Canberra Are W-League Champions

Canberra celebrate their grand final win

Ooops.

So I got a bit side tracked last weekend and didn't end up posting about the W-League grand final which was won by Canberra United.  In a first for the W-League the girls from the capital went through the entire season unbeaten.

The final itself was an absolute with Canberra racing to a 2:0 lead thanks to goals from Michelle Heyman and Ashleigh Sykes.  But after being forced into an early change due to injury to Jo Burgess the Roar pulled one back when Emily Gielnik volleyed home with her first touch of the football.  Canberra looked to have wrapped the win up when Heyman grabbed her second just short of the hour mark, but Brisbane again pulled to within a goal when Tameka Butt scored from the penaly spot.  There wasn't to be a fairytale for the Roar ladies as Canberra held out to win their first title.

It was a deserved win for Canberra who were outstanding all season under the tutelage of Czech import Jitka Klimkova. But it may well have been the signing of Heyman which was the real win.  The young striker has developed markedly since the inception of the W-League with stints at Sydney FC, Central Coast Mariners and now Canberra.  In that time she has developed into the most lethal forward in the league and possibly marked herself as the best female player in the country.

With Canberra now having set a new bench mark with their unbeaten season the traditional heavyweights, Brisbane and Sydney, will now be looking to improve next season and reclaim their ascendency.

Highlights and official report