Sport
31 July, 2026
Pathway opens to football
A PROMISING Far North teenager has won a John Moriarty Football’s scholarship.
A recent JMF National Talent Showcase unearthed 26 of the country’s most promising young female and male Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander footballers aged between 12 and 16 years.
Yasmin Wyld-Hill, 15, from Cairns, and 15-year-old Matthew Wunsch from Pagewood, NSW, have been awarded 12-month JMF Scholarships.
Designed to bridge the gap between grassroots play and the world of elite football, JMF Scholarships offer a life-changing pathway for talented young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players.
The two players will receive wrap-around personalised support, world-class technical and football development as well as mentoring and financial aid to cover club fees, travel and education.
Australia’s first Aboriginal footballer to be selected for Australia and JMF’s co-founder, John Moriarty, says in the 60 years since he retired, the barriers for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players to reach the elite levels of football remain.
“The pipeline for Indigenous talent within the football ecosystem just doesn’t exist, it’s never been created,” he said.
“Other football codes show us that Indigenous athletes are extraordinary. They are playmakers. They never just make up the numbers.
“The NRL and AFL show us that the right strategic and support framework can bring down the barriers, of which there are many, and the game is better for it.”
JMF wants to see more Indigenous players follow in Mr Moriarty’s footsteps.
“I would love to see the football community join JMF in doing the heavy lifting and bring a new generation of fresh, exciting Indigenous talent into Australian professional football,” Mr Moriarty said.
Former Chelsea FC Academy director, UEFA A license holder and JMF performance and coaching program manager Jen Wicks said Yasmine and Matthew had the potential to pursue a professional football career and with additional support have the opportunity to take their game to another level.
“These are two incredibly exciting players. I’m thrilled to welcome them to the JMF Scholarship program. The JMF team looks forward to working with them, mentoring them and potentially playing a part in their journey to elite football,” Ms Wicks said.
“Yasmine is a dynamic player, quick thinking with an eye for the goal. She is also showing the mental and emotional strength a player needs to succeed in building a professional football career,” she said.
Former A-League player and JMF ambassador and scholarships coordinator Allira Toby (Kanolu/Gangulu), understands firsthand the barriers Indigenous players face to be involved with the game.
“Growing up my family didn’t have much and they sacrificed a lot so that I could play, and sadly my story is not uncommon,” she said.
“We see plenty of super talented young players who are locked out of the game; maybe it’s because of affordability or it’s because where they live there is no football ecosystem and they need to travel great distances to play competitively.
“This is why initiatives like the JMF National Talent Showcase and JMF’s Scholarship Program are so important. They remove the barriers and create pathways to opportunities that may have seemed impossible before.”
Yasmin Wyld-Hill (Waluwarra/Yirandali) said she was looking forward to the opportunities the JMF Scholarship program will provide.
“Being awarded a JMF scholarship was a big surprise,” she said.
“I was really lucky to play with so many talented players at the JMF National Talent Showcase. I feel very grateful for JMF’s support and am excited for the opportunity.”
“The connection and encouragement throughout the whole JMF National Talent Showcase experience was amazing.”
Yasmin’s mother Sally Wyld said the weekend was “not just supportive but very inspiring for Yasmin”.
“All of the staff were so involved and connected. The JMF experience was so much more than football,” she said.