Metro Juniors Round Up: 2024 Rounds 1-3

April 1, 2024

In 2024 for the Metro Juniors Competitions, Westside is fielding a U15 Girls team in Division 2 and U13 Boys teams in Division 2 and Division 5.

Congratulations to our Juniors Team of the Month (TOTM) selected by Team Coaches & Managers across the first three rounds of fixtures. The selections aren’t solely based on game day performances – with training dedication, attitude, application and commitment all considered for the Westside Juniors TOTM.

U15 Girls – Round 1

Before Round 1 the team talked about working towards becoming a GREAT team in line with our goals. There are three areas of focus:
1) Leadership – every player is a leader and can inspire another with their actions and encouragement
2) Effort – always give 100% and leave nothing on the field.
3) Skills – utilise the skills and techniques being taught at training so we’re getting smarter every week.
In the first half, we started strong and confident. There was good play and interaction amongst all the girls as they started to get a feel for their position, the new field size and their role in the team.
The Bethania girls were generally bigger than our girls, and the tackle intensity was higher than the girls were used to in U13’s. They handled it well with a highlight for me being Naomi keeping a player twice her size pushed off the ball.
As fatigue set in, the wind going against us in the first half meant we found it difficult to come out from our own end and move the ball upfield. Despite all the pressure, Bethania only had 1 goal on us at halftime and it was a great team effort.
In the second half, the wind was with us and we spent more time pressing Bethania’s goal square. In the first 20 minutes the midfield managed to move the ball through and provide opportunities to score against Bethania but we just couldn’t pull the shot off.
I was thoroughly impressed by the heart the girls showed despite the score line. I believe we have a promising year ahead and will nail these little bugs in the coming weeks.
Final Score – Bethania 3 vs Westside 0.
Player of the Match awards:
Leadership – Kate for speaking out to the defenders during the first half in goal
Effort – Ellary for being all over the park, moving forward to primary defender and consistently falling back into secondary defence. Kept going till the final whistle!
Skills – Amber (selected by the team) for her 1v1 and running with the ball and passing onto other runners.

Other standout performances were Isla for courage in defence and Lily for all round effort on the field.

U15 Girls – Round 2

Before the game today we discussed how we can play through the defence as a team, discussing key takeaways from the video session we did on Monday night as the fields were washed out.
The key areas discussed were:
1) Running at angles instead of straight
2) Switching kicks across field to open players
3) Holding possession of the ball and laying it off effectively
In the first half, we initially performed well. But as Springfield found their rhythm, they were kicking strong and the ball was moving much quicker around the field than our girls are used to. As Springfield started holding possession, our midfield and defence were often drawn out of key positions. This broke our defensive structure, particularly in the middle of the field, which made it easy for their players to attack and shoot.
To their credit, our girls kept working hard but were rattled by the pace of the game and Springfield players, particularly their #7 who scored the goals.
We went into the half 3-nil down.
At half time, we emphasised the importance of staying in position and key roles to focus on in defence to shut down or slow down the play. We also touched on points raised before the game to look for our players out wide instead of playing through the middle where it is congested.
When the second half started Springfield continued to press our goals but were finding it much more difficult to get accurate shots on goal due to the improved positioning of our defence. Springfield had some fast-attacking players, and our girls dug deep to disrupt many attacking runs, with Matilda also making great stops in goal. Unfortunately, Springfield was able to put another 2 goals away.
As the half progressed, our ball releasing from goal improved and our midfield and forwards were able to get engaged in the game more. We started to make penetrating runs into Springfield territory.
During the last 20 minutes, it was good to see us starting to move into the attacking end of the field. Most importantly, we maintained our effort and playing for each other.
Final Score – Springfield 5 vs Westside 0.
Player of the Match awards:
Leadership – Kate for her communication and co-ordinating players.
Effort – Amber for consistently making wide attacking runs and then getting to support in defence.
Skills – Lily for managing the ball under pressure, waiting for team members to move and support to retain possession.
Other standout performances were Asha for showing aggression with 50:50 contests for the ball and strong running in attack, Ellary for her great defence while providing full backs with a well-earned rest, excellent jockey and delay, and Sarah for quickly adapting in her first season of football and engaging in contests and getting to the ball.

U13 Boys Division 2 – Round 1

Mitchelton 3 – Westside 2

U13 Boys Division 2 – Round 2

The U13 Div 2 boys team showcased our new Junior away jerseys in Round 2 – how good do they look?!

Newmarket 3 – Westside 1

U13 Boys Division 2 – Round 3

After two tight games to start the season, the Westside boys were hungry for a win and took a 4-1 lead against The Gap FC. A few late goals from The Gap made for an exciting finish, but the boys held their nerve to get their first win of the Season. Well done lads!

The Gap 3 – Westside 4