Canberra United has pencilled in Monday 16 November as the start of Westfield W-League pre-season, and added two more players to its growing squad.
Ashlie Crofts and Isabella Foletta will be joining the team for the revised 2020/21 season, which is set to kick off from 27 December.
Crofts will return to the Canberra side for her second W-League season, while Foletta joins the side with a few years under her belt at the Perth Glory.
United head coach Vicki Linton said she was pleased to see Crofts return to the side, after being a standout in the NSW NPLW, scoring seven goals in 11 matches.
“Ash played with us last year and she is obviously a goal scoring attacker striker. It’s good to retain players like that and just have some consistency from last year,” she said.
“She already has a connection with the other players so that’s really important to build on.”
Twenty-year-old Foletta brings two years of experience to the side, but with only five W-League appearances due to a hip injury.
Linton said she had been impressed by the young player’s matches in the NSW NPLW for the Northern Tigers FC.
“I think she has some versatility she can bring to us; she can play either side of the field, in an attacking role or defensive role,” Linton said.
“She has been really a standout in her team up there, in her ability to have an impact on the game.”
Foletta said she was looking forward to coming to Canberra and taking on a new challenge in the W-League.
“I am so excited about the new opportunity to work alongside Vicki and players that I haven’t played with before so I’m keen for a new challenge,” she said.
“I have had a really great time with Glory for the past couple of years and I absolutely loved it, but I am ready for a change and a new opportunity.”
The new additions join Grace Maher, Laura Hughes, Rachael Goldstein, Lauren Keir, Hayley Taylor-Young, Nicki Flannery, Bianca Galic, Clare Hunt and Jessika Nash.
The league will start on 27 December, with full fixture details expected at the beginning of November.
