Shellharbour sisters Jynaya and Indiana Dos Santos are the latest local athletes to graduate from playing grass-roots sport in the region to representing Australia.
Jynaya, 18, and Indiana, 16, are two of Australia’s most promising soccer players, having already represented their country as Junior Matildas and Young Matildas in prestigious international tournaments such as the Asian Cup and World Cup.
Both sisters were still enrolled in high school when signed to play for Sydney FC in the women's professional A-League. And they're already breaking records: last year Indiana was the youngest girl to play in an A-League grand final and scored her first A-League goal. That goal against Perth in March 2023 – when Indiana was 15 years and 170 days old – made her the fifth youngest scorer in the A-League's history. Indiana is Sydney FC's youngest starter and the club’s youngest goal-scorer.
On May 4 this year, Indiana was again part of the winning Sydney FC side that defeated Melbourne City 1-0 to claim back-to-back championships in the A-League grand final.
The pathway to professional soccer contracts and international representation is not an easy one.
Jynaya and Indiana started playing soccer for Shellharbour Football Club as youngsters, quickly stood out as players to watch and were soon scouted to trial for the Football NSW Institute (“the official elite development program for girls U13-U17”, according to Football NSW) in Glenwood, Sydney.
First Jynaya was selected, then Indiana, and now their younger sister Kyani, 14, is also at the Institute.
This amazing opportunity for the three sisters has required not only a lot of time and dedication from the girls, but also their parents – Melissa and Mark – who have spent years travelling between Sydney and Shellharbour while juggling work and family commitments to make these opportunities possible. Dad Mark was the girls’ soccer coach at times throughout their junior years, while Mum Melissa was chauffeur, motivational coach and organiser for training and game days.
Earlier this year, Jynaya and Indiana were selected in the Young Matildas squad for the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) U20 Women’s Asian Cup 2024, held in March in Uzbekistan – Australia won a bronze medal and a place in the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup Colombia 2024, scheduled for August 31 to September 22.
Most recently, Indiana was selected in the Junior Matildas squad for the AFC U-17 Women's Asia Cup in Bali, Indonesia, on May 19.
