ACT women's futsal rookie Ashleigh Palombi is tired of being the bridesmaid. After going within a whisker of titles in both the indoor and outdoor formats in the past 12 months, the 21-year-old will step up to the senior team for its national title defence, starting Monday in Canberra.
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The ACT is the reigning champion in both the open men's and women's divisions at the National Futsal Championships, which culminate in finals at the AIS Arena on Friday.
Palombi will be making her first foray at the elite level after captaining the youth side last year.
The striker showed all her class with a hat-trick in the final, levelling the scores at 4-4 before NSW ran away with a 6-4 victory.
She then went close to helping the Monaro Panthers claim the ACT women's Premier League outdoor title, before they went down 2-1 to a Belconnen United in the decider.
''I've made a couple of grand finals and let it slip,'' she said. ''That'll be something to learn from and will motivate me to keep pushing … I'm really keen to prove I can make that step up.''
The ACT women will be keen to replicate last year's success after they beat Victoria 2-0 in the grand final.
''The ACT typically comes into the competition as underdogs but we won't be able to do that this time,'' Palombi said.
''There's pressure on us to perform and it's up to us to live up to that.''
They will have to do it with a new coach at the helm, with Kristian Collins taking over the men's team. The women will be coached by Vanh Mathongsy.
The men's team is eager to back up its stunning 3-3 overtime win against Victoria in last year's final.
Five of the 12 players in the squad have been capped for the Futsalroos and another two have been training with the national squad.
''I don't feel any more pressure than I usually would heading into a championship,'' Collins said.
''You always go in wanting to win … The squad we have assembled is a fantastic one with everyone working hard to develop the style I am trying to implement.''
More than 2000 competitors from across the country have converged on Canberra for the five-day event.
■ MONDAY
FFA National Futsal Championships, day one. Open Men: ACT v Victoria at the AIS Arena, 4pm. Open Women: ACT v Victoria at the AIS Arena, 5pm.
