RUBI Grass has been on a 12 month footballing odyssey playing either outdoor or its indoor cousin, futsal.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The 13-year-old's campaign hasn't finished yet. She heads to Coffs Harbour with the Football Mid North Coast under 13s for the State championships to be played from September 19-21. This will be used an an identification for the NSW side next year.
This is the second time Rubi's played in Coffs this year as she was also a member of the Northern NSW team that contested the Australian under 13 titles in July. Northern finished fourth overall, with two wins, two losses and a draw. Rubi was a central defender and played in all the matches.
Rubi was a member of the Northern NSW 12s team in 2014 and retained her place this year following a series of trials.
She was a member of the FMNC side that contested the premier league this year, matches starting in late March and running to August. This included two training sessions a week - one at Taree and the other in Port Macquarie. The side shared home fixtures at Taree, Wauchope or Port Macquarie but every second weekend had to head to Newcastle.
"I didn't mind it. I enjoy travelling and I love playing,'' she said.
FMNC's made the grand final where they lined up against Thornton Redbacks - a side they hadn't beaten all year. The game ended in a 0-0 draw, requiring a penalty shoot out. FMNC came agonisingly close, losing 5-4.
Last year Rubi was a member of an Australian futsal team that spent two weeks touring California, playing nine matches as well as being involved in coaching clinics.
"It was a great experience,'' she said.
Rubi expects FMNC to perform strongly in the State championships, with the nucleus of the squad coming from the side that made the premier league grand final.
"We also have a couple of girls who played up in older age groups,'' she said.
However, she won't have much time to rest after returning from Coffs Harbour.
Trials for next year's premier league 14s side will start in October, although Rubi isn't complaining.
She started playing football about three years ago, following her brother, Macabe, also a Northern NSW representative into the sport.
