After a historic 2025, which included an appearance in football's National League for the first time, Petone FC have made an impressive start to 2026.
Petone top the women's Central League after eight rounds, with just one defeat to their name.
Their focus on the Kings Birthday long weekend now turns to round two of the national Kate Sheppard Cup, where Petone host Kapiti club Te Kotahitanga on Saturday.
Adam Cooper was joined by Petone's top goalscorer from the Central League this season, Chelsea Whittaker, who's netted seven goals.
Whittaker talked about the flourishing women's programme at Petone, and previews the Kate Sheppard Cup contest.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
From first kicks at Freezer Park to the Phoenix SASA Stadium.
We've got it covered on the All Sport Breakfast with
Honda Storm, Wellington News Talk ZB.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
News Talks AB seventeen to nine. Well it's the second
round of the national club football competitions this weekend, the
Chatham Cup and Kate Shepherd Cup and the Women's Kate
Shepherd Cup. Four games as part of the round featuring
Central and Capital Zone based teams now leading the Women's
Central League at the moment are for Tony, so I
thought it was a good time to check in with
them as on the back of their success last year
(00:30):
it's continued this year. It's a chat. Their leading goal
scorer this season, Chelsea Whittaker, has netted seven league goals
already this season and as part of the Kate Shepherd Cup,
but TONI are hosting the Company Coast Team Tech Kotah
Tunga FC at Patoni Memorial from eleven this morning. Chelsea's
with us now. Morning to your Chelsea. Congrats on the
season so far, both as a team and individually. You
(00:52):
must be pretty pleased without it's all going.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Oh yeah, thanks Anam, thank you so much for having
me on here. It's a real pleasure to be here today.
And you talk about the great season that we're having
it at Patoni so far. Yeah, really really enjoying it.
I think we are starting to kind of show what
we're made of and the impact that we can have
in this space. There's been lots of lots of really
(01:18):
hard effort and work put into the season so far,
so it's quite cool to see that paying off as
we yeah, going through the games and yeah, going.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
Going right, which has been cool.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Yeah, absolutely going more than all right. I think you'd
say a lot of people would pay big money to
want to be at the position you're on the table
seven from eight to twenty one points three clear of
any of the other teams on the ladder. What is
going well for the team this year that's contributing to
these results, do you think?
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (01:45):
Awesome, To be honest, I think this year we're just
we're really focusing on trusting the process.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
So we've been working hard.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
On the field and outside of the field kind of
since the middle of January this year, so you know
where we're sitting in May now, so it's been kind
of four or four months of hard working and just.
Speaker 4 (02:06):
Really trusting the process that we have.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Put in all the hard work, and you know we're
earning that spot, but not just kind of expecting it.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
It's not been given to us.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
We've fought hard for it, both on and off the field,
and I think that's really what is contributing when we
do get out there on Saturdays and play the game. Yeah,
it's just we're really seeing that payoff.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
And your own form individually. You are obviously an experienced
footballer on a national level too, you know, seven goals
to your name in the league so far this season. Yeah,
you're happy with with how everything's coming together for you.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, it's it's been good to get back
out there. I've yeah, in my second season at the
Tony after I had a year and a half off
after having quite a major knee surgery.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
So it's nice to get out back out there.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
Kind of wonders whether I'd forgotten how to score goals,
but I think I'm really fortunate. And I'm also not
just saying this, but I just happen to be in
the right place at the right time a lot of
this time, and I think if you look back on
most of my goals it's come from either a really
fantastic ball in from one of my teammates, or they've
shot and I've just been there for the rebound. So yeah,
(03:18):
I think that numbers. That number looks nice, but it's
definitely not just all me. That's kind of got it
to that point.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
So yeah, I think you're underestimating the ability of shooting
on target and finishing well there.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
I don't know, there's definitely a few that I've left
out there on the field.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
How do you measure your own performances? I mean, those
stats speak for themselves when you look at goal scoring
and assists and everything like that, But when you walk
off the field at the end of the game, those
stats aside, how are you measuring what's been a good
performance for yourself or not.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Yeah, that's a really good question.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
I think For me, before I get out on the field,
I often set myself kind of a goal of how
I want to play. So whether it's you know, being
really aggressive and trying to win the ball back, or
you know, always play on two touches so that I
can get get the ball away and pass and move
and things that. That's kind of how I reflect on
(04:12):
that on the game afterwards. Yeah, I know, like a
couple of weeks ago, I was like, Okay, I'm going
to go and go really hard into every tackle that
I guilt, that I get into and position that I
find myself in. So kind of reflecting afterwards, whether that's
how I felt I have contributed to the game in
kind of my own my own terms. Yeah, So golds
(04:34):
are great, but I think it's not always the measure
of success.
