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De Vanna selected for local Matildas camp

3 minute read

Matildas all-time leading goalscorer Lisa De Vanna is among 26 players selected for an Australian-based camp under assistant coach Melissa Andreatta.

LISA DE VANNA of Australia.
LISA DE VANNA of Australia. Picture: Octavio Passos/Getty Images

Veteran forward Lisa De Vanna and W-League breakout star Kyra Cooney-Cross will get their chance to push for a Matildas berth ahead of the Tokyo Olympics after being named in a 26-player squad for an Australian-based camp.

The talent identification camp in Sydney from May 4-7, run by Matildas assistant coach Melissa Andreatta, is an opportunity for local-based players to show their wares.

The Matildas' all-time leading goalscorer with 47 goals in 150 games, De Vanna will return to the wider fold for the first time since the 2019 Women's World Cup after the 36-year-old enjoyed a strong W-League season with champions Melbourne Victory

Victory teammate Cooney-Cross, who was a stand-by player for the 2019 Women's World Cup, scored six goals and notched four assists in 14 W-League games, including the winning goal in the grand final - and is one of 18 non-capped players chosen for the camp.

Victory have six players included while premiers Sydney FC have four players called-up.

"We need to concentrate on finding players that can step up to the international standard," Andreatta said.

"... This Talent ID camp will be an excellent opportunity for the invited players to embrace this challenge and show us they can play at a really good tempo, at speed, with match intelligence, a good presence and a hard approach to the game."

Andreatta said many of the players involved had been in contention for the April international window before health protocols limited selection to overseas-based players.

Players were chosen off the back back of strong performances in the November 2020 camp, their work at W-League level and through scouting network.

Eighteen players will make the Olympics squad.

* MATILDAS TALENT ID CAMP SQUAD

Tara Andrews, Melina Ayres, MelindaJ Barbieri, Angela Beard, Alex Chidiac, Emily Condon, Kyra Cooney-Cross, Caitlin Cooper, Isobel Dalton, Lisa De Vanna, Polly Doran, Nickoletta Flannery, Winonah Heatley, Laura Hughes, Sally James, Rachel Lowe, Jenna McCormick, Matilda McNamara, Jessika Nash, Courtney Nevin, Jamilla Rankin, Remy Siemsen, Clare Wheeler, Jada Whyman, Sarah Willacy, Georgia Yeoman-Dale.

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