Southern United, aye? Who’d have thunk it. To be fair... anyone who’s been following their increasing relevance over the last few years had to think they were in with a chance. Especially after their excellent round one win over Canterbury. In a season that started later than it was supposed to with fewer teams than it was supposed to have, Southern United benefited from a very consistent playing group as well as a couple of key players returning to the team and a few quality signings.

Nine separate players started every game for Southern throughout the short South Central Series campaign. No other team had more than six. Southern played in a style that absolutely suited their squad with great defensive structure that allowed them to soak up pressure but with the design to attack the ball aggressively when the opportunity arose. Then they had forwards capable of counter attacking with speed and ruthlessness and there you go. Deserved winners of the SCS. Needless to say Southern United are heavily represented in these Teams of the Season.

Two elevens this time. Normally I like a trio of them to mirror that All-NBA first/second/third team style thing because I dig that tiered way of acknowledging a number of players at once. But without the four Northern League teams and only a six game season it’d be taking the piss to have more than two XIs. So we’ll keep it at a tidy pair.

Teams are picked in a loose, generic 4-3-3 formation. It’s nice and fluid that way. None of it’s meant to be decisive or conclusive, this is merely a fun way to celebrate the best footballers within the domestic scene after another fine season – last season’s edition included four players who went on to be signed by the Wellington Phoenix as well as a couple more at other other A-League clubs and five who’ve been involved in Football Ferns squads since. Time shall tell what this lot goes on to achieve.

FIRST TEAM

GK – Brooke Bennett (Central)

Goalies were tricky to pick because the two best performing keepers, in my mind, only made four starts each. Bennett went off injured in the fourth game and then subsequently missed the last two as 14yo Sophie Campbell was given a run... but ultimately how are you gonna deny what Brooke Bennett did as a shot stopper? Playing for a team that conceded 23 goals in six games, she had a whole lot of work to do and without her they’d have conceded plenty more. Throwing herself all over the place. Diving saves. Fingertips. Closing down strikers. Yeah, it’s one of those things where if the second teamer had played more then she’d have probably got the nod and maybe if you want to look at the various other things that goalies bring to the table then Molly Simons or Amy Simmers should come into more contention. But everyone loves saves like this so shout out Brooke Bennett...

RB – Lara Wall (Canterbury)

The sight of Lara Wall overlapping up the left flank for Canterbury has been a common one for several seasons now (gotta slide her in on the right here to make it work but hey the positions don’t really matter in these things anyway). Wall’s got that rare knack for being able to regularly get forward without also regularly getting caught out of position in defence. Super important in how the team builds from the back. Then when she does attack she’s capable of whipping in a quality cross, gliding past a defender, or getting a shot away. No goals this season but gonna assume there were at least a couple assists in there. Wall is always one of the best and brightest in this comp.

CB – Hannah Mackay-Wright (Southern)

HMW was a major reason for Southern United’s title winning season. Taking a great campaign a year ago and building upon it, Mackay-Wright was always commanding at the back despite her youth and you can see how well she reads the play by how often she’d rush up to win the ball. One of their goals in the final came specifically from that situation. She’s also excellent in possession and a menace attacking them set pieces too – she scored in the home game versus Capital although scandalously that one went down officially as an own goal. Which it definitely was not but whatever. Cosmic karma points still count.

CB – Kelsey Kennard (Southern)

Had to think long and hard about what to do with the other CB spot. It would have easily gone to one of the Capital centre-backs but the problem was that they kept all getting injured. One or two of them quite nasty injuries too, sadly. Even still there was a case to make for Zoe Barrott or Ellen Fibbes. But in the end I figured why break up a good partnership? We’ll just pair Mackay-Wright with Kennard and keep them Southern celebrations going. Kennard’s one of the relative veterans for this team and has been there through the sparse times as well as the more recent competitive times. Now she’s helped them to a title... albeit an unofficial one. Pretty cool.

LB – Anna Green (Capital)

Doubt anyone’s gonna be shocked to see the Footy Ferns veteran in the mix. Green started the season as a centre-back in a trio but when Capital switched formations she found herself at left-back. No dramas there, Green has made a career out of playing both roles. Composed and assertive in defence but also when she began playing wider it really brought her crossing ability into sharp focus. Nobody in the South Central Series hits a ball quite as well as Anna Green. Especially from set pieces. Even scored one in the last game. You can be the judge as to whether it was intended for the top corner or not but being Anna Green you wouldn’t put it past her.

CM – Rose Morton (Southern)

Holding midfield prowess right here. Southern tended to defend with a couple strong lines... but with licence to push out and press. That was the key to their success: committed defence and rapid counters. Rose Morton was arguably their most consistently impressive player within that system, covering heaps of ground and breaking up opposition attacks over and over again. Like a brick wall. Then it’s a matter of getting the ball to the flooding forwards as quickly as possible and yeah Rose Morton did that smoothly too. It’s the kind of role where you don’t necessarily notice her until you look for her but when you do you can’t stop noticing how impactful she is.

