With Mount Isa represented in a first for the state in both the 2023 Australia Cup and Kappa Women’s Super Cup (KWSC) tournaments, Football Queensland caught up with Sandfire Bulls and Parkside United representatives in preparation for their double header at Mount Isa Football Park this weekend. 

Parkside United FC President and player in their Senior Men’s team, Corey Moon, and Sandfire Bulls FC Manager, Donna Ah-One, spoke to FQ about the opportunities this involvement has brought to their clubs.  

Ah-One said the Sandfire Bulls are nervous coming up against new sides as part of the KWSC but still excited, as within the remote community that is Mount Isa, they don’t see many opportunities of this size. 

“We know we’re coming up against a side that has probably had more challenges, more opportunities; we just have volunteer coaches, volunteers all round, so we’re a little bit disadvantaged, but we won’t throw in the towel that easy – we’ll definitely turn up and give our 100%,” Ah-One said. 

“I think it’s a nice little achievement to perform at this level, it’s been a long time coming, something to showcase our women within the game.” 

On the back of Parkside United’s performance last year, Moon said the team put in the effort pre-Australia Cup and are proud of where that has gotten them, with the chance now to play Edge Hill United at home in Round 4 of the Australia Cup. 

“It gives the guys something to strive to which can be hard to find especially in the regional areas; it really opens things up, hopefully we put on a good enough show this weekend to show that the boys from the bush can keep up with the boys on the coast,” Moon said. 

“There’s a lot of good talent across the park out here, I guess given the opportunity and the chance we can do anything, see this competition through to the end.” 

With the expansion of the knockout tournaments seeing Mount Isa clubs participating in a region and state first, both teams are excited to see what opportunities this involvement can create for their players. 

“Maybe someone might see some of our talent stand out, it would be nice for more opportunities for the team, something else to be involved in – being out here so remote, other places, their opportunities come up more often, ours are few and far between,” Ah-One said. 

Both teams will come up against Edge Hill United sides in a double header this Saturday, 22 April, hosted at Mount Isa Football Park, with the KWSC match kicking off at 12pm followed by the Australia Cup fixture. 

“Hopefully this is the first of many, and this time next year we get the chance to go in again and yeah, we’ll never know what will happen,” Moon said. 

Kappa Womens Super Cup 

Sandfire Bulls vs Edge Hill United
Saturday, 22 April 2023
12pm 

Australia Cup 

Parkside United vs Edge Hill United
Saturday, 22 April 2023
2:30pm