ONE of Tassie’s top young female footballing talents has been selected for the Junior Matildas extended squad and will attend a domestic camp with the squad next month.
Goalkeeper Amelie Millar, from Launceston City FC, has been included in Australia’s Under 17 Women’s National Team extended monitoring squad list for the remainder of 2024 and 2025, released today by Football Australia.
Millar played for Tasmania in the 2022 Under 14 girls State team as a 13-year-old, the Under 14 State team in 2023, and the Under 15 State team this year. Millar captained these teams in 2023 and 2024.
She has also both been selected for the inaugural cohort of the Football Australia – Football Tasmania Academy.
Millar has also been selected to attend the Junior Matildas squad’s Goalkeeping Camp. She was named the Under 14 Goalkeeper of the Tournament at the National Youth Championships in Wollongong last year.
Millar said: “I am honoured and excited for the opportunity to go to a national camp and experience the high-level training and atmosphere.
“I feel as though it is a huge step toward my ultimate goal of becoming a professional footballer.
“I am hoping to gain experience at the highest level available for my age group in the country, and also to be surrounded by peers who share the same goals and aspirations I have.
“Even though in Tasmania we do not have the resources of the mainland clubs and States, it is still possible to be noticed and participate at a national level.
“Obviously being involved in such a camp increases our exposure and puts us on the radar of other clubs and organisations.”
Football Tasmania Technical Director Alan Eadie said: “This selection is a huge endorsement of Amelie’s talent and her dedication to our game, and we wish her all the best at the camp – it will be an incredible experience.
“These camps put our players in prime position for being called up to the national side, and we will continue to support them – alongside their clubs – on their journey to represent football at the highest level.”
Football Tasmania Chief Executive Officer Tony Pignata congratulated Millar on her call-up, and said it highlighted the need for fairer funding and better facilities for football in Tasmania.
“The latest official data released by the Australian Sports Commission shows 12.5 per cent of young Tasmanians play our football, including a massive 34.4 per cent in the 9-11 age group," he said.
“This is well ahead of other team sports such as basketball (10.6 per cent), AFL (9 percent) and cricket (1.7 percent).
“Football is under-funded in Tasmania and as a result, we are under-represented in national squads.
“We desperately need investment to develop a Home of Football and regional hubs so that we can continue to support players like Amelie as she pursues her dream of playing football for her country.
“We will continue to seek Federal and State Government support to deliver these critical infrastructure projects.”