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Elrich, the Adelaide United defender whose best-ever season in the A-League caught the attention of coach Ange Postecoglou and held it, knows he can aim for the stars because Postecoglou said this latest squad included the core of players who would take Australia to the next FIFA World Cup.
It is up to Elrich now, how far he can take his career at the international level.
In the past, Postecoglou has handed the same chance to players who weren't widely seen as future Socceroos and they have grabbed it and gone on with it, so there is no reason Elrich can't either.
Elrich, who made his debut against FYR Macedonia, will travel to Bishkek as part of a 23-man squad for the opening match of Australia's FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign against Kyrgyzstan on 17 June (AEST).
"When I got called up the first time it was a massive honour and I was buzzing," Elrich told The World Game. "I was speechless. It was fantastic, getting my debut.
"You don't know how it's going to work out in the long run. Sometimes the coach wants to look at new players and you have to do your best and hope that you're there again the next time.
"Now that I am there again, I'm determined to stay there. I want to keep doing this. I'd like to make the squad for the Confederations Cup (in 2017) and after that the World Cup and I'll do everything in my power to make that happen."
Elrich said he had always set himself high goals, but that it wasn't until he started playing for Adelaide United under coach Josep Gombau and got the chance to really show what he could do as a footballer that he saw his highest goals move within reach.
"One of my biggest goals was to play for my country and now I've done that," he said. "Now I've got the goal of going all the way to the World Cup.
"Looking back at when I was playing for Newcastle and when I signed for Western Sydney, playing regular first-team football was my main goal and although I had the dream of playing for my country it was a very long shot.
"But everything happens for a reason and I ended up at Adelaide and the style we play and the coaching staff and teammates have all helped me improve my game and now it's about staying in there at Socceroo level.
"I'm 28, so I'm at a good age for it. A lot of people in football will tell you that you play your best football from about this age through to your early 30s, so I look at it as if my best football is ahead of me.
"For Ange to say he's picked the best squad he can and that it's the core of players to take us to the next World Cup is a massive honour for me.
"It doesn't guarantee you're going to stay in the squad, but it tells you the opportunity is there if you keep working hard and playing well.
"It will be my first World Cup qualifier, so it's going to be a great experience and very exciting."
Elrich will get a warm-up game for the trip when plays for Adelaide against visiting Spanish La Liga club Villarreal at Coopers Stadium on Friday night.
He was back in his home city of Sydney visiting his parents over the weekend and has returned to Adelaide now.
"I actually found out I was in the Socceroo squad on Friday, but I was asked to keep it quiet until it was announced on Monday," he said. "I told my parents and they were obviously delighted."
Elrich said his initial involvement with Postecoglou had been very positive.
"Ange is the sort of coach who believes we can beat anyone and we can be the best," Elrich said. "He believes anything is possible, so he picks his best team and he gets them to play with the attitude that there's nothing to be scared of no matter who the opposition might be.
"A lot of people probably gave the Socceroos no chance of doing well again for at least a while after all of the great players from the previous era retired.
"They thought those players couldn't be replaced and there are not many players in the national team at the moment who played at the same level around the world as those players did, but Ange has got his way of making the team play well and we've seen that this year.
"It just shows that when you've got belief in your players anything is possible and that belief spreads among the players.
"Ange demands a lot and you want to give him everything you've got."
