When Canberra United line up against Perth Glory on Saturday afternoon at McKellar Park, young Kiwi forward Ruby Nathan will see a familiar face in opposition colours.
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New Zealand international Grace Jale last year departed Canberra to join Perth after just one season.
Jale was a part of a fearsome forward trio alongside United skipper Michelle Heyman and Serbian international Vesna Milivojevic.
Now ironically it's her departure which could provide opportunity for another New Zealand product, 18-year-old, Nathan.
The tall striker has been to the under-20 and under-17 World Cups, and is considered a rising star for New Zealand.
Canberra coach Njegosh Popovich tipped Nathan to be one of the breakout performers this season, and now she'll have the chance to prove herself head-to-head against Jale.
"I know Grace and it was good to see her here last year," Nathan told The Canberra Times.
"Perth will be a good challenge.
"They've done really well so far this season, and it'll be good to see a familiar face.
"But that'll be a tough team, so we need to make sure we prepare for that and hopefully we get the points."
The Glory have had a flawless start to their 2023-24 campaign, winning both opening games to sit top of the table.
No team has managed to score against them so far, but Popovich will no doubt be devising a trademark attacking game plan to break them down.
"I was drawn to Canberra because of the team culture, the environment, the staff, the playing group and the playing style that Gosh described to me was something I wanted to be a part of," Nathan said.
"That pressing playing style is what I enjoy doing. I love being on the ball, attacking, scoring goals and winning."
With a confident mantra like that, it's easy to forget Nathan is still a teenager that just finished high school and is in her first season in the A-League.
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Nathan is already settled in at her new team though, and is excited now about building chemistry with her teammates.
"It's just about being confident in your ability," she said.
"In the first two games I've played 120 minutes, which I'm pretty happy with, and if I just keep taking opportunities I'll hopefully get more game-time."
A-League Women round 3
Saturday: Canberra United v Perth Glory, McKellar Park, 4pm.
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Melanie Dinjaski
Melanie Dinjaski is an experienced sports journalist at the Canberra Times with a genuine love of all sports. She's covered every code from NRL to NFL. Melanie aims to bring Canberrans all the sports news they need to know. If you have a story worth sharing, get in touch!
Melanie Dinjaski is an experienced sports journalist at the Canberra Times with a genuine love of all sports. She's covered every code from NRL to NFL. Melanie aims to bring Canberrans all the sports news they need to know. If you have a story worth sharing, get in touch!
