Graeme Smaill and his squad are relieved that the season is finally due to get underway, “It's all been up in the air, everyone’s pretty excited, but with a little apprehension with Covid still in the background.” The National League: South Central Series will see Southern face Canterbury United Pride, Central Football and Capital Football in a double round robin. Graeme commends his team for their efforts so far, “It’s a culmination of all the hard work that the girls have put in, it’s great to get them out on the pitch this weekend and get some reward for that!” 

Sunday’s clash with Pride will be Graeme’s first competitive match at the helm of Southern, “We’re very excited to have our first game against the Pride who’ve been the benchmark in the league for a couple of years. Their recent success combined with the local rivalry, is a pretty fitting way to start.”  

“The South Island derby adds a bit extra for everyone involved, a number of players from our team have been club mates with some of the Pride, so there’s some great friendships there. The beauty of the women's game is that they give it 100%  on the pitch and once the game is finished they have this way of continuing to connect with each other in the context of football just being a game.” 

Graeme has been impressed with all of his squad members’ commitment to Southern. With regards to new players to keep an eye on, he mentions striker Margarida Dias, “Margi is new to town and new to the squad as a first-year student. She’s been performing well at training and is one to watch out for.” Another new signing is goalkeeper Amy Simmers, “She’s previously played for Central and she’s been looking great between the sticks throughout pre-season.” 

As well as the players, Southern’s backbone is the coaching team including Jess Fuller, Tom Stevens, Helen Littleworth, Patrina Roche and Jacky Loong . “We've created a pretty good environment and Jess and Tom have been a big part of that. Helen has been fantastic with the introduction of her skills as our physio. She has a big sporting background, dual international for NZ for both the Black Sticks and Black Ferns. Helen has fitted into the team dynamics really well and her expertise has proven invaluable.” 

“P as the team manager offers the squad a person that they respect and really trust, she’s someone the girls can rely on and go to with anything they might require help with. It’s been great to get Jackie on board with the mental skills side of things as well, his role as a mental skills coach has helped with the players’ mentality.” 

Graeme explains, “There’s a cohesion with everyone who’s working for the girls. All the pieces of the jigsaw are coming together. It’s worth mentioning what Jules and Sarah from Football South have done as well, with all the changes they’ve had to contend with around the league. It's so appreciated by the girls and the coaching staff, knowing they’ve got everything in hand for us, I just want to give everyone recognition for their sacrifices for the team.” 

You can catch Southern’s first game of the season on Sky Sports Next’s You Tube channel this weekend. The game will be free to watch, keep an eye on our social media for the link over the coming days. 

A reminder that our first home game will be on the 13th November against Central at 12pm at Logan Park. There are no restrictions on spectators at outdoor venues so we’d love to see heaps of fans from our region come and cheer on the girls! 

Thanks to everyone involved in Southern’s pre-season endeavours and a big thanks to our principle sponsors Platinum Recruitment, McDonald’s Dunedin, ODT & Night ‘n Day for their continued support!