Wilson announces squad for NZ internationals

Final chance for players to impress coach Belinda Wilson | (Credit: Craig Stockdale)

U17 Women's National Team Head Coach Belinda Wilson has named a 23-player squad for the upcoming 3 match friendly series against New Zealand.

Held at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, the friendly series will see the players in camp from 9–18 August 2013 and is Wilson's last chance to assess players ahead of next month's AFC U16s Championships in China.

"For me personally it's just to see where the squad is at in terms of what we have been working on in the camp environment," Wilson told The Women's Game.

"I also want to see some different combinations working together and to see how much they have understood [at camp] and translated onto the field."

Wilson has retained the core group that assisted Australia qualify for the AFC U16 Championships including captain and Adelaide United midfielder Jessica Waterhouse and top goal scorer Sunny Franco but Wilson has also incorporated some new names including South Australia's Alexandra Chidiac.

"I want to see how the girls react to the pace of international football," remarked Wilson.

"We have had a few who learned a lot when we went to South Korea but we have four or five girls who didn't go to Korea and I want to see how they react in that environment as well."

The AFC U-16 Women’s Championships 2013 is the official FIFA qualifying tournament for the 2014 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Costa Rica.

Australia Squad: Angela BEARD (QLD) , Alexandra CHIDIAC (SA), Isobel DALTON (QLD), Eleni FAKOS (VIC), Sunny FRANCO (QLD), Tia GAVIN (NSW), Beatrice GOAD (VIC), Brooke GOODRICH (QLD), Victoria GUZMAN (NSW), Emily HENDERSON (WA), Jada MATHYSSEN-WHYMAN (gk) (NSW Country), Afrikah McGLADRIGAN (QLD), Teagan MICAH (gk) (QLD), Sophie NENADOVIC (NNSW), Ayesha NORRIE (Kirby) (QLD),Chloe O'BRIEN (NSW), Jessica PITTS (VIC), Rhianna POLLICINA (NSW), Matilda-Lee POTTER (NSW Country), Siena SENATORE (ACT), Madeline STOCKDALE (VIC), Jessica URQUHART (gk) (NSW), Jessica WATERHOUSE (SA)

Young Football Ferns Squad: Abigail ROPER, Emily HANRAHAN, Elizabeth ANTON, Geena GROSS, Kaitlin BARROTT, Sophie STEWART, Hope GILCHREST, Deven JACKSON, Isabella RICHARDS, Bella KINGI, Daisy CLEVERLEY, Emma CAWTE, Isbella COOMBES, Hann ENGLISH, Ashley ARQUETTE, Milly HAWKINS, Paige SATCHELL, Emily OOSTERHOFF, Jade PARRIS, Martine PUKETAPU