Match of the Round
Charlestown Azzurri v New Lambton FC
Lisle Carr Oval, Friday 7pm
New Lambton FC coach Craig Atkins is hopeful his new side can get the job done on Friday when they take on reigning premiers and champions Charlestown Azzurri.
The Golden Eagles will kick off their first season under Atkins at Lisle Carr Oval determined to lock in all three points.
Atkins moved to New Lambton from Newcastle Olympic and had previously coached several Golden Eagles at Warners Bay FC, easing his transition to the club.
“It's been an easy transition in that respect [players he coached at Warners Bay] but it's also meeting all the other girls that I hadn't met and bringing in some new players to strengthen the senior squad as a whole,” Atkins said.
“They're a great group of girls and I look to forward to see how they will go this season.
“The big focus is on ourselves, we’ve worked pretty hard through preseason and I’ve been happy with the way the girls have adapted.
“The ball is now in our court and we need to really focus on us so we can start well and hopefully we can get the job done from there.”
Alongside Atkins, the Golden Eagles have added Jemma Lawson and Molly Salvador (Broadmeadow Magic), Janali Haynes and Montana Quick (Newcastle Olympic), Sienna Fraser-Kelly (Charlestown Azzurri), Kimberly Trappett (Lake Macquarie City FC) and Lucy Kell, who is returning after a season away.
“I think in our whole squad, we've got a great mixture,” Atkins said.
“We’ve got the experienced players, some players that have obviously played at the levels above and the local competition. But then you've got a really good group of young, talented players coming through as well.
“I’m really looking forward to giving some of those young players an opportunity this season and especially at training just to train amongst some of those experienced players. I think it will hopefully get the best out of them and the big thing is to develop them and improve their game.”
New Lambton narrowly missed finals in 2023 and 2024 but rebounded last season to secure a top four finish, with their grand final aspirations ending in the opening week of the finals.
After a successful preseason, Atkins is ready to get the ball rolling and fight for the top spot.
“Preseason was key. We first and foremost needed to build a strong culture and I believe we’ve got a really good positive culture,” Atkins said.
“Obviously, finals football is everyone’s dream and New Lambton finished third last year, but everyone is vying for that top two spot.
“We’ve just got to take it one game at a time, but I believe we've worked hard and now it's all about the start. It's all up to us now to perform in round one and get the ball rolling.”
The Golden Eagles will be without Amy Gosling, Brianna Trappett and Lucy Kell.
Charlestown Azzurri will hope to bounce back from their 7-0 defeat to Maitland FC in the 2026 HMRI Charity Shield last Friday.
Captain Chloe Martin said the new look side are ready to take their learnings from the loss and implement them on Friday night.
“We’re feeling pretty good. We're building into the season and we've got a good group of girls coming in,” Martin said.
“It will be a big one for the young girls stepping up from the under-17s into their debuts but we're feeling pretty good and we're looking forward to it.
“It was a tough loss [the HMRI Charity Shield]. Maitland definitely earnt the [HMRI] Charity Shield in that game. They're a strong competitor and they will be into the season. But the girls that were making that step [into first grade] will be taking in that experience and they're learning as they go.
“It's going to be a really good season to just build up for them and even for our experienced players, especially those that missed Friday's match.”
The reigning NPL Women’s NNSW premiers and champions had to recruit heavily in the off-season after they lost coach Heath Whyte, captain Kalista Hunter (Perth), Madi Gallegos (season off), Sara Knowles (Adamstown Rosebud JFC), Gema Simon (retired), Kirstyn Pearce (retired) and Chloe Cattley (Central Coast Mariners), as well as Chelsea Lucas, Jorja Brown, Holly Vitnell and Alyssa Togo-Paragalli (Lake Macquarie City FC).
But the Blues have bolstered their squad with former Matilda and ParaMatildas Head Coach Alicia Ferguson to lead the side, Rachel Perrins (North West Sydney Spirit), Jannali Hunter and Ellie Jones (Broadmeadow Magic), Erica Di Sciascio (NPL NSW) and Sienna Denholm (New Lambton FC).
Perrins and Hunter were unavailable for the HMRI Charity Shield, but Martin looked forward to their return in round one.
“They [Rachel Perrins and Jannali Hunter] are just both very composed players, very experienced,” Martin said.
“They’re going to be bringing that sort of backbone to our team, especially as centre back and a midfielder. So, we're looking for that experience and that communication that they bring.”
Lake Macquarie City FC v Newcastle Olympic
Macquarie Field, Saturday 4:30pm
Lake Macquarie City FC coach Gabrielle Blanch is confident her side can build on the belief gained during their first NPL Women’s NNSW season when they host Newcastle Olympic on Saturday.
