Byron’s Zali Black earns Matildas call-up

EARNING selection at a national tournament will see Byron Bay’s Zali Black compete in the Emerging Matildas Championships, regarded as the premier youth event for future soccer stars in the country.

Zali will represent the Northern NSW team in the under-15 competition at Valentine Sports Park in Sydney from July 15 to 20.

The Emerging Championships are Football Australia’s top national youth tournaments for under-15 and under-16 girls and boys, forming an important part of the talent identification program and national team pathway.

Teams from each of Football Australia’s member federations will compete over five days.

Football Far North Coast general manager Steve Mackney said Zali is a hard-working talent who is already a mentor for younger players in the local competition.

“The championships put her on the radar with Football Australia to become a future Matilda,” he said.

Mackney said part of her efforts has seen her travel to Newcastle with parents Fiona and Norm for weekly training sessions.

The talented midfielder, a product of Byron Bay Football Club’s Skill Acquisition Program, has been one to watch in the Far North Coast women’s premier league.

She won the Lisa Casagrande Medal for player of the match in the women’s grand final last year and, in a rare distinction, was also named the best performing player on the field when her under-15 team won its grand final.

Zali started playing for Eureka, which is also home to Jamilla Rankin, who has played in recent matches with the Matildas.

Rankin represented the Junior Matildas by the time she was 16 and is now juggling national commitments with a professional career in Germany.

Zali, now 15, has shown her commitment to development through extra training sessions focused on strength and conditioning.

Northern NSW Football technical director Ryan Doidge said more than 400 boys and girls were part of the selection pool this year for the national championships.

“We are confident that we have given every potentially talented player across northern NSW the opportunity to showcase themselves,” he said.

“We have been able to build on our talent identification processes, which we are very proud of.”