Figtree's Sydney FC midfielder Mackenzie Hawkesby, Shellharbour forward Jynaya Dos Santos and Illawarra Stingrays forward Sheridan Gallagher have been selected in the Australia's U-23 team competing at the 2022 AFF Women's Championships in Manila.
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Dos Santos played most of her junior football with the Shellharbour Junior Football Club before hooking up with the NSW Institute of Sport.
The talented forward has earned praise in high places, with many good judges saying hse had the talent to follow in the footsteps of Matildas' star Mary Fowler.
The selection for Hawkesby comes hot on the heels of debuting for the Matildas in two recent international friendlies in Europe against Spain and Portugal.
She is part of a 28-player squad selected to face the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia in Group A of the tournament starting on July 4.
Head coach Melissa Andreatta expressed her anticipation of facing the best nations in the South-East Asian region and the opportunity ahead for the team.
"It's an exciting time and to be preparing for an international tournament is something I've been really looking forward to. I know this group of players are too," Andreatta said.
"The 28 players that we've selected are some of our brightest young prospects in Australian football. They have been selected as players that have performed strongly in the A-League Women's season and then have moved into different environments and continued to perform consistently.
"There's a lot that gets me excited about this group and their quality. These players have shown some unique qualities that we think could add to what we already have and create more depth and competition in the extended CommBank Matildas squad.
"I'm eager to see these players take this opportunity with both hands and really test themselves against the best in South-East Asia."
Australia will kick off their tournament against hosts the Philippines on July 4 at Bian Football Stadium in Bian.
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