Lake Macquarie City took over the licence from Warners Bay FC in 2025 and placed fifth on the table, 10 points away from finals.
They will open their second season at home, marking the grand opening of Macquarie Field.
Blanch believed other teams underestimated her side in 2025 but allowed it to build their confidence. Now in 2026 Blanch is ready to see what other sides will bring to the table and build on that belief.
“I think what we've really taken away from last year is that people were happy to underestimate us based on being the new guys on the block and that we didn't have big name signings,” Blanch said.
“I think that really worked in our favour because the girls just have such a belief in the football that we're able to play and the energy that we're able to bring to each of the teams that we're going to come up against and they are teams that have been together for a long time and they do have those sort of ex-A-league experienced players.
“It's about how we show up and the energy that we bring that will bring a result as opposed to a couple of big-name players.”
The Roosters struggled with depth in their first season but have bolstered their squad ahead of the season.
Lakes welcome Kiera Bainsfair and Tallon Convery (Newcastle Olympic), Imogen Tomasone (returning after a season off), Olivia Bekeleski and Emily Funseth (America), as well as Chelsea Lucas, Jorja Brown, Alyssa Togo-Paragalli, and Holly Vitnell (Charlestown Azzurri).
But lost Ani Jensen (Mexico), Milan Hammond (UNSW), Lara Gooch (Adelaide United) and Taylah Gray.
Newcastle Olympic will welcome Neil Owens back as head coach after stepping down from the role at the end of 2023.
Olympic narrowly missed out on the grand final last season, marking the first time in five years they failed to reach it, and Owens will be determined to guide his side back there in 2026.
A new look side will be taking the field on Saturday after losing key players in the off-season including Elodie Dagg (Maitland FC), Jorjia Hogg (Adamstown Rosebud JFC), Laura Hall (retired), Danielle Nicol (season off), Kiera Bainsfair (Lake Macquarie City) and Montana Quick (New Lambton FC), as well as goalkeepers Janali Haynes (New Lambton FC) and Tallon Convery (Lake Macquarie City).
But Owens has recruited 2025 NPL Women’s NNSW Young Player of the Year Eva Donnelly (Adamstown Rosebud JFC), Izzy Threlfo (Newcastle Jets Academy), Georgia Calculli (Central Coast Mariners Academy) and will welcome Isabella Aquilina back to the squad after a season off.
Owens would hope that his new look side can grow together and can start the 2026 season with three points.
Broadmeadow Magic FC v Adamstown Rosebud JFC
Magic Park, Sunday 5pm
Adamstown Rosebud JFC midfielder Sophia Laurie says a win on Sunday is important for her side’s confidence when they go head-to-head against Broadmeadow Magic at Magic Park.
The Buds were 13 points short of making finals in 2025 after a disappointing start to the season, but Laurie is determined to secure all three points in round one.
“Main thing for us is just staying solid in our defence, keeping as many clean sheets as we can. I think that will set the tone for the rest of the season if we start strong from the back and build up,” Laurie said.
“I think that'll be really good for the girls to keep momentum and hopefully that will be able to get us over that line and get us into that top four.
“It is incredibly important for us to go out really hard, really strong, compete really well to get those three points. I think that will just set the tone for the rest of the season.
“It's not the be all and end all but just as the way things went last season, I think it would be really important to the girls' confidence to just really dig deep, get those three points and start out right.”
Adamstown have recruited heavily in the off-season after they lost Eva Donnelly (Newcastle Olympic), Marion Dunbabin (Maitland FC), Zoë Horgan (season off) and Yasmin Popovic (Preston Lions).
Martin Slade has brought Jorjia Hogg (Newcastle Olympic), Marry Ntsweng (Maitland FC), Sara Knowles (Charlestown Azzurri) and Lainee McFadyen (Newcastle Jets Academy) into his squad.
Broadmeadow Magic will be eager to bounce back from a tough 2025 season after ending their campaign with one win and one draw.
Magic have lost a large part of their squad including Jannali Hunter (Charlestown Azzurri), Jemma Lawson and Molly Salvador (New Lambton FC), 2023 Emily van Egmond medallist Cassie Corder, Callie Thomas and Lilly-Jane Babic (season off).
But coach Jason Konjarski has brought in Megan Janikowski, Jessica Wallace and Wimberley Wright (America), as well as Nyah Small, Anya Lowe, Cate Spranger and Malli Blanch (Charlestown Azzurri).
Konjarski will be hopeful that his new look side can secure all three points and gain more than half the number of points they secured in 2025.
As both sides are determined to start their season strong, it is sure to end round one of the NPL NNSW season with a bang.
Bye – Maitland FC