2015 Season
Information Booklet
About Rams Women
Welcome to Macarthur Rams Women’s FC Inc. Rams Women’s FC plays in the
prestigious National Premier League (NPL) NSW Women’s 1 competition, the highest level
of football in the State. Our home ground is Lynwood Park, Rangers Road, St Helens
Park.
The Rams had a very successful season in 2014, with our First Grade team winning the
premiership and Under 15s coming second in the premiership. Both teams played in their
respective grand finals, with our 15s taking out the title, and First Grade runners up.
The 2014 Rams 1st Grade team boasts a number of highly successful Matildas players,
including Renee Rollason, Kylie Ledbrook, Danielle Brogan, Leena Khamis, Teresa Polias
and Nicola Bolger. In addition, most players in the First Grade squad hold W-League
positions. We are very privileged to have some of our 1st Grade players helping out during
the season with training programs for our junior players.
The Rams Women’s FC Management Group
The 2014 Rams Management included Deborah Macdonald, John Murtagh and Petrina
Greenwood. The Team brings a range of experience in key areas, including playing
football at an elite level, business management, accounting and football club
administration. The Management Group is supported by its Adviser, Rob Laws, who is
President of the Macarthur Football Association, and past President of Rams Women’s
FC.
The Macarthur Rams Women’s FC’s constitution requires that no member of the
Management Group may receive payment for their roles. Therefore these positions are
filled on an entirely voluntary basis. The 2015 Management Team will be announced
shortly.
It should be noted that the ‘Macarthur Rams Women’s FC Inc’ and the ‘Macarthur Rams
FC Inc’ (mens) are two quite separate legal entities, with different management groups,
constitutions and different coaching staff. Both clubs are supported by the ‘Macarthur
Football Association (MFA)’, and both clubs share Lynwood Park as their home ground.
(The MFA’s administration offices are also based at Lynwood Park). As the Rams men’s
competition is played on Saturdays and the Rams women’s competition is played on
Sundays, the two clubs don’t often cross each other’s paths. Nevertheless, both
Management Groups liaise with each other for our mutual benefit. For example, we join
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forces to increase buying power when it comes to purchasing gear, trophies, canteen
supplies, etc.
Coaching
Head Coach:
Norm Boardman
This year we’re proud to welcome Norm to our club.
Having held roles such as Technical Director and
Coaching & Development Manager with Football
NSW, Community Coach Education Manager with
the Football Federation of Australia, along with his
current role as Head Coach of the Western Sydney
Wanderers W-League team, Norm comes to us as
arguably the most qualified person in women’s
football in NSW.
With his wealth of high-level coaching experience in
women’s football, Norm will coach this year’s 1st
Grade team, and will also provide an important oversight role for the club’s entire coaching
staff. In doing so, Norm will play a crucial role in meeting one of the club’s objectives to
provide ongoing skills development for both players and coaches.
Youth Technical Director: Richard Harrison
Richard brings to this role a wealth of experience as a high-level
player and coach in both Australia and the UK. His qualifications
include an Asia B Licence and FFA Class C Licence. Richard
also brings to the Rams an enviable record of on-field experience,
having played with teams such as Leeds United, Lincoln City,
England University XI, Macarthur Rams 1st Grade and Picton
Rangers First Grade. His coaching experience includes Leeds
United Academy (UK), Derby County FC Academy (UK), USA
Women’s Program (4 years), Macarthur Rams Youth Academy,
Macarthur Rams Under 20s Men’s Coach, and Picton Rangers
FC First Grade Men’s Coach.
As Youth Technical Director, in addition to supporting the coaches in all grades in day-today coaching needs, Richard provides another level of development by analysing
individual players and working with them to improve overall technique. Richard is a crucial
communication link between the Coaching Staff and the Management Team.
2 Under 13s:
Sam Alessi.
We warmly welcome Sam back for his third
year at Rams Womens FC. Holding a Youth
and Senior Coaching Licence, Sam was our
Under 13s coach for the 2014 season and
Under 12s coach for the 2013 season. Sam’s
coaching experience includes Under 12s and
14s Girls and All-Age Ladies, as well as
Under 20s and 1st Grade University of NSW
Mens State Division 1 team. Sam also
coached Bringelly FC for 7 years in the NSW
Men’s Premier League.
