Where now for Cricketer Ellyse Perry?

Can you still really play two sports at the elite level in Australia?

Ellyse Perry thinks so and with great support from Matildas Coach Tom Sermanni over the years she has done so.

But her recent decision to play cricket for Australia and miss the semi and final of the W-League season left me wondering where now for Ellyse?

She's worked hard to perform at the elite level in both sports - making World Cup Squads in both.

But anyone who watched her over the last few years in the W-League would have seen a player who made a huge impact in her first W-League season, a Matilda in waiting it seemed. But despite continuing to perform admirably she has never really achieved that next level.

Ellyse, in my view, should have been a guaranteed starter in every game in the last World Cup - that she wasn't in part was due to her continuing participation in two elite sports.

She simply didn't progress quickly enough, check some of her United team mates progression and Ellyse is no longer the standout she was - ironically at the last World Cup she lost her spot to a 16 year old in Caitlin Ford.

Now the rumours are she walked away from United, or some say she was booted out and who knows where the truth lies - but you have to wonder if you can't play a semi or final for your team then who will recruit you under such conditions next W-League season?

Maybe one of the lesser teams would be happy - but a title chasing team, I wonder?

Similarly if she'd played football and missed the cricket internationals how would cricket view that.

While all the celebrations were happening in Canberra last week it was sad to see Ellyse Perry unable to be part due to her amazing talents. She'd contributed much over the last few seasons - when she'd played!

I feel she is going to have to make a choice between the two sports - I could be wrong - and one senses with the Matildas lack of football in coming months the choice is made for her.

It's cricket!

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Heather Garriock: My priority is the National Women's League

Heather Garriock just back from the Peace Cup in Korea is looking forward to the start of the National Women's League as well as a hectic month with the Matildas in July.

" The National League is the number one priority for me. I really want to part of the very first National League. It's important all the big players play and maybe I'll look at playing professional again overseas come next year." said Garriock
from Sydney today.

Heather talks Peace Cup, Asia Cup, Kyah Simon, Matildas plans and more...

"The results (at the Peace Cup) were outstanding particularly given we had the harder group out of the two. We strung together some really good passes and passages of play unlike the Asia Cup. The results were a great reflection on the way we played.

"The difference between the Asia Cup and the Peace Cup, I think the team started to gel together as a unit. It's not always easy when you come into a competition and the team hasn't been together.

"We got a roll on and there was some good football played at the Peace Cup. It was unlucky we conceded a goal in the last fifteen minutes of the American game or else it would be us in the final.

Australia has played the No. 1 ranked USA three times in recent months and each time they have been beaten by an odd goal.

"We're a tough team to play and that's how they feel, I think they have respect for us now, as they should, given our results have been fantastic. We scored about eight goals against them in the last few matches.

"I don't want to make excuses but the heat (in the Asia Cup) did have a lot to do with it. Obviously the other teams had the heat as well. The Asian nations are always much better technically rather than the Americans or Italy. We were very defensively disciplined in the last three matches, which Tommy (Sermanni) made it clear to us that's what he wanted.

"I think all the young players caught my eye, it's difficult to come into the National side and step up. Definitely Ellyse Perry and Kyah Symon. Kyah scored the last goal against Brazil, she's only sixteen years old, she had no expectations on herself and she killed it, she really did, same with Ellyse, same with the other youngsters but those two really caught my eye.

"We tour to China in twelve days, then play New Zealnd at home in Sydney on July 12th and then play fly to Japan for a one-off game later on in the month. Then come August we'll prepare hopefully for the start of the National League. We're not going to the Olympics but we've still got quite a lot on." said Garriock.

Garriock who plays in Denmark but is not expected to head overseas until next year.

"The National League is the number one priority for me. I really want to part of the very first National League. It's important all the big players play and maybe I'll look at playing professional again overseas come next year." said Garriock
from Sydney today.

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Matildas 0 Canada 0

Matildas Coach Tom Sermanni was delighted with the performances of his young players in the 0-0 draw with Canada on Tuesday in a game played behind closed doors.


"We have nine of the eighteen outfield World Cup players not in this team. So Ellyse Perry 17, Kyah Symon 16, Jenna Tristram 21 Ella Mastrantinou 16, all played and did fantastically well.

