Thurtell is a defender's nightmare in the Queensland State League this season with 29 goals from just 16 appearances, including four hat-tricks and a haul of four against Gold Coast in the opening round - a tally that is double his nearest rival.

But Thurtell, 19, is more than a one season wonder, with 72 goals over Strikers’ past three QSL campaigns and 14 goals for Brisbane Roar in two seasons of National Youth League, despite limited opportunities.
 
His scoring feats also brought him to the attention of Wellington Phoenix, where he trained prior to the last A-League season.
 
Sunshine Coast-raised Thurtell admitted the A-League is a step-up - but believes it’s a challenge he is ready to meet.
 
“I would love a chance to be training full time with an A-League team and learning from the players,” Thurtell told au.fourfourtwo.com.
 
“I’m dying for that chance to play just one A-League game and to take that opportunity.”
 
His record suggests one chance might be all he needs to make an impact. At 17, he scored on debut for the Strikers first team. He also scored in his first appearance as a contracted Roar youth player in 2010.
 
“I don’t care if I tap a ball in that’s already rolling over the line or if I score a screamer – I love scoring goals,” said Thurtell.
 
“I think scoring goals is about quantity over quality because quantity will win you the game every time.”
 
The pursuit of constant improvement is a big part of Thurtell’s approach to the game. Staff at the Strikers’ Perry Park clubhouse report often seeing the man they call ‘Turtle’ taking on extra practice sessions during the week.
 
For his part, Thurtell is enthusiastic about what he learned in the Brisbane Roar youth system.
 
“I’ve been playing for two years with the Roar youth team but I trained with them for two years before that.” he said.
 
“Especially last year, I think my game with Roar really improved. I learned the striker’s role they play there. I worked a lot harder on my defence.
 
“Before I went there, I would say I was lazy. I was a player that only thought about attacking. But it got drilled in my head that everyone defends from the front, so I worked a lot harder and I got a lot fitter from it.”
 
Having worked under Rado Vidosic in the Roar youth setup, Thurtell sees Vidosic’s appointment as manager of the first team as a potential boon.
 
“I have played under Rado and trained under him a lot," he said. "It could be a good thing for me because I know Rado knows me and he knows how I play my game.
 
"Hopefully a chance might come from that.”
 
Thurtell's brace against Melbourne Heart’s youth team near the end of last season was a potential turning point in his time with the club, following it up with a hat-trick against AIS and another double against Perth Glory.
 
He added: “I remember the first goal I scored in that game and I was really happy with it. I turned Simon Colosimo and he came up to me while we were still playing and he said, “That was quality”.
 
“It was the first time I scored two for Roar. It was a little bit of the monkey off my back because every time I scored one, even if I scored it in the first minute, it would be like I haven’t scored two yet, I need to score another.”
 
It’s Thurtell’s appetite for goals that saw him spend two months training with Wellington Phoenix last year under the watchful eye of Ricki Herbert.
 
“Wellington was really good. They have a really good bunch of boys there. They were really encouraging,” Thurtell said.
 
“Wellington was a lot different to Roar. They obviously play two different styles. But I’ve enjoyed both opportunities and I think I’ve learned a lot playing for both clubs.”
 
Although Thurtell admits his ten minute cameo against Roar in a pre-season match in Dunedin last year was “a bit strange”.
 
“I grew up watching the Roar and I didn’t miss a game the first couple of seasons," he said. "To play with them and then against them was a bit surreal.
 
"But I was just trying to take an opportunity that was given to me by Wellington.”
 
Thurtell’s coach at Brisbane Strikers, David Large, knows the appeal of a proven goal scorer and believes A-League clubs would be “crazy to not have a look” at the youngster.
 
“Scoring goals is not something that’s taught," Large said. "It’s something that you have in you and Matty does that continually. He’s consistent and I think his record proves that.
 
“If somebody gives him an opportunity and they show patience – as they should with a 19 year old boy that’s still learning his craft – then I definitely think he is ready for the A-League environment.
 
“We’ve worked on his fitness levels, we’ve worked on his support play, the amount of work he does in shutting down players.
 
"I think Matty’s at a point now where he’s ready to give any club a crack. He’s ready to go."
 
Brisbane Roar are still in the process of finalising their latest National Youth League squad and Thurtell admits he is unsure what the future holds.
 
In the meantime, Thurtell is aware he has to keep performing on the pitch every week.
 
He added: "I’m just going to play to the best of my ability while I’m at the Strikers and hopefully I get a chance soon. It’s what I want."