, 9. Zara GARD, 10. Aurelia KORKIAN, 11. Daisy ADDISON, 12. Keira GARD, 13. Lucy BENNETT, 14, Lexi CLAYTON, 15. Jessica CLAGNAN

 

By Justin Davies (Football NSW)

CC STRIKERS W14 ARE CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS

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CC Strikers ran rampant with a 4-1 victory over East Gosford FC in the Under 14’s Champion of Champions Girls final.

The Strikers were circling throughout the contest as a constant threat to their opponents. Their first goal came five minutes in when a through ball from central midfield found Kaitlin Dunne, who finished in composed fashion.

Dunne was denied minutes later by a good save from the East Gosford keeper.

The best chance for East Gosford was midway through the half, Eden Murray shooting wide of the left post.

The second goal for Strikers then came at the other end, Erin Dunne scoring with a left footed strike at the edge of the area and taking the score to 2-0 at the break.

East Gosford came out for the second half reinvigorated and cut the deficit to one, with Mia Medak finishing into an open net after a keeper mistake.

However, CC Strikers were just too good on the day, adding two further goals in the second half.

Erin Dunne completed her brace before Lily Gibbons added the icing on the cake with their fourth goal, the game finishing 4-1 in favour of the Strikers.

 

Match Stats

Collaroy Cromer Strikers FC 4 (Kaitlinn Dunne, Erin Dunne 2, Lily Gibbons)

East Gosford FC 1 (Mia Medak)

Collaroy Cromer Strikers FC: 2. Aylah MARSHALL-WITTE, 3. Lilly GIBBONS, 4. Erin HASLOCH, 5. Evie DISCEMBRE, 6. Rosie HARRIS, 7. Macy PICKERING, 8. Victoria WAPPLING, 9. Maya GOVERS-GEORGE, 10. Erin DUNNE, 11. Evie WILKINSON, 12. Kaitlinn DUNNE, 13. Myah McEVOY, 14. Anna SAVIC, 15. Natalie BARNES.

East Gosford FC: 1. Isla LOW, 2. Claudio VASSALLO, 3. Mia MEDAK, 4. Alexis KRISTIDIS, 5. Antonia ARANGO, 6. Eden MURRAY, 7. Siannah ROGERS, 8. Isabella HODGSON, 9. Charlee CLARKE, 10. Isabel GRANT, 11. Charlotte SLYNEY, 12. Ella FROST, 13. Taera WETHERALL, 14. Ella-Rose MCQUADE, 15. Sophie WARE, 16. Lucinda DUSTING.

 

By Justin Smith (Football NSW)

Champion of Champions Finals to feature 11 MWFA teams

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On Sunday, teams from the Northern Beaches will be planting the MWFA flag at Valentine Sports Park. It’s been a brilliant year for us, with 11 MWFA teams set to play for silverware in the Champion of Champions Finals. We spoke to people who have been part of this journey, ahead of what will be a huge day for our clubs!

 

Click here to see the schedule for Finals day, and if you can’t get to Valentine Sports Park, you can watch the games LIVE on the Football NSW Facebook and YouTube pages.

 

“2023 has been an amazing season for the MWFA teams and clubs in the Football NSW Champion of Champions tournament with 11 teams qualifying for the finals,” said MWFA CEO David Mason. “This illustrates the strength of our competitions and all credit goes to our teams, players and coaches who have made it through to the Final.

“To have 11 teams in the 17 finals is a tremendous achievement and something we should all be proud of, especially considering the next highest number for an Association is 5 from Sutherland.

“We have teams from 8 of our clubs present on Finals Day at Valentine Sports Park and it is also fantastic to see the MWFA represented in 6 of the 7 girls/women’s finals. What a great way to cap off what has been a breakthrough year for female football on the back of the FIFA Women’s World Cup!

“To win a Champion of Champions competition is a great honour and we would like to wish all 11 teams, their players, coaches and families the best of luck on Sunday.”

CC Strikers W14 coach Marcus Wilkinson has been relishing the task and recognises the value of playing teams from other associations.

