As the A-League Women season continues on, and attempts are made to decipher the trends and read into ladder positions, every take must still be prefaced with some caveats.
Western United's hibernation has meant weekly byes for at least one of the teams. This, in turn, means that the A-League Women ladder isn't telling the full story. Exacerbating that is a much more positive reason, Melbourne City's run in the Asian Women's Champions League has meant they have missed the last two rounds of Dub action. Obviously, they and their opponents will make up these games.
But it makes determining who is actually off to a hot start this season and who is not all the more difficult. Can teams be fairly compared as title favourites when some have played four games and others have only played two? Sydney FC and Newcastle Jets currently occupy the top two spots, but would that still be the case if City had played their full complement of games?
Fans will have to wait until the ladder is a bit more even to truly gauge who is worth talking about in trophy conversations and who is enjoying a moment in the sun thanks to the lopsided schedule.
Adelaide United
BYE
Brisbane Roar
BYE
Canberra United
Stocks Up: There was a lot to like about Canberra's first win of the season. Michelle Heyman was scoring goals, Josie Aulicino continued to impress, and Bethany Gordon was influential. The trio came together to orchestrate Canberra's third and arguably best goal of the day. Aulicino was alive to a poor pass, played it to Heyman, whose quick touch got the ball in the path of Gordon to finish beyond Alyssa Dall'Oste.
Stocks Down: She didn't concede on the day but there was a moment in this game where Sally James had Canberra fans' hearts in their mouths. Off the set piece, James comes out but doesn't claim the ball, doesn't punch it out of danger's way, and gets caught in the between, flailing and flapping. She didn't get punished on this occasion but, four rounds in, James' uncertainly is becoming a pattern worth watching.
Central Coast Mariners
Stocks Up: Tiana Fuller was a bright spark for the Central Coast on an otherwise disappointing day for the Mariners. Her 45 minute shift in the second half saw her end the game with the most chances for the Mariners, recording three shots. She also got stuck in with a tackle, an intercept, and a block on her stats sheet.
Stocks Down: Since starting the season hot with a 3-0 victory over Adelaide United, the goals have dried right up for the Central Coast Mariners. They have failed to score in each of their last three games, including against the Sky Blues in Round 4. And while these losses have come against the competition's elite sides, the Mariners are no slouches. But they aren't testing their opponents frequently with only three shots on target from 12 attempts against Sydney.
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Melbourne City
BYE
Melbourne Victory
Stocks Up: Melbourne Victory didn't lose this game through a lack of trying. They boasted the lion's share of possession -- 62% to 38% -- and had 18 shots to the Phoenix's five; the home team were much more accurate in their limited chances with four on target compared to Victory's two. The Melbourne side had more final third entries (67 to 34) and more penalty box entries (49 to 14) but could not make the back of the net ripple. The chances are there, which is minor consolation but certainly no reason to panic.
Stocks Down: Wellington made the most of their limited chances, and Victory's fullbacks will be wishing they did a little bit more to prevent Pia Vlok from netting the game's only goal. Alana Jancevski wasn't particularly urgent in her attempt to shut down Manaia Elliott on the right wing, and Zoe McMeeken was caught flat-footed as the ball flashed across the face of goal, with Vlok reacting quicker and side-footing it in.
Newcastle Jets
Stocks up: Another week, another milestone game and milestone game-winner. This time around it was Newcastle Jets stalwart Lauren Allan. Her lone goal was a looping header where she ghosted the Western Sydney defence after a failed clearance. And in what was her 100th appearance for the club from the Hunter, she secured her team the three points which saw them end the round in second position on the ladder.
Stocks down: The Jets are having one of their more impressive starts to an A-League season. They're currently undefeated with two wins and a draw but these wins have come against teams who aren't exactly lighting the league on fire at the moment. To solidify this positive start, the Jets will need to continue earning points against stiffer opposition.
Perth Glory
Stocks Up: Tijan McKenna put in a lot of work in what was a disappointing game for Perth Glory. The midfielder had the most touches of any of her teammates and was industrious defensively. She logged three clearances, four tackles, two blocks, and two intercepts.
Stocks Down: It was another poor showing for the Perth Glory defence in the 3-0 loss to Canberra. They're the leakiest defence in the league, having conceded nine goals across four games so far this season. They were sliced open by Canberra's neat interplay, and the marking for Emma Robers' headed goal was dreadful. It's a collective problem which requires a collective solution, and quick.
Sydney FC
Stocks Up: Maddie Caspers was a solid performer for the Sky Blues in their 1-0 win over last season's champions. The 18-year-old was in the thick of the action all over the park. Not only did she finish the game with four tackles and four blocks, it was her spectacular goal which earned Sydney FC the three points. She received the ball from Sarah Hunter, was able to turn and shoot, besting Sarah Langman with an unreal effort.
Stocks Down: Sydney FC are one of the few remaining undefeated teams which means, no matter how they are going about getting their points, they are getting them. Interestingly, however, of all the teams to have played a full complement of four games to start the season, the Sky Blues have attempted the fewest shots, recording 37. As the season evens out, a lack of opportunities may come back to bite the Sky Blues.
Wellington Phoenix
Stocks Up: There's no doubt the commentator had this one in their back pocket ready for the opportune moment: the "Bev-olution" at the Wellington Phoenix has begun and what better way to do it than with a first-ever win over Melbourne Victory in their eighth meeting. Despite injury concerns (stock down spoiler alert), the Phoenix defended resolutely and found the winner through 17-year-old Vlok. It was an all-round solid performance.
Stocks Down: The anterior cruciate ligament's stock continues to plummet, and the Phoenix are unfortunately feeling the full effects of the nastiest piece of connective tissue in women's football. During the week the team announced that Alyssa Whinham, who was substituted last week after going down under no contact, had suffered an ACL tear. Dutch import Tessel Middag also suffered the same fate in the Phoenix's first game of the season after feeling something was off in the same knee that had previously suffered an ACL rupture. We wish both players smooth, speedy recoveries.
Western Sydney Wanderers
Stocks Up: One of the greatest things in football is that there is just as much beauty in some actions as there is in their direct opposite action. Case in point: Sham Khamis' save off Melina Ayres' bicycle kick. For most of the 90 minutes, Khamis was forced to make pretty routine saves thanks to most of the Jets' chances falling directly into her lap. But deep into injury time, Ayres' pulled out the spectacular. And so did Khamis. A goal of the year contender morphed into a save of the year contender in the space of a leap through the air.
Stocks Down: For all the positive attacking glimpses they have shown across this season, the Wanderers' lack of consistency has hurt them. Against the Newcastle Jets, they barely tested Anna Leat in between the sticks, posting just two shots on target from 11 attempts. The second half was particularly poor with only three shots recorded for the Wanderers, none of them on target.