"Only Lydia Williams, Kate McShea and Di Alagich from the World Cup squad played most of the game.

"These games are a great chance for the young players coming through. We'll have Lisa De Vanna, Heather Garriock and Kate Gill back for the Asia Cup, but for now the youngsters have a great chance to play."

The Matildas got to meet the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on Tuesday. The PM spent 45 minutes at the training ground mingling with the Matildas and Socceroos, discussing the World Cup bid.

The PM left before the Matildas Canada game.

Matildas take on Canada on Friday before flying out on Saturday to Vietnam for the Asia Cup.

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Sporting Superstar: Ellyse Perry

Young Matildas Coach Alen Stajic with Matilda Ellyse Perry.

Ellyse Perry attended the “Promising Matildas” camp on the weekend at the AIS in Canberra. Yesterday she was named in the Matildas Asian Cup squad. She has already represented Australia at cricket and football, she is currently studying for her HSC, the New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) graduate is about to take part in her first Matildas international tournament, the AFC Asia Cup in Vietnam


Ellyse Perry attended the “Promising Matildas” camp on the weekend at the AIS in Canberra. Yesterday she was named in the Matildas Asian Cup squad. She has already represented Australia at cricket and football, she is currently studying for her HSC, the New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) graduate is about to take part in her first Matildas international tournament, the AFC Asia Cup in Vietnam

I caught up with her before she knew she was in the squad for the Asia Cup.

Ellyse your cricket skills have been well documented, you have been pretty busy with your cricket duties for Australia, how is the cricket going?

“It’s the (cricket)off season at the moment, I’ve been tremendously lucky with the opportunities I’ve had in the past year. This, and early next year, is quite busy for us (cricket), we’ve got the World Cup in early Feb in New South Wales coming up, then an Ashes tour and then a Twenty/Twenty series in England, so it’s quite busy." said Ellyse.

Ellyse, can you manage the two sports, cricket and football?

“There’s definitely a bit of time management to work out ways to spread my time across the two sports but I’m very lucky that I’ve got two fantastic coaches that allow me to do that kind of thing.”

Where would you like to see your football career go?

“Most girls here, it would be their dream to play in the full Matildas side. I’m here at Camp to learn and develop as much as I can then progress through the ranks and see where that takes me.”

Do you think a girl/women can play both sports at the full National level?

“It’s a good question, and I’m not a one hundred per cent sure. I don’t see why not, both sports are not fully professional in the sense of payment, obviously professional in the way they train, but it would probably take a lot of time management but I’m happy to pursue that.”

How did your football journey start?

“Like most kids I mucked around in the back yard with my Dad and brother. I joined a boys club at 6 and then it took off from there. I enjoy playing in many positions, I don’t mind playing out wide at the back or in midfield. Also don’t mind centre back. I’m an all rounder in cricket, so it’s a little different in football; obviously they are two contrasting sports. But I enjoy the fact they are both team sports, and I enjoy the team nature of both sports.

What players have influenced you or you enjoy watching?

Christiano Ronaldo he’s great to watch, and also home grown talent like Lucas Neill. In the Matildas people like Cheryl Salisbury and Heather Garriock are great players as well. Being around someone like Cheryl is great you can learn a lot from her.

What does the immediate sporting future hold for you?

I’m not sure what is happening next, coming into these sort of camps, training and see where it takes me from there.

Since the interview Ellyse Perry was named in the Matildas Squad to play Canada May 23 at Sydney Football Stadium and in the AFC Asian Cup in Vietnam.

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Nearpost this week

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In the National half hour we have.
Matildas Elyse Perry
FourFourTwo Stats man Damian Davies
All the Aussie football news
Quiz, Dedications, Asian Champions League talk and Fitsum's big issue.

Local half hour Chris and Eamonn talk:
Men and Women's Premier League
We chat to Canberra Times Football journo Merryn Sherwood,
Local Club profile: Martin Smith takes a look at Radford College.
All the local news and more!

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Canberrans off to Asia Cup

Amy Chapman and Lydia Williams are in the squad to play their first full Matildas International tournament at next months Asia Cup in Vietnam. They will also play in the double header Socceroos/ Ghana. Matildas/Canada on May 23rd at the Sydney Football Stadium.

