Janae DeFazio has officially kicked off her journey with the Western Sydney Wanderers, arriving with a clear goal: to grow as a player and make a real impact in the Ninja A-League.
At a recent media opportunity to mark the start of the season, DeFazio spoke about what brought her to the club, her aspirations for the year, and how she sees her place in Australian football.
“Yeah, so I just was looking to play good football and this is a great league,” explained DeFazio.
“I’ve had a lot of friends that have played in this league and they had just nothing bad to say about it, all good things. So I really wanted to grow as a player and I thought I could really grow in this league.”
The Wanderers, who have steadily built a strong platform over recent seasons, now have fresh talent in DeFazio to help push their ambitions further.
For the young midfielder, reaching the finals isn’t just a dream, it’s a personal goal she wants to contribute to.
“That’s the goal,” she says.
“This club has been a good club the past few years, but we have big goals this year and it’s my goal to help us reach those goals.”
Coming from overseas experiences in the United States and Portugal, DeFazio has a broad perspective on how the Australian league stacks up.
“I think it’s up there,” she explains.
“The States have a really good league. Europe, it’s up there. But you know, I’ve played in Europe before, I was in Portugal. Coming here, I think it’s up there with them. I would honestly say it’s a top quality league.”
She also notes the subtle differences between overseas clubs and those in Australia.
“Honestly, they’re pretty similar in terms of professionalism. There’s a lot of young players here. I would just say the biggest difference is experienced players, said DeFazio,
“Overseas, they bring in a lot of internationals and players with a lot of experience, and here it’s a lot of local and younger girls. But in terms of level and professional environments, they’re pretty equal.”
For DeFazio, the move to Western Sydney isn’t just about experiencing a new league, it’s about personal growth and becoming a dominant presence on the pitch.
“I want to grow into a really dominating player,” she says.
“I want to be able to make an impact in every single game, and I’m really early in my career, so I think this is a really good league where I can get into that mode to be a really dominating player in the league. That’s my goal.”
With ambition, focus, and a determination to leave her mark, Janae DeFazio is ready to embrace her new chapter with the Wanderers. The Ninja A-League season may be just beginning, but for her, the journey of growth and impact has already started.