“I think the Champion of Champions is a great concept because the standard is very good. I’m a big supporter of that as an end-of-season tournament. It’s been a great experience for the players and they’ve really enjoyed it because they play in the right way and they have a great attitude. I think it’s been a positive challenge, rather than a daunting one.”

Wakehurst President Greg Dick is delighted to have two teams in Sunday’s Finals and is expecting a big crowd of Wakehurst fans on the day. He was full of praise for the Wakehurst 15 Girls team, who had a 100% winning record during the league season.

“That was a phenomenal effort from the players, you don’t expect that at the start of the season.

“This team has played together for a few years now, so they know each other very well. They’re just a fabulous group of young ladies, they play very good football and they play in a fantastic spirit.

“We have two teams in the Finals. Luckily, the 18 Men are playing at 12:15pm and then straight after that, the 15 Girls play, so I expect we’ll have a lot of supporters there.”

Wakehurst's W15 team celebrates a goal during their 2023 Champion of Champions Round 2 game against Easts FC. Photo credit: Jeremy Denham

Meanwhile, Wakehurst 18 Men coach Shawn Addison reflected on how the club went close to not even having an U18 Div 1 team this year. He also spoke about how defeats in the State Cup and Grand Final have motivated the team.

“Wakehurst, unfortunately, weren’t looking like they were going to have an U18 team at the start of the season, players were umming and aahing about whether they wanted to play. We managed to get the team together and the rest is history.

“I think those two losses have galvanised the guys, they’ve got so much spirit and they totally believe in themselves.”

One of the feelgood stories from this tournament has been the Forest Killarney O40 Women’s team, who earned the right to represent MWFA in the Champion of Champions Over 30 competition and have beaten younger teams to make the Final. Forest player Jarka Rey is understandably thrilled by the occasion.

“It’s hopefully not our last hurrah but we’re pretty excited, a lot of the team haven’t made it this far previously.

“We’ve got a new coach this year, he’s built our confidence and belief in ourselves to go all the way. We’re super excited to walk out on the park and represent Forest Killarney & the MWFA on Sunday. Hopefully we’ll make everyone proud.”

Another standout story is the Pittwater W16 team, who are gunning for their fourth trophy of the year, despite having to play their first Champion of Champions match with nine players. Coach Chris Natoli has been leading the team, along with his daughter Mikayla.

“My daughter’s brought an enthusiasm that’s helped the girls bond more, and the manager, his daughter is also helping to coach. I’ve got two good assistant coaches on the sideline.

“They’ve been a dream to coach. The talent coming from Pittwater is amazing, especially in Champion of Champions, where we’ve had to rely on a couple of younger players from the U15s and U14s.”

BTH Raiders U13 coach Nate Gray is grateful for the chance to play in knockout competitions such as Champion of Champions and State Cup, realising how helpful these games have been for player development.

“We’re very thankful to MWFA and Football New South Wales for giving this opportunity to participate in competitions outside the normal local comp, which has been great for our kids. For two and a half months of the year, playing locally [on Saturday] and then playing on the Sunday in the State Cup has definitely given our kids an opportunity to play in different games.”

The BTH Raiders U13 team are aiming for a fourth title in 2023 after winning the League, Grand Final and State Cup. Image supplied by MWFA.

The Forest Killarney U15s were another State Cup winner and they are set to play Banksia Tigers, the team they defeated in the State Cup Final. Despite this and the team’s Kanga Cup success in Canberra, coach Jay Alcock isn’t getting complacent.

“We respect Banksia, who are a very strong team, and we’ll need to play really well to get the win, it’s just about staying focused.

“The boys enjoyed the week in Canberra. We played against a couple of very strong Academy teams and NPL teams. We ultimately remained undefeated and won the Grand Final against Lindfield [from Northern Suburbs FA] in a penalty shootout.”

One person who will be extra busy on Sunday is Chris Wood, who coaches both the Seaforth All Age Women team and the Pittwater All Age Men team. For Seaforth, this is a chance to defend the Champion of Champions title they won last year.

