Under 14s
It was exciting times for the U14 Victorian squad, as 15 of the 16 players travelled to Coffs Harbour for their first ever experience competing at the National Youth Championships. The squad comprised of players with a background of clubs across the state.
The team competed in Group A which included a number of high quality state squads across the week.
The girls got off to a fantastic start on Day 1, going behind early and then showing great character to turn around the deficit to defeat NSW Metro 2-1 after a resilient defensive performance. The squad continues to play out of a high press, showing their individual capabilities within a collective team throughout the match. This was followed with a 5-3 goal fest on Day 2 to defeat South Australia in a game which highlighted some great attacking play and superb finishing to confirm maximum points across the first 2 days.
On Day 3, the girls came up against a physical Queensland side who went on to become champions of the 2019 Championships. They proved to be too strong by inflicting Victoria with their first defeat, conceding some unfortunate goals in a game which eventually shaped the remainder of the tournament.
A tight first half on the penultimate day saw Victoria tied up 1-1 with 2018 champions Newcastle Jets at half time however having many chances to put the game away but struggling to convert. Newcastle were clinical late in the game and turned a Victorian attack into a counter attacking goal, before adding some late goals to make it 4-1, ending in an undeserving result for the Victorian squads performance.
The final day of the competition saw Victoria play a match against NSW Country from Group B, in which the Victorians controlled and created plenty of chances. Some sharp attacking movement and clinical finishing from set pieces saw the girls finish the week on a high, running out 3-1 winners.
The week at Coffs Harbour was an immensely beneficial experience for all players and staff involved. The team played some fantastic football, matured both individually and collectively throughout the week, and showed great team spirit to represent Victoria with pride in what was a highly successful week for the squad.
Under 15s
The Under 15 squad returned to Coffs Harbour on the back of their 3rd place finish in the Under 14 competition from 2018. The squad had some new faces who were excited play in their first National Youth Championships.
The team came up against Western Australia who travelled across the country to compete on Day 1. The Victorian girls put in a dominant performance, coming out on top against the opposition with a 5-1 victory; including 5 different goal scorers and 2 well-rehearsed goals from set pieces.
Day 2 saw Victoria get off to a strong start with most of the play occurring in Victoria’s attacking half which resulted in a 2-0 lead against Queensland at the end of the first half. The second half lacked composure as the pressure from the opposition began to mount, resulting in 2 late long distance goals that inflicted a 2-2 draw, causing a hiccup to the strong start.
The team showed desire to bounce back from a disappointing result the day before, putting on a super performance against NSW Metro, who were the eventual winners of the 2019 tournament, in a dominant display, securing a 2-1 victory which included moments of individual brilliance and scintillating attack.
Newcastle Jets were the opponents on Day 4, who looking to go back to back from their 2018 triumph. Victoria got off to a slow start going 2-0 behind early, however managed to regain control of the match in the 2nd half and getting a goal back during the build-up of momentum. Unfortunately, a last minute goal was conceded against the run of play, resulting in a 3-1 loss.
The week concluded on a very high note, with Victoria playing Capital Football. The Victorian squad barely looked threatened for the during the match, especially after an early 2 goal lead was taken. A lapse in concentration in defence allowed Capital to regain a goal to put the Vic’s under pressure. However, Victoria bounced back strongly to put the result beyond doubt, piling on another two goals in the 2nd half to claim a 4-1 victory.
The week provided to be a terrific learning experience in a high pressure environment for the teams. Both Victorian squads performed brilliantly as a collective, coming up against the best players and teams across the country.
Junior Matildas Coach, Rae Dower, stated “It was fantastic to see the continuation in the development of the Football Victoria NTC Program this year. The players displayed a great level of technical ability and tactical awareness throughout the week. We are excited to see many talented players being developed in Victoria, which is a testament to all the hard work and the support and resourcing of the Football Victoria NTC Program.”
Further to this, 2005 born Victorian Alana Murphy, was presented with the U15 (2004 born age group) Player of the Tournament, scoring 7 goals inclusive of at least 1 goal in each of the 5 matches for the week.
14 Metro Squad:
Alessandra |
Davis |
(Junior NTC) |
2018 Club: Southern United FC |
Alexandra |
Kamateros |
(Junior NTC) |
2018 Club: Calder United SC |
Caitlin |
Karic |
(Junior NTC) |
2018 Club: Calder United SC |
Ginger |
Perri |
(Junior NTC) |
2018 Club: Boroondara Eagles FC |
Hannah |
Robinson |
(Junior NTC) |
2018 Club: South Melbourne FC |
Isabella |
Accardo |
(Junior NTC) |
2018 Club: FC Bulleen Lions |
Juliette |
Lemieux |
(Junior NTC) |
2018 Club: Bayside United FC |
Kate |
Bean |
(Junior NTC) |
2018 Club: Box Hill United SC |
Katherine |
Masters |
(Junior NTC) |
2018 Club: South Melbourne FC |
Natasha |
Dean |
(Junior NTC) |
2018 Club: Geelong Galaxy United FC |
Pearl |
Stevens |
(Junior NTC) |
2018 Club: Spring Gully United SC |
Simone |
Vass |
(Junior NTC) |
2018 Club: FC Bulleen Lions |
Theodora |
Wilson |
(Junior NTC) |
2018 Club: Alamein FC |
Ava |
Briedis |
(Calder United SC) |
|
Alex |
Jones |
(Southern United FC) |
|
Zoe |
Bennett |
(FC Bulleen Lions) |
|
U14 Metro Coach: Sebastian Zancan
15 Metro Squad:
Aimie |
Adcock |
(Young NTC) |
|
Alana |
Murphy |
(Young NTC) |
|
Anika |
Dovaston |
(Young NTC) |
|
Candice |
Kilderry |
(Young NTC) |
2018 Club: Southern United FC |
Emily |
Everist |
(Young NTC) |
|
Holly |
Murray |
(Young NTC) |
2018 Club: South Melbourne FC |
Isabelle |
Spiteri |
(Young NTC) |
|
Jessica |
Moseshvili |
(Young NTC) |
2018 Club: South Melbourne FC |
Jessica |
Young |
(Young NTC) |
|
Naomi |
Chinnama |
(Young NTC) |
|
Rosie |
Curtis |
(Young NTC) |
|
Sienna |
Cappola |
(Young NTC) |
|
Silver Bell |
Morris |
(Young NTC) |
|
Amelia |
Scolaro |
(South Melbourne FC) |
|
Evie |
Bowen |
(Young NTC) |
2018 Club: Point Cook FC |
Charlotte |
Gatehouse |
(Young NTC) |
|
U14 Metro Coach: Melissa Lum