FOR the past five days it has been almost
impossible to wipe the smile off Kirrilee Cameron’s face - and for good reason.
The Year Six Cootamundra Public School student was a member of the NSW PSSA team that earned the title of National Champions with a victory over fierce rivals Queensland last week.
The 2010 Nationals were played at Nelson’s Bay where Kirrilee, the only country-based player in
the NSW team, enjoyed a memorable carnival
culminating in her setting up the one and only goal of a high class final.
“It was a great experience,” Kirrilee said.
“The standard of play was much higher than I’m used to and I got to play in different positions.”
Used predominantly as a defender at both club and Riverina level, Kirrilee was given the opportunity to showcase her skills further forward.
“I thought I was a back, but we had some taller and bigger girls to play defence so the coach gave me a chance to play left mid and central striker and I loved it,” she said.
Kirrilee set up her team’s first goal of the
tournament on Monday, part of a 4-0 drubbing of ACT and produced the final pass (ironically to
the same player) to score the match-winner in the final.
“That was pretty exciting,” she said.”
Following their opening victory against ACT the NSW girls defeated Northern Territory 3-0 on the Monday afternoon before two draws, nil-all against Queensland and two-all against Victoria on
Tuesday.
After a lay day on the Wednesday the girls held South Australia scoreless before defeating ACT in the semi final setting up another State of Origin
battle against Queensland.
“Looking at the Cup, the only two names on there were NSW and Queensland so I think we were expected to meet each other in the final,” Kirrilee said.
“It was a tough game and we only scored with about five minutes to go.”
The NSW players were presented with a winner’s medallion, which has since become Kirrilee’s prized possession, however it’s the friendships and
memories gained from the week that will also stay with her.
“Being the only country kid in my team, they (the city girls) were always asking questions,” she said.
“They wanted to know what it’s like growing up on a farm and all about farm life and what sort of things country kids do on weekends and after school.
“I love talking so I was happy to tell them
everything they wanted to know.”
Graduating to high school next year, Kirrilee said she’d love to continue to make rep teams, but realises it will be much harder.
“I’d want to go as high as I can and maybe make a couple of Mackillop teams,” she said.
“I see what Jenna (Coota’s Jenna Collingridge, who has made the Australian Schoolgirls team) has done and I’d love to be able to follow in her
footsteps.”
Considering Kirrilee is just the third Riverina player in the past 11 years to play for her state at PSSA National level and one of the other two is
current Australian player Sally Shippard, there’s no reason why she can’t achieve her goals.
Kirrilee’s sporting ability isn’t restricted to the soccer field as she is the senior girl champion at Coota Public in swimming, athletics and cross
country and was due to compete at the Regional Athletics Championship at Albury on Friday, around the same time she was setting up the winning goal for NSW.
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