ASA: 30 year old Cheryl Salisbury will lead a new-look Australian Women’s Football Team to Athens in August. Only four members of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Team remain, Dianne Alagich, Heather Garriock, Salisbury and Sacha Wainwright.
14 first-timers are bound for Athens but Salisbury is convinced talent and raw enthusiasm will take the Team a long way.
“The rookies have an enthusiasm that is just so raw and untapped and that enthusiasm can provide extraordinary results”
Salisbury believes the injection of new talent shows just how far the Women’s game has progressed in Australia over the past four years.
“We have come a long way. The young players that are in the Team now were not even under consideration for the Sydney Games. It just shows how much the game is progressing” she said.
The Australian Olympic Committee selected the following athletes today:
Dianne Alagich (subject to fitness test)
Melissa Barbieri
Rhian Davies
Lisa De Vanna
Gillian Foster
Heather Garriock
Tal Karp
Cassandra Kell
Selin Kuralay
Kylie Ledbrook
Joanne Peters
Karla Reuter
Cheryl Salisbury (subject to fitness test)
Sally Shipard
Thea Slatyer
Danielle Small
Sacha Wainwright
Sarah Walsh
Salisbury and Dianne Alagich are subject to fitness tests. Salisbury has been troubled by an on-going knee injury but is confident of playing at the Games.
“I’ll be out there without a doubt” she said.
Australia finished 7th of 16 at the Sydney 2000 Games recording two losses and a draw during the competition.
“We are all very excited about going to Athens and looking forward to doing well” Salisbury said.