Nikola Orgill of Mosman has debuted for the Western Sydney Wanderers in the W-League
NIKOLA Orgill grew up kicking a football around her family’s concrete backyard in Asia and did not play “proper football” until she was 12.
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MOSMAN resident Nikola Orgill may have grown up kicking a football around her family’s concrete backyard in Asia, but it was not until she returned to Australia for Year 7 that her talent shone.
Now the 23-year-old has debuted in the W-League this season for Western Sydney Wanderers, coached by fellow Mosman local Rich Byrne.
Orgill played the full 90 minutes for the Wanderers in their opening round match against Perth Glory last weekend.
But she is no overnight success.
Instead, years of hard work progressing through the ranks of her sport — and even taking a break to concentrate on her studies — have contributed to her professional career.
Orgill lived in Mosman as a baby, then her family moved to Asia when she was five months old. She lived in Hong Kong for nine years and Singapore for two years.
Orgill attended Queenwood from Year 7 and joined her first football club.
“I think it’s pretty unusual; most people can’t really believe that I didn’t start proper football until I was about 12 years old,” she said.
Orgill’s first club was Mosman FC when she returned to Australia.
She was then scouted to the University of NSW State League team, where she became captain two weeks after joining, and then the Manly United Premier League team.
“It was a friend at Queenwood who said ‘let’s join the local club together’ and then I started scoring heaps of goals and got scouted to go higher,” Orgill said.
But despite her talent she stopped football for four or five years to finish her HSC and study law at the ANU.
“So I just did futsal [indoor football] more over that time. I played nationals and did pretty well,” Orgill said.
She got back into football two years ago and set her mind on making the W-League, playing for the North Shore Mariners as vice-captain last season.
Orgill said she was “pretty stoked” to join the Wanderers.
“I really want to make my mark on the W-League,” she said.
“I want to get some minutes on the park, really make an impact and play a good season.”
Orgill also started working full time for Football Federation Australia in July.
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