By JARROD POTTER
SOUTHERN United completed its rising-star forward-line with Brittany Dudley-Smith slotting into the pink-and-blue attack.
Dudley-Smith, 22, is well known in south-east soccer circles, as she was one of the Casey Comets’ marquee players in the 2014 Women’s Premier League, and is now back in the region after signing on with the newly formed club.
“It’s amazing – being close to home and I know a lot of the girls and playing at Casey actually helped as a lot of the Casey girls are here and I know how they work and we bounce off each other so it’s awesome,” Dudley Smith said.
“It’s definitely a risk I had to take but I love it.
“I love seeing fresh faces and what talent is out there and it’s amazing how much the girls have grown in talent as they come up through the ranks.”
Higher ambitions drove Dudley-Smith to South Melbourne where she became an integral part of the championship winning side in 2015 as she booted 19 goals.
She was set to continue with South Melbourne but with the reigning champions not included in the inaugural NPL Victoria Women’s competition, Dudley-Smith decided to stay in the top flight as part of the south-east consortium.
Dudley-Smith will join up with former South Melbourne team-mates Saphri Lines and Tiffany Eliadis in Southern’s forward line and in many ways it was their insistence that got the New Zealand striker to sign on with the pink and blue.
“Tiff and Saph asked me to come down and have a bit of a trial and at the start as umming and arring, but now I’m here I’m excited to start the season with the new team, new club,” Dudley-Smith said.
“I know how Tiff and Saph play up front so hopefully it will be a dominant three.”
The NPLW season kicks off on Saturday for Southern United and Dudley-Smith is ready to make her mark on the new competition.
“It’s nerve-wracking but I’m more excited than anything,” Dudley-Smith said.
“We’ve been training out at Mornington, which is lovely as they have amazing pitches – and training at Casey as well and we’re ready to go.
“I think Southern this year, we’re the underdogs at the moment, but you never can fault the underdogs.
“It’s good with this new league coming up – you don’t know where the teams will end up … everything is new so I just can’t wait.”
She’s also joined up with a Southern United consortium club to coach as Dudley-Smith will take the reins of a Mornington junior girls team.
