Grace Field returns to Capital Football's NPLW with Canberra Croatia

For the former Canberra United defender, it's a chance to fall back in love with the game she once devoted her life to.

Field returns to the Premier League from a two-year football sabbatical and has joined Canberra Croatia FC, linking up with former teammates Grace Gill, Krista Hagen and Alice Churchill.

It's a major boost for Nik Brozinic's side who narrowly fell short of last year's championship, with the 26-year-old to help offset the departure of Rachael Goldstein to the Macarthur Rams.

Field, a former Young Matilda, played 17 W-League matches for Canberra after making her W-League debut as a teenager in the 2010-11 season.

She's since finished her university studies and kickstarted her career as a physiotherapist in Canberra. But with Croatia's season-opener now just days away, Field realised just how much she's missed football.

"The enjoyment of football for me now comes from playing with old friends," Field said.

"This was about coming back and enjoying football again with those familiar faces. I've really enjoyed the culture at the club and they're such a great bunch of girls, everyone is really engaged.

"I've realised since coming back how much I did miss it. I stopped playing W-League five years ago when I started doing university placements, I didn't have the time to balance them out.

"It's given me an opportunity to try out other things, my partner does triathlons so I've been training for one but that got cancelled due to the pandemic. I think from a fitness level that's helped massively, so hopefully I can bring that into the season."

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Croatia will launch their long-awaited NPLW campaign against Woden-Weston at Melrose Synthetic on Sunday.

Capital Football and Canberra's contact sports received approval from the ACT government on Thursday to start their competitions this weekend.

The Premier League season has been shortened to 11 weeks, leaving no room for error in the women's nine-team competition.

The standard of Canberra's NPLW is expected to lift across the board this year with multiple teams, like Croatia, signing new talent.

Sisters and former Canberra United stars Ash Sykes and Nicole Begg have joined Olympic, while Belconnen United's Jessie Rasschaert and Academy's Hayley Taylor-Young bring W-League experience.

The Blue Devils are chasing a 10^th straight premiership and, along with Croatia, have dominated the competition in recent years. But Brozinic says they'll be multiple teams capable of beating the NPLW powerhouse and pushing for the title this season.

"I think it's going to be the most open competition in the women's premier league there's been for a while," Brozinic said.

"There'll probably be three or four teams that will put their hand up and say they're in it this year, and give it a good crack.

"Olympic has picked up the Sykes sisters which will make them a lot stronger. Gungahlin have kept their players and added girls from Academy, so they'll be stronger, and the same as the likes of Woden.

"It's going to be a lot stronger competition rather than just a top-heavy competition that we've had over the last few years. The more competitive games we get, the better it's going to be."

Reigning champions Belconnen will kick-off their title defence against Monaro Panthers at Hawker Football Centre on Saturday.

Gungahlin United will meet Olympic at O'Connor Enclosed on Sunday, while Tuggeranong United hosts Academy in Kambah.

CAPITAL FOOTBALL NPL ROUND ONE:

NPL1: Saturday - Canberra Olympic v Belconnen United at O'Connor Enclosed, 3pm. Monaro Panthers v Canberra Croatia at Riverside Stadium, 5.30pm. Sunday - Gungahlin United v Woden-Weston at AIS Grass Fields, 3pm. Tigers FC v Tuggeranong United at Nijong Oval, 3pm.

NPLW: Saturday - Belconnen United v Monaro Panthers at Hawker Football Centre, 3pm. Sunday - Gungahlin United v Canberra Olympic at Gungahlin Enclosed, 3pm. Tuggeranong United v Canberra United Academy at Kambah, 3.10pm. Woden-Weston v Canberra Croatia at Melrose Synthetic, 3.15pm. Bye: Wagga City Wanderers.