Over the weekend the 2022 NPL Women’s competition drew to a close, but just last month four Queenslanders from the league’s FQ Academy QAS side, Daisy Brown, Jonti Fisher, Charlie Gibson and Ella O’Grady were representing the country on the international stage with other players from across Australia as part of the CommBank Junior Matildas squad at the Asean Football Federation (AFF) U18 Women’s Championship.
Capping off an incredible tournament for our state’s players and coaches, the side led by Queensland’s very own Rae Dower was crowned AFF U18 Women’s Champions as the resumption of international competition for the CommBank Junior Matildas demonstrated the dominance of our young Queensland players and their return to national team selection through the FQ Academy.
“To think that this group have only played five games together in three years and this was during the AFF tournament, it’s an outstanding achievement to see the way they’ve performed,” Dower said of the squad.
“It had been nearly three years since the Junior Matildas had a competitive match of any kind, so getting back on the field with this special group of players was particularly enjoyable. We’ve been so excited about this group since we started scouting and putting a list of players together three years ago.
“With COVID it seemed like we were never going to get the opportunity to have any activity, so we prioritised local camps with maximum player numbers to expose as many players as we could into the National Team environment.
“Then the AFF tournament became a reality and we jumped at the chance.”
Brown, Fisher, Gibson and O’Grady were each a regular presence at CommBank Junior Matildas training camps held throughout the year, preparation that no doubt proved crucial to their strong performances at every stage of the tournament.
“We were able to play really well together not knowing each other for long,” O’Grady said of the squad which featured players from across the country.
“Being able to come in and have those connections, that’s mainly credited to Rae Dower and the coaching staff there as well.
“We knew what the intensity and the training was like from the camps, so we knew what was expected of us and how we had to perform.”
The national team kicked off their AFF U18 Women’s Championship campaign with a 4-0 win over the Philippines, during which Daisy Brown made history as she became the first player from the FQ Academy QAS full time program to debut for the CommBank Junior Matildas.
“That was a wild feeling,” Brown said.
“We found out the team for the first game and obviously I wasn’t starting, but I was still hopeful that I would get my chance and I would get my debut and then the coaches came over and said, ‘You’re going to warm up and you’re going to go on, try and just be an impactful player and change the game.’
“Getting my debut was so special and I had my family there and that was just an amazing feeling and being able to walk off the pitch with the win and then look over at them, it was so cool and surreal.
“It was extremely different to playing just a normal football game that we play each weekend, different feelings, different emotions, and it’s such a high level when you are versing other countries so it’s a very special feeling that I don’t think has really sunk in just yet.”
Just two days later, Brown’s FQ Academy QAS teammates Gibson, Fisher and O’Grady each made their national team debuts in what proved to be an incredibly special night for our Queensland players, with Gibson leading the side as captain and O’Grady, Fisher and Brown scoring five goals between them in the team’s 8-0 win over Malaysia.
“Not many words can describe the feeling, it’s pretty surreal,” Gibson said of the experience making her debut and captaining the side in the very same match.
“It puts a smile on my face every time someone mentions it because it was such an amazing feeling wearing the armband and walking the girls out.
“It’s just so different to a normal club game and hearing the national anthem, not many things can prepare you for that rush of emotions.”
For Fisher, her debut on the international stage was made all the more special when she netted the opening goal of the match in the 18th minute, kicking off a flurry of goals from our Queenslanders in the national side’s second game of the tournament.
“It was the best feeling I’ve ever experienced in my life, I remember making that run and feeding the ball into the back of the net and turning around seeing my parents in the crowd who were jumping and screaming, and I went and celebrated and I was just so emotional,” Fisher said.
“It was the best feeling; I’m still in shock to this day, I still don’t really understand what’s happened yet but yeah, it was just the best experience ever.”
Rounding out the momentous night for the young FQ Academy QAS players, Brown and O’Grady (the latter on debut) both bagged a brace to help the CommBank Junior Matildas to an impressive 8-0 win.
“In the second game being able to come on and change the game a little bit and push the scoreline a bit further, Rae said to me ‘Just go out there, have fun, get a few goals,’ and then to be able to go on and get a brace was pretty awesome,” Brown said.
“It was amazing, it definitely helped with the nerves,” O’Grady added.
“I was feeling a bit nervous before I went on but scoring that first goal helped me relax to score a few more goals throughout the tournament.”
One goal in particular proved critical to the CommBank Junior Matildas’ campaign as O’Grady scored in extra time against Thailand to seal Australia’s spot in the Final with a 1-0 win, taking her total tournament tally to three goals.
“Getting the experience at such a young age to start off my career and playing with girls that I know and also girls from other states and being able to cherish my debut and other girls’ debuts as well together was really special,” O’Grady said.
“These Queensland girls are some of my closest friends and to be able to share that experience with them was truly amazing.”
Through her role as QAS Mentor, CommBank Junior Matildas Head Coach Dower has watched the growth of Brown, Fisher, Gibson and O’Grady right here in Queensland as they’ve progressed through the FQ Academy QAS program in recent years.
