Canberra Eclipse FC

File:Caitlin Munoz Canberra.jpg

The Women's National Soccer League was founded in 1996 by the Australian Women's Soccer Association (AWSA), and was the first women's soccer competition to be held nationally in Australia. The six foundation clubs, broken up into two conferences of three teams each, were represented by the individual states elite Academy of Sports. The ACT was to be represented by the Australian Institute of Sport.{{cite web |title=The first national women's championships |date=14 June 2021 |url=https://www.footballaustralia.com.au/history/wnsl |publisher=Football Australia |access-date=15 April 2023}}

The 1998–99 season saw the club adopt the moniker of the Canberra Eclipse, as clubs in the competition sought to move away from their academy roots, and attempt to garner interest and visibility on the league{{cite web |last1=Gorman |first1=Joe |title=The Long Read: A players' history of Australian football's first women's national league |date=18 March 2022 |url=https://pfa.net.au/the-long-read/the-long-read-a-players-history-of-australian-footballs-first-womens-national-league/ |access-date=15 April 2023}} The club would go on to win its first silverware, winning the regular season, however losing to the SA Pirates 2–0 in the grand final.{{cite web |title=Women's National League Table |url=http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/WNSL/9899/WNSLTable.html |publisher=OzFootball |access-date=15 April 2023}} Further success would come during the 2001–02 season, as the beat the NSW Sapphires in the Grand Final{{cite news |last1=Odong |first1=Ann |title=Matildas "Old Girls": Sacha Wainwright, defender |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/topics/zela/article/2016/05/19/matildas-old-girls-sacha-wainwright-defender |access-date=15 April 2023 |publisher=SBS |date=19 May 2016}} having gone into the final classed as underdogs,{{cite news |title=Sapphires have sparkle to eclipse rival |url=https://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/sapphires-have-sparkle-to-eclipse-rival-20020309-gdu18t.html |access-date=15 April 2023 |publisher=The Age |date=9 March 2002}} with 18-year-old telent Caitlin Munoz scoring the only goal of the game.

• WNSL:
• {{gold1}} WNSL Champions (1): 2001–02
• {{Silver2}} Runners-up (1): 1998–99

• {{flagicon|Australia}} Sacha Wainwright – 65 appearances for the Matildas including at the 2004 Olympics. Also captained the Eclipse during their 2001–02 Championship.{{cite web |title=Sacha Wainwright |date=4 February 2021 |url=https://www.footballaustralia.com.au/sacha-wainwright |publisher=Football Australia |access-date=15 April 2023}}
• {{flagicon|Australia}} Lisa Casagrande – 64 appearances, 13 goals Matildas. 1997–98 WNSL Golden Boot (16). 2015 Football Australia Hall of Fame inductee{{cite web |last1=Odong |first1=Ann |title=LISA CASAGRANDE INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAME |url=https://thewomensgame.com/news/lisa-casagrande-inducted-into-hall-of-fame-483606 |website=The Women's Game |access-date=15 April 2023}}

{{missing information|managers from 2002–2004|date=April 2023}}

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/WNSL/WNSL.shtml WNSL Statistics on OzFootball]
• [http://spirit.webcity.com.au/AFN/index.htm Back of the Net]
• [http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/ Football Australia]
• [http://www.australiansoccer.20m.com/wnsl.html Australian Soccer]

{{Soccer in Australia}}

Category:Women's National Soccer League clubs

Category:Soccer clubs in Canberra

Category:Defunct women's soccer clubs in Australia