Matildas boss Tony Gustavsson says he won’t be doing much more experimenting – but he needs depth in certain areas and the solution is on our doorstep, writes former Melbourne City forward Rhali Dobson.
After five rounds of the Liberty A-League campaign, it’s still a bit early to say who’s consistently playing well enough to be having a standout season.
But there’s definitely some early trends we can pick out, which should be of keen interest to Matildas head coach Tony Gustavsson.
I’ve been watching closely for performances that suggest players who might make a late run for the Matildas squad that Gustavsson picks for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
We know he’s loath to do much more experimentation, but I think there’s some question marks around certain areas of the national team squad and you’d like to think the radar is still on and sweeping around the league here in Australia.
I’m not sure that applies to the forward line in particular, which is bad news for someone like Melbourne Victory’s Melina Ayres who once again is scoring goals for fun – but whose all-round play isn’t at a level you’d say would pose a threat to Sam Kerr, Caitlin Foord and the other names in what is clearly our strongest area.
But at centre-back, in goal and in the middle of midfield, the Matildas need more depth – and I believe it could come from the Liberty A-League.
Jessika Nash
In defence, Nash’s composure and thought processes in a game belie the fact she’s only 18. In a Melbourne Victory side full of quality, she more than holds her own and to me on a week-to-week basis, has been the standout in Jeff Hopkin’s defence.
Last year at Sydney FC, I didn’t feel like she was given a decent opportunity, making just four starts, but she’s blossomed at Victory. She has grit and determination to do the dirty work, but also a composure in the heat of battle that normally takes players years to learn.
Generally her decision-making within games is good but the one area she can improve on is when to go forward and when to hold her position. But she is very young and that level of game smarts will come with time and experience.
Nash has had one national team appearance, of course, getting 45 minutes against the United States late last year, and in truth was left a bit exposed by the team around her that day. But she played at the Under-20 World Cup in August, which I think has given her more confidence.
Grace Maher
In midfield is a player who is 23 now but I often think of as older as she has been around for several years. Since her league debut aged just 15, Maher has captained the Young Matildas and been called into a Matildas training camp – but still hasn’t earnt formal selection.
To me, though, she has two qualities in particular that the normal picks in Gustavsson’s squads don’t have – aggression, and a very positive, forward-minded approach on the ball. Particularly against teams where we’re making the running, Australia can too often go sideways or back on the ball. Maher tends to receive the ball facing forward and her first instinct is almost always to advance.
She’s a pest of a player too, entirely in a good way, showing aggression and tenacity we don’t often see in either the Liberty A-League or the Matildas. Yet her judgment is solid for all that; she limits what I like to call dumb shots and she will find a teammate in a better position if she can. Among several assists this season, two – against Wellington and Perth – stand out for the timing of the release of her pass after driving forward with the ball.
To get even more influential, and maybe catch Gustavsson’s eye, Maher needs to intensify her game perception. She doesn’t always seem aware of everyone around her and can turn into feet; with more perception, she could use space around her more effectively.
Annalee Grove
The Adelaide United goalkeeper might be thought of as a long way down the pecking order in international terms. Yet the injury record of Teagan Micah and Mackenzie Arnold is patchy, and I’m sure the Matildas coaching staff will be aware of further options in case a vacancy arises unexpectedly.
For me, Grove has been the standout keeper in the Liberty A-League this season; her shot-stopping is excellent, but she has shown she has deep concentration levels with periods of inactivity followed by match-winning saves late in a game. She was player of the match, deservedly, against Sydney FC and produced influential saves in the wins over Western Sydney and Wellington.
She certainly has to improve her distribution with her feet but there’s plenty of time for that – most importantly she has the core agility and athleticism to be a top-class goalkeeper.
