Player Interview F-League 2013 – Nikola Orgill
BFS: Nikola, Futsal is a relatively new sport for you with the recent NSW Premier League season your first, how have you found the transition to the smaller game?
I have found the transition challenging and exciting. The technical aspects of Futsal have been particularly difficult to adjust to, however, the F-league training has been extremely beneficial to me in terms of understanding the game. I am really enjoying the new challenges of playing in small confined spaces and the general speed of the game.
BFS: At the 2013 FFA Futsal National Championships you were named as AllStar along with some of the country’s most exciting futsal talent. Where does this rank in terms of your sporting achievements?
Being named an AllStar would definitely be one of my top sporting achievements. I was thrilled to just be participating at the National Championships and so being named an AllStar, alongside some of the best Futsal players in Australia, was unexpected and a great honour.
BFS: The F-League is an exciting opportunity for female futsal players, how do you see this league developing your game? And women’s futsal in general?
Having only started playing futsal last year, I still have a lot to learn about the structure and technical aspects of the game. The F-league is an amazing opportunity for female futsal players to compete on a national level and I think the standard of the players and teams will be challenging and definitely help develop my game further. The F-league is a brilliant step forward in terms of women’s futsal, this being the inaugural season for the women, and will hopefully be the stepping-stone to an Australian National Women’s Futsal Team.
BFS: From your short time at this level do you think Australia has the talent pool to compete on the world stage?
I think Australia definitely has the talent pool to compete on the world stage, and in addition to this I think Australia has the drive to be a strong competing futsal nation. The Futsalroos proved this ability in the most recent World Cup and I believe, given the chance, the women would also succeed internationally. Futsal has unfortunately been living in the shadow of its outdoor counterpart, Football. However, with the emergence and development of the F-league for both men and women, I think more people will begin to see Futsal as the unique and brilliant sport it is and this will result in an even greater talent pool which will undeniably allow Australia to be competitive on the world stage.
BFS: How important is the development of a National Womens Futsal team?
I think the development of a National Women’s Futsal Team is paramount to the success of the sport for women in Australia. It is crucial for the success of a sport to have a clear pathway for the athletes and a National Team that the athletes can aspire to be a part of. Naming an AllStar squad at the recent National Championships was a positive step in the right direction, however, this must be built on to the point of a National Women’s Futsal team in order to progress the women’s game.
BFS: What are you most looking forward to with regards to the F-League?
I am most looking forward to the level of competition and professionalism the F-league promises. Being the inaugural season of the F-league for women, I think we will see the best futsal talent Australia has to offer which will make for a tough competition, which is always exciting!
BFS: Which team are you most worried about going into the 2013 F-League?
There has been a lot of hype recently over the newly formed Sydney Scorpions and I think they will undoubtedly be a team to beat, given they are able to draw talent from four of the stronger NSW Premier League teams. However, I am most worried about Melbourne Heart and Dural Warriors as I think they both have extremely talented squads. Having played Dural Warriors in the NSW Premier league and having seen some of the Melbourne Heart talent from the Women’s Victorian side at Nationals, I think both teams will prove difficult to break down.
BFS: How is the team progressing so far?
I have been extremely impressed with how the team is progressing. We have been training for just over a month now and the talent pool we have is vast. The commitment to trainings and the intensity at each session is exceptional and I believe will make the difference come the competition.
BFS: Which player should opposing teams look out for in the 2013 Women’s F-League?
Each player of the squad offers something unique and valuable and thus each member will be crucial to the success of the team. We have some great younger talent in our squad and given the rate at which they are improving each week I think opposing teams will definitely have to look out for them in the F-league.
BFS: Thanks for your time and good luck for the 2013 F-League
Thanks!