Women’s Football and The Gap FC
The Gap is Queensland’s leading women’s football club. In recent years The Gap has become the most successful women’s team in Queensland. In the past five seasons The Gap’s senior women’s team has won two pre-season Cups, two Football Brisbane Premierships, three Elaine Watson Cups, three consecutive Grand Finals in the Brisbane competition as well as claiming two historic League and Grand Final doubles in the Women’s NPL in 2015 and 2016.
This outstanding success has been achieved with players that have been developed from within our junior ranks. The club has a well-established football culture based on an attacking possession-based football philosophy that has resulted in a fantastic record in helping players achieve their goals whether that be playing first grade for The Gap, or playing for Queensland, the NTC, in the W-League or for the Matildas.
A key foundation of this success is high quality coaching. The Gap are delighted to announce the appointment of its Women’s NPL coaching staff for 2017. The club believes these outstanding coaches will continue The Gap’s fine tradition of developing exceptional female players.
NPL
Opens and under 17s Coach – Rob Askew
Rob Askew will continue in his role as coach of our successful senior team. Rob returned to coach our Open side in 2012 and has presided over an unprecedented era of success. In that time we have won four League Championships, five Grand Finals, three Elaine Watson Cups and two pre-season Cups. Rob has also presided over a Football Brisbane record-breaking run of 47 matches from 2012 to 2014. In 2016, he was appointed Head Coach of the NPL All Stars to take on the Brisbane Roar and in 2017 he won the Football Queensland WNPL Coach of the Year. Rob has a B License and a Bachelor of Education. He will continue in the role of Technical Director for The Gap’s Women’s NPL program.
Under 15s Coach – Alan Waller
Allan has 43 years of coaching experience in a variety of roles. He has had enormous success and experience in youth development having been a Brisbane North representative coach for 25 years. He was also coach of Queensland boy’s teams from 2004 to 2009 where he mentored players such as Luke Devere, Mitch Nicholls and Taj Minniecon. Alan has overseen youth development programs in TD roles first at Grange Thistle and then at Albany Creek where he held the position from 1995 to 2002. He has also coached in the Brisbane men’s top league at Taringa Rovers from 2004-2006. In 2016 he coached The Gap’s under 20 side in the Football Brisbane BWPL competition. In 2017 he will also assist with the senior squad. We are indeed lucky to have a coach with his immense wealth of experience, passion and pedigree.
Under 13s Coach – Jason Powell
Jason Powell returns to The Gap this season with valuable knowledge and experience under his belt. Jason was our NPL TD in 2012 before leaving to Brisbane City to take up a similar role. Jason aslo spent a season as Technical Director of Easts women’s NPL program in 2015. Last season he focussed on coaching the Queensland under 15s side. He has a B License. We are very lucky to have him back at The Gap where he will also take on the role of Technical Director for our boys and mixed teams playing in Football Brisbane competitions.
Under 13s Assistant Coach – Nathan Weygood
Nathan has a long and strong track record in elite sport. He has a keen interest in player management and is currently completing his C Youth License.
Football Brisbane
Brisbane Women’s Premier League – Kelvin Wheeler
Kelvin has coached in Brisbane for more than 15 years, during which time he has coached girls representative teams and at several clubs at junior and senior level. The majority of the teams have been women’s and girls’ teams including two years at The Gap coaching girls U16 JPL and women’s Sapphire team in 2011 and 2012. Most recently Kelvin was the women’s NPL TD at UQFC and the Junior TD at Taringa Rovers, and continues to coach school teams at St Ritas and St Peters.
Kelvin currently holds an AFC B Licence and has started the AFC A licence course.
Brisbane Women’s Premier League Reserves – Stuart Watt
Stuart has been involved at The Gap as a coach, manager, player, committee member and sometimes all four at once. He has been coaching juniors for more than a decade and has completed his skills training and game training certificates. For the past five seasons Stuart has been coaching in the club's girls' set-up and has been very successful in retaining players year-on-year. He gained an insight into senior coaching during the 2014 season when he was co-manager of the QLD Lions men's BPL side that won the premiership. Stuart is a veteran of the club's over-35 side and his son, Samuel, plays in the BPL for Capalaba.
SAP Coaches
Megan Price and Ruth Blackburn
Megan has been a Football Queensland approved SAP coach for the past two seasons. She has been a successful senior player since 2008 and has been a key component behind the success of The Gap since 2012. Megan is intelligent and articulate and possesses a keen football mind and understanding of the game. She has a Youth C License and will be an outstanding resource for our SAP players.
Ruth is a former Gap junior and a current first team player with an outstanding playing history. She was a QAS Scholarship holder from 2008 until 2012. In that time, she played for the Brisbane Roar and Adelaide United in the W-League. She also represented Australia at under 20 level. Ruth is a great communicator and highly intelligent, having just completed a Masters degree in Psychology. She has an excellent football mind and will be a fantastic source of experience and knowledge for young players.
Players interested in trialling for The Gap’s NPL or SAP program should contact club Technical Director Rob Askew at npltd@gapfootball.org or on 0407 620 732.
Anyone interested in BWPL should contact Kelvin Wheeler on 0412 085 388.
Players interested in playing for our junior girls teams should contact Director of Coaching Jason Powell on 0417 768 133.