Speaker 4 (04:39):
It's kind of that that performance outside of it.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Also, Man, what's changed in this team? If it's the
second year obviously, I know there's been a coaching change
with Sam Morrissey sort of going from his sort of
director of football role at the club to take on
the women's teams coaching as well. What's what sort of
changed at the team between last year and this year.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Yeah, yeah, I think so last year we had I
think if you looked at the number of players that
we had come into the space, I think there was
like seven or eight debutants on our first game of
the season, So it was a big turnover of players,
and I think you know that takes time getting used
to how each other plays, how people are going to
(05:21):
move off the ball, where you need a support underneath.
So I think this year is kind of following on
from last year and we are just continuing to build.
I talked about that process at the start.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
You know, we've.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
We've been committed since January having kind of you know,
three touch points a week where we're either on the
on the perch or you know, doing something else of
the pitch that's contributing to contributing to the success in
the outcomes. I think that all adds up. Every little
bit counts.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
Then.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
I think it's kind of focusing on those little improvements
that we can get rather than trying to be like, okay,
we need to be just better as a whole this year.
It's okay, what little things can we actually do to
to keep moving forward. Yeah, I think that's that's probably
the main contributor there.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Yeah, because it was a historic season for the club,
and I guess you now focus on on the knockout
stuff for this week in anyway, for the Kate Shefford Cup.
You've got from the Carpary Coast. What strategies do you
like to employ for for knockout football as opposed to
playing in the league.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
Yeah, I think so so knocking out football is different, right,
Like at the end of the day, it's it's you
win or you're out.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
So yeah, it's it's where upsets happened.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
You know, anyone the best performing team on the on
the day wins. So I think it's adopting that mindset
and going in yeah, with like everything to lose, almost
but nothing at the same time. So I think it's, yeah,
we've got to call Tahi Tanga who top of the
cat prim table. You know they are going to come
(07:01):
out on paper.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
Are the underdogs.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
But I don't think that really means anything when it
comes to knockout football. So I think it's just going
out there and yeah, going out there to win and
leaving everything out there on the field, just like we
would in the other game.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
And how do you balance out your focuses? I guess
on the back of the National League appearance, how do
you sort of you know, manage the motivation from Central
League to possibly returning to the National League to the
Kate Shepherd Cuff has that sort of talked about how
you sort of assess those different scenarios and wanting to
I guess do well and all of them above all.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
Yeah, yeah, and so it is right, You've got those
You've got that long term goal for the end of
the season to you know, aiming to qualify for National
League and you've got to perform in Central League to
be able to do that. I think cut football is
like it's kind of a fun a fun change to
the season because you do go from you know, wanting
to get in there every week and keep performing so
(07:57):
that by the end of the season you're sitting in
a place that you can then achieve your next goal.
So cut football it does kind of you it does.
It is a change in mindset, but at the end
of the day you still kind of you still kind
of want to win it, right, you still want to
go out there and kind of go on that cup run.
