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Time for young W-L stars to shine: Polias

3 minute read

Sydney FC captain Teresa Polias is celebrating 10 years at the W-League club and hopes the competition is about to usher in a new generation of top talent.

TERESA POLIAS.
TERESA POLIAS. Picture: Scott Barbour/Getty Images

As W-League stalwart Teresa Polias celebrates 10 years at Sydney FC, she hopes the upcoming season will usher in a new era of top Australian talent.

After starting her career at Central Coast, Polias first appeared in Sydney colours as a 20-year-old on November 6, 2010.

She has gone on to captain the Sky Blues, won two W-League championships and played for the Matildas at a World Cup - all while working as a primary school teacher.

"Ten years at the club - that's something really special to me," Polias told AAP.

"Having my family support me through that time, coming to see me play with the team I love, week-in, week-out - I'm very grateful and lucky to have the support.

"I'm pretty speechless about it, to be honest."

This season, Polias, 30, will captain a Sky Blues team without Caitlin Foord (Arsenal) and Alanna Kennedy (Tottenham) but that has otherwise remained relatively stable while attracting young talent.

Most current Matildas are now based in Europe, opening the door for Australia's best young players to take the W-League by the scruff of the neck.

"This season is gonna be a bit different but I think that's a positive thing as well," Polias said.

"Going into the future I think it's really good for our young domestic players that the league's transforming a little now for their own good because they'll probably become the next stalwarts in the league."

While urging top youngsters to take their chances with both hands, Polias said the league itself needed to evolve to allow them to reach their potential.

That includes the need for the competition - which consists of 12 regular games plus finals - to extend to "at least" a full home-and-away season in the future.

"We've got a World Cup coming up and any young player in the league could be involved in that," Polias said.

"But in order to reach that, they need more games.

"It's our domestic league - it's for the future, it's for women's football.

"So it should be as long as it needs to be - it's just got to be done."

On a personal note, Polias still has one thing left to add to a decorated W-League resume at Sydney.

"I want us to win it all basically - I want to do a double," Polias said.

"I haven't been able to do that with the club ... that'd be a dream of mine."

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