Karly Roestbakken weighing up W-League return amid winter shift

Football Federation Australia's new agreement with broadcaster Fox Sports will see the next W-League season played between December and July - the first step in what will be a gradual shift towards a winter schedule.

Although the impending move will align the W-League with the local football calendar, it leaves Australia's top players, like Roestbakken, in a predicament.

The 19-year-old Canberran signed her first overseas contract earlier this year, joining leading Norwegian club LSK Kvinner.

She had plans to play in Australia during the Toppserien's off-season, but if there's a clash in schedule she may not return to the W-League in 2020-21.

"It puts me in a weird position if I'm honest," Roestbakken said.

"My plan was to come home and play a couple of months in the W-League but now that it's changed, I'm not sure what's happening because I'm happy and loving it over here.

"Personally, I don't know what it means for me but for everyone else and the younger girls it's awesome they've finally done it. I know they've been working on it for a while.

"It's great for building that bridge to close the gap between the NPL and W-League, so girls can have a chance to step up and be given an opportunity."

Roestbakken will make her Toppserien debut when Kvinner meet Rosenberg in a opening-round clash in Trondheim on Saturday.

The season's start was delayed by almost four months due to the global coronavirus pandemic, which also put Roestbakken's arrival on hold.

The Matildas defender received clearance to join her team in late May and had to quarantine for 10 days when she arrived in Oslo.

Like Canberra, life in Norway is slowing starting to return back to normal and Roestbakken is excited to finally play her first Toppserien match.

"We've been training a lot and working on things like how we want to play, so our preparation has been really good," Roestbakken said.

"It'll be a good game and a tough one, they're a strong side. I think everyone is just really excited to kick off the league."

Roestbakken celebrated the announcement of Australia and New Zealand's successful 2023 World Cup bid in the heart of Oslo last week.

The Queanbeyan junior made her international debut at last year's World Cup in France and the thought of playing on home soil leaves her almost speechless.

At just 19-years-old, Roestbakken is on the trajectory to become the Matildas' regular starting defender and says she'll definitely put her name forward for 2023.

"This is such a huge opportunity for Australia and it's going to build football, making it so much stronger," Roestakken said.

"There's no better feeling than playing international football in front of a huge crowd. To do that on home soil, it's a whole other thing you can't explain.

"Now everyone can understand the feeling of a World Cup and everything that goes on around it, it's unreal.

"Everyone will be wearing that jersey with honour and passion. I'm looking forward to 2023, hopefully I can be in that squad and play in front of everyone."