The Dunedin-based team finished fourth in the national league, the highest-placed team south of Auckland - where teams have been playing together all season for club and the national league - and secured three draws and two wins against the top three sides.
And while the 2022 season may be over, those results can only bode well for next season.
It was not an easy start to Southern’s season.
Former head coach Graeme Smaill, who guided Southern to the Covid-adapted South Central Series title last year, was forced to step down in August due to health reasons.
Then came some help when Kris Ridley, who had been based in Australia since 2006, signed on to return home and coach Southern with Smaill as a mentor.
Ridley, who had a long association with the Broadbeach United Club as the girls and women’s director, was the perfect fit and brought the team together with only a few weeks to prepare for the season.
That showed when Southern was beaten 6-1 by Western Springs in the opening round then had a bruising 7-0 loss to Auckland United the following week.
But the players were "finding their feet" and through hard work and determination, Southern went on to win five and draw five games.
Playing Canterbury Pride twice in three days and following a draw with a 2-1 win stood out to Ridley as a highlight of the season.
Top billing, though, had to be when Southern "got the chocolates" over top-of-the-table Eastern Suburbs 2-1 at home, having lost to bottom-placed Central the previous week.
"I don’t know whether it’s the Southern ticker down here but there’s not a lot of teams in the league, I think, that can lose to a bottom team and beat the top team the next week," Ridley said.
"Mindset-wise, to really flick the switch on a Tuesday, having just been beaten on the Sunday, is something pretty special to have. You can’t really coach that attitude."
At the start of the season, Southern set a goal to beat two Auckland teams, but to finish fourth was a testament to the players, Ridley said.
"We’re extremely proud. We just really wanted to get better every week in a certain area of our game. The girls all bought into that.
"We had, as I call it, a bump in the road against Central for whatever reason. Football’s football and it surprises you sometimes, but I think how we delivered every game in relation to trying to get better, improving our game style, I was really proud of that."
The national league, and the women’s game, had been well promoted in New Zealand, and while it was tough competing against Auckland teams that played all season together, it was developing football as a whole.
"I think it’s still very important that the regions still have a part to play in women’s football.
"For the next two or three years, it would be great to keep it as is. Obviously, I’m a coach saying that, but whatever’s best for the region ... I think that probably is at the moment."
He believed having the under-18 competition alongside the national league sent a message to promising footballers that they could strive for the top teams. Many of Southern’s under-18 players were 15 or younger and would be the future of the national league, he said.
Looking back on his first year, Ridley was proud of the way his players embraced the challenge and worked for one another to finish in the top four.
"Considering where they came from with no preparation because of the situation with coaching ... I don’t think we can be any happier with the girls and the staff involved of where they finished and what they gave throughout the season.
"The whole 14 weeks, it has been a massive ask from us to them and I think the response has been beyond exceptional."
He counted himself fortunate to return home and be part of the Southern Football environment.
"I’m very, very lucky now to say I work in football fulltime. I’m never, ever going to take that for granted.
"I think I’m one of the luckiest people in the world to do that and work in my home region as well."
He tipped Eastern Suburbs to beat Western Springs in Sunday’s final.
Season highlights
Sports editor Hayden Meikle picks out some highlights from the Southern United season.
The numbers
Played 14, won 5, drew 5, lost 4
Goals were scored by Kennedy Bryant (4), Jasmine Prince (4), Chelsea Whittaker (3), Margarida Dias (2), Hannah Mackay-Wright (2), Emily Morison (2), Toni Power and Abby Rankin
Best game
Tempting, obviously, to say the 2-1 win over top-of-the-table Eastern Suburbs in the penultimate round. That was certainly just reward for all the progress Southern had made over the course of the season. But our pick is the 4-1 walloping of Auckland United away in round 10. That was a stunning reversal from round two, when the Aucklanders won 7-0.
Worst game
A tie. Opening the season with 6-1 (Western Springs) and 7-0 (Auckland) losses was not fun. But it was not entirely a shock, as Southern was so underdone, and its rapid improvement in the subsequent weeks was a fairer reflection of the team’s ability.
Three best players
• Kate Hannay. We might be jumping the gun on setting up the Kate Hannay Fan Club but she really was a great story. The ‘‘vertically challenged’’ (her words, not ours) goalkeeper was simply fantastic.
• Toni Power. Does a lot of her work in the unseen corners - except for the final game, when she gave away a penalty then scored a late equaliser from a free kick - but does it all so well.
• Kennedy Bryant. Other players were very good - captain Rose Morton was everywhere, Jasmine Prince had a wonderful debut season before leaving the team, Chelsea Whittaker and Margarida Dias did some nice things, and Hannah Mackay-Wright was a warrior. Bryant gets this spot for her relentless approach and banging in a hat trick.
Questions for 2023
How good could this team be with some more time together? And how does it get that opportunity given the players are at different clubs in the winter and get limited time to prepare with Southern?
Will more local football fans come out? We’ve got a good national league team playing nice football, and it’s going to be the biggest year in the history of New Zealand women’s football.
Where can Southern find more scoring? Take out the first two games and Southern’s defence was outstanding this season. But 19 goals in 14 games is on the lean side. A little more cutting edge is required.
