GSSA 2025: Four-goal Morris named MVP in Brenda McCann tribute match as Calies wallop Rovers and clinch title

It was a memorable night for goal machine Libby Morris as she helped Albany Caledonian secure the Great Southern Soccer Association senior women’s league title and was named MVP in the annual Brenda McCann testimonial match on Friday. Morris’ personal haul in Calies’ 9-1 trouncing of Rovers was four goals, all of which came in the game’s first 30 minutes, taking her season’s tally in the league to 29. With four rounds of the competition to play, Calies are home and hosed thanks to a 100 per cent record over 13 matches breaking the stranglehold of Denmark who have dominated the competition for the last decade. The contest celebrates the influential contribution of McCann who established one of the first women’s teams in the Great Southern. She said that team, which competed in the boys’ under-14 competition did not win a game in its first season but eventually started to hold its own. The competitive women’s game in the GSSA now includes 20 teams across senior, reserves, development and social competitions. “I’ve always said that this match shouldn’t be in my honour but should be in the honour of the girls who were in that team,” she said. “All I did was turn up and get it started.” Now 82 , McCann is delighted that the sport is no longer the preserve of men but she would love to see a decent soccer stadium in Albany. “They have done a good job with the North Road complex, but the soccer clubs don’t really have a home,” she said. “People like to come and have a drink after a game because it’s a community sport.” She presented the best player award to Morris after a game which Calies dominated from the opening whistle. Morris took just a minute to get on the scoresheet and ran the show for the first half hour. After that, Milla Trichilo, Jessica Baines, Shelley Thompson, Kayla Stoney and Holly Froehnelt got in on the act to complete the rout, with Rovers’ Stella Cuthbert grabbing a last-minute consolation. Denmark did their best to defend their title, following up a 6-0 win over Sharks on August 13 with a 2-0 victory over Phoenix two days later. Lowana Winter and Shylah Gough were on target against Phoenix. In the women’s reserves’ competition, Phoenix beat Denmark Rezzies 5-0 and Rovers defeated Calies 3-1, while Polonia and Sharks enjoyed comfortable victories in the development league. Sharks and Calies were socials’ winners, with Griffins and Denmark Dream drawing 1-1. Caledonians are closing in on the men’s senior league title despite sitting out Saturday’s contests. Phoenix kept up the pressure with a 4-2 win over Rovers but are nine points adrift of the ladder leaders having played one game more. A hat-trick from Malcolm Van Burgel and a strike from Corey Plug saw them home after they went a goal behind to Rovers’ Bradford Fakaafu. Polonia defeated Bayswater 4-0 with two goals from Sam Jackson plus one apiece from Kyle Taylor and Noah Irvine. Phoenix and Polonia won their matches in the reserves on August 16, while Sharks, Denmark Fairy Wrens, Rovers and Phoenix were victorious in the socials on August 14. Socials’ sides Polonia and Crosskeys drew 1-1.