Tara Murray
From looking like they wouldn’t have a team to champions, it’s been a big year for Uni Hill Eagles.
After winning state league 4 north in 2022 and finishing runners-up in state league 3 north in 2023, things were looking rough for the Eagles this year.
Wasim Najmeddine came on board in October and had to put a team together quickly to be ready for the season.
The team clicked and produced a season beyond their wildest dreams.
The Eagles finished undefeated, scoring 35 goals more than the next best team and conceding just seven goals for the year.
Najmeddine, who had previously coached senior women’s at Watsonia, said he was confident they could have a good season.
“I’ve always been ambitious when it comes to setting goals in every aspect of life,” he said. “When I joined Uni Hill Eagles, the team was in a tough spot. They were struggling just to pull together a squad, and a lot of work had to be done, reaching out to different players.”
“Some of the players had previous experience, while others had none. Some were eager to join, and others were hesitant to commit. It took a lot of effort from myself and the assistant coaches to assemble a team.”
Najmeddine said he realised that they had a lot of potential in the short pre-season, having had some good results in practice matches including drawing with state league 1 side Fawkner.
It then started to flow into the regular season.
“These girls had never played together before,” he continued. “But they quickly formed strong bonds. We made sure they had the chance to get to know and support each other.
“They adapted quickly to our processes and approach. It wasn’t long into the pre-season when I realized that what we had built was something special. The girls went on to play some outstanding football.”
Najmeddine said having had success this season, they were hoping it was only the beginning.
After being in state league 4 in 2022, the club will be in state league 2 next season.
“Our women’s and girls’ programs are really strong,” Najmeddine said. “With the promotion and success of the club, we’ve earned greater respect, more and more girls are interested in joining Uni Hill Eagles. They see what we’re doing at Uni Hill and are impressed by our commitment to the women’s program.
“We focus on recovery sessions, individual player performances, player reviews and bonding events like team dinners. What we do with our women’s program is one of the best I’ve seen among the northern clubs.”
