Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Canberra: Australia national women's team head coach Alen Stajcic has named three uncapped players plus an injection of youth in a 25-player squad for a three-day training camp at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra beginning on Wednesday.
Canberra United’s Grace Maher, 15-year-old Melbourne City FC midfielder Jacynta Galabadaarachchi and Western Sydney Wanderers FC goalkeeper Jada Mathyssen-Whyman are the uncapped trio who have been selected as Stajcic begins to build and mould a squad that will take the Matildas into the next phase of major tournaments.
The squad also comprises five players who are 18 years of age or younger, with up and coming talent Ellie Carpenter joined by Alex Chidiac, Galabadaarachchi, Maher and Mathyssen-Whyman as part of an exuberant young brigade.
“We are now heading into a new four year cycle. The last cycle ended after the Rio Olympics so this is the beginning of a new cycle up until after the Tokyo Games, so we’re looking at what kind of team we can take to qualify for the major tournaments, starting with the (AFC Women's) Asian Cup next year,” said Stajcic in a media release.
“It’s about having a squad that can peak in these tournaments.”
Stajcic said players chosen for the camp were picked for their form in the W-League but also for performances at underage national level.
“For the majority it is about what they showed in the W-League but others have done well at Young Matildas camps and in the Under-17 national team, so it could have been on any major arena that we watched them play on,” said Stajcic.
“They’re players we think have the potential to be really good international footballers.
“The biggest objective of this camp and one of the major factors in the squad we’ve selected is building the depth of the team and increasing the competition within the team and giving more players the experience of being in a Matildas camp and playing senior international football.
The camp at the AIS will be followed by a second training camp in Sydney’s west from February 20-22 ahead of the Matildas’ participation in the Algarve Cup in Portugal.
The squad for the second training camp will be trimmed to 18-20 players, which will consist of the final squad that will travel to the Algarve Cup. German based midfield duo Elise Kellond-Knight and Emily van Egmond will join the squad in Portugal.
Full training squad list:
Name - Date of Birth - Club - A International Caps (Goals)
Teigen Allen - 12/02/1994 - Melbourne City FC - 39 (0)
Mackenzie Arnold (GK) - 25/02/1994 - Brisbane Roar FC - 11 (0)
Ellie Carpenter - 28/04/2000 - Western Sydney Wanderers FC - 5 (0)
Steph Catley - 26/01/1994 - Melbourne City FC - 53 (2)
Emma Checker - 11/03/1996 - Canberra United - 3 (0)
Alex Chidiac - 15/01/1999 - Adelaide United - 1 (0)
Caitlin Cooper - 12/02/1988 - Western Sydney Wanderers FC - 7 (1)
Lisa De Vanna - 14/11/1984 - Canberra United - 117 (40)
Casey Dumont (GK) - 25/01/1992 - Western Sydney Wanderers FC - 3 (0)
Caitlin Foord - 11/11/1994 - Sydney FC - 50 (8)
Jacynta Galabadaarachchi - 6/06/2001 - Melbourne City FC - 0 (0)
Emily Gielnik - 13/05/1992 - Brisbane Roar FC - 9 (1)
Katrina Gorry - 13/08/1992 - Brisbane Roar FC - 49 (13)
Amy Harrison - 21/04/1996 - Sydney FC - 3 (0)
Michelle Heyman - 4/07/1988 - Canberra United - 53 (20)
Alanna Kennedy - 21/01/1995 - Sydney FC - 48 (2)
Sam Kerr - 10/09/1993 - Perth Glory - 46 (8)
Chloe Logarzo - 22/12/1994 - Newcastle Jets - 12 (0)
Grace Maher - 18/04/1999 - Canberra United - 0 (0)
Jada Mathyssen-Whyman (GK) - 24/10/1999 - Western Sydney Wanderers FC - 0 (0)
Clare Polkinghorne - 1/02/1989 - Brisbane Roar FC - 92 (7)
Hayley Raso - 5/09/1994 - Canberra United - 14 (1)
Gema Simon - 19/07/1990 - Newcastle Jets - 5 (0)
Kyah Simon - 25/06/1991 - Sydney FC - 70 (20)
Lydia Williams (GK) - 13/05/1988 - Melbourne City FC - 57 (0)