Jackson making mark as City out to score repeat titles
AMY Jackson played Aussie rules with the boys until she was 12, when she was told she couldn’t any longer.
But looking back now, she describes the roadblock as a “blessing in disguise”.
Jackson’s round ball path would take her to Florida International University where she played college soccer before returning home to carve out a glittering WLeague career, first with Melbourne Victory and now Melbourne City.
It’s a different world now for 12-year-old girls trying to follow their sporting dreams, with most sports upping the stakes in the quest for greater professional standards for women.
But Jackson has no regrets when it comes to what she’s made out of her talents.
“Having been overseas and seen the world, it makes you see that, OK, AFL might be big in some parts of Australia, but we’re fortunate enough to be involved in a game that is globally recognised,” Jackson, 29, said.
“It’s great that the AFL has got their league up and going, but we’ve had the W-League for nine years.
“I just think AFL is very Melbourne-based and we’re very biased here when it comes to the oval ball rather than the round ball.
“Melbourne City has been in for two years and we’ve got better facilities than most of the AFL teams, perhaps not as great exposure, but I think we deserve to have it.”
Teammates Lauren Barnes and Beverly Yanez agree. The American imports say that City’s exploits have been a talking point right around the world.
Last season was City’s first in the W-League and they swept to the title undefeated.
Tonight the team will try to become the first to win backto-back W-League championships when they take on Perth Glory in the grand final at nib Stadium.
Melbourne City are owned by the same group that owns English Premier League giant Manchester City.
Barnes said City’s facilities and dedicated female coaching staff was the envy of other teams not just in Australia, but right around the soccer world.
“Because you don’t get fa- cilities like this, or treated in this way, in very many places,” Barnes, 27, said.
Yanez said the recent exploits of the Matildas on the world stage had also helped nudge Australia in to the global consciousness.
The Matildas are ranked No. 6 in the world and have made the quarterfinals at the last two World Cups as well as last year’s Olympics.
One of City’s six Matildas is defender Laura Alleway.
The 27-year-old said expectations on City players are high given that, for most of them, soccer is their fulltime job.