Saturday’s Westfield W-League clash at WIN Stadium, Wollongong represents a dream come true for youngster Mackenzie Hawkesby as she prepares to play in her hometown at the venue for the first time.
The 19-year old has never featured at WIN Stadium, and is licking her lips at the prospect of lining up against Perth Glory in a re-match of the 2019 Westfield W-League Grand Final.
The midfielder is hoping to inspire the next generation of footballers on the South Coast as she praised the idea of taking a Westfield W-League clash to the region.
“I love it down here [in Wollongong]. We have a lot of Sky Blue fans and a lot of young talent down here that loves the game and loves Sydney FC,” she said.
“It’s really important we come down here and the fans get to meet us and watch us play. It’s so important that we have games down here so they can follow us and follow in our footsteps.
“I actually haven’t played here [at WIN Stadium], I’ve always wanted to play here,” she continued.
“It’s such a beautiful field so hopefully I get the chance this weekend. The ground looks so good.
“It’s a dream come true [to pull on the Sky Blue jersey]. This is always what I’ve wanted to do, it’s the best feeling. Sydney FC has been my dream club and I’m so happy to be able to perform here.”
Hawkesby said the Sky Blues are confident of emulating their dominant #SydneyDerby performance from last week, as they target a top-two finish for the regular season and a home Semi-Final.
“If we’re confident and play the way we did against the Wanderers I think we can have an easy win,” she said.
“It’s a really crucial game for us. Perth are a really good team, they’ve shown that they can get crucial wins too.
“We’re expecting big things for them, we can’t take them lightly and it’s really important we get the win.
“Our team is so good, with the Derby performance we put up we really showed what we are and what we can do, even without some important players,” she continued.
“We have a lot of depth and we’re really confident going into the game.”
Sydney FC take on Perth Glory in a thrilling Westfield W-League Grand Final re-match at WIN Stadium, Wollongong. With a home Semi-Final on the line, head down south and be there to back your Sky Blue stars.
Header photo by Keith McInnes