“We’ve got about ten players who were heavily involved last year and are still involved this year. We’ve got new blood in the team who have wanted to get this title. The players are super motivated and it’s just been a matter of starting the first 15 minutes of the game at a really high tempo.”

Wood took on coaching duties at Pittwater after the start of the season, and this Final reflects how the team has bounced back from a tricky start to 2023.

“The group was already competitive, they’re used to winning things. It was just about shifting back to the culture that had already been in place for a while but hadn’t been there at the beginning of the season. That was probably the most important thing, going back to what worked for us as a group.”

His teams are playing at the same time – how will Wood manage the situation?

“There’s a tunnel that connects the two fields, I’ll be running between them!

“Both teams have got great support, it’s not been a major issue. We’ll just play it by ear based on what each game needs, but both teams can cope fine without me.”

For Brookvale’s U21 side, reaching this game is the result of planning over two seasons, as Wesley Ryder explained on behalf of the coaching team.

“Following on from MWFA’s decision to create an U21 competition in 2021, Brookvale created an U21 Div 1 team in 2022 as a combination of players transitioning from our U18 Div 1 side and others who had Saturday work commitments. Finishing fourth in 2022, we continued to build on our success with an unbeaten record in the home and away season in 2023.”

As for Marilinda Mauro Winter, coach of the Manly Vale W18 team, this game could be the end of a journey in one sense, but she is honoured to be involved.

“After COVID and years with our age group not being included in Champion of Champions, this is quite important to us, as it may be one of our final years in Champion of Champions as a team. It’s really a culmination of many seasons of hard work.

“I’m so proud of my players, I’m so proud of their talent, their spirit and their heart.”

Manly Vale's W18 team huddles ahead of the 2023 Football NSW State Cup Final against Shellharbour. Photo credit: Jeremy Denham

BLUEY AND PIPER

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For many people, football and family are intertwined. There is a great example of this at Manly Allambie United – Brett Turton (more commonly known as Bluey) has been with the club for 40 years, while his daughter Piper was recently named as Manly Allambie’s Club Person of the Year.

Brett’s initial involvement with football was at Allambie Soccer Club, prior to their merger with Manly Soccer Club.

“I actually started as an Allambie kid, I was a chocolate soldier [a reference to Allambie Soccer Club’s colours, brown and white]. It wasn’t until I was in my teens that Manly Soccer Club and Allambie Soccer Club joined together.

“My parents were heavily involved. My father’s a life member, he played at Allambie as well, so the kids are third generation and it’s part of our lifestyle now.”

Brett described himself as “extremely proud” when Piper won Club Person of the Year, and she was also named MWFA Women’s Rookie of the Year.

“The Manly Warringah award was a big shock, especially for a 16-year-old playing in the Premier League and it’s only her seventh year playing, so it’s a great achievement.

“I believe she’s the first person outside of the committee to win that award [Manly Allambie Club Person of the Year]. I thought she might have been nominated for Senior Player of the Year, due to her age she’s still eligible for Youth Player of the Year, but yeah, with the club award I had no idea either.”

Piper Turton was named 2023 MWFA Women's Rookie of the Year. Photo credit: Jeremy Denham

Over the last 40 years, Brett has done it all for Manly Allambie: playing, coaching, managing, groundskeeping and serving on the committee. This club spirit has clearly been passed down to Piper, because when she’s not playing for the Manly Allambie Women’s Premier League team, Piper is busy keeping things on track for the club’s Men’s AL1 squad. She enjoys the camaraderie that comes with being their team manager.

“My Dad’s good friend is the head coach. Last year, it wasn’t registered as my job but I did a lot of the paperwork that they needed.

“It’s fun because I get to watch soccer every weekend, I get to spend time with my Dad and with friends down there.”

Piper isn’t afraid to try new things, and despite her youth she is already helping the next generation of players. The MWFA Women’s World Cup was her first foray into coaching, as Piper put her hand up to coach the Manly Allambie U11s at the tournament.

“I had so much fun, the girls loved it so much as well. I’d never coached before, so it was about learning that side of the game.”