“I’ve been fortunate to follow them closely here at home and see them grow up over the past four years through the FQ Academy QAS program,” Dower said.
“I’ve seen that early potential and watched them work hard to achieve massive growth and development on and off the field.
“They’ve continued to improve, applied themselves and appreciate this first opportunity to experience international football, but they now know what it takes to continuously improve if they want to realise their goals and dreams.
“Ella, Daisy and Jonti scored some really important goals, demonstrating some great goal celebrations and Charlie captained the team against Malaysia.
“They all played their roles throughout the tournament helping the team to achieve this great success.”
Speaking of their time in the FQ Academy QAS program, the players credited the exposure to challenging levels of competition and high-quality coaching with helping prepare them for the step up to the international stage as part of the CommBank Junior Matildas squad.
“Before I came into QAS I was in a boys team so coming into QAS was my first girls team and building up for the past few years we’ve been faced with a lot of challenges and thrown into really difficult leagues that do challenge us and force us to develop a lot as a team and find new ways to try and win and improve,” Brown said.
“This year, going into the NPL Women’s season really helped me a lot, it forced me to improve facing a higher level of competition, so I definitely think that the training we do is really helpful and really supports the development of all young female footballers.
“They want to challenge us and the training and environment and the leagues we play in really forces us to develop and improve.”
A number of years prior to making their debut for Australia, O’Grady and Gibson’s progression through Queensland’s advanced player pathway as part of the FQ Academy QAS program also saw them earn state team selection, with their Under 14 Queensland side crowned Champions at the 2019 National Youth Championships for Girls (pictured below).
The national tournament returned to Coffs Harbour just last week after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, with 27 players from across the FQ Academy QAS program joining players from FQ Academy regional centres across the state who were selected to represent Queensland across three teams; two of these sides progressed all the way to this year’s Finals before our Under 16 Queensland Maroon team took out the title.
“Right from the beginning when we were playing in the boys league, that really helped a lot of us with our technique and football and then going on that same year to win the NYC tournament in 2019, we felt like a team right after that,” O’Grady said.
“Then progressing through, now playing in the NPL Women’s this year it’s definitely helped with our intensity and how we’re able to play together as a team.”
As they’ve developed as young players in recent years, Brown, Fisher, Gibson and O’Grady have each worked with highly experienced coaches within the FQ Academy QAS program, including this year’s NPL Women’s Head Coach and former Football Australia National Team Analyst Adam Pengelly who guided the four to the NPL Women’s Under 23 Premiership in 2021 with the QAS side.
Another FQ Academy QAS coach and current Brisbane Roar FC Women’s Assistant Coach Kelly Crew joined the four Queensland players in Indonesia, travelling with the CommBank Junior Matildas squad as part of a professional development opportunity.
“The QAS coaching staff definitely prepared us as best they could, the advice they gave us, mentally preparing us for the emotions we may feel so that we can focus on the football side of things,” Gibson said.
“The professionalism as well in our QAS program is really good and the level we play at in the NPL Women’s definitely prepared us for just the little things, like the procedures that may happen and the formalities.
“But the coaching and the level of intensity that pushes each of us every day definitely prepares you for that international level a bit better.”
“I think the coaching I get at QAS from Adam Pengelly helps a lot, he’s obviously been in that area and experienced national camps and tournaments before [in his former role with Football Australia] so he understands what it’s like and is able to bring that back and help us,” Fisher added.
“So I think he prepares us all very well and he’s very helpful, because it’s just a big change going from QAS and you obviously have high expectations for the national camp but when you’re there it’s just quite different.”
Speaking of the FQ Academy QAS program, Dower describes it as “providing outstanding holistic support for the players’ development.”
“Not only are there opportunities to challenge the players in a variety of competitive playing formats, but the support around the strength and conditioning, injury prevention, nutrition, hydration, sleep hygiene, performance psychology and athlete wellbeing to work alongside their football development is of the highest quality,” Dower said.
“Focusing on the development of the individual athlete is a core part of the program and the high-quality coaching from across the board is an integral part of the players’ football education.”
A number of weeks after returning from Indonesia and as their NPL Women’s season draws to a close, the young Queenslanders still haven’t fully wrapped their heads around the experience of making their debuts for Australia but are extremely proud to have represented the state and country in their time at the AFF U18 Women’s Championships.
“It’s something that we train for day in and day out, and to finally see that hard work paying off and to get to experience something that you’ve dreamed of is obviously a dream come true,” Gibson said.
“There was a lot of pride and joy that came putting on that jersey every time, even if we didn’t get to go on. Just that feeling of wearing it and supporting the girls was amazing.”
“It was very emotional and eye-opening being able to walk into the changerooms, seeing your name on the back of your Australian jersey and wearing that logo on your heart is just the best experience anyone could ever ask for,” Fisher added.
“It’s been my dream since I was a little kid so it’s just incredible.”
QAS Image: Kyoko Kurihara