Crusaders FC are the first club to lay their cards on the table for the inaugural F-League season, announcing the signing of four stars of the NPL Women’s competition.
Brisbane City midfielder Emily Dunn and Western Pride trio Meaghan McElligott, April Gleeson and JJ McLean have all joined the Gold Coast club, adding star power to an otherwise youthful women’s team.
McElligott won the NPL Golden Boot in 2018 and previously played in the W-League for Canberra United.
Gleeson earned selection for the NPL All-Stars team that represented Queensland at the 2020 Kappa Festival of Football.
McLean, a former Queensland and national league futsal player, can hold her own both as a goalkeeper and on the court.
Dunn is a well-known name in the Queensland football and futsal scene, having played both forms of the game at a high level.
Established in 2013, Crusaders have played in the Gold Coast Futsal League and participated in various tournaments in Queensland and New South Wales.
In 2020, Crusaders fielded junior sides in the SEQ Premier Futsal League, winning titles in the U12 Boys and U13 Girls.
Crusaders’ founder Glynn Boyd said the club’s focus on youth will continue in 2021.
“We’re definitely underdogs, because we’ve never had seniors before,” said Boyd.
“The way that we’ve structured the club is by starting at the bottom and growing an age group every year.
“We’ve had to recruit obviously to add some strength in there, but we definitely focus on the younger kids coming through.”
The club takes its blue and gold colours of the Gold Coast and its name from Crusaders FC, Boyd’s boyhood club in Northern Ireland.
Boyd said he was excited for his club to be part of the inaugural F-League season.
“It means quite a lot to be recognised as a forward-thinking club in the landscape of Queensland futsal,” he said.
Stay tuned for updates on Crusaders’ women’s and men’s squads.
For more information on the F-League, click here.