(08:18):
I've done it myself once before and it was an
absolute dream, like you just you can't beat it.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
So yeah, I think it's it is balancing, but it's.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
Also kind of including that and part of the process
of the season. And yeah, viewing it as one step
closes the support that end goal as well.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Yeah great, and just before you go Chelsea obviously Patany
we know is one of those clubs in Wellington that's
really put a focus on its women's program and you
can see that and the results and seemingly you know
the enjoyment factor that you hear from a lot of
the players involved in the program as well. As you've said,
you've played various parts of the country and women's football
over many years. You know what's making Patoni's success with
(09:03):
the women's game. You know that it is like, what's
what's behind it? And do you do you feel that
they're one of those clubs that is putting in some
really strong effort for that women's game.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely, Adam, it's I think it's it's a
fantastic set up at Patoni and that's there's one of
the reasons where why I have why I did choose
to go there last year. I came from year Dunedin
Tech where I was my whole life and it was
an incredible setup and I wanted a similar experience to
go and play. You know, it's more than just a team,
it's a it's a club, it's a family, and I
(09:34):
think particularly in that woman's space, Patni is really thriving.
They've got a dedicated women's development officer in there and Klein,
who's in the women's women's team that they've got.
Speaker 4 (09:47):
They're a really really.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
Strong TDP program going across different age groups with really
you know, qualified coaches who are really putting in the
effort and time also trying to incorporate the woman and
to those those grassroots started, like the first team woman
into the grassroots programs. We had our two TDP teams
(10:08):
playing against each other and the weekends, and there were
nine of the first team down there as the ball girls.
There's four of them that were coaches, you know. So
it's really a club that if I was a young
girl playing, I would want to be there, just knowing
that there's those pathways, they're clear, they're connected from the
young girls that are just starting through to the first team,
(10:31):
and I think that that contributes to that success in
the women's space. It's a club that people would want
to be at and play play for as a woman's
player or women's or girls player.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Yep, yeah right. And the success of the Phoenix must
help as well here in Willington.
Speaker 4 (10:48):
Yeah, yeah, I think it does.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
I think it's it's so cool to have that woman's
pathway pathway in there and an opportunity to get to
play professional football and their success this year was all
so it was. It was really really cool and have
the opportunity to play up against them and you know
your Central League or your Kate Super Cup as well,
(11:09):
so yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (11:11):
It does help.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Brilliant Chelsea. How awesome to hear about your season so far.
Keep up the great work all the beasts this weekend
and knockout football and now. Yeah. Great, great to hear
you on News TALKSB. Thanks for your time.
Speaker 4 (11:21):
Awesome, Thanks so much, Jading you have a good day.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
For more from News Talks ed B, listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcast on iHeartRadio
From first kicks at Freezer Park to the Phoenix SASA Stadium.
We've got it covered on the All Sport Breakfast with
Honda Storm, Wellington News Talk ZB.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
News Talks AB seventeen to nine. Well it's the second
round of the national club football competitions this weekend, the
Chatham Cup and Kate Shepherd Cup and the Women's Kate
Shepherd Cup. Four games as part of the round featuring
Central and Capital Zone based teams now leading the Women's
Central League at the moment are for Tony, so I
thought it was a good time to check in with
them as on the back of their success last year
(00:30):
it's continued this year. It's a chat. Their leading goal
scorer this season, Chelsea Whittaker, has netted seven league goals
already this season and as part of the Kate Shepherd Cup,
but TONI are hosting the Company Coast Team Tech Kotah
Tunga FC at Patoni Memorial from eleven this morning. Chelsea's
with us now. Morning to your Chelsea. Congrats on the
season so far, both as a team and individually. You
(00:52):
must be pretty pleased without it's all going.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Oh yeah, thanks Anam, thank you so much for having
me on here. It's a real pleasure to be here today.
And you talk about the great season that we're having
it at Patoni so far. Yeah, really really enjoying it.
I think we are starting to kind of show what
we're made of and the impact that we can have
in this space. There's been lots of lots of really
(01:18):
hard effort and work put into the season so far,
so it's quite cool to see that paying off as
we yeah, going through the games and yeah, going.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
Going right, which has been cool.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Yeah, absolutely going more than all right. I think you'd
say a lot of people would pay big money to
want to be at the position you're on the table
seven from eight to twenty one points three clear of
any of the other teams on the ladder. What is
going well for the team this year that's contributing to
these results, do you think?
