Fremantle City FC’s U12 Girls Academy have traded in the sunshine and surf of the west coast for Canberra’s windy winter in search of Kanga Cup excitement.
Fremantle City FC is the culmination of years of work that saw East Fremantle Tricolore and Fremantle United Soccer Club combine in 2014 to form a new club, one with over 100 years of experience behind them.
Fremantle City FC boasts one of the largest girls’ academies in the state, with age groups ranging from U10s to U16s. The club prides itself on its pathways from juniors to seniors, with the aim of having 30% of its first-grade squad making the step up from juniors.
Alyce Correia, coach of the Girls Academy U12s team, is taking on the challenge of the Kanga Cup for the first time, something she says they’ve been building towards for a number of years.
“We’ve definitely been aiming to play because it’s such a big comp,” Correia said. “This is the first time that they’ve (the team) ever travelled somewhere to play, so it’s a really exciting opportunity for us.”
“We’re trying to optimise opportunities for the girls and give them the experience of being in a big competition, playing with teams that are really good, really challenging. It’s very much about experience and development for us.”
Fremantle City FC have the honour of representing the entire state of Western Australia at this season’s Kanga Cup. As the only team that made the trip from the west, Correia and her team know they’ll face challenges no other team will.
“It’s been a bit cold. The girls are adjusting to that. Also, I think the goal size is a bit different, a bit shorter,” Correia admitted. “And just a quicker pace – gameplay’s a lot quicker than we’re used to in WA.”
One challenge Fremantle City girls didn’t face on their quest for the U12s Female Shield was generating community support for the club. The hard work and commitment of the community was vital for the club’s journey to Canberra, according to Correia.
“We really wouldn’t be here without our community support. We’re so lucky to be such a community club.”
“Truly, without the community, we wouldn’t be coming to comps like this, playing this quality of football, having the gear for the girls, having the professionalism that we have, which is so important to making a culture where girls feel like they can thrive and go forward in football – it’s really nice and really, really important.”
When asked if they would return for future Kanga Cups, Correia gave a definitive answer.
“Absolutely. If the girls have anything to say about it, if I have anything to say about it, absolutely.”
Words: James Whybrow
