Canberra United legends Ash Sykes and Nicole Begg have answered Canberra Olympic's call to pull on the boots and contest the National Premier League competition once more.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Coach Andrew Woodman lured the Dubbo sisters back to Olympic in a major boost to the NPLW club, who finished bottom of the table last season with only two wins and two draws.
Begg, who played 88 W-League matches, joined Olympic as an assistant coach last season, helping them rebuild the team and its culture during a transition year.
It was enough to spark a desire to join them on field, while the prospect of playing a midfield role had her eager to chase a new challenge.
She starred up front in Olympic's 2-0 loss to Gungahlin United at Gungahlin Enclosed on Sunday, but her twin sister was sorely missed with a minor knee injury.
"Nic is a super athlete and how hard she wants to fight for her teammates for the 90 minutes is something that makes her a phenomenal role model," Woodman said.
"She's a super influence on the group and as an assistant coach she brings so much into that role as well. Her ability to influence a football game is really significant.
"The reality is, with players like that, it's one thing to have played at a high level but to come into the group, evaluate where we're at, give something back at a level that's not so high and approach it in such an impressive way is massive.
"We've got such talent in this group to work with, which makes it more enjoyable for them, they can see it's a group that's passionate about football."
READ ALSO:
Olympic is hoping Ash, a former Matilda who played at the 2015 World Cup, will be fit to play against Woden-Weston next round after injuring her knee at training four weeks ago.