For many athletes representing their country signifies achieving the pinnacle of their athletic success, at Agency X Talent we are honoured to work with six Australian athletes who have worn the green and gold for our country. As we prepare to celebrate Australia Day, let’s recognise all our Australian athletes who have and continue to make us proud, break boundaries, and work tirelessly to represent Australia.
In this blog, we highlight the achievements of our six athletes who have represented Australia, and provide an insight into their unique experiences, pinch-yourself-moments and achievements they had wearing the green and gold!
One of the most versatile rugby league players of all time, Dale Shearer made his national debut appearance for Australia in 1986 against New Zealand, scoring his first international try . Known as “Rowdy”, he played 13 games in the 1986 Kangaroos Tour, scoring a total of twelve tries! Another highlight for Dale with the Kangaroos was his record four tries in a 52-0 game against France. Recognised as one of Australia’s all-time great Rugby League players, Dale is proud of his Indigenous heritage and the times he represented Australia. He has a lot of great stories of his time travelling with the National Team.
Jade Edmistone’s story of becoming an Australian champion is particularly inspiring, having quit swimming after the loss of a close friend and not training for two years. When Jade returned to the pool, she had the dedication and desire to win and became the fastest female breaststroker in the world within two short years. Jade reflects on this achievement, “It’s one thing to become World Champion, but doing it in a time that is faster than anyone has swum in history is a pretty phenomenal feeling and one that is hard to put into words. Complete fulfilment in the goal of becoming the fastest in the world. Job done!” Jade swam for the Australian swim team for five more years, winning 3 World Titles and breaking 5 World Records!
Arguably one of Australia’s most decorated footballers, Jade North had his first breakthrough for Australia playing every game in the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championships. A two time Olympian, he represented the Australian Team in Athens and Beijing. In 2008, Jade made history as the first Indigenous captain of the Australian national football team, the Socceroos. Jade made 41 appearances for the Socceroos and has gone on to receive many accolades as a professional footballer, including the NAIDOC Sportsperson of the year.
Former Australian cricket Captain Jodie Fields made history as Queensland’s first woman to captain the Australian cricket team in 2009. During her first Test match as Captain against England, Jodie made her maiden Test century with a captain’s knock of 139 runs. Fields retired from International cricket in 2014 as one of the most successful Australian cricket captains having led her team to two World Cup victories in 2012 and 2013. Jodie reflects on this experience as “a dream come true and a privileged experience that I am grateful for.”
Australian Rugby League player Karina Brown first got the call up for the Australian Jillaroos in 2013 and has consecutively played for the Jillaroos for the past five years, including 2x World Cup wins in 2013 and 2017. Sharing her thoughts on what representing her country means Karina states “I am very grateful for the opportunities rugby league has given me, especially to represent my state and country. I love being able to pave the way for future generations and growing the game that I love.”
Current Socceroo, Matthew Jurman made his first International debut in the U-20s Australian team. He later played in the AFF U-19 Youth Championship in 2008, U-20 World Cup in Egypt and made qualifiers with the U-23 Australian National Olympic team. Matthew recalls his first senior International call up in 2017 as “a special moment” and “a long time coming.” His Socceroos playing debut was during a World Cup qualifier against Syria which came to a 1-1 draw. Matthew established himself as a key defensive player and earned his selection as part of the Socceroos 2018 FIFA World Cup squad in Russia. Matthew describes wearing the Australian jersey as the “proudest moment of my life, every time I put the jersey on.”
We are genuinely inspired by the incredible achievements these six athletes have accomplished in their respective sports. All of our athletes provide audiences with an insightful and inspiring idea of their unique experiences wearing the national uniform through speaking engagements, social media campaigns and more. As athletes who have reached the pinnacles of success in Australia, they are a massive asset to any brand or organisation that works with them on marketing campaigns, endorsements and more.
Get in touch today if you are looking for an inspiring Australian athlete to work with your business. To find out more about our Agency X Talent athletes or to make an enquiry, visit our website: www.agencyxtalent.com.au.