St George junior Teresa Polias has narrowly missed selection in the Australian squad for the Women's World Cup in France.
A 23-player squad was announced on Tuesday morning by Matildas coach Ante Milicic.
Polias was brought back into the Matildas set-up by Milicic in 2019 after several years on the fringes.
Polias, a St George Football Association junior from Brighton-Le-Sands, had been stuck on 10 Matildas caps after spending a number of years in the international wilderness but finally earned her 11th national team cap for Australia coming on as a second half substitute as the Matildas opened their campaign at the inaugural Cup of Nations in March with a 2-0 win over New Zealand.
At the time of her inclusion in the Cup of Nations squad the Sydney FC skipper and reliable holding midfielder told AAP she was hopeful of forcing her way into the World Cup squad.
"It was a really nice surprise after ending the W-League season with the win,'' Polias said. "It's great to be back.
"Looking at the squad it's so competitive and there's so much depth.
"I always knew I could (return) but with so much talent in the squad I knew it was always out of my control."
On making the World Cup squad for France, the primary school teacher was realistic about her chances.
"All I know is I'm in here now and need to make the most of it,'' Polias said.
"I do dream of France but there's a long hard road ahead of me".
The 28-year-old Carss Park and Ramsgate junior was among an unlucky group to miss out which included Spain-based midfielder Alex Chidiac, Princess Ibini, Elizabeth Ralston and Karly Roestbakken.
All had been floated as potential World Cup chances but were left out as Milicic opted for experience and big-game know-how.
Kyah Simon, arguably the most recognisable face of Australia's 2015 World Cup campaign, was the most notable omission from the Maltidas squad.
There was no skirting around Simon's lack of game time - just 13 minutes in six months - and Milicic says he was left with no choice but to leave the star forward out of his World Cup squad, bringing her to Turkey on standby only.
The Matildas are among a handful of teams who are counted by bookmakers as a genuine winning chance in France alongside the hosts, perennial powerhouse USA, Germany, England, Japan and the Netherlands.
Milicic, who replaced Alen Stajcic as coach earlier this year when the latter was dismissed in controversial circumstances, will take with him a battle-hardened group, many of whom began their international careers when they were very young.
The squad boasts almost 1300 caps of international experience, and while de Vanna, Polkinghorne and Williams are going to the tournament for a fourth time, several others - Kerr, defender Laura Alleway, Foord, Elise Kellond-Knight, Emily van Egmond, and Tameka Yallop (nee Butt) will all be competing in their third.
Teen sensation Mary Fowler is in the Australian squad for the Women's World Cup in France, but the injury-plagued, experienced Matildas striker Kyah Simon is only on standby.
If she plays, Fowler, 16, will be the youngest Australian to ever take part in a Women's World Cup, beating Caitlin Foord by approximately 100 days.
