Are you watching Victoria Tom?

Stockies Scribbles is back reporting from the Capital of Australia following the Victorian National Training Centre (NTC) Girls Team as they challenge the very best female youth that Australia has to offer. The Victorian NTC girls are competing at the National Institute Challenge in Canberra this week. The Tournament kicked-off on Tuesday August 21 and finishes on Saturday, August 25 to showcase the very best female football players and to select the Australian National Team. FFA Coaches and scouts are diligently looking over the talent on display as Australia looks to further bolster its depth.

Game One

NTC FFV 2-1 Football West (Vatchy 11’ Jessica Au 66’)

A Valiant Victorian Victory

In what can only be referred to as "ideal playing conditions" the FFV NTC Girls team secured their first victory of the tournament with a 2-1 win over a strong and determined Football West outfit.

With the sun beaming across Oval Two at the Australian Institute of Sport, the Victorians played an attacking brand of football from the onset. The starting midfield of Jessica Au, Tiffany Eliadis and Jacqui Vogt had an immediate impact running the ball through the midfield and opening up the opposition with deft passing and strong challenges on the ball while the defensive line of Alex Natoli, Madeline Stockdale, Alex Cheal, Kate Leder and Brianna Davey (Melbourne Victory Keeper) brought new meaning to the defences played by the "Rabbit Proof Fence".

The opportunities up forward for the Victorians soon became apparent and only eleven minutes into the game Elaina Vatchy found herself one on one with the keeper to slot the first score past the desperate outstretched arms of the WA keeper.

Vatchy, in conjunction with the young wingers of Dani Gudelg and Phoebe Parker, were now running rampant on each sides of the ground in the opening twenty minutes and the Victorians had several attempts on goal only to be repelled by the determined WA defensive line.

Not to be outshone, the Football West girls needed to convert whatever opportunity presented itself up forward as they had been sparse in the opening half. That opportunity came in the 27th minute mark when an adventurous air ball was belted from some twenty metres outside the box [and with the aide of a tail wind] sailed over the outstretched hands of Briana Davey (unlucky Bri) into the top of the net to register a major for the sandgropers.

As we headed into the break, Victoria had the majority of possession yet scores were level and WA had exploited their only chance in the first half to square the ledger.

Victorian Coach Darren Tan was able to draw on his experienced bench for the second half adding Taylor Mure up forward, Cindy Lay into the midfield, Stephanie Magro and the recently capped Matildas debutante Stephanie Catley into the defensive line on either wing along with Cassandra Dimovski (Melbourne Victory) in goal. Quite a nice little set of additions to the Victorian composite to tackle the expected enthusiasm of Football West in the second half.

Sure enough, the sandgropers came out fired up and applied pressure on our defensive line only to be denied time after time by a young but sound defensive structure. Dimovski was under enormous pressure and put her body on the line on a number of occasions to save what would have been certain goals.

Under a constant barrage, the Victorians stuck to their game plan and moved the ball out of the defensive half through possession football and it was in the dying minutes of the game that Catley created space on the left wing, received a pass from Stockdale and dished to Jessica Au who managed to finish the good work up forward and register the winning goal in the 66th minute for the Victorian contingent.

It was a solid first up workout for the Victorians with all players providing positive contributions to the final result.

With ages that vary from 14 to 18, the dynamics of this team are evenly balanced with youth and experience. With the aim of the tournament being for FFA officials and AIS coaches to recognise the tremendous talent across the country, let’s hope the Victorians figure in a significant way this week – and with Matildas Head Coach Tom Sermanni spending the match watching from the comfort of his bicycle, there is every chance of that.

Victoria tackle the might of NSW tomorrow evening at 6pm under lights; a match that will surely provide an enthralling battle between two of this countries super powers in women's football.

For all the updates on The Football Sack's own version of the Mighty Ducks, check out the range of Craig Stockdale's articles right here.