Tara Andrews: Turf troubles and a bacon-fueled brace

Adelaide United hosted us on Sunday for the televised game of the week. This made for our second away trip this season, where we were quite confident that we had a good chance of bringing home the three points.

We arrived in Adelaide on Saturday afternoon and had a short, light session on the field we were playing on the next day. It was a turf field, or synthetic as you may call it, and is very unfamiliar in the Australian W-League.

To be honest, it was quite low on my list of quality turf fields because when we started running on it, it sounded like we were running on floor boards and was a hard surface, which our joints are paying for now.

I also did not appreciate the nasty turf burn I got on my elbow while playing. But it’s part of the game and we dealt with what we got.

It was game day and one of our issues surrounding this away trip was what we were having for our pre-game meal and dinner the night before. I find it interesting what people eat the night before and day of the game. Some people eat a minimal amount on game day while others eat whatever at any time, and some are very particular about what they eat and have a set routine.

I could possibly be classed in the set routine group with specific things I eat on game day. So we all put in requests on Saturday for what we wanted for our pre-game meal and dinner that night. I do feel sorry for our team manager, who had to organise it all and deal with our constant nagging, but it worked out well in the end and we all were relatively happy.

So off we went with food in our belly to the game. There was a nice buzz about the game as it was being televised. It was a crucial match for us because we lost the previous two games after winning in round one and needed those three points.

It was a promising start with a 2-0 lead at half time; we continued our good form by doubling our lead in the second half to get a 4-0 win.

Rhali Dobson scored a brace in the second half and secured the player of the match honour all on a breakfast of bacon and eggs; that might be a bit of a blow for sports nutritionists that harp on about strict athlete diets. I guess food isn’t everything, although I wouldn’t complain if it was.

Next week is a home game against the team just down the M1, Sydney FC. Always a challenge playing Sydney with their consistent talent all over the park.

I would also like wish Ashley Spina a speedy recovery from the torn ACL she acquired on the weekend in our game. Food for thought: did the quick transition from grass to turf contribute, as growing discussions and research identify this as a factor. 


Tara Andrews is a long-time striker and current vice-captain for the Newcastle Jets, despite only being 20 years old, who recently spent time with the Colorado Pride and has represented Australia internationally with the Young Matildas. She holds the record for the most goals scored in a W-League match with four against Adelaide United. Keep up with Tara's weekly blogs throughout the 2014/15 Westfield W-League season here.