Planning for the future…

Batten has one clear goal for her future – to play for the Matildas.

She couldn’t have said this with more conviction during her interview. Her ultimate goal is to play left wing, but she knows that it doesn’t always work like that.

“Having the ability to adapt is key,” she said. “I can’t choose my position, so I have to work around that, and be as good as I can in as many spots on the field as possible."

At the age of 13, a spot in the Matildas first team squad will be in reach shortly (as we’ve seen possible with players including Ellie Carpenter, who Batten admires). However, Batten knows that she needs to improve. 

“I definitely need to work on speed and strength”, she said.

“Although I am really quick and strong, the girls I play with are quicker and stronger. It’s tough competition.”

For now, she wants to stay in Australia and work her way up the Sutherland Shire Football Association ranks. Then she’d like to play for a team like Sydney University, or a W-League side.

The idea of playing overseas fascinates her and she believes that it would definitely help her grow as a player, but for the foreseeable future, Batten wants Australia to be her home.

As much as she wants football to be her career, she also understands the harsh reality of the lack of pay involved.

“It’s really disappointing that female players get paid less for doing the same thing," she said.

However, she has plans for this.  “I’d love to be a coach, or a teacher," she said. "That way, I’m still involved in the game.”

Source: Nicole Rader

Thoughts on Australian women’s football

A member of the Australian football landscape herself, Batten has a unique insight into the women’s game down under, particularly when it comes to youth development. She is a supporter of women’s football in Australia, and believes that it is under-appreciated due to a lack of coverage.

“The Matildas aren't rarely broadcasted and talked about in the media and the W-League is just the same,” she said.

“You’ll see a standard news piece about the NRL up first in the sports bulletin, and then maybe a little snippet of a major Matildas achievement at the end.

"They deserve to play at bigger stadiums, with more fans and more coverage. They deserve more for the hard work that they put in.”

Batten just wants to see more football. She wants Australia to see more football. And maybe, in a few more years, we’ll be seeing her run onto the field as a Matilda, with the match broadcasted on primetime TV.