Under 15s:
Rob Bradshaw.
We’re proud to welcome Rob to our Club
this year. He holds a Bachelor of Physical
Education degree, as well as a FFA ‘C’
Licence. Rob played football as a junior
with Nepean Federation and represented
several State League clubs during his
playing career
By day, Rob is a well-respected Coach in
the Westfields Sports High School Girls
Elite Football Program. He is also an
Assistant Coach for the Western Sydney
Wanderers W-League team.
In recent years Rob has held a number of high-level positions
including Coach of the Sydney South West Representative Schools
Senior Girls, and Coach of the Marconi Stallions Women’s Premier
League’s 1st Grade, Under 14s and Under 16s teams.
We’re very fortunate to have secured Rob’s services as this year’s
Under 15s coach.
3 Under 17s &
Assist. First grade: Leah Blayney
Leah was our Under 14s coach in 2013 and
Under 15s coach in 2014. She has an
amazing wealth of playing experience
including representing Australia, playing for
Boston Breakers (USA), Eskilstuna United
(Sweden), and Canberra United. Since her
retirement from the international playing
arena, Leah has adapted to a coaching role
with great capability.
With a C Licence qualification, Leah currently
coaches in the Westfields Sports High School
Girls Elite Football Program, and assisted in
the State Under 15s team at Nationals this year. She is now also an
Assistant Coach for the Western Sydney Wanderers W-League team.
We are very lucky to have such a talented coach in our Club.
Coaching skills specialist:
Rob Hutchison
Rob holds an FFA Senior Coaching Licence
as well as an AFC Class C Licence. He’s
been a professional coach for more than 20
years and a professional educator for more
than 30 years. His experience includes:
Coerver Academy 9 years (Coerver is a
renowned global football coaching program
with a focus on ages 5-16); Head Coach of
the Western Sydney Academy of Sport
Women’s Football program; NSW State
Coach for 4 years. Rob’s successes
include 4 Schools State titles, 2 Schools
National titles and winner of the 2012 Group B National Junior
Championships (undefeated).
Rob was our Under 16s coach in the 2013 season and Under 17s
coach in the 2014 season, and we welcome him back in 2015 in this
new and exciting role.
4 Fees
Rams fees have been one of the lowest in the competition for many years, with many
other clubs setting their fees considerably higher than ours. This year, youth player fees
have been capped at the same rate for all clubs in the competition, at $1,500. The fees
contribute largely towards our highly experienced coaching structure, along with the
increasing costs of players’ gear. Fees cover everything including referees’ fees,
insurance, and the use of the playing field and training grounds. No other payment is
required for the season. Payment of fees will be in three instalments as follows:
Instalment 1 - After selection at the information night (a week after trials):
Instalment 2 - Due when pre-season training commences (end of January):
Instalment 3 - Due before commencement of the competition (end of March):
$500
$500
$500
Unless you make prior arrangements with the Club President, this requirement will be
strictly applied: players will not be permitted to play in any competition match until their
fees are paid in full. Before signing on with our Club it’s important to ensure that you’ll be
able to make this commitment, in order to avoid disappointment for your daughter.
If it is easier you can set up a direct payment to our account and start paying as soon as
you are selected, to spread the cost evenly between the end of trials and March.
Players’ Gear
Players are provided with the following gear: Training:
Match day:
shorts, shirt, socks and jacket,
training ball (youth) & bag
playing shorts and socks, tracksuit,
club polo shirt
In the weeks following selections we will be
sizing and ordering gear. Fitting and
measurements will be held at the Clubhouse on
dates to be advised.
Training gear must be worn to all training sessions, with no exceptions or additions (except
for skins if a player desires). Players must wear their polo and tracksuit to games with
good quality sports training shoes.
Training
Summer training will commence in the weeks leading up to Christmas. It will be 2 nights
per week. We will break for a few weeks before commencing pre-season training in late
January. Pre-season training will most likely take place on Wednesday & Friday nights Youth teams from 6.00pm to 7.30pm and Seniors from 7.30pm to 9pm. This year’s training
field is yet to be announced, however it will likely be Coronation Park, Minto.
