Coming off a season to forget in 2022, Bayside will be looking to pull off a miraculous turnaround and play finals football this season.
Bayside finished the last season with only one win to their name from 21 matches, ending the year in last place.
Head Coach Loui Spiridis is determined to turn the fortune of the club around off the back of his first full pre-season in charge.
“It’s not going to be an easy journey, but it is going to be an enjoyable journey,” he explained.
“I look at how we finished up the season and compared to many of the other teams we didn’t have any super players to be able to compete with the best teams.
“We’ve got to strive to play finals that’s what we all play and coach for.
“We will obviously take it one game at a time, but we are not wanting to just stay alive we want to make an impact this year.
“There has to be objectives and goals we want to win titles – that’s the main goal for everyone.”
Spiridis claimed the senior women’s side started pre-season on October 9 to gauge what the playing list would look like for the upcoming season.
“We started early, but we had to, we let everyone come and trial and we took it from there,” he said.
“The hardest thing was attracting players to Bayside we don’t have to hide the truth; we had to try and convince them that the culture has changed.
“We got rid of 10 players and brought in another 12, I am really excited about how we are shaping up.”
Bayside has focused on attracting support for 2022 leading goal scorer Julia Budiongo (seven goals) in the off-season, while also bringing in younger talent from across the league.
“I just don’t get players on paper, I get players on personality first if they are going to adapt to what I want, adapt to the playing style and adapt to the culture and then everything else so I do a lot of research,” Spiridis claimed.
“We have brought in Miwa Sasaki from division one in Japan and Kayla Deaver from America who can help shoulder the load with Julia (Budiongo) this season.
“I never guarantee anyone a starting spot but if she (Budiongo) keeps going the way she is you wouldn’t take her away from the starting eleven, it will just be a matter of figuring out the best combinations.
“Last year we had Ellie Baker in the midfield; a veteran competing with youngsters and Sophia Galea who we brought up from the Under-19s at only 16.
“We are bringing in Caitlin Storay from Alamein and attacking midfielder Olivia Bomford from Tasmania, we are already looking much stronger.
“Looking ahead to this season, if you look at our inclusions, we should do a lot better than last season.”
Despite finishing last in 2022, Spiridis welcomed the challenge of three new sides entering the competition this season.
“Overall, I think it is the best thing that could have happened to the league,” he said.
“Coming from the men’s side being adapted from promotion and relegation in the NPL1 I am used to it.
“Every team coming up is going to be powerful.”
Spiridis expects the whole list to lift their performance from last season, however expects center-back Sienna Fogarty to turn heads around the competition.
“Any player who I have chosen this year moving forward is going to be a standout,” he said.
“They all have their own beauty and reasons why they are here.
“Sienna has the best stats in the NPLW as a centre back, if she was playing in a top four side I think she’d be noticed more, people will start to take notice of her this year.”
In a major coup for the club, ahead of the upcoming season, the club announced an official affiliation with NPL club Bentleigh Greens.
“The clubs already share resources, infrastructure, facilities and operational capability from Seniors right through to Juniors,” club president Deb Ghuilani said.
“We are extremely proud of our working relationship and achievements to date and this affiliation further reinforces the shared values of both clubs. What this means for Bayside is the benefit of leveraging the experience and reputation of an established club. “
OPENING FIXTURES
Round 1: Bayside United v Southern United
Round 2: Boroondara Eagles v Bayside United
Round 3: Bayside United v Heidelberg FC