Matildas defender Natasha Prior in Newcastle

Newcastle Herald

Matildas defender Natasha Prior at Merewether Beach on March 24, 2025. Women's squad gets announced ahead of international friendly in Newcastle.

Transcript

00:00You've had some incredible achievements in your career now, we claim you as a Novocastrian,

00:04what will it mean to run out for McDonald Jones Stadium in the red and gold?

00:09Yeah I think I said in an interview before that regardless of the jersey that you wear,

00:14whether it's the Newcastle or the Tours, it feels pretty special to play for McDonald

00:17Jones.

00:19Anytime the fans pull together it feels very special.

00:23I think basically that, it doesn't matter to me which jersey it is, it feels pretty

00:28special to be able to play football here in Newcastle.

00:30And McDonald Jones has a proud history of attracting big crowds for Matilda's games,

00:35do you feel like you are also, I guess, the proof for all the young girls in the Hunter

00:40and who travel further afield that they can make it all the way through to our national

00:44stage?

00:45I mean I hope so, it's very complimentary but yeah I think with the A-League being quite

00:52a strong league I think it shows that if you put in the work and you put in the hours you

00:57can kind of achieve whatever you set your mind to, whether that's football or whatever

01:01your endeavours are.

01:03I think my case is the same as any other players, putting in the hours to get a good result.

01:08And a key focus, what we've heard, is building towards the Asia Cup, you've got two more

01:12opportunities yourself, how eager are you to make the most and try and take more steps

01:17towards that campaign?

01:19No very eager, I was with my parents on the weekend and mum's message to me was go in,

01:25play strong and keep your spot basically.

01:28And I think the two upcoming games are just another chance for me to try and prove myself.

01:33And the Jets have had a fair bit of form of late, a disappointing result on the weekend

01:37but are playing some brilliant football.

01:39Do you take a lot of confidence and momentum out of club land into this national camp?

01:43I do yeah, I think we were only what 16 wins away from Melbourne City's record now, so

01:48pretty close.

01:49But no it was a good three games for us and I think we still played quite confidently

01:54and that's a Melbourne victory and unfortunately didn't get the win.

01:57But yeah I think training, training's a good environment, the games are a good environment

02:02and it definitely sets me up to go in confidently into the games for two hours for sure.

02:07How do you go in terms of joining a new team, different people, I know you've played with

02:11a lot of the infamous players before but just getting out of that club headspace and into

02:15these national representatives?

02:17Yeah no it's a good question, it's definitely, I guess it is a switch of mentality a little

02:22bit, you don't get to step away when you're in camp.

02:27But I think the support staff we have around us really help manage that and I guess it's

02:33just something you've got to do, you've got to switch on, stay focused for the whole time

02:36you're in camp.

02:38Do you still, I don't know, get excited to play alongside some of these incredible players

02:42or are you afraid to play yourself?

02:44There's a mindset of Ellie Hunt, Emily Boehner, Golden Griffiths here, it's fun to be in

02:48all that sort of thing.

02:50Yeah I don't think that stuff's really sunk in for me yet, it still feels, when we're

02:55in a team talk I'm looking around going like oh my god, around players that I looked up

02:59to for so long.

03:01So I think it's my third camp and I feel settled but I'm still at a pinch me kind of state

03:08for sure.

03:09I suppose on that with camp number three, have you sort of grown a little bit of confidence

03:14each time and then again probably coming into this one?

03:18Yeah I think each time you get selected, whether it's you get the message that you're in camp

03:23that's obviously a little confidence boost and then it really depends on how you play

03:27in camp.

03:28I'm hoping obviously to go in and have some good games, you just kind of build from there

03:33and then even training itself as well, each training session you build.

03:37Yeah sure.

03:38Will Merriweather Beach be on the tour guide list for some of the girls when you visit?

03:42Hopefully it's sunny.

03:45I love all the Newcastle beaches, my favourite is probably Bar Beach down there.

03:51But no definitely I think we've got a bit of time in the schedule to go to a couple

03:55of the beaches there.

03:57And in terms of the next two games or friendlies, are you hoping to get as many minutes as you

04:02possibly can out there?

04:03Yeah I mean I'll leave that with Tom, hopefully I can train well and like Tom mentioned try

04:09and make my way into the starting squad.

04:12But any minutes of this stage I'm thankful for.

04:15Thanks.

04:16Thanks.

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