Within the wake of a disappointing Olympics efficiency and with a house Asian Cup, a World Cup, and one other Olympics all looming, the Matildas are at a vital juncture.
The message is evident: the subsequent coach should not solely lead the group by means of these pivotal tournaments but in addition construct a basis for the longer term.
With eight members of the present squad already of their 30s, the inevitable integration of youthful expertise is turning into a actuality.
Whereas some rising stars like Daniela Galic (FC Twente, Netherlands), Jamilla Rankin (Hoffenheim, Germany), Jada Whyman (AIK, Sweden) and Charlotte McLean (North Carolina Braveness, USA) have discovered alternatives overseas, the A-League stays a key pathway to Matildas choice.
With the 2024-2025 A-League Ladies’s season kicking off this week, listed below are a number of the stand-out gamers who might quickly change into common options within the Matildas squad.
Chloe Lincoln
Membership: Western United
Place: Goalkeeper
Age: 19
Recent from her first Matildas name up, Chloe Lincoln is a reputation to recollect.
At simply 19, she already boasts important expertise at each the membership and worldwide stage, having been the first-choice goalkeeper for the U-20 and U-23 Matildas.
Beforehand an everyday starter for Canberra United, Lincoln has made the transfer to Victorian facet Western United forward of the 2024-2025 season.
Within the brief period of time that she has been there, United Basic Supervisor Mal Impiombato has already praised Lincoln’s affect on the membership.
With the retirement of the legendary goalkeeper Lydia Williams, Lincoln has an actual alternative to cement her place within the senior Matildas set-up.
Sophie Harding
Membership: Western Sydney Wanderers
Place: Ahead
Age: 25
The reigning Julie Dolan medallist, Harding had a breakout season in 2023-2024. The Wanderers striker scored the second highest variety of targets within the league final season, falling brief solely to the evergreen Michelle Heyman.
Harding’s biggest energy is her means to get into the appropriate positions and beat the defender to the ball, particularly in aerial battles.
With the Matildas more likely to be with out Sam Kerr for a number of extra months, Harding might present a second striker possibility that the Matildas missed on the Olympics.
The 25-year-old, who’s eligible to play for Australia, England, and Eire, obtained her first Matildas name up final yr. If she continues her red-hot type this season, Harding would possibly simply be the reply to Australia’s striker dilemma.
Holly McNamara
Membership: Melbourne Metropolis
Place: Striker
Age: 21
Already capped thrice by the Matildas, Holly McNamara’s expertise has been curtailed by a sequence of accidents.
Her third ACL damage, suffered simply days after being recalled to the Matildas squad final November, has delayed her breakthrough, but it surely hasn’t dimmed her potential. Her resilience and grit solely add to the qualities she brings to a group.
McNamara is a dynamic and inventive ahead, famend for her means to complete possibilities and terrorise defences.
Earlier than her damage, she was having a sensational season, having scored six targets in simply 5 video games.
Dubbed one in every of Australia’s brightest, if she will be able to keep match, McNamara is greater than able to turning into a Matildas common.
Kayla Morrison
Membership: Melbourne Metropolis
Place: Central Defender
Age: 28
Kayla Morrison will not be a younger prospect, however her performances within the A-League warrant her a consideration.
The Melbourne Victory captain led the league in defensive clearances and aerial duels gained final season, whereas additionally contributing three targets and two assists.
Morrison’s spectacular type earned her Melbourne Victory’s highest honour, the Victory Medal and a spot within the A-League Workforce of the Season.
Near being eligible for the Matildas after buying Australian citizenship final yr, Morrison may very well be an excellent substitute for the soon-to-retire Clare Polkinghorne or the sidelined Aivi Luik.
Her management, defensive reliability, and attacking menace make her a compelling possibility for the nationwide facet.
Mackenzie Hawkesby
Membership: Sydney FC
Place: Midfielder
Age: 24
An excellent creator, Hawkesby was integral to Sydney FC’s Championship-winning marketing campaign final season.
Regardless of rejoining the membership seven video games into the season, she made a big affect, contributing to eight targets and recording the very best variety of photographs created within the league. Her imaginative and prescient, precision, and talent to ship the ball into harmful areas have established her as a key playmaker within the competitors. What’s most spectacular is that Hawkesby has maintained this stage of creativity for the previous three consecutive seasons.
Hawkesby’s inclusion within the Matildas squad might doubtlessly assist improve the effectiveness of Mary Fowler, addressing a artistic hole that was obvious throughout the Olympics.
A set-piece maestro, Hawkesby’s consistency and craft present a powerful case for her to be invited into the nationwide group set-up.
Grace Maher
Membership: Western United
Place: Midfielder
Age: 25
In 2014, a 15-year-old Grace Maher made historical past because the youngest participant to each debut within the A-League Ladies and win the competitors.
Often called a ‘go grasp’, Maher has developed a status as one of many league’s finest distributors, with an distinctive means to execute each brief and long-range passes with precision.
Although she hasn’t been a part of a Matildas camp since 2017, Maher stays a flexible expertise value keeping track of.
Able to taking part in each as a centre-back and a midfielder, her adaptability might present useful depth to the Matildas squad. As well as, her robust left foot affords tactical flexibility, one thing the nationwide group may benefit from in future tournaments.
These rising skills provide promising choices to deal with key wants within the present Matildas squad. Nonetheless, with a yr’s value of friendlies obtainable to experiment with participant mixtures, there’s each likelihood we might see even youthful stars earn their first call-ups.
Regardless of nonetheless being youngsters, gamers like Sasha Grove (Western United), Indiana Dos Santos (Sydney FC), and Alana Murphy (Melbourne Victory) have already impressed followers and are among the many favourites to ultimately change into integral components of the nationwide group.
No matter form the nationwide group takes over the approaching months, it is clear that the A-League’s artistic midfielders, defensive brick partitions and dynamic forwards present a lot to be enthusiastic about.
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Isha Singhal is a ladies’s sports activities journalist and content material creator with a background in economics, science and communications. She might be discovered speaking about ladies’s soccer at @IshaOnTheField on social media.
