Former Matildas skipper and goalkeeping star named Heidelberg United’s new Women’s National Premier League coach

FEW have shown as much passion for and commitment to the Matildas than Melissa Barbieri. Heidelberg United will be looking for those qualities when she takes over as its WNPL coach

Ex-Matildas’ skipper Melissa Barbieri has been named head coach of Heidelberg United's women's soccer team Picture: Mark Wilson

The first time I saw Melissa Barbieri in action it was at a windswept Kingston Heath on a warmish summer afternoon.

Victoria Vision was taking on Canberra Eclipse or maybe the NSW Sapphires in the precursor to the W-League, the now-defunct Women’s National Soccer League.

The Vision was copping a pasting and the proverbial two men and a dog were in the stands to watch it.

While an occasional burst of polite applause, the thump of boot on ball, the frequent squeal of the referee’s whistle and the hum of a light plane positioning itself for the runway at the neighbouring Moorabbin airport did their best to break the silence, there was only one thing rising above that still Cheltenham afternoon.

The booming voice of the diminutive Victorian keeper.

Whether encouraging her forwards and midfielders as they pressed on goal or barking instructions to her defenders when the ball was coming back the other way, the former Matildas stopper had leadership stamped all over her.

It didn’t matter that it wasn’t Wembley and that no-one was there to watch, Barbieri’s passion and enthusiasm couldn’t be faulted.

And, it is those qualities that led Heidelberg United to take a punt on Barbieri when, last week, it named her its Women’s National Premier League head coach for the 2017 season.

Barbieri’s playing credentials are beyond comparison.

Standing just 168cm in her boot stops, Barbieri’s size was questioned by many.

But, it didn’t stop her racking up 80-odd games between the posts for the Matildas during which she played in four World Cups and captained Australia to victory in the 2010 Asian Cup.

Melissa Barbieri calls the shots when in goal for the national team Picture: Kevin Cox (Getty Images)

That breakthrough win for Australian soccer came after a penalty shootout victory over North Korea in the final.

Domestically she has a long and distinguished W-League career with Melbourne Victory, Adelaide Lightning and the Newcastle Jets

Earlier this year, Barbieri was lured to Olympic Village to play as an outfielder and help mentor the Heidelberg United youngsters.

Late in the season, however, she was back between the posts to help cover an injured keeper when she, herself, suffered a serious knee injury.

It was to be a ‘one door closes, another opens’ moment.

“Basically, I did my ACL, so I needed to find a different way to be involved in football terms,” she said.

“The positions at Heidelberg opened up, so I applied.”

Barbieri thought that her lack of coaching experience at the top level would count against her and, with most clubs already stitching up their coaching positions, she felt the best she could hope for would be an assistant coaching role somewhere.

“(But) I think I interviewed pretty well,” she said.

“I have the same ideas of where we are heading as the club does.”

The new head coach is a firm believer in developing young talent.

“I told them it’s a club of outstanding historical significance on the football landscape, with plenty of Socceroos coming out of there,” she said.

“So why can’t we do the same for Matildas?

“You want to have 22, 23 daughters and you want to develop them as much as you can.

Developing young talent and playing exciting soccer will be the aims next season Picture: Mark Wilson

“Winning the league is a byproduct of that.”

That’s not to say the fiercely competitive former Matilda is content to just make up the numbers.

“We want to win premierships, we’re there to win premierships,” she said.

“But, it’s about getting respect in women’s football by playing exciting football, to make every encounter one that people want to watch.”

Heidelberg United had an encouraging campaign in the Women’s National Premier League’s debut season this year, finishing fifth and missing the finals by just one place.

It did, however, secure some silverware when it smashed Bulleen Lions 4-0 to win the statewide knockout cup competition.