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (01:45):
Awesome, To be honest, I think this year we're just
we're really focusing on trusting the process.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
So we've been working hard.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
On the field and outside of the field kind of
since the middle of January this year, so you know
where we're sitting in May now, so it's been kind
of four or four months of hard working and just.
Speaker 4 (02:06):
Really trusting the process that we have.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Put in all the hard work, and you know we're
earning that spot, but not just kind of expecting it.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
It's not been given to us.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
We've fought hard for it, both on and off the field,
and I think that's really what is contributing when we
do get out there on Saturdays and play the game. Yeah,
it's just we're really seeing that payoff.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
And your own form individually. You are obviously an experienced
footballer on a national level too, you know, seven goals
to your name in the league so far this season. Yeah,
you're happy with with how everything's coming together for you.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, it's it's been good to get back
out there. I've yeah, in my second season at the
Tony after I had a year and a half off
after having quite a major knee surgery.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
So it's nice to get out back out there.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
Kind of wonders whether I'd forgotten how to score goals,
but I think I'm really fortunate. And I'm also not
just saying this, but I just happen to be in
the right place at the right time a lot of
this time, and I think if you look back on
most of my goals it's come from either a really
fantastic ball in from one of my teammates, or they've
shot and I've just been there for the rebound. So yeah,
(03:18):
I think that numbers. That number looks nice, but it's
definitely not just all me. That's kind of got it
to that point.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
So yeah, I think you're underestimating the ability of shooting
on target and finishing well there.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
I don't know, there's definitely a few that I've left
out there on the field.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
How do you measure your own performances? I mean, those
stats speak for themselves when you look at goal scoring
and assists and everything like that, But when you walk
off the field at the end of the game, those
stats aside, how are you measuring what's been a good
performance for yourself or not.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Yeah, that's a really good question.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
I think For me, before I get out on the field,
I often set myself kind of a goal of how
I want to play. So whether it's you know, being
really aggressive and trying to win the ball back, or
you know, always play on two touches so that I
can get get the ball away and pass and move
and things that. That's kind of how I reflect on
(04:12):
that on the game afterwards. Yeah, I know, like a
couple of weeks ago, I was like, Okay, I'm going
to go and go really hard into every tackle that
I guilt, that I get into and position that I
find myself in. So kind of reflecting afterwards, whether that's
how I felt I have contributed to the game in
kind of my own my own terms. Yeah, So golds
(04:34):
are great, but I think it's not always the measure
of success.
Speaker 4 (04:39):
It's kind of that that performance outside of it.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Also, Man, what's changed in this team? If it's the
second year obviously, I know there's been a coaching change
with Sam Morrissey sort of going from his sort of
director of football role at the club to take on
the women's teams coaching as well. What's what sort of
changed at the team between last year and this year.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Yeah, yeah, I think so last year we had I
think if you looked at the number of players that
we had come into the space, I think there was
like seven or eight debutants on our first game of
the season, So it was a big turnover of players,
and I think you know that takes time getting used
to how each other plays, how people are going to
(05:21):
move off the ball, where you need a support underneath.
So I think this year is kind of following on
from last year and we are just continuing to build.
I talked about that process at the start.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
You know, we've.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
We've been committed since January having kind of you know,
three touch points a week where we're either on the
on the perch or you know, doing something else of
the pitch that's contributing to contributing to the success in
the outcomes. I think that all adds up. Every little
bit counts.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
Then.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
I think it's kind of focusing on those little improvements
that we can get rather than trying to be like, okay,
we need to be just better as a whole this year.
It's okay, what little things can we actually do to
to keep moving forward. Yeah, I think that's that's probably
the main contributor there.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Yeah, because it was a historic season for the club,
and I guess you now focus on on the knockout
stuff for this week in anyway, for the Kate Shefford Cup.
