This weekend, our A-League Women’s side takes to the field for the first match of the season and will be aiming for a victory thanks to the assembling of a strong squad filled with returning core players and exciting new arrivals.
While our women have experienced challenging times since the league’s introduction, there has been many years where they’ve shown they mean business right from the word go,
In lead up to this weekend’s first round clash, we’ve sifted through history and picked out, in chronological order, five of our best performances and matches from the history of Round One.
FIRST GAME, FIRST WIN
2008/09 – Jets 2-1 Canberra
It was a famous October day in 2008 where not only did our team walk out for the first time, but walked away with a win too.
It didn’t start all too well with Canberra nabbing a goal after just two minutes, but our side fought back.
Current players Hannah Brewer and Gema Simon were both a part of the squad, as too were Matildas Cheryl Salisbury and Emily van Egmond, but it was star striker Kate Gill who was the hero of the day.
She scored once in the first half to equalise, before netting a second in the last ten minutes to win the game.
McDONNELL STRIKES LATE
2010/11 – Adelaide 0-2 Jets
After failing to secure a victory in the season prior, our Jets were desperate to start the year with the W and to get the monkey off their back.
Playing away from home, the side struggled to penetrate the Adelaide defence, however were also strong at the back themselves forcing what looked like a nil-all draw.
That was until a young Sasha McDonnell, making her debut for the club, stepped up late in the game.
She managed to find the back of the net in the 83rd minute to take the lead, before then doubling her tally five minutes later to put the game to rest.
DE VANNA DOMINATES IN DEBUT
2011/12 – Jets 3-0 Adelaide
Technically this happened in Round Two, but since we had the bye in the first round, we once again began our season against Adelaide.
Our Jets secured another strong win to begin their finals challenging campaign on the right track, and it was largely thanks to a club debutant.
Fresh off winning the W-League championship with Brisbane Roar, Lisa de Vanna made an instant statement scoring two goals, while fellow club debutant, Linda O’Neill also got on the scoresheet.
To this day, it still remains our biggest first round victory in A-League Women’s history.
TAKE IT TO THE CHAMPIONS
2012/13 – Sydney 3-3 Jets
On the first day of Sydney’s 2012/13 Championship winning season, the star-studded side that featured names like Sam Kerr, Caitlin Foord, Alanna Kennedy and Elyse Perry, were shocked by a resilient Jets side.
Emily van Egmond and Tara Andrews gave us an early two-goal, before Kennedy brought it back as we headed into half-time.
The second half started like the first as Tori Huster returned our two-goal lead setting up a defensive fight to keep out Sydney.
Unfortunately though, the class of Kerr proved the difference scoring two goals in the last 15 minutes to equalise the game.
It wasn’t a win, but it sure was a terrific performance.
A SUCCESSFUL START TO A SUCCESSFUL SEASON
2017/18 – Jets 2-1 Wanderers
In one of our more memorable seasons, our women began with a great victory in front of over 4,000 fans against the Wanderers.
In her first game for the Club, and against her former team, American Katie Stengal rushed onto the scoresheet with a goal after 15 minutes to give us a handy lead.
Our side managed to retain the slim lead for most the content before Erica Halloway levelled things up the visitors.
Hardly even a minute later though, the home crowd were once again smiling as Jenna Kingsley put us back in front which is how it’d stay as we ran out Round One winners.
