WATCH: Top 5 the aim for Dons Women in SWPL 1
After back-to-back promotions, Aberdeen Women have returned to the top tier, we've been speaking to Manager Emma Hunter.
Aberdeen FC Women's Manager Emma Hunter says the team are aiming for the top five of the SWPL 1 this season.
The Dons have had back-to-back promotions, despite Covid interrupting play not once but twice in the last 18 months.
It's been nothing but upward progress since Hunter arrived in early 2019, first as a Co-Manager, but now in sole charge.
That managerial change coincided with the team officially being brought under the Aberdeen Football Club banner, it followed two consecutive relegations for the club formerly known as AFC Ladies.
"Realistically I think this season we've got to look at our resources" Hunter told Northsound News.
"And what we are coming up against, we've obviously got three or four professional clubs, and a couple of clubs that would be classed as semi-professional.
"But we are still ambitious as a group and we've got that winning mentality
"So we really want to aim for the top five, that's what we are going to aim for."
Teams such as Rangers, Glasgow City and Celtic have all heavily invested in their Women's teams.
Hibernian are also an established side in the Women's game, Motherwell have signed Leanne Crichton - one of the biggest names in Scottish Women's football - and Spartans are committing a number of players to semi-pro contracts.
Hunter has kept her squad together, with no departures from last season's playing staff.
She has however added the versatile Donna Paterson who can play in both defense and midfield.
The 22-year-old was previously with AFC Ladies before the club's transition, and has racked up a lot of game time in the SWPL 1 for a player of her age after being at Glasgow City and then Forfar Farmington.
The new season gets underway on Sunday (August 8) with the Dons in League Cup action against Boroughmuir Thistle.
Queen's Park, Motherwell and Rangers make up the remainder of Aberdeen's group stage in the competition.
Then league action finally gets underway on the 5th of September at home to Celtic.
The league cup games will be taken seriously by the Dons, but Hunter admits they are in some ways an extension to pre-season.
In a meeting with the squad she told them it was a chance to try new things and for players to prove themselves.
She said:
"I had said to them that this four weeks would be used as a way to ease our way in and use it as sort of a mini pre-season.
"However, in the same meeting we were talking about having that winning mentality and how we consciously work on that - because it's something we've done sub-consciously.
"We definitely won't go into the games not looking to win them, but it's definitely an opportunity to try a few new things.
"Look at potentially maybe some players in new positions."
The team will play their games at Cove Ranger's Balmoral Stadium this season.
They had spent last term at Cormack Park, but league rules mean a stand is required - and with supporters permitted to attend again, the team are hoping to build up bigger numbers through the gates.