Football: North girls show national potential

Northland's contribution to national women's football teams seems set to continue with the latest group of recruits making their mark in the 2012 season.

The talented North Force 14th grade girls football team clinched the Auckland Combined Girls Division 1 title in style with a 15 win, one draw, one loss record.

Their impressive tally of 73 goals for and four against underpins the high standard of technical coaching implemented by the Northern Football Federation during the past couple of years.

Abby Erceg and Hannah Wilkinson are current internationals and, with Katie Rood an U-20 international and Estelle Harrison named last week in the Northern Regional team, Northland's playing stocks are already high.

Eight of the current North Force 14th grade team were also members of the successful North Force 13th grade girls team that won Combined Girls League championship in 2011.

The Auckland league is considered to be the top age group competition in New Zealand and the emerging talent in this young North Force team bodes well for Northland women's football in the future.

Coach Shaun Hacker said there was plenty of talent to work with. "It's fantastic to see the quality of football being played by the girls and their accomplishments over the past two seasons are significant and something to be proud of."

The North Force players are part of the Northern Football Federation and New Zealand Football's talent ID programme providing potential pathways to national accelerator programmes and New Zealand U-17 World Cup opportunities in 2014 and 2016.

"It would be great to see some of our Northland girls in the mix for these going forward," Hacker said.

During the season, the North Force team watched the Football Ferns play Papua New Guinea at Toll Stadium - the first time Northland had hosted an international fixture.

They were invited to attend a Football Ferns training session at North Harbour and mingle with the senior team.

North Force 14th Grade Girls are: Billi Moffat, Pae Morunga, Charlie Green, Nada Walker, Bella Anderson, Holly Cook, Natalie Dey, Breeze Durham, Natalie Pickery, Annie Howie, Elle Hacker, Anya Gross, Jess Lowe and Cilla Hornsby.