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GRIFFITH footballer Eliza Ammendolia is not embarrassed to admit she cried a little after finding out she had made the Australia under 17 women's squad.
The 15-year-old was given the news via email last week and was quickly overcome with emotion.
"It meant a lot to me. It's a major thing," Ammendolia said.
"We had three camps, and I was never really confident (of making the squad), but it was good that I got in."
Ammendolia and the rest of her teammates head to Malaysia this week for a training camp ahead of next month's qualifiers for the Asian Football Confederation Under 16 Championships.
If Australia qualifies for the tournament and reaches the final, it will book a spot at the 2016 FIFA Women's Under 17 World Cup in Jordan.
The dream of representing her country at the highest level drives Ammendolia on the football field.
It motivated her to back her talent, leave the familiar confines of Griffith and test herself in Sydney at the start of the year.
The former West Griffith junior is now a student at Hills Sports High and is involved in the school's highly regarded football program.
While she misses home, Ammendolia, who plays her club football for the Macarthur Rams, said moving to the city was the right decision for her football career.
"It's been really good coming to Sydney," Ammendolia said.
"The competition is better over there and is just a higher standard. My coach there at school (Alen Stajcic) is now the senior Matildas coach and my club coach (Leah Blayney) is also a former Matildas player."
A midfielder by trade, Ammendolia counts former Manchester United superstar David Beckham as one of her idols. Her other favourite player is 19-year-old Young Matildas star Chloe Logarzo.
"She plays the same position as me," Ammendolia said.
"She was in the same kind of situation as me and moved to Sydney to go to the same school I'm at.
"She built her way up, and hopefully I can do the same."
If Ammendolia has her way, she will one day represent the Matildas at the world's biggest football tournaments.
"That's always been my goal," she said.
"One day, hopefully, I can do it."