Calder United’s Senior Women will kick off the 2023 campaign with silverware on the line in the FV Women’s Community Shield against Bulleen Lions on Friday night.
Match Details
FV Women’s Community Shield 2023
Calder United vs Bulleen Lions
Friday, 10 March
Kick-off: 8:00pm AEDT
City Vista Pavilion and Sports Field, Plumpton
Entry: Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for concession and free for kids aged 14 and under
What is the FV Community Shield?
The Community Shield sees the winner of the NPLW Grand Final and the winner of the NIKE F.C. Cup go head to head.
Given that Calder United won both competitions in 2022, NPLW Grand Final runners-up Bulleen Lions will have the chance to exact revenge on Calder with the first piece of silverware in 2023 up for grabs.
This will be the first Community Shield to be contested since 2020 due to COVID-19. The last edition was also played between the same two sides on a Friday night at City Vista when a rampant first half gave Calder a 5-0 victory.
Calder has in fact won the Community Shield on all four occasions since it was introduced to the Victorian football calendar in 2017.
New look Calder United side in 2023
Friday night’s clash will be the first opportunity to get a look at the all-new Calder United team in competitive action.
With 11 members of last season’s squad and head coach Mark Torcaso all moved on to Western United’s Liberty A-League Women team, the next crop of talented women in the West will emerge.
Helen Winterburn will be part of a coaching tandem in 2023 but with the Liberty A-League season still ongoing, Nathan Maiorana will take the opening weeks of the season on his own.
Maiorana will make the step up from assistant coach in 2022 having previously been the head coach of Calder’s Under 17’s side in addition to time at Melbourne City’s academy and a number of clubs, schools and academies throughout Victoria.
On the pitch, Western United train-on players will headline the Calder United squad with the likes of Ava Groba, Montanna Mathews and Bella Sewards set to lead the side.
Last year’s Under 19’s captain Alyssa Smith has made the step up to the senior team alongside the likes of Sienna Cappola and Lily Ivey.
Other new signings include Keiwa Hieda who dominated for Preston Lions in the VPL last season as well as Larissa Walsh who won the golden boot and player of the year in NPLW Perth in 2022.
The Opponent
Bulleen Lions continue to be a mainstay at the top of Victorian women’s football and will be eying off another successful campaign in 2023.
Calder and Bulleen have shared many a famous battle down the years with two NPLW Victoria Grand Finals and a host of semi-final and quarter-final match-ups in the league and cup competitions.
Bulleen have re-signed regulars Alana Burn, Gaby Garton and Alex Natoli for 2023 and will bring a considerable threat to Calder’s attempt at a fifth Community Shield win.
Full Calder United Senior Women’s squad 2023
- Bella Sewards
- Ava Groba
- Elle Talevski
- Tiarna Stella
- Montanna Mathews
- Lara El-Hayek
- Maia Heysen
- Navleen Kaur
- Lucy Richards
- Alexis Mitchell
- Larissa Walsh
- Claudia Ottone
- Olivia De La Plaza-Sanchez
- Alyssa Smith
- Anastasia Ramel
- Kiewa Hieda
- Olivia Anderson
- Lily Ivey
- Sienna Cappola
- Natalie Picak