You've got from the Carpary Coast. What strategies do you
like to employ for for knockout football as opposed to
playing in the league.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
Yeah, I think so so knocking out football is different, right,
Like at the end of the day, it's it's you
win or you're out.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
So yeah, it's it's where upsets happened.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
You know, anyone the best performing team on the on
the day wins. So I think it's adopting that mindset
and going in yeah, with like everything to lose, almost
but nothing at the same time. So I think it's, yeah,
we've got to call Tahi Tanga who top of the
cat prim table. You know they are going to come
(07:01):
out on paper.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
Are the underdogs.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
But I don't think that really means anything when it
comes to knockout football. So I think it's just going
out there and yeah, going out there to win and
leaving everything out there on the field, just like we
would in the other game.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
And how do you balance out your focuses? I guess
on the back of the National League appearance, how do
you sort of you know, manage the motivation from Central
League to possibly returning to the National League to the
Kate Shepherd Cuff has that sort of talked about how
you sort of assess those different scenarios and wanting to
I guess do well and all of them above all.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
Yeah, yeah, and so it is right, You've got those
You've got that long term goal for the end of
the season to you know, aiming to qualify for National
League and you've got to perform in Central League to
be able to do that. I think cut football is
like it's kind of a fun a fun change to
the season because you do go from you know, wanting
to get in there every week and keep performing so
(07:57):
that by the end of the season you're sitting in
a place that you can then achieve your next goal.
So cut football it does kind of you it does.
It is a change in mindset, but at the end
of the day you still kind of you still kind
of want to win it, right, you still want to
go out there and kind of go on that cup run.
(08:18):
I've done it myself once before and it was an
absolute dream, like you just you can't beat it.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
So yeah, I think it's it is balancing, but it's.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
Also kind of including that and part of the process
of the season. And yeah, viewing it as one step
closes the support that end goal as well.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Yeah great, and just before you go Chelsea obviously Patany
we know is one of those clubs in Wellington that's
really put a focus on its women's program and you
can see that and the results and seemingly you know
the enjoyment factor that you hear from a lot of
the players involved in the program as well. As you've said,
you've played various parts of the country and women's football
over many years. You know what's making Patoni's success with
(09:03):
the women's game. You know that it is like, what's
what's behind it? And do you do you feel that
they're one of those clubs that is putting in some
really strong effort for that women's game.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely, Adam, it's I think it's it's a
fantastic set up at Patoni and that's there's one of
the reasons where why I have why I did choose
to go there last year. I came from year Dunedin
Tech where I was my whole life and it was
an incredible setup and I wanted a similar experience to
go and play. You know, it's more than just a team,
it's a it's a club, it's a family, and I
(09:34):
think particularly in that woman's space, Patni is really thriving.
They've got a dedicated women's development officer in there and Klein,
who's in the women's women's team that they've got.
Speaker 4 (09:47):
They're a really really.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
Strong TDP program going across different age groups with really
you know, qualified coaches who are really putting in the
effort and time also trying to incorporate the woman and
to those those grassroots started, like the first team woman
into the grassroots programs. We had our two TDP teams
(10:08):
playing against each other and the weekends, and there were
nine of the first team down there as the ball girls.
There's four of them that were coaches, you know. So
it's really a club that if I was a young
girl playing, I would want to be there, just knowing
that there's those pathways, they're clear, they're connected from the
young girls that are just starting through to the first team,
(10:31):
and I think that that contributes to that success in
the women's space. It's a club that people would want
to be at and play play for as a woman's
player or women's or girls player.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Yep, yeah right. And the success of the Phoenix must
help as well here in Willington.
Speaker 4 (10:48):
Yeah, yeah, I think it does.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
I think it's it's so cool to have that woman's
pathway pathway in there and an opportunity to get to
play professional football and their success this year was all
so it was. It was really really cool and have
the opportunity to play up against them and you know
your Central League or your Kate Super Cup as well,
(11:09):
so yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (11:11):
It does help.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Brilliant Chelsea. How awesome to hear about your season so far.
Keep up the great work all the beasts this weekend
and knockout football and now. Yeah. Great, great to hear
you on News TALKSB. Thanks for your time.
Speaker 4 (11:21):
Awesome, Thanks so much, Jading you have a good day.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
For more from News Talks ed B, listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcast on iHeartRadio
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