CM – Helena Errington (Capital)

Of all the emerging players across this competition, Helena Errington is the one who looks most likely to have a long and flourishing professional career. A product of the Ole Academy’s burgeoning female department (following in the footsteps of Maya Hahn), Errington played U15 boys football through the winter and was throwing stepovers and blasting goals from distance and everything. For Capital she sat at the base of midfield and made sure that ball kept moving. Her passing range is excellent but the rhythm of her passing is what really stands out. You know, along with the technique and the touch and the attacking instincts and the work-rate and all that. She’s 16 years old. An outrageous talent.

CM – Kate Loye (Canterbury)

Kate Loye, one of only four capped Football Ferns to feature in the Natty League this season (along with Longo, Green, and Sarah Morton), started up front for Canterbury in game one. That didn’t really work as they lost 3-1 to Southern so she slid back into midfield... where she became more and more effective as the season went along. There was a game against Central where she was straight up unplayable with a goal and a couple of assists. Not to mention she gave her team the lead in the ill-fated week six loss to Southern. Loye was all energy. Someone who refused to let the game pass her by. Strong in the challenge but also with Whitney Hepburn holding, Loye and Longo were able to really commit to the attack as well and wreak havoc. It wasn’t to be for the Pride in the end as those first two defeats were a little too much to overcome however they’d never have gotten close without what Kate Loye gave them. Or, for that matter, the next player in this selection.

FW – Annalie Longo (Canterbury)

The MVP. Deserving and official (those two things aren’t always the same in National League footy). Longo was decent in the first couple matches but it was when the Pride found themselves needing to win four games in a row to save their season that she really shone through. Three consecutive braces plus another goal the week after. One of those doubles came in a match she started on the bench but was subbed on in the first half with the team looking out of sorts and next thing you know they won 5-0. Longo had seven goals all up to also take the Golden Boot home for the mantelpiece and there was many an assist along with all the bangers (maybe next year I’ll count assists too... though they do get murky sometimes). You can always tell that a player is a class above by how much time they appear to have on the ball. Longo could receive a pass with three defenders on her and still have time for a cup of tea. Her touch is immaculate. She turns on the ball better than anyone. Manipulates space better than anyone. S’pose it comes with the territory of being a 124-cap Football Fern.

FW – Amy Hislop (Southern)

The way that Southern play their football relies heavily on a few key positions. Gotta have a strong central defence in order to set the shape when out of possession (HMW & KK, check). Gotta have an excellent defensive midfielder capable of winning the ball back and distributing (RM, check). Gotta also have a striker who can both play on the counter attack but also hold the ball up to bring in support when needed. Amy Hislop, check. Super strong but also deceptively quick. Plays perfectly within their structure knowing her role to a tee. And also scored four goals to be top scorer for the champs. Get in there.

FW – Kaley Ward (Capital)

Gotta squeeze Kaley Ward in as well. Capital’s first game (vs Central) was a little sludgy until Ward came on up front and gave them a focal point. So good at holding the ball up, even better at finishing. Ward then started the next four, scoring five goals, before missing the season ender (a 5-0 win vs Central)... which may have cost her the Golden Boot as Annalie Longo finished two ahead. Ward scored twice in both games against Canterbury, in fact she was a magical Una Foyle save away from a hat-trick in the second meeting which might have killed that game off before the Cantabs could rally back (it was 2-1 at the time, it ended 2-3) and had they won that then they’d probably have won the title. Ah well, them slim margins. Still fantastic from Ward who was the best pure centre-forward last season and was probably the best pure centre-forward this season as well.

SECOND TEAM

GK – Una Foyle (Canterbury)

Didn’t play the first two games and the Pride lost both of them. Came back in after that and performed superbly as the Pride got themselves back in position to challenge for the trophy in the final game. Wasn’t always pretty, wasn’t always comfortable, but that’s where a top class goalie comes into the equation. Foyle pulled off some genuine screamers along the way as well as being very reliable with the ball at her feet. Plus her experience certainly helped settle things as the Pride got into their stride. Best save of the lot probably being this aforementioned ripper against Kaley Ward...

RB – Toni Power (Southern)

Who’s got the Power? Southern United have got the Power. Toni Power started every game this year, just as she started every game last year for SU – though this time she found herself playing a little deeper at right back. It’s a transition that her fellow fullback Renee Bacon has also made and seems to work well. Fullbacks with attacking instincts. If you had Toni Power hustling for the ball and then surging up the sideline on your South Central Series bingo card then you never would have gone wrong. Full energy, full commitment, full power.

