Name: Catherine West (Roncato)
Years with Burdekin FC: 1993 – 2019
Position: Centre Midfield
It’s a career that began in the Burdekin, led to captaining Australia, and resulted in legendary status in north Queensland football, but Catherine West will never forget her roots.
Catherine embarked on her football journey at a time that she says was a rocky one for the women’s team at Burdekin FC, but it didn’t stop her from going on to join the U16 North Queensland women’s team in 1992 before representing Australia in 1993, 1994 and 1995.
In 1995, she even captained the Junior Matildas side to a three-nil victory against New Zealand in a test match while on tour.
They are all fond memories, but Catherine holds her time in the Burdekin dearest.
It was a time of hard work and rebuilding, but she said the players around her made the journey worthwhile.
“We’d gone through a period where other teams had dominated the competition,” Catherine said.
“We were bottom of the ladder for a long, long time.”
It wasn’t until 2006 that she won her first grand final with the club, and it remains one of her most cherished memories.
Catherine went on to play for and coach multiple clubs in Townsville but will never forget her roots.
“Nothing ever beats playing for Burdekin,” she said.
“There’s something great about playing club football.
“You’ll maintain those memories forever because it’s something that you work for the whole year round.”
As her career progressed into coaching the beautiful game, Catherine’s piece of advice to young players is a simple message: “Remember to have fun and don’t get caught up in the pressure of what jersey you’re wearing but focus on what you love doing and that’s playing the game.”
Catherine returned to the Burdekin for Burdekin FC’s 50 year celebrations where she and fellow guest speaker Felix Gabiola guided the audience through the 1993-2002 era of the club.
“You can take the girl out of the Burdekin, but you can’t take the Burdekin out of the girl,” she said.
“That’s something I genuinely believe in.”
Catherine, her sister Monica and Monica’s daughter Amaia playing for Burdekin FC in 2014
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