Above: Casey Comets teenager Talia Silivestros has been selected in the Australian under-21 shadow squad after impressing at this month’s national championships in Port Macquarie.By Marc McGowan
ALL eyes may be focused on China this month, but Casey Comets soccer dynamo Talia Silivestros is more interested in an event the same country is co-hosting in December.
Silivestros,15, joined Comets team-mate Lisa Cloke in the Victorian under-21 squad that finished third at this month’s national championships in Port Macquarie.
Both girls scored once during the week-long competition, but they went in drastically different directions after that.
While Silivestros’ stellar performances earned her selection in the Australian under-21 shadow squad, Cloke suffered an ankle injury that has sidelined her for the last two Women’s Premier League matches.
Silivestros is now on standby to play in an internationally contested event in Asia at the end of the year.
“It was amazing to hear my name called out,” she said.
“I didn’t think I’d played as good as I could have. I scored one goal and set up a few, but I didn’t think I played very well.
“Lisa was a bit disappointed, but encouraged me a lot, so hopefully next year she’ll make it.”
Silivestros, who is of Greek origin, emigrated to Australia from England with her family three years ago.
The Year 10 Mornington Secondary College student’s soccer journey began playing against boys as a seven-year-old in Carlisle in northern England.
But, when the opportunity to play for a girls’ team arose, Silivestros jumped at the chance.
She played her first season in Australia for Mornington before moving to Casey last year.
Silivestros played reserves for the Comets in 2007, ultimately scoring her side’s most goals, and has been a regular in the club’s senior team this season.
“It’s a good challenge and I enjoy it,” she said.
“At first, it was kind of crazy and I was struggling, but the girls with more experience have been really helpful.”
Soccer runs in Silivestros’ family, with her grandfather, Norman Etheridge, and uncle, Michael Etheridge, having competed at a high level in England.
Silivestros’ mother Julie Upfold is still in shock over her daughter’s national selection.
“I’m absolutely delighted – I can’t believe it, actually,” she said.
“She’s always had the talent for soccer. When she was little, the boys would never pass to her because she was too good.”
Silivestros rates her ability to read the play as her strength, but knows there are aspects of her game she needs to keep working hard on.
But if Casey coach Deborah Nichols is any gauge, Silivestros is well and truly on the right track.
“Hopefully she keeps growing because she has the nous and the technical skills – she just needs to learn when to flick the ball and when to hold it up,” Nichols said.
“Her attitude over the last 12 months has improved dramatically.
“She was a bit of a tearaway, but she’s focused on what she wants and needs to do, and having good role models around her has helped that.
“We just need to get some more spinach into her and a bit more weight on her because eventually centre backs will realise she is quite dangerous.”
