Canberra United will resist the temptation to adopt a Jarrod Croker-style approach to Michelle Heyman's milestone moment as the veteran striker sits on the cusp of history this weekend.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Heyman is poised to become the first female and just the fourth player in A-Leagues history to score 100 goals after her 99th secured a 1-1 draw with Sydney FC on Wednesday night.
It has sparked debate about how the league will celebrate Heyman's remarkable feat and whether she would get the opportunity to do it in front of a home crowd.
But coach Njegosh Popovich says he won't do what the Canberra Raiders did ahead of Jarrod Croker's 300th NRL game last year when the club rested him from an away game to celebrate at home.
Canberra plays Newcastle in Newcastle on Saturday, then a home fixture against Adelaide has been moved to Sydney as part of the inaugural Unite Round, meaning the next home opportunity wouldn't be until January 20.
That could still eventuate, but Popovich has backed Heyman to reach her century this weekend.
"No chance in hell we're waiting," Popovich laughed.
"We've got a game against Newcastle, and if Michelle plays to her ability she will score goals. We've got a game the following week against Adelaide in Unite Round, she's capable of scoring goals in that.
"I'm not going to wait for the fanfare on that one. We'll celebrate after she's done it. And it's a credit to her that she's always said it's about the team winning, not about her. And I can guarantee if we're winning, she's putting it in the back of the net."
It's likely Heyman's moment will be a subdued affair, with no Buddy Franklin-style celebration with fans on the field after he kicked his 1300th goal in the AFL. Instead, it will be announced over the speakers and Canberra United will mark the occasion at the club's next home game.
Heyman has now scored five goals this season and is more than 30 ahead of her closest rival on the overall statistics for career goals.
Popovich is confident Heyman's looming achievement won't be a distraction as his team attempts to end a four-game winless run.
Canberra belted the Brisbane Roar 5-1 early in December, but since then have lost to the Melbourne Victory and Central Coast before having to settle for draws against Western United and Sydney FC.
The team also suffered a blow when Emma Ilioski returned to Canberra on Wednesday night after badly rolling her ankle against Sydney. She was sent for scans and cleared of any broken bones, but the club is awaiting results of an MRI to determine how bad the ligament damage is.
The rest of the team went straight from Leichhardt Oval to Newcastle, arriving at 1am on Thursday to prepare for a third game in the space of seven days.
"The game against Sydney was one we could have won, but we could have lost quite easily as well so a draw was fair," Popovich said.
"This season is something we've never experienced before in terms of length. It's a marathon, we have to peak at the right time and we have to build towards that.
"I think we're improving in every game, we keep adding layers as we go and hopefully we keep growing. It's a challenging week with three games, we're away from home for six days. We won't take Newcastle lightly at all."