CAPALABA Football Club is aiming for a winning start this weekend as their National Premier Leagues Men's and Women's teams commence their 2021 campaigns.
The Bulldogs women are first off the mark when they contest their inaugural Kappa Women's Super Cup tie against lower tier Grange Thistle on Friday night at John Fredericks Park.
The newly launched competition will see former Matildas representatives Amy Chapman and Brooke Spence take the field, along with W-League experienced Steph Latham, Alisha Foote and Natasha Wheeler.
The team is also expected to welcome back a number of last year's stars currently playing for Brisbane Roar when the W-League season wraps up in coming weeks.
Last season, the Capalaba women finished third on the NPL Women's table and fell just one game short of their maiden grand final appearance, their best ever return in Queensland's highest football league.
New coach Archie Kahondo - who was last year's Brisbane Women's Premier League Coach of the Year - said he wanted to bring titles to the club this season, starting with the new knock-out competition.
"It's our very own FFA Cup and unlike league games we won't get a second bite of the cherry," he said.
"We need to be prepared and sharp if we are to go all the way."
With their FFA Cup opening fixture still weeks away, the men will commence their season on Sunday afternoon with a tricky away trip to old foes Sunshine Coast Wanderers in the NPL.
After narrowly avoiding relegation last year, the Bulldogs have completely overhauled their squad with a raft of new signings for the upcoming season, including former NPL grand final winning striker Alistair Davis.
The remainder of the squad includes new recruits seeking to prove themselves at a higher level in 2021, including highly regarded defenders Russell Parker and Daniel Simic, as well as talented midfielders Tim Morgan, Aaron Midon and Jakob Mudnic.
New coach David McEvoy said he had used several games in pre-season to ensure his new look side was ready to hit the ground running this year and improve on last season's twelfth placed finish.
"The lads have built an understanding on-field and really come together," he said.
"We are excited to get the season started and confident we can take it to any team in the competition."
The Bulldogs also have confirmed the respective captains for the season, with former Brisbane Roar defender Billie Murphy leading the women's team, while hulking defender Tristan Hugo will lead the men.
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