Football Ferns coach Tom Sermanni would have liked what he’s seen in the early rounds of Australia’s W-League.
The trio of Lily Alfeld, Liz Anton, and Malia Steinmetz have started both of Perth Glory’s matches; Annalie Longo and Claudia Bunge started together in Melbourne Victory’s last one; and Paige Satchell has started all three of Canberra United’s.
Of those six, only centre back Bunge was in the first-choice XI the last time the Ferns assembled – at the Algarve Cup in Portugal last March, just as the reality of the Covid-19 pandemic was beginning to set in – and even then, she was only there because veteran Abby Erceg was unavailable.
But even though they might be players on the fringes of Sermanni’s squad, the fact that they’re starting for their clubs and playing regular minutes makes them stand out.
Covid-19 has hampered playing time over the past 12 months, with many European leagues ending their 2019-20 seasons early and the American National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) being replaced by two separate tournaments – the Challenge Cup in June and July and the Fall Series in September and October.