Joeys, Junior Matildas coaches in Perth to assess WA talent
Young WA footballers had the chance to impress this week when Football Australia hosted Talent Development Matches (TDMs) at the Sam Kerr Football Centre.
Australia U17 Women’s head coach Mike Cooper and his staff were in WA for two days to assess potential candidates for the U17 Junior Matildas pathway.
Cooper observed 2010 and 2011-born girls in a game, as well as during a range of testing, on-field sessions and workshops.
The extended Boys U16 State Team squad was also invited to participate in a TDM in front of Australia U23 Men’s National Team assistant coach Anthony Frost. The players were evaluated in the identification process for the U17 National Team (Joeys).
The games were part of Football Australia’s Talent Development Scheme 2024-26.
The scheme, devised in consultation with FIFA’s Technical Development Team, is tailored to the specific challenges faced by Australian football, while measured against global football standards.
It aims to enhance the involvement of the nine Member Federations in talent identification, increase coaching quality, and provide more opportunities to unearth and nurture raw talent nationwide through a data-informed approach.
Football West Football Development Manager Gareth Naven said: “This was the first of the Talent Development Matches we have hosted and it was good to watch the players perform in this environment.
“Football Australia and Football West want to ensure nobody slips through the net and this is another avenue in which players with potential can be discovered and present their case.”
Players are assessed using six talent descriptors:
- Pressure
- Protection
- Positioning
- Possession
- Penetration
- Presence
A Talent ID Webform will allow accredited and approved coaches to submit technical assessments on players at club games, TDMs and National Talent ID Events.
The next scheduled TDM in WA is for March 2026.
- The Football West Academy was represented at the TDMs by Gareth Naven plus Andrew Ord, Stephen Walmsley and Sarah Carroll (Girls Program) and Neil Kilkenny and Ein Eric (Boys Program)