Tara Murray
Western United’s Natasha Dakic couldn’t have asked for much more in her debut A-League Women’s season.
Coming into the season on the back of a best and fairest win with National Premier League Women’s champions, Calder United, Dakic has continued to develop.
She made her A-League debut earlier in the season and has played in three of the club’s first seven matches.
Speaking before last Wednesday’s match against Sydney FC, Dakic said it had been an amazing experience so far.
“Obviously it has been a dream start,” she said. “To come in as a new team and to have won our first six games… any time you have results like that you’re happy.
“I don’t think that it has sunk in. We’re all hungry and there’s so much belief in each other. We work hard as a team and we’ll continue to work hard for one another.”
While many were unsure what to expect from United in its first season, Dakic said the playing group never doubted that they could achieve great things.
She said the group would continue to focus on what they’re doing and their game plan, not worrying about what the other teams were doing.
Dakic said for her the experience of being part of an A-League set up had been something she was enjoying.
“You’re out training and playing every single day,” she said. “Being part of a professional environment and working towards something.
“The transition was made a little easier as I had played with a lot of the girls and coaching staff, which made it easier to fit in.
“All the internationals have so much experience. You’re consistently learning from them.”
Dakic said she was starting to feel at home on the pitch for United.
After not being selected for the club’s first two matches, she’s been named on the bench in every match since then, getting minutes in three of them.
“Making my A-League debut was amazing,” he said. “The first couple of runs was about getting the feel of the ball and for everything.
“I stay in a positive mindset and I know when I go on, I will continue to work hard for the player I’m coming on for.
“I’ll keep working towards playing minutes and hopefully later in the season I’ll get a starting spot.”
For Dakic, one of the big things that had helped her this season was her season with Calder United.
She said the environment that had been fostered at Calder, had flowed through into Western United.
“To have the season we had at Calder, we know how much belief we have in each other,” she said.
“We work for each other and we’ve brought that into Western United. Even before we started pre-season, everyone was so excited to play in a professional environment.
“The mindset and mentality has never changed and we’ve brought in the same culture from Calder.”
With an undefeated start to the season, Dakic knows the side now has a target on its back.
It’s a challenge the group is up for.
“We have high expectations from the beginning and are pushing to be in that top four,” she said. “With the results so far, we’ll continue to work hard and hopefully continue to achieve positive results.”
