They won division two 12 months ago and coach Colin Pursehouse knows it will be a much tougher ask in division one.

“We’ll take on the big guns,” he said.

“The girls have been working hard at training although we have lost a few from last year who went up an age bracket.”

Maddie Drewitt was the team’s leading goalscorer last year, but Pursehouse will have to find another player capable of regularly finding the back of the net.

He hopes 12-year-old striker Lilly Williams can provide that spark in attack.

“She’s one of our rising stars who made the state squad for outdoor last year,” he said.

“She just missed out on making the team.”

Port won their first-ever division two title last year – in either the indoor our outdoor format – but things will be different this year.

Encouragingly for the side, a number of the girls also played in the New South Wales team at the outdoor state championships at Hobart in early October.

Pursehouse will look to talented duo Teleah Walker and Zara Ferguson to lead the way.

Walker was in the indoor state team last year as goalkeeper, while Ferguson was strong in defence. She has also been handed the additional responsibilities of the vice-captaincy role.

The coach said he was looking forward to seeing how much improvement the team had made from division two.

“We have no idea what to expect down there,” he said.

“But as long as the girls come off with smiles on their faces, knowing they have tried their best, that’s all we can ask.”

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