She may the youngest player in the Jets W-League squad but Ashlee Brodigan is already showing she can hold her own against some of the best players in Australia.
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It is hard to believe the versatile 17-year-old, who hails from Budgewoi on the Central Coast, only started playing football six years ago.
Hers has been a rapid rise.
She joined Budgewoi Football Club as an under-12 and was quickly picked up by Macquarie Academy before joining the Emerging Jets program.
It was there and during her time at Hunter Sports High that the attacking player caught the eye of W-League Jets coach Craig Deans.
At the start of the last W-League season Deans added the teenager to his squad.
Last year was more to get her in and see what the W-League was all about, Deans said.
This year shes applied herself really well and worked her way into the side.
Last year Brodigan made one appearance for the Jets from the bench.
This season, after five games, she has been named in every squad and played her first full W-League game against competition heavyweights Sydney in Newcastles last outing.
This year, if she wants to shes got much more of an opportunity, Deans said.
For her, at the moment, every time shes gone on the park theres a lot of good experience to gain.
She needs to cherish every bit of experience she gets at the moment theres no reason why she cant get to that next level.
Brodigan has a lot of natural talent and plays off her instincts and has plenty of experienced players around her to learn from in the likes of United States imports Jen Hoy and Arin Gilliland.
The youngster experienced a turning point this year when she missed out on a trip to Myanmar with the Young Matildas due to injury.
I was a bit young in it last year, she said. It was good, they brought me along and made me better for this year.
It was very disappointing [missing out on the Young Matildas trip] but in some ways it did push me to know that I can become a better footballer.
Weve got the [under-20] World Cup next year so I am pushing myself to get to that, so the more game time I get the more chance I get to prove myself as a player.
The Jets women had the weekend off last weekend with the bye but will chase a win on home turf when they host Melbourne Victory at McDonald Jones Stadium on Friday night.
Their match kicks off at 5.20pm and is followed by their A-League counterparts game against Adelaide United at 7.50pm.
The two sides have another home double-header on Boxing Day.
