Young Matildas depart for AFF Women's Championships

Capped senior Matildas striker Hayley Raso will be a key player | (Credit: http://www.jlsphotographs.com)

The Young Matildas depart this morning for Myanmar to participate in the ASEAN Football Federation Women's Championships.

Running from 9 – 22 September, the 10 team AFF Women's Championships form part of the Young Matildas final preparations for next month's AFF Women's Championships.

"We are using this tournament to prepare some of our player who haven't had as much exposure to playing football in Asia," said Young Matildas Head Coach Spencer Prior.

"We would like to get them as fully prepared for the qualifiers as possible and experience playing in unfamiliar conditions where it can be 35 degrees and 86% humidity."

Prior's 20 player squad includes many experienced players including capped senior Matildas trio MacKenzie Arnold, Hayley Raso and Georgia Yeoman-Dale but it also includes some faces new to international football including Newcastle Jets custodian Eliza Campbell and Perth Glory winger Sarah Carroll.

"This squad is reasonably close to the one we will be selecting for the qualifiers."

"We only have 20 players coming with us for this tour but we are able to 23 players away for the qualifiers so we will look to add a third goalkeeper and two outfield players."

The AFF Women's Championships will see the Young Matildas take on the senior squads for Malaysia, Jordan, Thailand and Vietnam with a possible semi final or final match up with the Japanese U23 National Team.

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Young Matildas AFF Women's Championships Squad

1. Mackenzie ARNOLD (ACTAS), 2. Rachel SOUTAR (NSW NTC), 3. Elizabeth RALSTON (NSW NTC), 4. Grace FIELD (ACTAS), 5. Amy HARRISON (NSW NTC), 6. Natalie TOBIN (NSW NTC), 7. Hayley RASO (QAS), 8. Chloe LOGARZO (NSW NTC), 9. Tara ANDREWS (Emerging Jets), 10. Mel CACERES (NSW NTC), 11. Meg McLAUGHLIN (ACTAS), 12. Georgia YEOMAN-DALE (ACTAS), 13. Eliza CAMPBELL (Emerging Jets),14. Sally ROJAHN (ACTAS),15. Emma CHECKER (FFSA NTC), 16. Sarah CARROLL (Football West NTC), 17. Natasha WHEELER (QAS), 18. Olivia PRICE (NSW NTC), 19. Britt WHITFIELD (QAS), 20. Alisha BASS (NSW NTC)