Meet Australia’s newest Matilda called up after just 10 pro matches

Brisbane Roar attacker Laini Freier’s excellent start to life in the Ninja A-League has been rewarded, with the 23-year-old handed a first call-up to the CommBank Matildas for the SheBelieves Cup against USA, Japan & Colombia.

Joining the Roar in the off-season having just clinched the NPLW QLD Premiership/Championship double with Brisbane City, Freier has set the Ninja A-League alight with some of her performances this season.

Playing alongside twin sister Sharn, Freier has bagged seven goals in her first 10 matches in the competition, leaving her joint-top in the race for the Golden Boot – and her displays have been enough to persuade interim Matildas head coach Tom Sermanni to give her the nod.

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Freier will now join 22 other players in the Matildas squad for the upcoming SheBelieves Cup campaign which will see Australia face off against Japan, USA and Colombia over in the United States from February 17-27.

“We’ve selected a squad with the clear objective of winning this tournament,” said Sermanni after the squad was announced.

“While some challenges came with players returning from European winter breaks and the restart of the USA and Scandinavian leagues, these realities also created opportunities. It’s important to carry on exposing emerging players to high-level, tournament-style football early.

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“Our Technical Staff have been watching Ninja A-League matches all summer, ensuring we get a full picture of player form and fitness.

He added: “Selection is always competitive, and we’ve built a squad that reflects that. It’s crucial to have depth and balance in the group as we prepare for the challenges ahead.”

Very few players can claim to have made history in their first season in top level football but Freier has done just that for her new club.

Not only did the 23-year-old bag a hat-trick on her first Brisbane Roar start against Newcastle Jets in Round 7, but she then followed that up with a another treble in the following match as Brisbane demolished Western United 8-2.

FREIER INTERVIEW: Mind-blowing new detail makes rookie’s historic A-Leagues first even more outrageous

“Obviously it’s a dream” said Freier back in January, speaking to aleagues.com.au about the prospect of her receiving a Matildas call-up.

“That’s something that I want to do. But I think for now, I’ve just really got to focus on playing here at Roar and performing every game and (doing) what I can do for this team. Then, hopefully down the track, other opportunities come like that.”

During that interview, Freier was asked whether or not she thought there was a chance she’d get the call ahead of the Matildas SheBelieves Cup campaign in February.

“I don’t think so,” was her reply. “I think I’ve just got to keep focusing, doing me and putting my best foot forward for the girls and see where I end up.

“Obviously it’s something I want to do and if I got the call up I’d be over the moon. But I’ve got no idea! I don’t really have much experience either, so I’m not sure what they take into consideration when they’re selecting their players but obviously if I got the call-up I’d be shocked.”

Together with her sister, Freier’s journey to the Matildas began with local club Pine Rivers United before they both then helped Moreton City Excelsior win the NPL U15s Premiership in 2016.

Then signed for Brisbane Roar’s Youth team, Freier tasted more success as she helped her side win the 2018 NPLW Grand Final with sister Sharn scoring the only goal of the game.

Rather freakishly though, both sister’s careers were then stunted in 2021 as the duo suffered ACL injuries in the same calendar year.

While they’ve been a devastating duo at times for Brisbane Roar this season, Freier will have to wait for the chance to play for the national team alongside her twin sister as an ankle injury suffered on Ninja A-League duty means Sharn misses out, with Laini taking her place.

However Frier’s start to life at Brisbane Roar didn’t exactly go to plan.

Fresh off her stand-out campaign with Brisbane City that resulted in a two-trophy haul come the end of the season, Freier picked up an ankle injury in the NPLW QLD Grand Final – an injury that would mean she didn’t then make her Roar debut until December 15.

“I was pretty devastated when I got injured, knowing that I had to wait for a bit, but I was doing everything I was told, trying to get back as soon as I could,” she told aleagues.com.au.

“I’d signed the contract with Roar and then in the Queensland NPL our team made the Grand Final. It was in the 90th minute or something and I rolled my ankle and then I felt it pop, and then I was like ‘it’s going to be alright.’

“But I got my scans done and I ruptured two of my ligaments, so I was out for three months.”

However, fast-forward four years and the Freier family now has two players who could potentially call themselves fully fledged Matildas by the end of February.