MATHISON TO SOAK UP EXPERIENCE
BUENOS Aires-bound midfielder Morgan Mathison will use her looming Youth Olympic Games campaign to soak up the knowledge of her peers.
Fresh off her selection in the National Junior Women’s Squad last week, Mathison, 18, now has her sights firmly set on October’s Youth Olympics in Argentina.
The Mermaid Waters resident warmed up for the event with player of the tournament honours for Queensland at the Australian Under-21 Championship in Sydney last month.
The only Queenslander in the women’s or men’s Youth Olympics squads, she said the chance to learn from her Australian teammates would help take her game to the next level in the Argentinian capital.
“When you’re so used to competing against someone, its super exciting to come together and compete alongside them,” the Burleigh star said.
“It’s really exciting to play with them because you get to see the range of talent that there is across the country and you learn so many new things from watching and talking to them.
“I was quite nervous when I got the phone call (about selection) but I guess it just goes to show that hard work pays off and I couldn’t have been more excited to be selected. There is so much talent in Australia for this age group and I knew that it would be a really tough team to make”
The Queensland under-21 side, which won silver at nationals, also featured Gold Coast’s Casey Dolkens and Tweed talents Kendra Fitzpatrick, Tara Fitzpatrick, Jesse Reid and Zoe Smart.