Northern Tasmanian Junior Soccer Association under-13 girls nominated for The Examiner's Junior Sports Awards

A representative team made up of players from most of Launceston's junior soccer clubs, they won the 2019 Oceania Cup in Alstonville, NSW, in the under-14 age group despite being under-13s at the time.

Runners-up in the interstate competition the year before, the girls navigated their way through five pool matches undefeated, drawing 2-2 with their eventual grand final opponents who they then beat 1-0 in a hard-fought victory.

In 2019 the team also won the Hobart Cup and was runner-up in the Launceston Tournament which it then won in 2021.

The team was coached by Nick Rawlinson who reported the girls were very courageous, worked hard and demonstrated true grit.

Rawlinson had coached many of the girls since they began representative soccer in 2017 as under-10 or under-11s.

The team's junior sport award nomination said the players have grown into a strongly-bonded group of fine players.

"The rapport between Nick and the players is exceptional," it said.

"This team is so special - the fun, enthusiasm and friendship that has shone through this close-knit group of soccer-loving girls over the years and their progressive successes, cumulating in the Oceania Cup in 2019.

"This team is an exceptional example of the new generation of soccer players in Australia - a strong cohort of competitive girls who wish to follow in the Matildas' footsteps. They enjoy every minute of soccer, helping each other succeed with a whole lot of with fun, laughter and friendship along the way."

The NTJSA team members are: Zoe Casey, Anna Day, Sophie Fairfield, Ava Farquhar, Neve Farquhar, Ruby Geach, Jessica McCallum-Smith, Kiarra Jones, Molly Leslie, Sophie Matthews, Sarah Moore, Flora Piri Piri, Lilian Reynolds, Amelia Wing and Delta Witt.