Launceston United’s Emily Heazlewood attending Junior Matildas camp

The invitation followed Heazlewood’s performance at the under-17 National Training Centre challenge for girls in Canberra last week.

Heazlewood is joined by Olympia’s Madi Chambers as the only Tasmanians in a 23-player squad at a series of camps used to select a junior national women’s side to travel to Chonburi in Thailand in September for the Asian Football Confederation under-16 women’s championship.

Heazlewood is a member of the under-16 Pumas side coached by Glenn Reading in the Northern Tasmanian Junior Soccer Association and also plays in the women’s state league.

Club stalwart Rhys Morris said she is a source of great pride at Birch Avenue.

“She lives for soccer, is a real hard-worker and comes from a great family,” he said.

“We are very proud of her and she is thoroughly deserving of the selection.”

Football Federation Tasmania technical director and head of NTC women’s program Michael Edwards said the state body was very pleased to have two Tasmanians at the first camp.

“Both Madi and Emily have worked very hard this year to progress their development in their club environments and in the FFT talent support program,” he said.

“FFT in conjunction with the clubs wish them all the best and look forward to hearing of their experiences in the camp when they return.”

The competition also serves as qualifiers for the FIFA under-17 women’s World Cup, which will be held in Uruguay in 2018.