By Kieran Yap 16/5/24
Above: Peta Trimis via Football Australia
Mel Andreatta has named Australia’s Under 23 squad to compete in the four nations tournament in Sweden this year. Perth Goalkeeper Morgan Aquino has earned her first call up while 11 players from the U20 squad to qualify for the World Cup will also be joining the likes of Leah Davidson, Laura Hughes, Polly Doran and Anna Margraf.
Since it’s inception in 2022, the U23 program has been a vital part of the development pathway in Australian football. Charli Grant, Sarah Hunter and Amy Sayer are three who have been guided into senior international football by this step.
“This is a squad of players that have put their hand up for this fantastic opportunity to play high quality nations through their performances in the recent A-League Women and European football seasons,” explained Andreatta through Football Australia.
“That 10 of the 12 A-League clubs are represented speaks to the evenness of the competition this season and is recognition of the developmental work that is being undertaken week in and week out.”
“Excitingly, with this roster there are a significant number of players that are in-form and showing high potential to be a future CommBank Matilda. Now it is about taking this opportunity to challenge and test themselves against some of the best in Europe, which has been at the global forefront of women’s football development in recent years.”
The squad represents an exciting future in Australian football. It contains a blend of the Junior Matildas who lifted the AFF trophy in 2022, the Young Matildas of the U20 World Cup in Costa Rica that same year and the current U20 side that finished third at the Asian Cup and scored in every game.
Recent history tells us that if there is to be a late Olympic bolter it will come from this tournament. Kaitlyn Torpey’s ascent as a senior international came off the back of impressive U23’s form, and this tournament presents an immediate and long-term opportunity for Australia’s in-form youngsters.
Although every Australian based A-league club is represented, Andreatta has not restricted the team to these shores. Polly Doran returns to the green and gold after winning promotion with Crystal Palace into the FAWSL, and Anna Margraf will make the short trip over from Spain where she plays with Sporting De Huelva FC.
The tournament may impact the All-Stars squad to face Arsenal. Western United’s Alana Cerne has been selected in both teams, and the timing of this expedition surely meant that many other in-form stars like Aquino and Young Player of the Year Daniela Galic were unavailable for that friendly.
Impressively for a development team, every player selected is a regular senior player at club level. Club form seems to have informed the decision making as much as future protentional underlining the quality coming through in the domestic league and for the national team.
The combination of three of Australia’s most recent and promising youth teams means that this team will give us the clearest picture yet of what the next generation of Matildas might look like. If Peta Trimis can replicate her scoring run from the Asian Cup it will cap off a remarkable 12 months that saw her go from scholarship player at Central Coast Mariners to growing international prospect.
This squad is exciting, deep and tactically flexible. Players like Bryleeh Henry and Sasha Grove can be deployed almost anywhere on the pitch, and few teams will enjoy facing a midfield that could contain Laura Hughes, Shay Hollman, Leah Davidson or Isabel Gomez.
The defence is experienced at youth and senior level with Jessika Nash continuing her rise up the ranks, while Ella Tonkin and Naomi Chinnama are both earmarked as senior Matildas at some point.
A successful run in the Four Nations tournament will be huge, but Andreatta emphasised the long term view of the coaching staff. Performances and development matters most, and this experience will be as valuable to the players individually as it will be to the senior Matildas selectors in the near future.
“With Sharn Freier and Kaitlyn Torpey making their debuts in the last two FIFA international windows, recently we have seen the U-23 program demonstrating its purpose in developing players and giving them the skills physically mentally, technically and tactically to step into the senior team environment,” Andreatta said.
“To bring the group together as we prepare for three strong matches will be brilliant experience for the players and will expose them to what is required to push on in their careers.
“We hope through the hard work of the staff and the players themselves, we can give more players the opportunity to perform at a high level and to earn future senior national team recognition down the track.”
Players and staff of the U-23 Women’s National Team squad will commence their camp in Sweden on Thursday, 23 May 2024.
FOUR NATIONS TOURNAMENT – AUSTRALIA U-23 WNT MATCH SCHEDULE
Sweden U-23 WNT v Australia U-23 WNT
Date: Wednesday, 29 May 2024 / Thurs, 30 May 2024 (AUS)
Time: 7.00pm (local) / 3.00am (AEST)
Venue: Visma Arena, Växjö, Sweden
Australia U-23 WNT v Germany U-23 WNT
Date: Saturday, 1 June 2024 / Sun, 2 June 2024 (AUS)
Time: 6.00pm (local) / 2.00am (AEST)
Venue: Värendsvallen, Växjö, Sweden
Australia U-23 WNT v Poland U-23 WNT
Date: Tuesday, 4 June 2024
Time: 1.00pm (local) / 9.00pm (AEST)
Venue: Värendsvallen, Växjö, Sweden
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