Melbourne Victory W-League star Angela Beard has been helping coach at her old school in Logan
Logan’s finest female footballer Angela Beard will return to the bosom of Melbourne Victory FC today after being energised by helping coach students at her old school of Marsden SHS over the last month.
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Logan’s finest female footballer Angela Beard will return to the bosom of Melbourne Victory FC today after being energised by helping coach students at her old school of Marsden SHS over the last month.
The W-League star has spent the height of the COVID-19 crisis bunkered down in her home state of Queensland, but will return interstate to her adopted Melbourne as life begins to return to normal of many sections of the community.
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As part of her sabbatical in Queensland, Beard helped school staff with the booming football program at the Marsden SHS, including with the schoolgirl soccer that has taken off like a raging bush fire.
“Ever since I graduated I try and pop in here for sports’ awards or do a training session or extra coaching,’’ she said.
“Obviously it was hard after moving to Melbourne, but whenever I am home I always come back to Marsden.’’
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Now in her fourth year with Melbourne Victory FC, the 22-year-old graduated from Marsden SHS as school captain in 2014 and since her departure her career has gone from strength to strength, including representing Australia on the under-17 and under-20 national teams.
She fondly recalls joining the Marsden SHS football program in year 9 and being presented with “amazing the opportunities’’.
“We had tournaments, football and futsal, we’d travel to Toowoomba, the Gold Coast, there was always something interesting to keep all the students involved and excited,’’ Beard said.
So revered is Beard at Marsden, she is part of an honour board of star past students who adorn the school’s gym.
League legend Cameron Smith, Firebirds premiership winner Hulita Haukinima, NRL premiership winning pair Ricky Leutele (Cronulla) and Antonio Winterstein (Cowboys), and prospective Olympian Logan Martin (BMX) were among past students who have a section of the gym named in their honour.
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“The calibre of athletes in there, the likes of Cameron Smith, it is insane to have my name associated with all of that,’’ Beard said.
Beard said she was delighted to see the code go from strength to strength at Marsden over the years.
“It is hard to compare any school out there that has a program similar to this. The facilities, the gym, the futsal court, even just the staff they have brought in here, it is insane the amount of knowledge that they have,’’ Beard praised.