Within 48 hours of his appointment as Canberra United head coach, Antoni Jagarinec picked up the phone to call Young Matildas goalkeeper Sally James.
James, a Canberra local, made her Ninja A-League debut at her hometown club before embarking on interstate ventures to Melbourne City and Perth Glory.
Before leaving New South Wales in 2022, James told Jagarinec – her former coach at NPL Capital Football club Belconnen United – that she’d return to Canberra if he ever got the top job at United.
He is, after all, the coach who saved her football career before it had even begun.
“When I first had Ant as my coach I was pretty close to quitting football,” said James, draped in Canberra colours once again, and addressing the media in the build-up to the 2024-25 Ninja A-League season.
“I was going to trade it for the Sherrin, I was going to play AFL.
“To be honest, I kind of lost my love for the game a little bit,” James added. “I’m not really sure why, maybe just a buildup of things.
“To be fair I was around year 10 or 11 at that stage as well, so maybe a bit of pressure from school. I just wanted something different – or I thought I did anyway.
“I’m glad I chose to stay with the round ball… as soon as I was with Ant, no second thoughts (about) football.
“I think I left (three) years ago, but when I did, speaking to Ant I said if he ever got head coach, I would come back. So here I am, and excited for it.”
James kept her promise to Jagarinec. The phone call that came within 48 hours of his Canberra appointment led to James’ return to the club just three weeks later, as Jagarinec’s first signing.
He looks back on their shared time at Belconnen United as the time he first saw the immense potential of the young goalkeeper with whom he is grateful not to have discussed a potential code switch ever since.
“When you’re part of someone’s journey and they remember you a long time after you coached them, or they want to come back and be a part of that, it is quite humbling and quite warming inside,” Jagarinec said. “But it’s just another motivator to keep coming back and do what we do and do it again.
The new Canberra coach remembers clearly the conversation he shared with James upon her departure from the club that she’d return should he ever get the top job.
“We’ve chatted lots over the three or four years that Sally hasn’t been here,” he said. “So I kind of had an inkling or a little bit of a memory from that. It’s equal that I know I wanted Sally to be my goalkeeper, or part of my goalkeeping team as well.
“It was always in the back of my mind. Saying that ,when Sally left Canberra, we had the conversation (where) I said: ‘Go spread your wings. Go see what’s out there’.
“She went to some big clubs in Australia and flirted with opportunities overseas as well. The relationship with us is like me with most of my players, I want the best for them. And if that’s here, fantastic. If it’s not, fantastic.”
James was the first piece of off-season business for Jagarinec in a transfer window that has included the signature of Elizabeth Anton, Aideen Keane, Jynaya Dos Santos, Darcey Malone, Bethany Gordon, Maja Markovski and Emma Robers.
Jagarinec is delighted with the impact of his new arrivals so far as he ramps up pre-season preparations ahead of a clash with Brisbane Roar at McKellar Park in Round 1.
“We got some exciting players,” he said.
“(Maja) Markovski, we played an internal training match last week, and she lit up the park, which is fantastic.
“Some really pure footballers in (Emma) Robers the centre midfielder partnering up with some of the young players. Caitlin Munoz (has come) back to Canberra United, which I really love.
“Liz Anton in the centre back, old school world-class. Some of the things that she did last week in our internal matches, it’s world-class, and she’ll be knocking on the door for another international call-up very soon.”
