Westfield Junior Matildas squad named as five NSW Girls prepare for U16 AFC Championship
Westfield Junior Matildas Head Coach Rae Dower confirmed Australia’s 23-player squad for the 2019 AFC U-16 Women’s Championship, which will be held in Chonburi, Thailand with five NSW girls in the squad as the likes of Bryleeh Henry, Charlize Rule, Darcey Malone, Jessika Nash and Jordan Jasnos will all don the Green and Gold jersey.
Dower’s squad will compete in Group A of the competition alongside hosts Thailand, Japan, and Bangladesh, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semi-finals of tournament.
Should Australia advance to the Final of the 2019 AFC U-16 Women’s Championship, they will qualify as one of Asia’s representatives for next year’s FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, which will be hosted by India.
After recently preparing for the 2019 AFC U-16 Women’s Championship with a tour of the Pacific which included matches against the U-19 women’s teams of Tonga, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu, plus a period in camp together on the Gold Coast, coach Dower said she’s excited for the players to have the opportunity to represent their nation in Thailand.
“I’m thrilled to announce the Westfield Junior Matildas’ squad to contest the upcoming AFC U-16 Women’s Championship in Thailand,” Dower said.
“We’ve got a really well balanced team on and off the field and the chemistry developed over the last 12 months together will serve us well in really trying conditions in Thailand.
“During our ‘Pacific Step-Up Tour’ and recently completed camp on the Gold Coast, we’ve been able to trial a number of players from across the group and believe we’ve developed substantial depth across the park.
“We’re excited to play Japan first up and have been working hard on areas of our game we can be successful. We know the players and staff will represent Australia with passion and pride, and are confident that the principles we’ve been working on will give us the best opportunity to be successful in Thailand.”
The Westfield Junior Matildas will travel to Thailand on Tuesday, 10 September 2019 before playing their group games on September 15, 18, and 21 against Japan, Thailand, and Bangladesh respectively.
The semi-finals of the 2019 AFC U-16 Women’s Championship will be held on Wednesday, 25 September 2019, with the Final to be contested on Saturday, 28 September 2019.
Westfield Junior Matildas 23-Player Squad | 2019 AFC U-16 Women’s Championship – Chonburi, Thailand
| Name | Club/Member Federation |
| Alana JANCEVSKI | NTC Victoria/Football Victoria |
| Bryleeh HENRY | Football NSW Institute/Football NSW |
| Charlize RULE | Football NSW Institute/Football NSW |
| Charlotte FARMER | Queensland Academy of Sport/Football Queensland |
| Claudia MIHOCIC | NTC Victoria/Football Victoria |
| Darcey MALONE | Football NSW Institute/Football NSW |
| Emma ILIJOSKI | Gungahlin United FC/Capital Football |
| Georgia BEAUMONT | Queensland Academy of Sport/Football Queensland |
| Hana LOWRY | Perth Glory FC/Football West |
| Isabella WALLHEAD | Football West NTC/Football West |
| Jamilla RANKIN | Brisbane Roar FC/ Queensland Academy of Sport |
| Jessika NASH | Football NSW Institute/Football NSW |
| Jordan JASNOS | Football NSW Institute/Football NSW |
| Josie MORLEY | Newcastle Jets Academy/Northern NSW Football |
| Kirsty FENTON | Newcastle Jets Academy/Northern NSW Football |
| Mia BAILEY (Gk) | Queensland Academy of Sport/Football Queensland |
| Mia MCGOVERN | Canberra United Academy/Capital Football |
| Miranda TEMPLEMAN (Gk) | Football West NTC/Football West |
| Nia STAMATOPOULOS | NTC Victoria/Football Victoria |
| Paige ZOIS | NTC Victoria/Football Victoria |
| Ruby JONES (Gk) | Newcastle Jets Academy/Northern NSW Football |
| Taneesha BAKER | Football West NTC/Football West |
| Tijan MCKENNA | Cockburn City/Football West NTC |
Westfield Junior Matildas | Match Schedule – 2019 AFC U-16 Women’s Championship
Japan vs Australia
Date: Sunday, 15 September 2019
Venue: IPE Chonburi Stadium, Chonburi, Thailand
Kick-off: 4.00pm (local); 7.00pm (AEST)
Admission: Open to the public
Australia vs Thailand
Date: Wednesday, 18 September 2019
Venue: Chonburi Municipality Stadium, Chonburi, Thailand
Kick-off: 7.00pm (local); 10.00pm (AEST)
Admission: Open to the public
Australia vs Bangladesh
Date: Saturday, 21 September 2019
Venue: IPE Chonburi Stadium, Chonburi, Thailand
Kick-off: 4.00pm (local); 7.00pm (AEST)
Admission: Open to the public
