16 year-old Shelby McMahon signs long-term deal with Melbourne City in A-League
16 year-old Gold Coast product Shelby McMahon will pack her bags for Melbourne after signing a rare three-year A-League deal with Melbourne City.
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Gold Coast teenager Shelby McMahon’s dream has always been to be a professional footballer - she just never imagined it would happen when she was 16 years old.
The rising star is busy packing bags to relocate to Melbourne, with her mum, after penning a rare three-year-deal with City.
She plans to finish the rest of Year 11 and all of Year 12 via online education.
McMahon had a brief stint at Melbourne City last A-Leagues’ season - called in to replace Holly McNamara when she did her ACL in January.
At the time McMahon had been playing in the boys NPL competition on the Gold Coast.
She wasted no time making an impact at City - scoring two crucial goals in her breakout season.
Her first goal meant City lifted the Premiers’ Plate - she then scored another vital goal in their semi-final against Newcastle Jets.
McMahon said she would never forget that first goal.
“It was pretty surreal and the premiership goal was one of the best moments of my career so far, coming on late in the game and making an impact like that is pretty special to me,” she said.
Three year deals are hard to come by in the A-Leagues, let alone ones offered to teenagers.
The gravity of the achievement isn’t lost on McMahon.
“My goal had always been to be a professional football young, but I didn’t think I’d get it this young, I’m really lucky to get this opportunity,” she said.
McMahon is a gifted athlete and is also a talented AFL player - but football is her true love.
She has had a quiet offseason - recovering from a stress fracture in her tibia - the second time she has had the same injury.
McMahon said she would be ready to go come October when the season starts and was looking forward to getting more minutes and learning as much as she can from her teammates and the eventual new coach of City.
“Dario was a great coach and he was the one you brought me over and helped me become the player that I am right now but it will be good to start with a new coach and learn some new skills,” McMahon said.
City narrowly missed out the double last season - best in the final by Sydney FC.
“We left some pages unturned and it will be awesome to see how this team goes in the A-Leagues and the AFC Champions Leagues.”
It will be the first season of the AFC Women’s Champions League - as the premiers City earned the right to compete against other top women’s clubs from around Asia.
“It’s not every day Australian women’s football teams get to play against other clubs, no matter how we go, the experience and playing in a different environment will be unreal,” she said.
While her main focus will be on doing the best she can for City and impressing the new coach her ultimate goal is to find a way into the Matildas before the next Olympics.
McMahon is in the Junior Matildas side and after watching the Matildas at the World Cup and Olympics is desperate to follow in their footsteps.
“With a new coach coming in there will be an opportunity for us younger girls to make the way up the national team ranks over the next couple of years,” McMahon said.
City are yet to announce who their new coach will be.
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