All players in the growing women's soccer market in Launceston appear cautiously supportive of the city fielding a composite team in the Super League.
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As the city hosted a ladies' day to promote women's soccer, representatives of all its major clubs appeared to back the concept of joining together for a statewide purpose.
With Ulverstone the only side north of Hobart in the six-team Women's Super League following Launceston City's withdrawal last season, Football Tasmania believes a Northern team is imperative to maintain a talent pathway.
At a competition review workshop last week the idea was mooted for a composite team with Riverside, Northern Rangers and United sitting first, second and fifth in the women's Northern Championship and City and North Launceston Eagles also supportive.
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As Riverside hosted an inaugural women's soccer celebration, club captain Nichola James and Launceston United counterpart Katie Hill said they were receptive to the idea.
"It's definitely something to consider," James said.
"Any way we can promote women's soccer in the North has got to be good.
"We have not got that option at the moment so I think it's a great idea."
Hill added: "I think if a composite team was made up it would be very competitive.
"But do you lose the experience of the older players mentoring the less experienced. A lot of women come to soccer as adults whereas in the men's game they've mostly been playing since they were five or six."
As representatives of City, Northern Rangers and NLE also appeared to back the concept, the Olympic and United captains reflected on how much progress women's soccer has made in the North.
"I think it's growing and is probably as strong as it's ever been," James said.
"I think we are miles ahead of where we were 10 or even five years ago. There are still steps that can be taken such as playing more games on the main pitches but we're moving in the right direction.
"We're not there yet but we're going to a good place and it's lovely to see.
"We're seeing continual girls coming through from our juniors and as AFL gets bigger it grows women's soccer as well and focuses women's soccer to increase investment to match that which is great."
Hill added: "There are good steps being taken for equality within clubs but there is more that could be done which will ultimately grow the women's game."
Northern Rangers coach Rod Fulton backed the composite proposal. "I think it's a good idea," he said.
"I don't know that we've got the numbers up here to support clubs doing it on their own so think the only way we can do it is to band together and put a squad of 20 together and I'm sure you could make it work.
"I don't think any of the teams in Launceston could be competitive in the state league and still have a team underneath.
"It's pretty tough up here. A lot of our girls are studying or working and there's no way we could travel to Hobart every second week with good numbers so the only solution is some kind of composite team."
The directors of football at both NLE and City echoed the sentiment.
NLE's Ben Radbone said he was concerned what impact it might have on teams in the Northern Championship.
"I don't know whether a single club should step up or a composite team but feel it should be investigated," he said. "I think it will be great for the region.
"We'd love to have girls involved and represented at the best level they can be. The critical thing will be growing numbers across the region from grass roots level to support it.
"I support Launceston having a WSL squad but I'm not in a position to say whether all senior clubs would be able to support taking senior players out to support that.
Radbone said women's soccer has been growing healthily at the Eagles.
"It's our first year fielding senior and junior girls' teams so very positive with female numbers and we're very excited by it.
"We're hoping to move our senior girls through and hopefully over the next three years they will consolidate into senior women's team.
"In the senior girls we have about 15-16 players and juniors about a dozen with more trickling in through the season and we're hoping they will enjoy the year and that will grow."
City's Roger Mies discussed the composite team idea when it was raised by FT last month.
"There was a general consensus that for the Super League to be a statewide competition, there has to be a Launceston-based team," he said.
"Each club in its own right might find it difficult but a combined team has been done before and I think it went quite well and that might be the solution to keeping the state league going."
Olympic's players wore pink shirts for their ladies' day which included a buffet lunch, prize give-aways, a crossbar challenge at half-time of the NPL match and involved many of the club's juniors.
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