New APIA Leichhardt coach focusing on homegrown talent for 2024 NPL NSW Women season

New APIA Leichhardt Women’s coach Brad Attard has a lot to live up to this NPL NSW season. Read why he’s not intimidated by past success as he looks to create his own in 2024.

APIA Leichhardt had a hugely successful season in 2023. (Photo: Damian Briggs/FNSW)

New APIA Leichhardt Women’s coach Brad Attard has a lot to live up to with the new NPL NSW season just around the corner.

APIA won nearly all there was to in 2023, taking home the premiership and the inaugural Sapphire Cup trophy under the guidance of coach Spencer Prior, who left the club during the off-season after three years in the role.

But rather than being intimidated at the prospect of backing up last season’s success, Attard said he wants to create his own.

“I don’t think we have to build on anything, we need to build something ourselves,” Attard said.

“We’ve got some really great pedigree and some great history and culture but I think if I look too far into that, I might lose sight of what I’m trying to do here.

New APIA coach Brad Attard was previously the coach for Blacktown Spartans for seven seasons. Picture: MAT Photography.

Similar to what Prior had done in previous seasons, Attard has built his team stacked full of APIA juniors and added some key signings but has mostly ignored potential A-League Women players that are set to return to the NPL later on in the season.

“We have a really great youth program at APIA with some really good up and coming players,” Attard said.

“So the thought process for us is, we’ll sign some really good NPL players, hopefully experienced, who have been around the top tier for a while and we know there’s going to be fluidity in how we want to play from round one to 26.

“When I was at Blacktown we had a lot of Junior Matildas that came into the team that then edged out our homegrown talent, so at APIA we want to have a clear message to our homegrown players that we’re here, when you hit the NPL first teams, we want you playing for APIA.”

Attard has made some big new signings for the new season, including Northern Tigers duo Mona Walker and Teal Kilbride along with Sydney Olympic’s Angelique Hristodoulou.

However Attard said he’s not just looking for talented players, he wanted players who are willing to put in the work.

“We always go for people before players,” he said.

“We want all our players to have a really hard working mindset and sometimes players just don’t have that, sometimes they rely on talent, sometimes they shy away from things they don’t really want to do.

“So it’s all about getting those players that have a hard work ethic, those that buy into the culture here.”

APIA will kick off their season against Manly United on March 3, with all matches set to be streamed live via the Football NSW YouTube channel.