The Boroondara Eagles have been a force in the VPLW for years and this year, they have the opportunity to show the football community they belong in the top tier.
The Eagles received a promotion to the NPLW following a standout 2022 campaign where they were only three points away from clinching the premiers plate and fell one goal short of winning the VPLW Grand Final to Preston.
Head Coach John Kyrgios explained the club was “ecstatic” to finally be promoted to the NPLW.
“When we missed out when the league was first introduced, we were very disappointed,” he said.
“To finally get there after so much effort and hard work is such a relief.
“We are finally reaping our rewards and we believe we are going into a league where we belong."
The Eagles proved their credentials in last year's Nike F.C Cup, making it to the sixth round where they were defeated by eventual Champions Calder United.
Kyrgios said the squad was the right balance to compete in the NPLW.
“We have signed most of our players from last year, we are a very close-knit group,” he said.
“Not mentioning the new signings, we have a lot of high-quality players who have been with the club for the last two to three years.
“We have got a varied squad, we have got a lot of experience and then some explosive young players who have yet to be seen at this highest level.
“I am pretty happy with our list; we have a good mixture and hopefully we will do well.”
There have been plenty of players tearing up the track over the pre-season, however, Kyrgios didn’t want to reveal too much; instead, surprise the clubs with his players’ development.
“We have two or three young players who are very eye-catching, but I don’t want to give them away, but teams will find out who they are,” he said.
“I think Zoe Austin has done especially well, another one who has looked really good is Hayley Geurts. I actually introduced her to the senior team in 2015 when I was coaching at Box Hill.
“Our goalkeepers Deana Bottalico and maria Patrikis have also been working really hard on their craft and really lifted their level.”
The Eagles will look to make waves this season, but the main goal is to be competitive.
“Our expectation would be to stabilise within the league and make sure we are there the year after,” he said.
“If some of our new signings allow us to do really well who knows what we can achieve?
“I think we can do quite well.”
OPENING FIXTURES
Round 1: FC Bulleen Lions v Boroondara Eagles
Round 2: Boroondara Eagles v Bayside United
Round 3: Box Hill v Boroondara Eagles