Australia’s top young female football talent were locked in on day two of the CommBank Emerging Matildas Championships in Victoria, and they got a big reality check from an international legend of the sport and Australia’s Junior Matildas coach.
As the best under 15 and under 16 players in the country went into battle at the Home of the Matildas, they were being closely watched by Australia’s U17 coach Michael Cooper. Also keeping an eye on the array of talent was USA football royalty April Heinrichs. Heinrichs was the captain of the US team that won the first Women’s World Cup in 1991 and 12 years later coached the team to third at the 2003 tournament.
The 62-year-old is in Melbourne in her role as a High Performance Specialist at FIFA, the world governing body, where she oversees a program called the Talent Development Scheme. For seven years, FIFA representatives have travelled the world to work with nations, learning from them and partnering on talent development.
The USA is the traditional giant of women’s football, so Heinrichs’ initial take on the opening two days was positive. “It's fun to see the Aussie girls because if I didn't hear the accent I'd think they were Americans. They're competitive, they're athletic, they go at it,” Heinrichs said.
The CommBank Emerging Matildas Championships has replaced the National Youth Championships and broadened the program. Heinrichs was involved in the pre-tournament testing of 442 players at this tournament and said they should be targeting the next few U17 World Cups, and for the best, the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane.
“We are six years away from the Brisbane Olympics. These 15 and 16-year-olds will be 21-22 and could very well make the Matildas in the Olympics in 2032,” Heinrichs said.
With a wealth of experience across the football world, Heinrichs was well placed to comment on the Home of the Matildas set-up that’s hosting the five-day program. “It’s an incredible facility here for these young girls,” she said.
The players made the most of the impressive venue to show their quality again on day two.
In Under 15 Group A, Anabel Carbone’s third goal of the tournament helped NSW Sky on their way to a 2-0 win over Queensland Maroon, to top that pool with two wins, while Vietnam went second with a handy 3-1 win over Tasmania.
In Group B, Queensland White and Victoria White battled a 1-1 draw, while Northern NSW beat Western Australia 3-2, to keep the losing team at the foot of the table through three matches.
In Group C, Victoria Blue nabbed a tight 1-0 win over NSW Navy and stayed perfect with three wins in three matches.
In Under 16 competition, Victoria Blue thumped Northern Territory 7-0 in Group C with Stefanie Castavan scoring a brace but Capital Football topped the ladder as goalkeeper Adelaide Cains kept a clean sheet against NSW Navy.
In Group B, WA won their second game, edging Northern NSW 1-0 through Savanna Glavovic’s goal. Victoria White got their first win, downing NSW Regional 2-0.
And in Group A, Tessa Young scored the winner for NSW Sky against Queensland Maroon, and South Australia’s Lua Elmualim struck twice in five minutes in the second half as her team beat Tasmania 3-1.
Junior Matildas coach Cooper, meanwhile, laid down exactly what national selectors were wanting to see from the players over the course of the tournament.
“It's best v best. So it's a huge opportunity for the players to perform, challenge themselves, be tested, and then perform day in, day out in a tournament style,” said Cooper.
“It's great for us to come down and see how they get on in that environment. I think the first one we always look for is the character and presence on the field. The love of the game, shining through in that energy, effort, and engagement in the game.
“And then players that can offer just something different. But also, the fundamentals of our game, so being able to look after the ball under pressure, play through pressure, find solutions. And then because they're youth, they're all going to make mistakes.
“So how do they react to that? And then again, how do they turn up tomorrow and repeat performances?”
Cooper has been impressed with the talent he’s seen so far, as well as the joy that’s come out in goal celebrations.
“The celebrations are great. The atmosphere before, during, and after the games is a real positive,” Cooper said.
“It's important that they still be young, still be kids. And I think that's why we all play football as well. The tournament itself, the music, Vietnam [team] being here, it just adds and it just lifts everyone.”
And while it’s fun, the stakes are high.
“The reality is there's some future Matildas here,” Cooper said.
“The Matildas that play now played in competitions like this. So, they are going to be here and that’s really exciting.”
TOURNAMENT DETAILS
CommBank Emerging Matildas Championships (Girls U15 & U16)
Dates: 9 – 15 April 2026
Location: Home of the Matildas, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria
HOW TO WATCH
KommunityTV is your destination for exclusive live streams of the 2026 CommBank Emerging Championships with News Corp full digital subscribers having exclusive access to watch the action.
Every match will be available to watch live and on demand. Live streams of all fields will be available for each day of the tournament, with replays posted at the end of each day.
FIXTURES & RESULTS
The Tournament Hub has all the competitions and results while the Tournament Guide features all the groups, fixtures and key information.
This article was originally published on football360.com.au
