As part of Impetus‘ charity partnership with Moriarty Foundation, we have just entered our second year of supporting one of the organisation’s female scholars, Miley Shipp from Dubbo – 400 km (250 miles) northwest of Sydney. To mark the second year of our support, Miley answered Ben Gilby‘s questions (29/8/23).
Above: Miley Shipp in action. Photo supplied to Impetus by: John Moriarty Football.
Miley Shipp is a 14-year-old Wiradjuri footballer who dreams of playing for the Matildas. Growing up in Dubbo, New South Wales (NSW), her footballing talents are now taking her to Sydney where she is playing NPL 2 football for the University of New South Wales (UNSW).
Miley describes herself as a “team player, strong in attack and defence.” Her achievements in the game for one so young are just the latest chapter in a footballing journey that began at a very young age.
“I started playing at the age of four in the under six’s with a local club, EDU, and played with this team until the under 10’s,” Miley revealed, “I was selected for the Dubbo U12’s representative team at the age of 10.
“This is when I started playing for the Western Mariners in the NPL 2 competition U12’s travelling 120km (75 miles) on Tuesday afternoons to train in Orange. The following year, at the age of 11, I was playing in the U14’s Western Mariners NPL 2 team playing on Sundays. I continued playing Representative for Dubbo during this time.”
At the age of 12, Miley began to receive real recognition for her burgeoning footballing talent when she was selected to represent Western NSW to compete in the state carnival through the Public School Sports Association. It’s been an uphill trajectory all the way since then.
“Then, when I was 13, playing for Dubbo RSL club and Dubbo Representative teams, I was selected by Football NSW to join their Talented Sports Program as well as being selected by Football NSW for the NSW Country team to compete in the Nationals, along with the Dubbo Rep teams at U14’s and U16’s. I was selected for the inaugural Football NSW NAIDOC Cup U16’s Indigenous team which was a huge thrill. I was also invited to play in the Lyrebird Cup Indigenous team in Camden, Sydney, and was awarded player of the match.”
The recognition and achievements just keep on coming for Miley as her call-ups for representative football become more and more prestigious.
“When I was 14, I returned to the Lyrebird Cup Indigenous team in Camden, Sydney as captain of the team. Subsequently, I joined UNSW Football Club U16s, where I am vice-captain of the team and I was selected for Football NSW NAIDOC team and Talented Sports Program. Western Combined High School open team to compete at state knockout.”
Miley has been assisted by the Moriarty Foundation for the last three years. Established in 2012, Moriarty Foundation delivers two groundbreaking and interrelated community initiatives in remote and regional Australia, Indi Kindi and John Moriarty Football.
John Moriarty Football (JMF) is Australia’s longest-running and most successful Indigenous football initiative for 2-18-year-olds. JMF’s transformational skills program uses football for talent and positive change. JMF has a proven track record of improving school attendance and achieving resilient, healthier outcomes for some of Australia’s most remote Indigenous communities.
Miley is particularly grateful for the assistance they have given her. “They helped me with personal fitness and well-being as well as my educational needs and even supplying online tutorials for some subjects.
As well as the support of JMF, the youngster values “the coaches from the Rep teams I have played in, they are at another level, my parents, family, and friends who always support me.”
Such a rapid rise in the sport and the proliferation of representative football opportunities do not come without their challenges. Those challenges surround issues of geography and maintaining top-level fitness.
“At the moment I’m travelling from Dubbo to Sydney each week, which is a five-hour drive to play on Sundays. Sometimes this means staying in Sydney on Saturday nights. The biggest challenge has been being able to train with UNSW and maintaining fitness. I train with JMF, Dubbo RSL team the Macquarie men’s and women’s teams, and the football NSW TSP program.
Whilst her football career continues to grow, Miley still likes to make time to pursue interests outside the game: “Away from football I enjoy hanging out with my friends, fishing, and camping with my family, my dad teaching me how to drive, and riding motorcycles.” On top of this, she is an excellent baker and cake decorator.
With her season well underway for UNSW, Miley has already ticked off one of her aims for the season – being selected for the NAIDOC Cup team (a representative squad for Indigenous footballers aged 13-16). She lists her others as “The aims for this season are to “avoiding serious injuries, to be selected in the NSW Country team, and for her UNSW team to make finals.”
With her future goals of “playing in the A-League Women, for the Australian Indigenous team, and the main aim of playing age group Matildas,” Miley is setting the bar high – but given the talent she possesses and her achievements already at the age of 14, she has every chance of meeting those goals, and then some.
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