The head coach of the CommBank Young Matildas, Alex Epakis, has announced a 25-player squad overflowing with talent from the Ninja A-League for an upcoming domestic training camp, coinciding with the March/April FIFA international window for women’s football.
Taking the reins at his first international camp since being named head coach of Australia’s Under-20 women’s team, Epakis has selected a squad heavily represented by A-League players. Among the 25 chosen, 23 are competing in the A-Leagues, with only Daniela Galic (from FC Twente, Netherlands) and Anastasia Simic (South Australia NTC) playing outside this league.
BUY TICKETS TO THE NINJA A-LEAGUE!
Two-time defending champions, Sydney FC, lead the squad with five players, including Jasmine Black, who recently debuted in the A-League. Brisbane Roar follows with four players, while the Western Sydney Wanderers have three representatives.
R20 PREVIEW: Essential information on the Ninja A-League
‘SHE HAS TO BE IN THE MATILDAS MIX’: Victory’s new goal-scoring machine nets every 71 minutes
The Young Matildas’ squad features 23 players from 10 different clubs in the Ninja A-League:
Adelaide United: Ilona Melegh
Brisbane Roar: Rubi Cuthbert, Isabela Hoyos, Zara Kruger, Grace Kuilamu
Canberra United: Tegan Bertolissio
Central Coast Mariners: Tiana Fuller, Peta Trimis
Melbourne City: Alexia Apostolakis, Shelby McMahon
Newcastle Jets: India Breier, Emma Dundas
Perth Glory: Jessica Skinner
Sydney FC: Jasmine Black, Maddie Caspers, Indiana Dos Santos, Amber Luchtmeijer, Rubi Sullivan, Caley Tallon-Henniker
Western Sydney Wanderers: Amelia Bennett, Sienna Saveska, Talia Younis
Western United: Avaani Prakash
Epakis’ tenure as head coach is expected to cover the upcoming international cycle, which includes the 2026 AFC Under-20 Women’s Asian Cup and the 2026 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup.
Commencing on March 31, the forthcoming domestic training camp will also serve as preparation for the Under-20 Women’s Asian Cup set to take place in April 2026.
When selecting the squad, Epakis noted that achieving positional balance, enhancing squad depth, and the amount of playing time athletes have received in the Ninja A-League were crucial considerations.
“I’m excited to embark on this two-year journey with this cycle of CommBank Young Matildas as we come together for our first camp,” he said.
“This represents a fantastic opportunity for the staff and me to really connect with the squad, build essential relationships, and ensure that we’re all aligned moving forward.”
“On the pitch, our focus extends to both the football itself and the culture surrounding it. We aim to establish our team’s playing style and embed vital principles. This camp will help us gauge how the players adapt in a structured training environment, laying a solid foundation for the qualifiers in August.”
“Equally, it’s essential to set the benchmarks for our performance culture and the behaviours that will propel us onward.”
BUY TICKETS TO THE NINJA A-LEAGUE!
“In forming this squad, we considered several critical factors – the current match minutes in the A-League Women, ensuring a balanced spread of positions, and identifying one or two players to enhance depth in certain areas. This camp presents a valuable opportunity to assess the players closely and refine our squad for the future,” Epakis added.
“I’m looking forward to seeing these players perform and shaping our structure – both with the ball and without. This talented group will explore various squad combinations while fostering team unity through off-field activities. Our goal is to develop our identity and ensure we are well-prepared for the challenges ahead.”
COMMBANK YOUNG MATILDAS | TRAINING CAMP SQUAD | MARCH/APRIL 2025
| NAME | POSITION | CLUB / MEMBER FEDERATION | |
| Alexia | APOSTOLAKIS | Defender | Melbourne City FC / Football NSW |
| Amelia | BENNETT | Defender | Western Sydney Wanderers FC / Football NSW |
| Tegan | BERTOLISSIO | Defender | Canberra United FC / Football NSW |
| Jasmine | BLACK | Goalkeeper | Sydney FC / Football NSW |
| India | BREIER | Forward | Newcastle Jets FC / Football NSW |
| Madeleine | CASPERS | Midfielder | Sydney FC / Football NSW |
| Ruby | CUTHBERT | Defender | Brisbane Roar FC / Football West |
| Indiana | DOS SANTOS | Midfielder | Sydney FC / Football NSW |
| Emma | DUNDAS | Midfielder | Newcastle Jets FC / NNSW Football |
| Tiana | FULLER | Forward | Central Coast Mariners FC / Football NSW |
| Daniela | GALIC | Midfielder | FC Twente / Football NSW |
| Isabela | HOYOS | Defender | Brisbane Roar FC / Football QLD |
| Zara | KRUGER | Midfielder | Brisbane Roar FC / Football QLD |
| Grace | KUILAMU | Forward | Brisbane Roar FC / Football QLD |
| Amber | LUCHTMEIJER | Forward | Sydney FC / Football NSW |
| Shelby | MCMAHON | Midfielder | Melbourne City FC / Football NSW |
| Ilona | MELEGH | Goalkeeper | Adelaide United FC / Football SA |
| Avaani | PRAKASH | Midfielder | Western United FC / Football NSW |
| Sienna | SAVESKA | Forward | Western Sydney Wanderers FC / Football NSW |
| Anastasia | SIMIC | Defender | South Australia NTC / Football SA |
| Jessica | SKINNER | Goalkeeper | Perth Glory FC / Football West |
| Rubi | SULLIVAN | Defender | Sydney FC / Football NSW |
| Caley | TALLON-HENNIKER | Forward | Sydney FC / Football NSW |
| Peta | TRIMIS | Forward | Central Coast Mariners FC / Football NSW |
| Talia | YOUNIS | Midfielder | Western Sydney Wanderers FC / Football NSW |
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
Fanpage: SportArena.com.au.
LiveScore – Live Sports Results & Odds.
