Lady Reds’ teenager Emily Condon believes the club can defy odds and make W-League finals

IT’S a massive mountain to climb but Lady Reds’ teenager Emily Condon believes the club’s maiden W-League finals campaign is still within reach. She’s certainly up for the challenge.

PROFILE: Lady Reds players Lauren Steer and Emily Condon at training preparing for their final match of the season. Picture: Dylan Coker

IT’S a massive mountain to climb but Lady Reds’ teenager Emily Condon believes the elusive fourth spot on the W-League ladder — and the club’s maiden finals campaign — is still within reach.

After all, she’s no stranger to big challenges.

Condon, 17, a Port Pirie student who set to start Year 12, is accustomed to jumping major hurdles just for love of the game.

For the past five years, Condon has travelled thousands of kilometres a year in the family car — from Port Pirie to Adelaide and back (a return trip of about 450km) — up to five times a week to play soccer.

Since she made the state’s national training centre program five years ago, her parents have shuttled the playmaker/winger to training and games without a word of complaint, despite the fiscal burden the schedule poses to the family.

“I signed my first Lady Reds contract when I was 15,’’ said Condon, who with fellow South Australian Lauren Steer has earned regular W-League game time for the locals.

“I loved the game since I was seven, playing for my local school St Mark’s at Port Pirie, I played with the boys’ team and later on played for the Northern Demons.

“But this is a huge match for us coming up.”

The Lady Reds must beat Canberra United, which is laden with Matildas stars including Lydia Williams and Michelle Heyman, at Adelaide Shores on Friday night or Condon’s finals dream will turn into a season-ending nightmare.

If the Lady Reds manage a win, the South Australians will cast their eyes towards Sunday’s clash between Newcastle Jets and Brisbane Roar in Newcastle.

A draw is good enough for the Roar to maintain fourth spot, while the Jets battering Brisbane by four goals or more could see Newcastle win the play off spot. A result in between could allow Adelaide to slip through.

“Canberra is a quality team. They’ll be hard to beat but it’s our last game and we’re hoping for a win,’’ Condon said.

The Young Matilda said facing Canberra, which includes some of the nation’s most accomplished players, was always a highlight.

Once the W-League season is over, Condon plans to play for Northern Demons’ U-18 boys side.

Again she’s putting in the hard yards in a bid to further her career.

“My dream is to play for the Matildas,’’ she said.

“Playing against the boys (again) might help, it will be the last year I can do that.”

Originally published as Lady Reds’ teenager Emily Condon believes the club can defy odds and make W-League finals