Pens down, boots on: Western United young gun Avaani Prakash to go from HSC to A-League in hours

Before Western United’s teen star Avaani Prakash can take the field for their opening A-League clash she has to finish her final HSC exam – 880km away from the rest of her class.

Year 12 students across NSW are sitting their final HSC exams – but 880km away budding Young Matildas midfielder Avaani Prakash will sit hers in a Melbourne office before stepping out just two hours later to play a game of professional football.

Prakash will have little time for celebrating when she puts the final full stop on her economics exam on Friday afternoon with her opening A-League’s Women’s game due to kick off just two hours later.

The 17-year-old won’t have to travel far – it’s a Western United home game. She will just have to duck down the stairs to the change room.

Like many of the teen football players in the ALW, Prakash had to relocate to make her dream a reality.

Western United midfielder Avaani Prakash takes on the HSC. Picture: Western United.

Not many continue school – Daniela Galic, who is now playing in the top flight women’s Dutch league – quit school when she made the move from Sydney to play for Melbourne City last season.

It is her second time moving her life from Sydney to Tarneit to play for Western United.

She played in 14 games last season – earning a call up to the Young Matildas for the recent U20s World Cup in Colombia.

While many of the players opt to put their schooling on hold Prakash never even contemplated that idea.

“I feel like I’ve spent 13 years at school and I have to finish it,” Prakash said.

“There’s no way I’d be able to just stop.”

The midfielder has been sitting the exams, while supervised by the team manager, in an office space at the clubhouse.

Juggling the load of pre-season, study and exams has been made harder by being so far away from her school mates.

While her schoolmates have been studying together for the HSC

“A lot of my friends from my old school have been studying together, but I’m by myself. It is especially hard after an exam,” she said.

“I thought the maths exam was pretty hard, it would have been good to catch up with my friends after and see if they thought it was hard as well.”

But Prakash said her teammates had done a great job at filling the void.

“They are always checking in with me and the coaching staff have been really supportive too,” Prakash said.

Taking the exams or studying doesn’t get Prakash out of practice. She said she missed one or two sessions but the coaching staff had left a running program behind for her.

Prakash has ticked off five of her six exams – the final one – economics – is due to finish at 5pm on Friday.

She will race down the stairs to the change rooms to prepare for the first round of the A-League’s Women’s – a match against Wellington Phoenix.

Avaani Prakash has her eyes on premiership and championship glory this season. Picture: Martin Keep/Getty Images

There has been a few changes to the Western United squad but the core group remains.

This season will be United’s third in the ALW – they finished second in their inaugural season and third last time around.

Taking it a step further is on Prakash’s list of goals.

“I want to start a lot more games, I want to win the premiership but mainly I want to win the championship,” she said.

“The goal one day is to make the Matildas but I just need to focus on what I can control now and that’s my performance and giving it my all in training and games.”

Guiding the teen, who is very technically gifted, is Matildas midfielder Chloe Logarzo.

“She helps me a lot on and off the field,” Prakash said.

“We had a friendly against Adelaide, (Chloe) wasn’t playing that game, she came to me the next morning with photos of me throughout the game of my positioning and pointed out where she thought I should or shouldn’t be – she is someone I really look up to in the team.”

Western United will play Wellington Phoenix at Ironbark Fields at 7pm on Friday.

Originally published as Pens down, boots on: Western United young gun Avaani Prakash to go from HSC to A-League in hours