Tiffany Eliadis was a regular member of South Melbourne’s 2017 premiership and grand final winning team that impressively won the double in their first season in the Women’s National Premier League (WNPL).
Ahead of the 2018 campaign, Eliadis told Neos Kosmos she was excited to be involved with South Melbourne in their bid to retain last season’s championship.
“The plan is to try and win the title as well as to try and keep our reputation and momentum from last year going,” she says.
“Our coach and president and everyone at the club supports us as long as we are doing our best and playing our hardest, our goal, of course, is to win the championship again.”
Eliadis has been with South’s Women’s side for the past six years and says winning the club’s maiden WNPL title last season was a dream come true.
“I bleed blue,” she says. “It was a huge season. It was huge for the club, huge for the players and huge for everybody else as no-one thought we could do it. It was something I will never forget. The club itself is built on belief that doesn’t just come from the coaching staff, it comes from our hearts, including our president Gabrielle Giuliano who has belief in every single one of us.”
Eliadis spends the other half of her year playing in the W-League with Melbourne Victory with whom she has been since the 2013/2014 season.
This term Victory finished in seventh place, nine points behind the coveted finals spot, but looking back, Eliadis says she was grateful for the experience.
“The season didn’t go as planned in terms of where we finished on the ladder, but it was good to be able to play in the W-League over the summer season,” she said.
“While I didn’t get as much game time as I had hoped for I feel the season for me has gone pretty well. Spending time with those players, especially those who are internationals, you can always learn a thing or two, so I’m really happy.”
One of Eliadis’ biggest fans is her South Melbourne teammate from last season Matildas star striker Lisa De Vanna who says the 23-year-old has loads of talent.
“She is a great player,” she says. “She is feisty, she wants to win, she is competitive. I really enjoyed playing with her. She is technically gifted and she is strong. She also challenges well for balls in the air. She is a very good player and has potential.”
In terms of her long-term aspirations Eliadis says her football career may see her taking a different direction.
“My new goal is to influence the younger generation as a coach and a mentor,” she says. “Who knows, one day I might take it overseas and coach in a country where being able to develop players and watch them grow could be a job. That would be the biggest achievement for me.”