Posted: 2019-05-21 05:00:00
High hopes: Mary Fowler.

High hopes: Mary Fowler.Credit:Wolter Peeters

''He was the one who got me into football. I look up to him, and I look up to Ronaldo and Pele, they were my main idols. (But) having my brother next to me every day doing training was the best ever because I had my role model with me the whole time.

''Playing soccer at that age I would have dreamt of going to the World Cup. I did know in the back of my head one day I was going to make it happen, but I wouldn't have predicted I would be going to the World Cup right now.''

But despite her precocity, 16-year-old Fowler knows that she has much to learn. One thing she is hoping to achieve is some minutes on the pitch in a tournament game for Australia, as that will finally ''tie'' her to this country in perpetuity.

There had been speculation that she would opt to play for Ireland, the land of her father Kevin's birth, but World Cup selection has put that to bed.

''It was amazing to get the call-up to the World Cup. It was a really exciting moment and my family and I are very proud. Being around the team, it's been good, doing training and stuff.

''It's important to be part of the Matildas in the long run and going to the World Cup will be a great experience to be around all of them and learning from all of them.

''It was a very proud moment for me and my family. I want to get on the pitch then I am tied to Australia and that's what I am aiming for ...  and then I want to score a goal. That's my job on the team, I want to go there and score a goal, that's the aim.''

She says that while there had been speculation about opting for Ireland, that was never really going to happen.

''It's no secret that I could have represented Ireland, or Papua New Guinea (her mother's native country) as a well. But I was born in Cairns, and as my father said this week, my family are proud Australians.

''I could have played for them, but now that I am in, I am not thinking about that.''

The World Cup will be a huge learning curve for the youngster who has already made four senior appearances for her country. Stand-out female footballers do tend to get chances earlier than their equivalents in the men's game, but her development has been rapid even by those standards.

'' I want to be the best in the world, so to be the best I need to have the right information, the right environment and the right attitude, so getting selected to be with the Matildas at a World Cup will provide me with the right environment that I need.

''I will be training with girls who are better than me, so it might end up exposing some weaknesses in my game and that's what I need to know, what I am doing wrong.

''Everything is positive, the environment is very professional. It's an environment that I know I can become better in ... I get along well with players and it's all good.''

All the media coverage she has received doesn't unsettle her either.

''I don't really think about it, I am going to school, and if I am not at school I am training. I am just focused on getting better as a player, improving myself, being good at school.''

To the point that she plans to bring plenty of academic work with her to France.

''School is very important to me and I really like and enjoy it so I am definitely bringing school work with me.''

And her favourite subject?

''It would be maths, that's my favourite, I love it.

Michael Lynch is The Age's chief soccer reporter and also reports on motor sport and horseracing

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