A-League women, 2023: Jets debutante Emma Dundas defies age to deliver on big stage

Astonishment was soon replaced by joy and a beaming smile.

And the 16-year-old delivered with a high-energy, non-stop shift in the centre of the park to help steer the Jets to a 1-0 win over the Mariners in Gosford on Saturday.

"It was crazy, " the West Wallsend High year-10 student said. "I only found out a few hours before the game. I was shocked. I really didn't know what to do.

"I took a bit to settle into the game. Once I did, I found it a bit easier. It was a big step up from what I am used to but it was good. It was a good challenge."

Emily van Egmond holds the record for the youngest Jets women's player at 15 years and 106 days. Fellow Matilda Clare Wheeler was also 15. Mary Fowler, Dundas' favourite player, was the same age when she arrived on the scene for Adelaide United.

"I want to play A-League, I want to play for the Matildas one day," Dundas said.

"That is the goal."

Dundas comes from a sporting family. Her dad, Michael, was one of he region's leading amateur golfers. Uncles Nathan and Darren Green are head professionals at Toronto golf club, with the former a US PGA-Tour winner.

Older brothers, Jake and Ryan, play football for Weston.

Dundas, who came through the Jets academy, last month helped the Junior Matildas secure a place in the under-17 Asian Championships in Indonesia next year.

She also impressed van Egmond during the NSW NPL 1 season and A-League pre-season.

"She had a really strong NPL season and on the back of that went to the national training centre for a camp," van Egmond said. "I had national team coaches ring me up, saying how impressed they were. She was 16 playing alongside under-18s girls.

"Also our NPL 1 team play against women every week. She wasn't going to be overawed by playing senior football.

"The other part was what she had shown in the pre-season. She started against Wanderers and didn't look at out of place. Looking at her statistics and how well she did in that game, I had no issue in playing her.

"She has a tremendous work ethic and has some good weapons with the ball as well. She can score goals, she can create, she makes good forward runs from deep and has the engines to get back as well.

"She has done really well. If they are good enough, they will play regardless of age."

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Next for Dundas and the Jets is a trip to Perth to take on the Glory on Sunday.

"For Emma to get 60-odd minutes in the tank against the Mariners was great," van Egmond said. "She has that confidence and knows she can do it."

The Jets will be without suspended centreback Alex Huynh against Perth after she was sent off in the first-round win.

"Other than Alex, everyone is good to go," van Egmond said. "We copped no injuries.

"It could be a case of Cassidy Davis moving to centreback to cover for Alex or Zoe Karapidis comes in and starts. We will have a look and work out the best way to go by Thursday or Friday."