One of Western Australia's rare all-female soccer clubs has been forced to merge with one of Perth's biggest clubs, as it battles for survival in an increasingly demanding environment.
The Northern Redbacks will unite with ECU Joondalup to form Perth RedStar, with the new club to play its first games in March.
It marks the end of more than 30 years of female-only soccer from the Redbacks, which boasts several Matildas and other international players among its alumni.
"We've been a very strong team for almost the whole of our existence," club spokesman Neil Bennett told the ABC.
"But what we're finding is increasingly greater demands on the financial side of things.
"As a result of that, we, in order to continue to compete at the very highest level, had to reach out and try and find partners from the men's game."
The club was run by volunteers, and relied heavily on takings from the canteen to fund operations.
The arrival of COVID-19 had a substantial impact on match attendance, which flowed onto the takings.
The Redbacks also started competing in the state's National Premier League Women's (NPLW) competition, which increased the financial strain on the club.
"The financial costs involved in that are far more than we used to expect," Mr Bennett said.
"We now have to pay for three officials every game."
There are also registration fees, the cost of a physiotherapist and funding for coaches to be considered.
"All of that has led to a situation where we tried to absorb the cost as much as we possibly could. But we just found it to be impossible to continue on in the way that we wanted to."
The long search for a partner
The club began its search for a partner several years ago, when it first entered the NPLW, as it required a higher-standard home ground.
It entered a ground-sharing arrangement with another club, which ended after one season.
With the club struggling, an approach from one of Perth's powerhouse clubs materialised.
"[ECU Joondalup] approached us during last season with a view to creating a new club, where that would be 50-50 in terms of facilities and resources for both males and females," Mr Bennett said.
"Their history very much reflects ours. They've been very strong in developing male players that have gone on into A-League and even up into Socceroos level as well.
"Their philosophy aligns very much with ours, of developing players to play at the very highest level. And we feel very comfortable and very confident that they're going to allow us to continue to produce some high-quality female footballers."
Merger preserves club's legacy
The merger marks the end of an era, but the Northern Redbacks are desperate to preserve the clubs three-decade past.
"We've always built our club on the foundations that we attract loyal and competitive players," senior player Carla Bennett said.
"So I think we'll just continue to strive to be that team.
But Ms Bennett admits there is an element of sadness seeing the Northern Redbacks name and logo consigned to history.
"I myself have been there for nearly 15 years, so all I've known is Redbacks," she said.
"I've grown up with it. It's been like a second family to me.
"We've got a whole club room full of memorabilia from flags, trophies, everything. We'll never forget our heritage and where we came from, but yeah, it is a little bit sad to leave it behind."
Despite that sadness, there is excitement about what the merger offers the club.
The Perth RedStar women's team will play on the same dedicated field as the men's side, and will have access to all the club's resources.
"There is always trepidation change is always something that's difficult to manage," Mr Bennett said.
"They'll be playing at a venue where they're going to actually be at a proper stadium, they're going to have proper facilities.
"They're going to get the resources, sports science, video analysis, high quality coaches. We're going to be able to tap in to the knowledge that the likes of [former Perth Glory coach) Kenny Lowe can bring to them."
The hope is the merger will supercharge the club's ambitions to produce world-class female players for years to come.
