When both players celebrate the milestone in the next 10-days they will be midway through a tour of Japan with the Australian Schoolgirls team.  

It means any party plans will be put on hold for another week or two, but it is a small sacrifice to make for the chance to represent your country for the first time.

For Leadbeatter, who finished year 12 at Illawarra Sports High at the end 2015, it’s the perfect way to celebrate.

“It has been a dream to play for Australia and hopefully one day I will play for the Matildas,” she said.

“That is my dream so this is one step closer to that I guess.

“The experience will be great because hopefully in the future I will be travelling more with the game.

“I hope to get to that next level one day.”

Leadbeatter and Woods have rose through the ranks together after first playing side-by-side for the Stingrays in the under-12’s.

They’ve since played in several state teams together and broke into the Illawarra’s first grade squad in 2015.

The Australian Schoolgirls selection is their biggest achievement to date.

Woods couldn’t imagine achieving it with anyone else by her side.

“It is a great achievement. I am just happy to have played with Katelyn throughout my juniors and now to do this with her again is pretty great,” the Woonona High School graduate said.

“We are best friends now so it is good after meeting through the Stingrays.”

The promising duo will play several matches against teams around Japan on the tour.

“We will get to go over there and see how the other teams play which will be good experience for us,” Woods said.

“Not many people can say they got to play for Australia and got to go over to Japan and play while representing their country so it will be a good experience.”

Both players made the step up to the first grade Stingrays squad last year in a season which saw the club narrowly miss out of a finals spot.

They credit the exposure to top-grade women’s football as a key factor in their development. 

“I think it really helped me this year playing first grade. It makes you a lot stronger and on your toes,” Woods said.

“It is such a big step up to play at that level from juniors. It was good.

“The older girls teach you a lot about attitude and dedication.

“They are just so much more experienced and know what it is all about.”

With four current Western Sydney Wanderers W-League players on their roster, the Stingrays senior squad give both Leadbeatter and Woods plenty to aspire to.

“I look up to Caitlin Cooper the most as I play beside her most of the time,” Leadbeatter said.

“She is a great player and I really like working alongside her.”