CB – Rebecca Lake (Canterbury)

Could as easily have been Mikaela Hunt as they both did similarly dependable things at the back for the Cantabs. Great in possession, looking to play positively from the back and progress the ball. But Lake gets the nod due to a trio of goals along the way (she’s the designated penalty taker though they weren’t all from the spot) and I didn’t think I could justify having both given their overall defensive record. That record was more about team structure than anything with individual errors coming about from invited pressure. After switching to a Lake/Hunt CB combo in a back four they got much more sound defensively (the extra midfielder helping heaps)... until the last game but that’s how championship deciders go sometimes. Gotta risk it. Rebecca Lake is a leader and a star for this team and it’s kinda crazy she’s still only 22.

CB – Lara Smith (Central)

Think of this as a joint selection with Devyn Crawford, though Smith gets the name recognition for being a wee bit steadier (Crawford scored two own goals so yeah). But it was this partnership which so often stood out for Central. Central have leaned all the way in to their youth and that comes with obvious risks and learning curves. And by ‘youth’ we’re talking teenagers, many of them still at high school. Kate Mori was their oldest starter in week one at 20 years of age although Sarah Morton (23yo) soon showed up to help out. Despite some really impressive players, they didn’t have a midfield or attack that could compete with some of the resources of other teams and that often put unfathomable pressure on their defence... yet even in the big losses this team had a knack of hanging in there. Smith and Crawford were dependable beyond their years. No doubt they’ll be watching former Central CB Mackenzie Barry each week for the Wellington Phoenix and getting some expansive ideas.

LB – Renee Bacon (Southern)

Southern CBs make the first team, Southern fullbacks make the second team... thus the entire back four is represented. A back four which started every single game until Bacon dropped to the bench for the last one (Shontelle Smith getting that nod – Smith who’d be here herself if she only featured a bit more). Bacon’s been around a few years. Moving deeper from her younger days as a forward but still providing a real force from the back. Might’ve had some competition from Sarah Morton if SM had made more than three starts but I kinda like the symmetry of having that Bacon-Power connection represented here. The thing about that Southern defence is they conceded first five times out of six and only kept one clean sheet but they also only conceded more than once in a game on one occasion... and they won that game 5-3.

CM – Whitney Hepburn (Canterbury)

Ms Dependable right here. Defensive midfield excellence same as last season, patrolling the spaces in front of the back line and then absolutely mashing anyone who dares to carry the ball within her range. Superb tackler who links up nicely with the attacking players around her, giving them the freedom to do what they do. Without doubt an underrated presence in that Canterbury Pride team. From the outside, at least.

CM – Kirsty Hayr (Southern)

Another of the more experienced heads in that Southern team who were decisive in their title run. Hayr didn’t play National League last season but was back in there this time around to start every game in midfield. Great work ethic, super dependable, and she also scored one of the most important goals of the South Central Series with her first half winner against Capital in a 1-0 result. Take that sucker outta there and it would’ve been Capital lifting the trophy instead.

CM – Emma Main (Capital)

If Helena Errington provided the guile for Capital’s midfield then Emma Main gave them their punch. Definitely not a player who is going to allow you to forget she’s out there. Always seeking out the ball and then capable of driving towards goal or picking out a clever pass. At the heart of so much of Capital’s best performances – namely the wins over Canterbury (H) and Southern (A) – and had she been available for the return match against the Cantabs then they may well have held on to win that one.

FW – Margi Dias (Southern)

Moving south from Canterbury worked out well for Margi Dias, who was part of the victorious Pride team last season (albeit only playing two games off the bench) and then was part of the victorious Southern team this season... in a much bigger role. Dias started every game and provided a constant game-breaking threat. She may not have scored in the decider but she was directly involved in several goals. Not one to shy away from a bicycle kick attempt and also someone with genuine trickery on the wing. Dias offered something different for Southern. Scored a couple of goals too.

FW – Pepi Olliver-Bell (Capital)

Almost went with another Central stalwart in Jessie Falloon but Pepi Olliver-Bell held her off in the end. Largely thanks to her double in the final game delivering that extra boost, a couple well taken goals against Central to go with the one she scored against them in the first round. Still high school age but was given enough trust by her manager to start every match. POB has speed and natural athleticism. She has some fizzing skills with the ball at her feet. She was very good this year and is only gonna get rapidly better.

FW – Kate Guildford (Canterbury)

Guildford moved (ever-so-slightly) north to Canterbury from Southern for this season where she, like fellow Pride acquisition Kate Loye, started the first game as a striker in a front two before finding a happy home elsewhere. In Guildford’s case it was the right wing. Supporting inexperienced right back Jasmine Donald (who also did a fine job) and also getting all involved in the Pride’s attack after they switched up formations. The other two forward positions saw four different players start in the space of four games but KG held it down on the right and even got a pair of goals to show for it. Super reliable. Can cross as well as she can finish. Lovely stuff.

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