Canberra's experienced Matilda Caitlin Munoz is in line to play providing she fully recovers from her recent mysterious strains. But Sally Shipard has missed out due to injury.

Cricketing superstar Ellyse Perry has been called into her first Matildas squad and Kyah Simon the talented Indigenous striker looks like she's cemented her place in the full squad after an eye-catching tour of USA.

And you can hear an interview with Elyse Perry on the Nearpost radio this week, or here on the blog tomorrow.

FFA Release below.

MATILDAS SQUAD TO TACKLE ASIA'S FINEST ANNOUNCED


The Australian women's football team, the Matildas, will be aiming to become the first Australian team to be crowned Asian champions when they compete at the 2008 AFC Women's Asian Cup in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, later this month.

"This tournament will really test the depth and experience of the squad with a number of players going into a major tournament for the first time," said coach, Tom Sermanni.
"We have lost a fair bit of experience since the World Cup with some players unavailable for a variety of reasons and the squad is reasonably different to what we had in China at the World Cup."

"However there is a genuine belief amongst the squad that we can match any opponent and that was reinforced with the team's performances against the USA recently."

The 20 woman squad is led by long-serving captain Cheryl Salisbury, and includes Heather Garriock, Melissa Barbieri, Di Alagich, Asian Women’s player of the Year runner-up Collette McCallum, Sarah Walsh and Lisa De Vanna amongst the key players from the team that participated last year in the FIFA Women's World Cup.
Australia will be missing several mainstays from that team, with Joanne Peters and Sally Shipard both absent through injury, and Thea Slatyer and Alicia Ferguson unavailable.

Sermanni has also included two teenagers from last year's Young Matildas - Ellyse Perry and Kyah Simon.

Perry last year achieved the remarkable double of becoming a dual football and cricket international at the age of just 16. The Sydney-based defender scored for the Matildas in the second minute of her debut last August just a fortnight after becoming the youngest ever cricket player for Australia.
Indigenous striker Kyah Simon made her debut for the Matildas in the same match as Perry and featured in both recent matches against world number one USA. The 16 year old is also a team mate of Perry's in the NSW Institute of Sport squad.

Prior to jetting out for Vietnam, the Matildas will face world number nine Canada as part of a double-header at the Sydney Football Stadium on May 23 preceding the Qantas Socceroos match against African powerhouse Ghana.
The two sides last met in the Women's World Cup when the Matildas snatched an injury time equaliser to eliminate Canada from the tournament and reach the quarter finals for the first time.
"We want to go into every match and tournament looking to win and not just being there to make up the numbers," Sermanni said.

"Despite the absentees we will be looking to build further on our World Cup showing and also go one better than we did at the Women's Asian Cup two years ago when we lost the final on penalties.

"This is our most important tournament for the year and the team will be looking to bounce back after the disappointment of not qualifying for the Olympics."

The three overseas based players - Heather Garriock (Fortuna Hjorring, Denmark), Kate Gill and Lisa De Vanna (both Linkopings, Sweden) - will join the squad in Vietnam.

Australia will open their AFC Women’s Asian Cup campaign against Chinese Taipei on Thursday 29 May, followed by the match against Korea Republic on Saturday 31 May before the final group match against Japan on Monday 2 June.



The Matildas squad for the 2008 AFC Women's Asian Cup is:

Goalkeepers – Melissa Barbieri (Melbourne), Lydia Williams (Canberra)
Defenders – Di Alagich (Sydney), Kim Carroll (Brisbane), Kate McShea (Brisbane), Ellyse Perry (Sydney), Clare Polkinghorne (Brisbane), Karla Reuter (Brisbane), Cheryl Salisbury (Newcastle)
Midfielders – Joanne Burgess (Brisbane), Amy Chapman (Canberra), Lauren Colthorpe (Brisbane), Heather Garriock (Sydney), Collette McCallum (Perth), Amber Neilson (Newcastle)

Forwards – Lisa DeVanna (Perth), Kate Gill (Newcastle), Caitlin Munoz (Canberra), Kyah Simon (Sydney), Sarah Walsh (Sydney)
(current home city)


Matildas v Canada
Sydney Football Stadium, 5.15pm
(Followed by Qantas Socceroos v Ghana, 8pm)

2008 Women's Asian Cup
28 May - June 8, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

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