Almost seven years to the day since she debuted as a 19-year-old for her country, Brisbane Roar forward Larissa Crummer is adamant she’s far from finished as a Matilda.
Crummer scored in a winning debut in March 2015 against the Netherlands before going on to become Australia’s youngest player at that year’s Women’s World Cup in Canada.
A member of Matildas squads for the 2016 Olympics and 2018 Women’s Asian Cup, the 26-year-old’s career came to a sudden and sickening halt when she suffered a badly-broken leg while playing in the A-League Women for Newcastle Jets in January 2019.
That injury and its after-effects meant she missed the entire 2019-20 season before making an emotional return in February last year having moved back for a second stint at the Roar.
Crummer has been an ever-present this season, scoring three goals and proving definitively her fitness woes are behind her.
The next goal is forcing her way back into the national team in the build-up to next year’s World Cup.
“It’s probably one of the first seasons I’ve had at this level where I haven’t actually been injured – don’t jinx myself – but my body’s holding up well and mentally I’m good,” Crummer told AAP.
“I’d still love to go into camps and have a shot again (with the Matildas). I still think I have a lot more to give so I definitely can’t wait to get back out there.
“In the two years I’ve had off it was definitely one of my goals to get there again.”
First challenge for Crummer and her Roar team-mates is finishing the Liberty A-League campaign on a strong note.
A 1-0 win over Melbourne City was the perfect response to an 8-2 humiliation by Adelaide United and ahead of Friday’s trip to face her former club the Jets, Crummer says the goal is a simple one for the eighth-placed Roar.
“Garrath (McPherson, coach), and the team also, have said that we want to finish with four wins from the last four games,” Crummer said.
“We (won) against City and we just want to keep running now.”
Roar head coach Garrath McPherson has confirmed youngster Isabella Shuttleworth will stay in goals against the Jets after her impressive starting debut against City.
The Jets are looking to bounce back from a 2-0 loss to Melbourne City on Tuesday in what is the club’s final home fixture of the season before travelling to Brisbane to face the Roar in Queensland in a reverse fixture on Monday.
