Cessnock’s Sophie O’Brien has been selected in the NSW Combined High Schools Football second team after being a part of the winning Hunter side at the state titles in Bathurst.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Despite only going away with one goalkeeper, who got knocked out in the grand final, the Hunter team took out the decider 2-1, finishing undefeated over the three-day competition.
It was the first time Hunter has won the Combined High Schools tournament since 1991, not conceding a single goal until the grand final.
A Year 12 student at Mount View High, Sophie said while she expected a few from her team to get picked in the NSW team because of their success in the tournament, she was not necessarily expecting to be selected herself.
“I’ve been picked in the Shadows team the last two years, so it was good to get out of that,” she said.
Playing the position of centre-back, Sophie is excited about going away on June 15 and 16 to compete against her fellow CHS side, as well as Catholic and Independent schools from across the state.
If selected, Sophie will compete for NSW All School Team at the national championships in Adelaide in November.
This is the second taste of success Sophie has had on the football field recently.
In April she was selected in the Northern NSW Under-17 side with fellow Emerging Jet Brooke Miller (daughter of Cessnock Goannas coach Craig Miller), who was also picked in CHS first team.
Sophie travels to Newcastle six times a week for training with the Northern NSW side, with some early morning sessions before school as well as evening sessions.
She has also excelled in the indoor sport of futsal, having captained the Australian under-17 side in Brazil last year, and will compete with the Australian girls youth side in Taiwan in December.
The vice-captain at Mount View will have a busy few months ahead, studying for her HSC coming up later in the year.
“It’s pretty hard to juggle it all,” she said.
However, she loves the sport and everything that comes with it.
“[I love] the feeling of being in a team,” she said.
“You forget about everything when you’re out on the field.”
Sophie has her sights set on a degree in sport and exercise science at the University of Newcastle after she finishes school, and in the next few years to play in the W-League and eventually for the Matildas.
