Serena Carter cannot remember a more challenging season.
But the New Lambton centre-back does not regret choosing to remain during a rebuilding period for the 2019 Newcastle Herald Women's Premier League champions.
The Eagles were virtually untouched on their way to capturing the premiership-championship double in just their second season in Northern NSW Football's top-flight women's competition.
But COVID-19 was not the only hurdle to overcome last year. After the loss of coach Keelan Hamilton and a host of high-profile players, New Lambton won just two games to finish the season seventh on seven points.
Not one player remained from the first-grade side of 2019 when this campaign began and, after 12 games, the Eagles remain winless and rooted to the bottom of the points table with zero points.
But Carter, who played WPL with Valentine and Adamstown before joining New Lambton in their maiden voyage as a reserve-grader, saw an opportunity to grow as a player and a person this campaign and seized it.
"I pretty much always wanted to stay," Carter told the Newcastle Herald. "The club told us where they wanted to go and what their plan was and I had full faith in that. I understood that it would be hard, the rebuilding, and I knew that we would lose some players. But I had faith in the club and wanted to see it through.
"Playing first grade was something I wanted to aim towards and that was one of the discussions before the season. The club said they'd give me that opportunity if I proved myself, so I must have."
The Maryville 23-year-old has been a starting centre-back all season.
"It's been challenging this year but I'm definitely learning the importance of team culture," she said.
"We have been improving in the past few weeks because we have started to develop that bond and hopefully we'll get a win by the end of the year."
It is Carter's third season with the Eagles but she originally did not join the club to play.
"They asked me to be the assistant coach of the 17s then I saw the senior squad training and I asked if I could trial, so I played reserve grade as well," Carter said.
"The next year I lived in London for a few months, so I didn't play. Last year I missed the first three rounds because I was living in Sydney then I rejoined after the break for COVID and played reserve grade again."
This year Carter is also head coach of the Eagles 13s team.
"I want to give back to the younger girls and I find it really rewarding seeing them develop their skills across the year and how much they improve," Carter said.
"In terms of playing, I'd like to keep developing because I still think I've got a long way to go and hopefully I can do that with New Lambton."
The Eagles have added former W-League striker Jenna Kingsley to their squad since the season started and Carter said there was also a host of young talent making the most of their experiences this year.
"I've always thought Emily Ridgeway is a stand-out in the midfield," Carter said. "When reserve grade won two years ago, she was in that team. [Attacking player] Macy Anthony was in that team too and is playing first grade now. I coached her in the under 17s, so she's been there since the start and is killing it in first grade.
"I coached Sarah Pickering in 17s and she has also come through and has been playing a bit of first grade at left or right-back. And our goalkeeper Lily-Rose Dunbar came from the Eagles 14s team last year to first grade.
"We've got a good bunch of girls, so they make the season a lot easier. I've made some new friendships and it makes it a lot easier going through the challenges to be around so many positive and friendly girls.
"Jenna is a really good leader and has a lot of knowledge and bringing her in has helped as well."
Related content:
