Olympia Warriors women’s star Olivia Bomford is off to the Mainland to join Belconnen United in the Australian Capital Territory.
Bomford
has been with Olympia since she was 15 years old.
She started her football career at Lindisfarne
Junior Soccer club and went on to represent the Eastern Region.
She then joined the Skillerettes and represented
Tasmania at Coffs Harbour.
She joined the NTC at 13 and played at four NTC
Challenges.
Following disbandment of NTC, Bomford joined Olympia
in 2016.
Significantly, she stayed loyal to Olympia in 2018
when the club was prevented from participating in the Women’s Super League.
Bomford lists her highlights at Olympia as winning
the inaugural WSL title, the 2019 Summer Cup victory, and travelling to the USA
to participate in the Dallas Cup.
Photo: Olivia Bomford (second from left) shoots in a game against arch rivals Hobart Zebras [PlessPix]
Olympia
women’s coach, Alastair Russell, has nothing but praise for Bomford.
“She's been a valued member of our Women's Super
League squad and has also trained weekly for the last two years with our
Academy,” Russell said.
“Her talent has long been recognised, but over the
last few years, she has worked incredibly hard to make that talent effective in
games and has learned how to dominate opposition and have a real influence on
winning.
“Her attitude to improving has been superb. She has always keen to learn and usually
pesters me for extra sessions or to join in the with NPL training as well as
WSL.
“Her reward has been to take the next step up the
ladder towards her long-held desire to play in the W League.
“Belconnen United are a powerhouse female club who
play and train at the same facilities as Canberra United.
“If she can achieve a starting position, then she
will certainly be seen and then it's up to her to put in the complete
performances that can secure her a dream move to the top tier of women's
football in Australia.
“She has been brilliantly supported by her parents,
Rodney and Kim, and she leaves Olympia with the very best wishes of the Board, coaches
and her fellow players. Good luck Liv! You will always be a Warrior.”
Photo: Olivia Bomford in action for Olympia Warriors [PlessPix]
Russell said such moves were part of Olympia’s strategic
plan for the club and players.
“In general, we want to be seen as a female pathway
club,” he said.
“We want to expose our girls to the wider world of
football and Liv has been with her team to Victoria twice and was also an
integral member of the team that performed so well at The Dallas International
Cup for Girls.
“With Maddie Black already having a successful US
college career after her move last year, and with Liv starting her new football
journey with Belconnen, we are even more determined to provide experiences for
our girls that will lead to successful long-term engagement with the sport.
“Female football really can change lives.
“Expect more good news from Olympia on this in the
next few months as we continue to prepare our players for exciting
opportunities ahead.”
Bomford thanked everyone at Olympia, particularly
her coaches, Alastair Russell, Alex Holmes, Rob Clarke, Nick Taylor and team
manager John Fiotakis, for all their support and encouragement and also all the
fantastic teammates she has played with at Olympia, who she will really miss.
3 comments:
Well done Olivia!
It is great to see a young player follow her dreams. I hope they come true for you.
Fantastic news and a HUGE well done to Liv and the Bomford family
But lets not think that Olympia or FT have made this happen
Michael Edwards does nothing and has done nothing to promote opportunities for players like Liv
This has been done by her parents and herself, they have made the enquiries they have organised and paid for the trials they have found accommodation etc etc etc
Olympia have taken teams away and given players exposure which is great but lets please remember the hard work of the individual and her family that have made this happen not her club and especially not our joke of a governing body.
good luck and congrats Liv on having the courage to take this amazing but extremely challenging step - Well done to Rod and Kim on providing the support and encouragement to allow Liv to follow her dream
You'll do great young lady
Ps well keep an eye on the dogs :)
So the young lady is at a club for 4 years and you think this has nothing to do with this?
I suggest you know nothing about football and what it means to be coached well or coached badly. You know nothing about the work that the club did the private sessions at Warrior park. You should be ashamed to trash the club and make this all about your anti Olympia bias. If you never had any input in the game of football again that would most likely be a good thing. Go to another code of sport and spread your hatred.
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