Five uncapped players been called up for the first post-olympic Matildas match: Charlotte Grant, Remy Siemsen, Angela Beard, Winonah Heatley, Jamilla Rankin.  For all but Grant and Beard, this is their maiden call up.

Charlotte Grant returns to the Matildas fold for the Republic of Ireland camp.  The 19-year old has previously been called up a number of times over the last two years, was part of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic squad, but has yet to get her first senior cap.

A three-year Adelaide United starter, the defender has been playing in Sweden for the Damallsvenskan season.  Her team Rosengård is currently leading the Swedish league. 

21-year old Remy Siemsen is not new name to those familiar with the W-League.  The northern beaches Sydney raised youngster burst onto the scene in 2016-17, winning the W-League's Young Footballer of the Year award her rookie season.

She has played all seasons but one with Sydney FC,  with the 2018-19 campaign seeing her make a temporary Wanderer's swap.  In her four years in with the Sky Blues, she has been their Golden Boot winner three times. 

Currently plying her trade with Manly United in the NPLW, the road to her first call up has been a well deserved one for a player who described it as a "dream coming true".  Siemsen is the only non-capped player who does not play in defence.

Another player whose called up is both long and well deserved is Angela Beard. The oldest of the uncapped call-ups at 24 years of age, her road to this Matildas camp has been a hard earned one.

Beard originally evolved with the Brisbane Roar in the W-League starting in 2014 before making a swap for the Melbourne Victory in 2017.  She spent last winter abroad with Icelandic side KR and is now in Denmark playing for Fortuna Hjørring.

The Danish based defender has previously appeared in the Matildas fold, having first been called to a pre-Rio Olympics camp in 2016.  However, she has yet to appear in the green and gold as a senior player.

The hard working fullback played every single minute of the last W-League campaign for the Melbourne Victory, one of only four iron women for the 2020-21 season.

The Brisbane Roar's Jamilla Rankin and Winonah Heatley both got their maiden call-up.  The youngsters had breakthrough seasons last W-League campaign, both featuring in every one of the club's matches.

Both then-teenagers started those matches alongside the Matildas' Clare Polkinghorne and W-League veteran Kim Carroll, impressing in defence despite their young age. 

Learning about the call-up in her car, Rankin described the moment as "surreal".  The 18-year old, who was nominated for the W-League's Young Footballer of the Year after her impressive campaign. 

Heatley's defending prowess resulted in her recruitment and signing for Swedish side Växjö DFF last month.  She has since started twice for the club since the Damallsvenskan resumed from its Olympic break at the end of last month. 

The infusion of young Australians, alongside the Kyra Cooney-Cross and Courtney Nevin who broke through in the last few months, shows the talent that is coming through the development and W-League pathways. 

Gustavsson called up 25 players for the upcoming match.  Of these players, eleven are defenders.  With a number of well-establish Matildas, as well as other recalled capped players wanting to cement their place in the Australian side,  the four new defenders will have intense competition for their first cap. 

This competition is to be commended.  The greater the difficulty to get into and to remain in the Matildas camp, the more prepared the team will be to face opponents.  

For the five uncapped youngsters it will be both a new adventure and a hard-earned journey to their first time in green and gold.