
MID Coast coach Mick Grass says results don't tell the full story of the club's participation in the National Premier League Women's competition.
"People have to look into the context of what we're doing,'' Grass explained.
"We're a development club. We develop young players and hopefully help them to improve their skill set. But unfortunately, we lose of lot of them because they have to leave the area for work or to go to university.
"So then we have to start again.
"That's a fact of life. So we're not all about results, although obviously we'd like to get a few more wins.
"If it was about results, I'd have gone years ago.''
Grass said the Newcastle Jets Academy side playing in Sydney is a fair comparison. (Grass's daughter, Saffron, plays with the academy.)
"They're loaded with high quality young players and they hardly win a game. No-one really expects them to do so. But the players are developing so they can then take the next step.''
Mid Coast is enduring a tough year in the NPLW. The Middies enter the second round this weekend against Maitland without a win to their credit from five matches, while they've yet to score a goal.
They do have two postponed games in hand due to washed out fixtures. For the second year Mid Coast's pre-season preparation was hit hard by wet weather and closed fields. Mid Coast also has the youngest roster in the competition. The club draws players from Forster-Tuncurry to Kempsey, with training sessions held at Taree and Port Macquarie.
RELATED: Hannah Brewer's debut for Middies
All home games are played at the Zone Field at Taree and this has been closed for much of the season.
They're the only club in the eight-team competition that isn't based in the Newcastle-Hunter. Newcastle Jets W-League stars figure prominently in other outfits. Grass agreed it would be advantageous if Mid Coast was able to tap into that resource on a regular basis.
"I really don't know how they'd do it, but it would certainly help us,'' Grass said.
This year the Middies have gained the services of Hannah Brewer and Claire Coelho from the Jets. Brewer played her first game last week while Coelho is still sidelined with injury and could still be a fortnight away.
It's unlikely either will train with the squad although Grass said their on-field presence will be a boost for his inexperienced team. Brewer's debut last week coincided with the Middies' best defensive effort of the season in the 2-0 loss to Charlestown Azzurri.
Grass maintains Mid Coast's presence in the premier league is a boon to the women's game in the zone.
"But just don't always judge us solely on results,'' he added.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:
- Bookmark our website
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News
ADVERTISING
Did you know? Manning River Times online subscribers not only have 24/7 access to local and national news, sport, what's on and entertainment - they also have access to our print editions in digital format, with all the advertisements and classifieds at their fingertips.