Coming from hard-fought games in the backyard as a kid in regional Victoria to maintaining a place in the Matildas youth ranks and now shaping up as a key cog in the Perth Glory wheel this season, only an exceptional few young female players can claim to have similar career accolades to Naomi Chinnama. Ahead of the commencement of her stint out west and an opening A-League Women's fixture against old friends at Melbourne City, the ever-reliable centre-back caught up with Front Page Football to discuss her journey to the professional ranks and what lies ahead in season 2024/25.
Naomi Chinnama in training with the Young Matildas at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in September. (Image: Ann Odong/Football Australia)
As many have done in the women's space to start, Naomi Chinnama played youth football for the boys' team with a familiar embrace. It was on those grounds that the centre-back earned her stripes and gained an appetite for things to come.
"It started with my twin brother and my dad. My dad was the coach, and my brother played in the same team as me with the under-7s for Point Cook; it was the all-boys team, and I was the only girl. I was a defender even back then," she explained to Front Page Football, discussing her introduction to the world game.
"It all went on from there, though I did stop playing for the club; I continued to train in the background and played a lot with my brothers in the backyard, also participated in gymnastics, athletics, and tennis, and a lot of other sports, but then came back to football."
Resiliency was a trait familiar to Chinnama even at the time. Although her resume boasts an impressive look now, there is no mistaking the hard work involved in the journey that unfolded.
With the sacrificial nature of being an Australian footballer, many players find themselves making a courageous move or two with the country's unique landscape and geography, perhaps more so than many other nations.
It is one thing for a defensive player to be strong-minded and have a natural aura of resiliency in how you intend to operate. Chinnama stands out in this respect as a pretty honest talker with well-defined methods, providing a spark that can come in handy to a team down on its luck, as Perth Glory has been in recent seasons.
However, her family-oriented upbringing in football may be the reason someone like Chinnama is her authentic self in the spotlight.
"I do find myself reflecting on the full journey that brought me to Perth, and it has been a long one; I think I've had my ups and downs and a lot of challenges, but I do feel everything happens for a reason, and I have always had the best support network that has shown me the sky is the limit, and I have them to thank," she said.
Jumping forward to the present and making the long journey from home comforts to Western Australia, where Chinnama will be able to offer international experience to a hearty and youthful-looking Perth squad, she reflects on an essential building block for the group: the chemistry and positivity that binds a team together.
"Everyone here is fantastic, especially the roommates I have with the share house (in Perth). Nat (Tathem) has been cool, Miku (Sunaga), everybody. I feel like we are really gelling as a team, so that has been nice," Chinnama said.
Of course, balancing performances and expectations will be the starting point, and on-pitch affairs will rely on the group's connectivity and increased talent to come through.
In this regard, the will of the group is firmly established by three-time NSW NPLW champion Stephen Peters, who has looked to players young and old to kick start a revival of the club's program with a high-minded and happy group.
"He (Peters) is very level-headed. So far, it is just the beginning, and we're all looking forward to working together. I know he has done a lot in his career, and we've heard a lot of great things; I think we are ready to get started under him," Chinnama said.
Internationally, Chinnama also stands out, having the rare distinction of participating in two youth World Cups in Central and South America. The individual target, however, is a recurring theme, with the defender believing the key to success must lie within, perhaps typical of someone who has proven to be very reliable in her natural position on the pitch.
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Expectations do not sway Chinnama either, and her reflections highlighted qualities that only provide the potential for Glory to have a very proud squad member.
Ultimately, she is under no allusion that the international arena comes with demanding work and a load of challenges, none bigger than those faced in the World Cup environment.
"I don't think the whole experience has been smooth, to be honest, but each day (in the national setup), I focus on myself and getting closer to being the best version of myself," Chinnama added.
"I feel like, each day, I am growing better as a person and a player. I have some goals in the back of my head, but I just remind myself to stay focused on what I need to work on. In order to achieve my goals, it really is about maintaining that focus day by day, just about being concerned with the processes involved and how I am as a person with that."
The September U20 World Cup presented an unparalleled opportunity for Chinnama to meet one of the most prominent young stars in global football in one of the game's most challenging environments. An experience in Colombia that, although taught the Young Matildas and Chinnama herself a lot with harsh reality checks, the reflections took a positive tone.
"It was a great experience, my first time playing in front of that many people, especially with them (Colombian fans) cheering against us. We also faced really strong opponents, and the challenges during those games were invaluable, facing a player like Linda Caicedo," she said.
However, the rise of women's football in the face of such experiences is something truly special. During the 2023 home FIFA World Cup campaign, Chinnama worked on promotional material with Our Game Aus, whose mission is to highlight the stories of figures growing the game, one step at a time.
An apt choice for the promotions, in typical fashion, Chinnama was humble about the World Cup experience, embracing her role and voicing excitement about getting out of her comfort zone.
"That was really cool; I was not expecting to get involved with it. First off, seeing the huge crowds Australia were getting and interacting with fans, I was basically on the outside looking in and it was the first time I'd done anything like that."
However, this weekend, when it all begins again in the A-League Women and the first ball is kicked, Chinnama's first foray outside Victorian club colours naturally occurs at Casey Fields against her former club, Melbourne City. She speaks highly of the dynamic at play but understands the task ahead of a crucial start to life in purple.
"Obviously, we (her and her former Melbourne City teammates) are friends off the field, but when we're on it, that will be business as usual, and no hard feelings will come across in either setting. It is exciting, and I know there will be a lot of emotion on the day. Ultimately, we have to focus on ourselves."
Chinnama in Melbourne City colours ahead of the 2023/24 A-League Women's Grand Final. (Image: Harley Appezzato)
Perth Glory's season ahead will be challenging as they try to cope with vast squad turnover and the A-League Women's typical cutthroat nature.
While she may not be lush with flair or capable of scoring goals for fun, the sturdiness and resilience that make up Naomi Chinnama may be an ingredient Glory needs to help build a foundation to progress towards a greater goal.
Her character embodies a lot about what is needed in Australian football: not the need to be carried away with the game's every move and to overthink its wins and losses, but, in Chinnama's own words, the need to reflect on the short-term and take things one day at a time.
Chinnama and Perth Glory begin their season tomorrow when they take on Melbourne City at 2:30pm AEDT.
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