TEEN’S BIG CITY LIFE “
15yo signs with Melbourne club
Shelby McMahon, a 15-yearold Gold Coast football player who has honed her skills playing in the NPL boys competition, has landed a contract with powerhouse A-League club Melbourne City.
The Junior Matildas captain travelled to Melbourne during the recent school holidays for a train-on week with the Melbourne outfit, and coach Dario Vidosic was very impressed.
With the transfer window closed, City could only offer McMahon a replacement player contract for injured forward Holly McNamara.
“We were aware of her talent and after the week she spent with us I wanted to bring her in,” Vidosic said.
“I spoke to her mum and dad about that and she had enjoyed the time so much she had been nagging her mum and dad (asking) if she could join.
“We are very happy to have a talented player like herself join us for the remainder of the season and hopefully for years to come as well.”
Traditionally, naturally talented girls skip age-level NPL football and play in the women’s competition but Knights football director Jimmy Gotis fought to get a special exemption for McMahon to play boys NPL with her correct age group.
“She is a generational talent,” Gotis said. “She’s extraordinarily naturally gifted but on top of that she works ever so hard in all aspects of her game.
“She’s an unbelievable, intelligent young lady who takes all information on board and can deliver that in real game time.
“She’s the only girl in the last three or four years who has played continuously in the highest league in Queensland against the boys.
“Because of her talents we thought it was the best opportunity for her to play with the boys because she is probably in the top 5 per cent.
“She has developed really well and become the Junior Matildas captain.”
McMahon initially preferred to play right back when she joined the Knights’ NPL side as an under-11s player but Gotis said he knew she had more potential in the midfield.
McMahon, who first started playing football as a six-yearold, said she wouldn’t be the player she was today if she hadn’t played in the boys competition.
“I think playing in the NPL boys has been amazing for my development and has been such a big part in why I am the player I am,” she said.
“The speed and physicality of the training and games set me up for the level of the women’s game.
“I was part of such a great group of boys who supported and included me with everything, so I am very lucky and appreciative of that.”
The teen was “stoked” when given the chance to play for City for the remainder of the season, even if it meant moving interstate and leaving behind her Dad, siblings and friends.
“It was a tough decision moving away from home but we decided to give it a go and see what happens,” McMahon said.
“My Mum moved with me but my siblings and Dad are still home and will come down as much as they can.
“They are so supportive and always want me to do the best I can. I’m doing my education online through my school at home, which is good because I’ll be able to go back at the end of the season.”
McMahon said it had taken a little bit of time but she had finally settled into the new highperformance environment.
“I’m loving every minute and I’m just stoked to be playing football with this great team,” she said.
The 15-year-old isn’t the youngest in the A-League women’s competition, with Ischia Brooking, a 14-year-old from Western Sydney Wanderers, setting a record as the youngest to play when she made her debut earlier this season.
City has a good track record of turning talented teenage players into stars, such as 17year-old Daniela Galic, who has scored five goals for City this season.
Galic, from Sydney, has also left school and her family behind to move to Melbourne to chase her football dream with City.
Vidosic said there was an art to working with young players and he didn’t plan to throw McMahon on to the field until he was certain she was ready to deal with the pressure.
“It’s about giving them exposure but also at the right time,” Vidosic said.
“You don’t want to just throw them out there so they can get their debut. You don’t want to expose them too much.
“We want to be smart and develop them. It’s about finding the right opportunities.
“It’s an opportunity for them to learn and to push and when the right opportunity comes we have no doubt they can deliver even at their tender age.”
If done right, Vidosic said he had no doubt McMahon would become a household name.
“It’s really a marathon instead of a sprint,” he said.
“She is a very exciting talent and sooner rather than later she will be someone that Australian football fans are excited to watch and that they are talking about. I see a big future for her.”
McMahon said her goal at the moment was to just adapt to the City style of play and get into peak shape, especially with the Junior Matildas playing at the Asian Cup in May.
“I’ll be working towards playing games, but for now I’m just focusing on learning the City way and cementing myself in,” McMahon said.
“Any time I can get on the pitch will be a bonus.
“My ultimate football goals are to play for the Matildas and get to play in Europe against the best players in the world.
“Playing for the Matildas is every young Aussie girl’s dream and it’s something we work towards every day.”
Shelby McMahon Football talent