5 The Season
Football NSW is yet to announce the commencement date for the season. The season
usually begins in late March and runs until August, with the Grand Final in September.
Every second game is usually a home game played at Lynwood Park, and alternate
games are played away. This is sometimes altered due to ground availability.
FNSW recently completed a review of the Women’s Premier League, and as a result the
competition has been split into two leagues called National Premier Leagues (NPL) NSW
Women’s 1, and National Premier Leagues (NPL) Women’s 2. We are in the top league,
NPL NSW Women’s 1.
The teams playing in the 2015 competition are:
Macarthur Rams
Illawarra Stingrays
Manly United
Blacktown Spartans
Sydney University
Central Coast Mariners
Newcastle Emerging Jets
Football NSW Institute
North West Sydney Koalas
Northbridge FC
As you can see from the list above, unlike local association competitions, clubs in the NPL
Women’s 1 are based across a much wider area, so you can expect to travel some
distances on match-day.
What you can expect from the Club
Rams Women’s FC has a family-friendly
culture, with an emphasis on
sportsmanship from both players and
supporters. You will be part of a close and
supportive culture where players and
families are involved in Club activities
during the season.
With an extremely high quality coaching
staff, the Club places an emphasis on
player development. We are committed to
encouraging and training players to a level
of eligibility for selection to Metro South, State, W-League and National teams. With many
of our players having been selected to these levels over the years, the Macarthur Rams
Women’s FC has strong links to these levels of elite football.
We have been working on a program specifically targeted at the development of our
goalkeepers. In 2013 we worked with Davide Del Giovine (Sydney FC Womens
Goalkeeper Coach) and in 2014 with Davide & our first grade keeper Trudy Burke. We
hope to continue a high level of dedicated coaching to our goalkeepers in every team in
2015.
6 We will also provide the services of a physiotherapist/strapper to attend our 17s and senior
games.
The Club aims to provide fair game time for all players. However it should be noted that
we do not have a policy of promising equal game time amongst players or a certain
percentage of time that a player will be on the field. Teams in the National Premier League
are subject to the promotion/relegation system, depending on their standing on the Club
Championship ladder at the end of the season. It is crucially important that our Club do
everything necessary to remain in the top tier. For this reason, there may be critical
matches during the season when coaches need to field their strongest players for longer
periods. This may result in uneven match time for some players. However, with our
coaching methods our aim is that each player receives sufficient time to develop within our
program and achieve set targets.
The Management Group continues to bring fresh ideas to the Club, and your input and
suggestions will be most welcome.
What the Club expects from you
As a player and as a parent, the transition from ‘park soccer’ to Premier League Football is
a significant step. With the privilege of being selected to play at this elite level, comes a
number of responsibilities and expectations upon you, that you should be aware of before
you make this commitment. If your daughter is selected to play for Rams, you should
seriously consider the expectations of the Club.
Players are expected to be proud to wear the Rams strip.
Players, parents and supporters are expected to show respect for the Club, its
management, coaches and other players.
Players must be at training and games on time.
Repeated incidents of lateness sends a clear
message to the Club that a player and/or their
parents are not ready for the commitment
required at this level.
Training is compulsory for all players. Players
may be excused from training if they are ill,
however players who are injured but not ill, are
expected to attend both training and games.
Parents are expected to support their children, other players and the Club in a positive
way. Negative criticism of your child, another child or the Club is counter-productive, and
can create disharmony within the team and the Club. Each member of the Management
Team is approachable and welcomes suggestions and ideas on improvements to the
Club’s administration and coaching. However idle gossip and destructive criticism that may
cause damage to the Club’s reputation or to the morale of players and their families will not
be tolerated.
7 Leave the coaching to the coach. The style of football played at the Premier League level
is in accordance with the National Coaching Curriculum set by the Football Federation of
Australia. This may be quite different from that which you’ve experienced at a park soccer
level. For example, players are encouraged to play the ball out from the back and use the
1-4-3-3 formation, rather than over-relying on a long ball. This is risky, especially for
young players, but it’s preparing them for the way the game is played at an elite level as
adopted throughout Australia and overseas. Coaches in every club in the NPL Women’s
Leagues have an agreement to adhere to this style. While your coaching from the sideline
may be with the best of intentions, it may be contrary to what the Coach has taught your
daughter, and this will only end in confusion and poor play. So please let the Coaches get
on with their jobs, and refrain from coaching from the sideline.
