The Wanderers have bolstered their ranks as they look to reach the finals for the first time in their history. Here’s everything you need to know about the Red and Black.
HISTORY
Western Sydney Wanderers’ inaugural 2012/13 Westfield W-League season remains their best finish in the competition to date.
Headed by the goals of Swedish import Louise Fors and former Westfield Matildas star Sarah Walsh, the Red and Black finished just shy of a finals position in sixth.
Since then, the Wanderers have struggled to rival their maiden Westfield W-League season and have hovered around the bottom few positions on the ladder.
They have however contributed their fair of classic moments during their six-year existence, including memorable stints from Americans Keelin Winters and Katie Stengel.
COLOURS AND BADGE
The Wanderers wear red and black hoops, while the badge combines three key elements of the Western Sydney landscape: mountains, valleys and winding rivers.
The badge also includes a stylised W, S and W pattern to represent the club’s initials.
HOME GROUND
The club play at Marconi Stadium in Bossley Park. One of Western Sydney’s most iconic stadiums, the 9,000-seater is also the home of NPL NSW and former NSL giants Marconi Stallions.
COACH
Born in Bankstown, Dan Barrett was appointed head coach of the Wanderers for the 2018/19 season.
A former Sydney FC head coach and pupil of Westfield Matildas boss Alen Stajcic, Barrett was recently head of female performance at Central Coast Mariners.
Barrett said he was intent on turning the underachieving Wanderers into genuine finals contenders this season.
“I want to bring a real steel to this side, I want to make sure that teams don’t like playing us. That’s going to be the most important thing, and that we win games, because that’s what this competition is all about,” he told Western Sydney Wanderers’ official website.
“I’ve always been in finals; that’s a record I’d like to keep, that’s just something that I always set for myself: number one finishing in the top four and then look to go beyond that.
PLAYERS
Barrett has assembled what is arguably the club’s strongest ever roster for the upcoming Westfield W-League season.
It began with the triple capture of Sydney FC talents Leena Khamis, Kylie Ledbrook and Georgia Yeoman-Dale, while young goalkeeper Jada Whyman also signed on.
Servet Uzunlar, Caitlin Cooper and Erica Halloway have also inked deals for the new campaign alongside talented young trio Rachel Lowe and Susan Phonsongkham and Courtney Nevin.
Perhaps the biggest coup for the Red and Black is the signing of Westfield Young Matildas and ex-Sydney FC striker Remy Siemsen.
Siemsen broke into the Westfield W-League in 2016/17 and became the Sky Blues’ top goalscorer, finishing her debut season as the W-League Young Footballer of the Year.
More recently she played in the USA Women’s Premier Soccer League for California Storm and finished as the leading goal scorer, having the equal most assists in the competition, while she was also named in the 2018 Best of the WPSL team.
BEST MOMENT
Although the Wanderers’ history in the Westfield W-League has been underpinned by a catalogue of ‘nearly’ moments, they’ve still made a sizeable mark on the competition since their inception.
One memorable highlight arrived in October 2014, when the club pulled off a huge 2-1 upset win over Brisbane Roar at Suncorp Stadium.
Another big moment for the Wanderers was a huge 4-0 win over Adelaide United in December 2012 – a win that remains the club’s biggest yet.
