Exclusive by Ben Gilby (16/2/26)
Above: The All Australian School Girls squad lining up along with opponents Cardiff City during their UK tour last month. Photo: Emma Heys Facebook.
Three young Western Australians, Lacey Heys, Klaudia Houlis, and Hannah Reynolds recently returned home from the UK after being part of the All Australian School Girls team that played a seven match tour, and Heys speaks in depth to Impetus about the experience of a lifetime that she and her team-mates enjoyed.
The squad were selected as a result of the School Sport Australia tournament in Brisbane, where players were selected based on their performance during five matches in Queensland.
Due to the nature of the team’s make-up, there were no opportunities to train or bond together before boarding the long flight to the UK, but, Heys outlined that the squad were able to have two training sessions upon arrival prior to their first match.
The UK has experienced a very wet and generally mild winter, but the Australian team had the misfortune to arrive in the one extremely cold spell that the nation experienced, and it is something that Heys looks back on ruefully.
“When we weren’t playing, yes it was very much a shock, however I prefer to play in cold weather, so I really enjoyed it!” she smiled.
Among the teams that the squad faced were Welsh Colleges, Swansea City, Cardiff City, Wrexham, Crystal Palace, and Arsenal. The Australians produced a superb set of performances and results.
“We won all our games, the first four were very easy – we won them by at least eight goals, however the last two games against Crystal Palace and Arsenal were better match ups.
“We won against Crystal Palace 4-0 and against Arsenal 2-1. Collectively, we worked really well together and gelled quickly which I believe is because the talent in the team was so strong that our game understanding was high which made it easier for us to play with each other.
“Individually, I feel as though I played well, the first few games weren’t much of a challenge but I believe I still played to a high standard and the final games I was very happy with my performances. Overall, I scored six or seven goals and assisted five, I believe.”
Any tour such as this is, though, about more than results on the pitch – it’s about experiencing life changing opportunities, and Heys had plenty of those.
“There were a lot of exciting experiences off the pitch but it was also important to stay disciplined and make sure our main focus was always on preparing properly and performing well in games. It was really important to interact and talk with the other teams and their coaching staff to learn things.”
In terms of the biggest learning from the tour, Heys identified that “When I’m playing with such great players, I am able to find what I like most about how they play and try to implement that into how I play.”
Heys is now back in Western Australia and preparing for the new NPLW WA season. Having been part of the Football West Academy set-up for six years, she has joined a Fremantle City side who are looking to push into Top Four Cup contention for 2026. With the pre-season Night Series tournament just underway, the youngster has set herself some targets for the coming months.
“I’m looking to have a good start to the season with Fremantle to get ourselves on the front foot for the rest of the season, and develop myself as a player to hopefully get recognised outside of the NPLW WA.”
(c) Impetus 2026
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