AFLW Crows star Jenna McCormick gave up the indigenous game to concentrate on winning a spot with the Matildas
Mount Gambier-born Jenna McCormick, an AFLW star with the Crows, could be making her international Matildas debut at Hindmarsh Stadium.
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South Australia’s Jenna McCormick’s dream of making her Matildas’ debut at home has all the ingredients of coming true.
The Matildas host Chile at Hindmarsh Stadium on November 12 after coach Ante Milicic announced his squad for the two games series on Tuesday, which features two more South Australians.
Adelaide United’s W-League goalkeeper Sarah Willacy and former Reds captain Emma Checker (Melbourne City) also join McCormick as superstar captain Sam Kerr was also named in a strong squad.
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The 25-year-old McCormick impressed Milicic at the Matildas camp earlier this month and staked her spot for the two internationals.
“It certainly is an awesome environment to be in and I’m really just soaking up every minute of it,’’ McCormick said about her maiden Matildas camp.
“It’s probably better than I expected.
“I didn’t really know what to expect coming in so I guess I had to weigh it up and come and see how everything worked and certainly seeing how it’s also run and things like that.”
A star SA state junior cricketer, Aussie rules footballer and two-time AFLW premiership winner with the Crows, McCormick is giving herself every chance of being a permanent Matilda before the first match of the series at Parramatta Stadium on November 9.
She gave the indigenous game away after her ex club Brisbane Roar had an agreement with the Crows where the clubs allowed McCormick to split the season and mix football programs for training.
However the deal could have potentially cost her a spot at this year’s FIFA women’s World Cup in France after McCormick was definitely on the international football radar before Alen Stajcic was sacked in January.
Now Mount Gambier-born McCormick can totally focus on impressing the new Matildas hierarchy.
Milicic is looking at these matches with an eye on a squad to take Australia to the Tokyo 2020 qualifiers.
“I just want to prove myself and show them what I can do,’’ McCormick said.
“But I guess those (Olympic Games) conversations will probably come at a later date perhaps.
“They’re always hammering in there’s no guarantees, you’ve got to do what you can at the time.”
“I’m just trying to hone in and do all the little things and do the things that I know will hopefully keep me here.”
The Matildas Olympic Games qualifiers are in China starting in February.
They have just seven days and three games to finish at least in the top two in the group to advance to the next stage of the qualifiers in March.
Australia has China, Thailand and Chinese Taipei in Group B.
Japan automatically qualifying as hosts of Tokyo 2020 has robbed one place from the Asian Football Confederation’s normal four spots.
MATILDAS SQUAD V CHILE
Mackenzie Arnold (Brisbane Roar), Ellie Carpenter (Melbourne City), Steph Catley (Reign FC), Emma Checker (Melbourne City), Caitlin Foord (Sydney FC), Emily Gielnik (Bayern Munich, Germany), Katrina Gorry (Brisbane Roar), Amy Harrison (Western Sydney Wanderers), Elise Kellond-Knight (Brisbane Roar), Alanna Kennedy (Sydney FC), Sam Kerr (c) (Chicago Red Stars, US), Chloe Logarzo (Sydney FC), Aivi Luik (Avaldsnes, Norway), Jenna McCormick (Melbourne Victory), Clare Polkinghorne (Brisbane Roar), Hayley Raso (Portland Thorns, US), Karly Roestbakken (Canberra United), Emily van Egmond (Melbourne City), Sarah Willacy (Adelaide United), Lydia Williams (Reign FC, US), Tameka Yallop (Klepp IL, Norway/Brisbane Roar).