By JARROD POTTER
HANGING inside a Mitsubishi would be the last place most would expect to see a pair of WPL Gold Medals.
It’s an odd spot for most to put their accolades but for Tiffany Eliadis it’s a great reminder of what she’s done and where she still wants to go with her soccer as she drives to her matches or training sessions.
After back-to-back Women’s Premier League titles with South Melbourne, Eliadis, 20, from Endeavour Hills, will change course on her career after she joined the newly formed Southern United.
While it’s tough to farewell her adopted club after many fruitful seasons, Eliadis felt the time was right to take on another big test – the Women’s National Premier League.
“I just wanted a new challenge, to be honest,” Eliadis said.
“Staying at South would’ve been the easy option but seeing that the WNPL would be something completely different for women’s football I thought why not be a part of it.
“I always like to challenge myself with new things and it’s a club that’s trying to slowly build itself up and before I went to South, they were a bit like that too.
“Going to Southern is a little like that and I feel that they’ll boost themselves up and I want to be a part of it, to be honest, on the south-east side.”
Joining Southern United alongside SMFC team-mate Saphri Lines and reuniting with her former Rowville Sports Academy coach Stuart Munro – Eliadis thinks Southern is set to up the ante with fast-paced, attacking style.
“It will definitely be a passing game – won’t be a boot it long and chase kind of thing,” Eliadis said.
“The girls will get into the routine of passing and relaxing on the ball and making better decisions – I think that’s what Stuart is trying to implement as well – better decision making and quicker speed of play.”
Eliadis encouraged all south-eastern soccer girls to head along and try out for Southern United ahead of the inaugural WNPL season.
While it’s a daunting prospect to jump up to the top tier in Victoria, Eliadis had the same concerns when she was younger but thought her switch to South Melbourne was the greatest move she ever made.
“Take a chance – you won’t know unless you try and you’ve got to take risks to be better,” Eliadis said. “When I was younger I took a risk as a 14-year-old to go play in senior level and it was the best thing I probably ever did.
“I even spoke to a few who were trying out for the 18s and told them to come into the seniors and they said that it’s obviously a major difference but you’d only get better if you push yourself.”
In the meantime she’ll tick off the kilometres in her purple Mirage waiting for the season to start next month – with her medals as a solid reminder of her capabilities.