The Club raises much needed funding from
running the canteen and barbecue at each
home game. This money assists our Club to
provide the highest level of coaching and
facilities in the competition. We rely on
parents helping out during the day for their
allotted time. The current arrangement is that
we have one team per day hosting the
canteen/barbecue, meaning that your team will
get around 3 turns per season. This is not
negotiable and is expected as part of your
acceptance of a position at the Club.
Players and parents are required to sign the Club’s Code of Conduct. Serious breaches of
this Code by a player, parents or their supporters may result in the player facing sanctions
or being dismissed from the Club.
Competition Structure
In the 2015 season there will be 10 clubs in the NPL NSW Women’s 1 competition. Each
club has 5 teams: Under 13s, Under 15s, Under 17s, Reserve Grade and First Grade.
Games are played on Sundays. All 5 teams from one club play against all 5 teams from
an opposing club on the same day. Each age group plays at the same time every week.
For example, if this Sunday’s fixture was Macarthur Rams versus Northbridge, the game
times are expected to be as follows:
Under 13s:
Under 15s:
Under 17s:
Reserves:
Firsts:
8:30 am
9:55 am
11:30 am
1:05 pm
3:00 pm
Please note that players must arrive at the field one hour before game time. Players are
required to show their support for the Club and their fellow players by remaining at the field
to watch at least the first half of the game following theirs.
Championships and Finals
8 Clubs in the NPL Women’s competition strive for three titles, in the following order of
priority (highest to lowest):
•
•
•
Club Championship
Grade/Age Group Premiership and
Grand Final - Championship
3 competition points are awarded for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 for a loss.
The Overall Club Championship is won by the Club whose First Grade, Reserve Grade
and Under 17s competition points added together at the end of the season, are higher
than those of any other club. The Under 13s and Under 15s competition points do not
count in the Club Championship. This enables coaches in these younger age groups to
concentrate more on player development than on winning games.
The Grade/Age Group Premiership is won by the team that finishes the season with more
competition points than any other team in its competition. This is commonly known as the
‘first past the post’ system.
After the last round, the teams that finished in the top 5 of their grade/age group play a
series of Semi-Finals, Finals and then the Grand Final, or ‘Championship’.
Promotion and Relegation
Similar to the English Premier League, the NPL NSW Women’s competitions work on a
promotion/relegation system. Football NSW is yet to announce how many clubs will be
promoted and relegated each year, but it’s likely to be the clubs finishing last and/or
second last in the Women’s 1 League facing relegation, and the clubs finishing first and/or
second in the Women’s 2 League offered promotion. Rams Women’s FC has played in
the highest level league in NSW since its inception, and like every club in the competition,
one of our key objectives is to avoid relegation. Because promotion and relegation is
determined by a club’s aggregate competition points, it is especially important that we do
well in First Grade, Reserve Grade and Under 17s.
Tournaments
The pre-season usually includes participation by the youth teams in the Proctor Cup. This
two-day weekend tournament is held at Bathurst each year in February and is a wonderful
way for teams and families to bond before commencing the season.
Due to the number of games played, full team numbers are required and therefore
attendance at the tournament by players is compulsory.
In the past players in our youngest grade have been involved in the Cheryl Salisbury Cup,
which is held at Football NSW, Valentine Park, Glenwood. This tournament is run over 4-5
days. Football NSW is yet to announce arrangements for the 2015 Cheryl Salisbury Cup.
Sponsorship 9 We offer several packages of sponsorship deals within the Club. If you are involved in a
business that would like to be a part of and support our great Club, we would love to chat
with you about the sponsorship options.
Finally
Thank you for showing an interest in our Club, and best of luck for the trials. Should you
be offered a position and you accept, be assured that you’ll be joining a highly successful
club with a strong tradition of sportsmanship, fair play and a commitment to the
development of our junior players.
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