The Grace Martin Trophy is back and ready for a big season in 2023.
Written by: Liam Cook
Concord have already opened the season with a 4-1 victory over Marrickville Red Devils A, but the rest of the league kicks-off on Wednesday 12 April.
Twelve teams will compete in the initial stages of the league, playing each other once. From there, the bottom six will create AAW1 while the top six will continue the second round of Grace Martin Trophy fixtures.
After 16 matches, the top four will compete in a finals series.
Balmain DFC A
Now in their second year as part of the Grace Martin Trophy, Balmain A feel better equipped to compete in the top flight women’s competition.
Having known each other for over 20 years, and with a 2022 season under their belt, the team is confident of producing above what others expect of them.
The addition of a full-time goalkeeper will greatly bolster Balmain’s game, as displayed throughout strong form in the side’s trials.
As a team they are not all that fussed about coming in as underdogs but are determined to avoid mid-season relegation and will look to stamp their authority on the competition in 2023.
Concord JSC
Concord JSC are out to prove that last year’s championship-winning season was no fluke.
With 11 opponents trying to upend their throne, the club has shifted their focus toward attitude and effort, rather than outcomes. Developing life skills and improving week on week is of paramount importance and whether that results in another finals campaign is just a bonus.
The side was fortunate to retain 2022 Golden Boot winner, Chelsey Johnson, as the key figure in attack, but is now eager to share the load more evenly. Concord has signed young and physically fit talent to assist with this approach.
Playing together since the age of seven has largely kept the team dynamic stable and will be working hard to defend the title in their second year in the top league.
Cooks River Titans
The oldest, but by no means the slowest team in the competition, Cooks River Titans are eager to commence the 2023 season, particularly against younger opposition players who have come through the Women’s Intermediate League pathway.
Narrowly missing out on the top half of last year’s split, the club is wanting to atone for missing out on crucial points in previous games to avoid relegation in 2023.
Valuable midfield additions will join a squad whose services have been largely retained, including those of a grandmother. The experienced side is cognisant that their impressive outings last season irked younger teams, and they are yet again out to defy the odds.
Hurlstone Park Wanderers
With women’s football on centre stage leading into the Women’s World Cup, Hurlstone Park Wanderers are eager to make a mark of their own.
Enjoyment, fulfillment, and hard work is the name of the Wanderers’ game in 2023. They’ll be a happier team thanks to the plethora of fresh talent injected to affirm their credentials.
New recruits Emily Papas, with a National Premier League background, Lorna Arkell, Bella Seales, and striker Tina Iakovou, comprise just four of nine exciting new signings for the club.
Gelling as a team may prove challenging with so many fresh faces but the Hurlstone Park Wanderers aren’t fazed. With the FNSW Sapphire Cup also on the agenda, 2023 is set to be a massive season.
Leichhardt Saints A
Runners-up and perennial high achievers, Leichhardt Saints A, may be headed into uncharted territory in 2023.
Concord JSC’s grand final defeat of the Saints has been compounded by the depth of talent that has departed the club. With only five players in the squad from last year’s championship decider, the team is a self-professed unknown quantity.
Not everything is up in the air. The Saints still boast three players who have combined for 331 Grace Martin Trophy games and eight previous competition titles, ensuring opposition sides have plenty to fear.
Leichhardt Saints B
Sororal success is on the menu for Leichhardt Saints B in their upcoming Grace Martin Trophy campaign.
Like many sides, Saints B are heading into their second year in the top women’s league. Last season’s experience has left them raring to attack 2023, having plenty of fun while they’re at it.
Team legend Emily McKeon, who debuted in 2011, is destined to make her highly anticipated return after injury hampered her in consecutive years.
Family runs deep in this team, who now possess six sisters within the squad. The acquisition of older sisters, Shaania Sergeant and Izy Adolph, brings an attacking, mature edge to the side.
Twin sets of identical birthdays add more layers of nuance to the connectivity of this team. While a set of twins celebrate together every year, the other players who share a birthday have only recently become acquainted and are likely none the wiser.
Remarkable coincidences notwithstanding, Leichhardt Saints B are eager to reverse their underdog status and make an imprint on the 2023 season.
LFC Sports
Lakemba is back on the map in 2023 thanks to one of the Grace Martin Trophy’s newest additions, LFC Sports.
A humble, multicultural team, LFC are eager to make a splash in their first year and are daring to dream of a top four finish.
Comprised primarily of South American women with varying degrees of experience, the side wants to take the fight to the competition mainstays and make Lakemba a challenging place to play.
While round one may be hampered by registration and availability issues, LFC are determined to give every game their full effort and capitalise on their understated position within the competition.
Not having a team in quite some time, LFC Sports view Football Canterbury as the ideal district to put female football and Lakemba back at the forefront of the community.
Marrickville Red Devils A
Marrickville Red Devils A are approaching their first Grace Martin Trophy year ready to challenge themselves at the top level.
Having planned to join the competition for some time, the club is aspiring to win over new fans with their brand of football and cement themselves as a capable side.
Results are a secondary concern for the squad who boast ten players that have been with the club since day one.
Club stalwarts, in conjunction with six key signings, make up a talented and seasoned squad. Angelina Forstmann, Besa Biba, Daniella Merenda, Lucy Mata, Olivia Kelly, and Zoe Baker bring strong football pedigree to Marrickville’s A team.
When they aren’t displaying their athletic prowess, this squad is busy dabbling in the fields of anthropology, medicine, sociology, and politics, just to name a few.
Marrickville Red Devils B
Accompanying Marrickville A to the Grace Martin Trophy for the first time are Marrickville Red Devils B.
No player in this side has ever participated in the top women’s league, which means the sky truly is the limit.
Developing the team into a cohesive unit that deeply understands football and plays the game in a thoughtful way is the central focus of the 2023 season. Ideally, synergy and football smarts will result in finals action for the Red Devils B, a side with eleven new players.
With fifteen years of existence and different iterations, the Marrickville Red Devils B team are destined to thrive once they find solid footing in the new competition.
Russell Lea Women’s SC
Penguins don’t have any teeth, but there is a reason fish swim away. Russell Lea Women SC’s 2023 season motto is certain to strike fear into the hearts of rivals.
Re-joining the Grace Martin Trophy after a short stint in 2022, the inner-west based side is now in their eighteenth season together. While the challenge of rising sea levels poses an existential threat to the penguins, the good news is that they have welcomed new signings to the waddle.
New penguins Talia Zaccomer, Tash Wood, Alana Zaccomer, Christine Juno, and Dakota Comino will bolster Russell Lea’s offensive and defensive ends.
Getting early goals on the board will galvanise the returning team as they re-acclimatise to the slippery terrain of top-flight women’s football.
The youngest penguin of them all, Amelia Giugni, was responsible for naming the team when she was only five years old. With that long and proud history behind them, Russell Lea’s resurgence to the Grace Martin Trophy will doubtless be an intriguing watch.
Strathfield FC
Ready to handle high expectations, Strathfield FC approach their second season in the Grace Martin Trophy brimming with confidence.
A minimum top three league finish has been set as the benchmark for the team’s 2023 campaign. Reaching those lofty heights will be made easier by the acquisition of two young prodigies.
Possessing intuitive gameplay and an ability to adapt to fluctuating game scenarios, Isabella Azzopardi and Amber Krebs are Strathfield FC’s two key signings from the Women’s Intermediate League.
As the only Strathfield women’s team that has competed in the Grace Martin Trophy in the club’s history, this outfit is no stranger to achieving strong results in whatever comes their way.
Other teams
Balmain DFC B did not respond to questions in time for publication.
Image credit: Photographed with Love
