The majority of the squad comprises players from the Matildas’ FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015 campaign, with 16 of the 22 having been part of Australia’s run to the last eight in Canada.
The other six players selected for the camp are Newcastle Jets duo Tara Andrew and Georgia Yeoman-Dale, Sydney FC’s Princess Ibini-Isei and Amy Harrison, Canberra United’s Ellie Brush, and Western Sydney Wanderers defender Caitlin Cooper.
Stajcic will use the camp as a launching pad for a tournament in China that is scheduled to begin on 23 October 2015. The tournament is set to be a vital part of the Matildas’ preparations towards February’s qualifiers for next year’s 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
The announcement of the squad comes after Football Federation Australia (FFA) confirmed the Westfield Matildas’ preparations for the 2016 Olympic Games qualifiers will continue after an interim deal was accepted by the PFA.
Matildas squad – AIS training camp 5-8 October 2015: Mackenzie Arnold (gk), Laura Alleway, Tara Andrews, Nicola Bolger, Ellie Brush, Tameka Butt, Stephanie Catley, Caitlin Cooper, Lisa De Vanna, Caitlin Foord, Katrina Gorry, Amy Harrison, Princess Ibini-Isei, Michelle Heyman, Alanna Kennedy, Samantha Kerr, Clare Polkinghorne, Hayley Raso, Kyah Simon, Ashleigh Sykes, Lydia Williams (gk), Georgia Yeoman-Dale
