Twenty-three of Australia's brightest female footballers will converge on Canberra this week as the Westfield Junior Matildas’ preparations for September’s 2019 AFC U16 Women’s Championship Qualifiers in the Kyrgyz Republic commence.
Rae Dower’s youngsters will take part in three camps at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) before they depart for Bishkek in September.
While in central Asia, Australia will need to perform strongly against their Group D rivals in order to qualify for the 2019 AFC U16 Women’s Championship proper, which will be held in Thailand in September next year.
The Westfield Junior Matildas will play Palestine on September 17, before taking on Indonesia two days later. A challenge against hosts Kyrgyz Republic awaits on September 21, before the team rounds out its, hopefully successful, qualification campaign against Chinese Taipei on September 23.
The Westfield Junior Matildas’ first camp in in Canberra will be held between Monday, 6 August 2018, and Friday, 10 August 2018. A further camp will be held between August 20 and 24, before the team convenes for the final time between September 5 and 9 ahead of the Championship qualifiers.
"I'm really excited to bring together this group of players for the first camp of the new cycle for the Junior Matildas,” said Dower.
“The selection process was highly competitive across the talent ID tournaments and it's fantastic to see that the depth and quality of female players at 13, 14 and 15 years of age has risen again.”
“I'm certain the girls will come into camp today extremely excited, with a few expected nerves and want to impress to the coaching staff that they deserve a spot in the final team,” she said.
Players from six state and territory Member Federations are represented in Dower’s first squad selection ahead of the 2019 AFC U16 Women’s Championship Qualifiers.
Westfield Junior Matildas Squad – Training Camp (AIS, Canberra): August 6-10 2018
|
Name |
Club, Member Federation |
|
Steffi Lejins |
Canberra United Academy, Capital Football |
|
Tegan Douglas |
Newcastle Jets Academy, Northern NSW Football |
|
Josie Morley |
Newcastle Jets Academy, Northern NSW Football |
|
Kirsty Fenton |
Newcastle Jets Academy, Northern NSW Football |
|
Tiahna Robertson (Gk) |
Newcastle Jets Academy, Northern NSW Football |
|
Claudia Mihovic |
FFV NTC, Football Federation Victoria |
|
Grace Taranto |
FFV NTC, Football Federation Victoria |
|
Paige Zois |
South Melbourne FC, Football Federation Victoria |
|
Nia Stamatopoulos |
FFV NTC, Football Federation Victoria |
|
Olivia de le Harpe |
FNSW Institute, Football NSW |
|
Darcey Malone |
FNSW Institute, Football NSW |
|
Holly McNamara |
FNSW Institute, Football NSW |
|
Sarah Hunter |
FNSW Institute, Football NSW |
|
Kahli Johnson |
Manly United FC, Football NSW |
|
Jordan Jasnos |
Riverina Rhinos NPL1/ Yoogali SC Women’s, Football NSW |
|
Kezia Pritchard (Gk) |
East Suburb FC/Brisbane Roar FC, Football Queensland |
|
Jamilla Rankin |
Brisbane Roar FC, Football Queensland |
|
Georgia Beaumont |
Brisbane Roar FC, Football Queensland |
|
Charlotte Farmer |
Brisbane Roar FC, Football Queensland |
|
Mia Bailey (Gk) |
JCU Strikers FC, Football Queensland |
|
Jorja Thomson |
Brisbane Roar FC, Football Queensland |
|
Isabella Wallhead |
NTC, Football West |
|
Tijan McKenna |
Cockburn City, Football West |
2019 AFC U16 Women’s Championship Qualifiers – Westfield Junior Matildas Match Schedule
Palestine v Westfield Junior Matildas
Date: Monday, 17 September 2018
Venue: TBC, Kyrgyz Republic
Kick-off: TBC
Westfield Junior Matildas v Indonesia
Date: Wednesday, 19 September 2018
Venue: TBC, Kyrgyz Republic
Kick-off: TBC
Kyrgyz Republic v Westfield Junior Matildas
Date: Friday, 21 September 2018
Venue: TBC, Kyrgyz Republic
Kick-off: TBC
Westfield Junior Matildas v Chinese Taipei
Date:Sunday, 23 September 2018
Venue: TBC, Kyrgyz Republic
Kick-off: TBC