Shay Hollman: "We’re united by the game"

The name Hollman is becoming a very famous one in football circles.

For Shay – the younger sister of A-League Men players Corey and Jake – to be able to share the passion that she has for football with her family is something very special.

“It’s nice that I can share my experiences with them, and so can they,” she told ����Ӱ�� media.

It was brought up that one experience that she has - that is different to her brothers - is consecutive A-League Women championship victories with Sydney FC.

“I don’t bring that up though, I stay humble,” she laughed.

Hollman has been an integral part of the CommBank Young Matildas over the past few years. She featured for Australia at the AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup 2024™, when the team won bronze, and she is also part of the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup 2024™ squad currently in Colombia.

The opportunity to travel the world representing her country while meeting different people and have different experiences is one of Hollman’s favourite things about football.

“You get to travel the world with your friends alongside you and experience things that if you weren’t playing soccer, you wouldn’t have the opportunity to at this age,” she explained.

“Most trips we do team activities where we get to interact with different cultures. I think it’s really good for our development as people and as a team, to get an insight on how to be respectful of other cultures and the importance of different cultures around the world.”

She finds lots of joy on the pitch. The defensive midfielder is always heavily involved regardless of the level she is playing, and loves that part of it.

“I love when I’m on the field, getting touches on the ball,” she said. “Being in a team environment where you can share the wins, the joyous moments, but also get around each other when maybe things aren’t going your way.

“So I really love how everyone comes together. We’re united by the game, and it’s a great experience.”

The 18-year-old has captaincy experience at CommBank Junior Matildas level and has already been identified as someone who is a real leader on the pitch. She said that sport is a great teacher of those important life skills.

“You learn a lot about leadership when you’re in a team environment,” she reflected. “Obviously there’s a lot of different people that come together.”

“You also meet best friends for life. I’m from Sydney, but I’ve got friends here from all different states that you only see when you come on these tournaments. So it’s an amazing experience.”

Hollman is part of a generation of players who are experiencing women’s football in a world following the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™. Last season, in a Sydney FC jersey, she played in front of record-breaking domestic crowds. Now she is a part of a FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup™ where the interest in the women’s game internationally has never been higher.

“The legacy that the Matildas left was unbelievable,” she expressed. “To think that I could one day be a part of that is really… I have no words for it.”

“It’s really inspirational as a player, because you want to be able to perform for all the fans that have come along to watch you and support your team and give back to them for coming out.”

The future is bright for the young midfielder, and the sky is the limit. She has big dreams – but she is under no illusion to what it will take to get there.

“I’d love to go overseas and play, represent Australia and the Matildas while playing overseas,” she said.

“I’ve just got to keep training hard, putting the effort in. Take it step by step. Keep trying to get better as a player, every day, and just see what opportunities arise.”

Mexico v Australia
Date: Tuesday, 3 September 2024 / Wednesday, 4 September 2024 (AUS) 
Time: 5.00pm (local) / 8.00am (AEST)
Venue: Estadio El Campín, Bogotá, Colombia
Broadcast: 10Play

Australia v Cameroon
Date: Friday, 6 September 2024 / Saturday, 7 September 2024 (AUS) 
Time: 5.00pm (local) / 8.00am (AEST)
Venue: Estadio El Campín, Bogotá, Colombia
Broadcast: 10Play