Former Mount Gambier sports star Jenna McCormick has landed back in Australia after playing soccer across the globe professionally for the last seven years.
Now based in Adelaide after being signed by A-League side Adelaide United, McCormick had taken the pitch internationally Stjarnan in Iceland, for Medkila in Norway as well as Real Betis in Spain, while most recently making her mark in Denmark for 12 months at Aarhus based club AGF Fodbold Women (AGF).
The talented player has just returned from a season playing with AGF, which is based at Aarhus, Jutland, Denmark and positioned a touch over three hours west of the Danish capital of Copenhagen.
“It was a pretty cool experience, I really enjoyed being in the country and it was quite a nice place to live,” McCormick said
“The team did not taste too much success on the pitch, but nonetheless I still enjoyed the experience, learnt Danish while living there and met some amazing people.
“Now seemed the best time for me to return to Australia and begin to feel grounded again.”
McCormick said the time in Europe was taxing being away from family and friends.
“Being back with family and friends is great as it has been long time since I have been with them,” she said.
Now based back in the city of churches, McCormick has set her sights on the season ahead for Adelaide United – the club where she began her professional career in December,, 2012 – and it is fitting she will play her 100th A-League Women’s game during the season.
“I am hoping to have a good and consistent season with (Adelaide United),” she said.
“Then I want to push for a spot in the World Cup (side) and see how it goes from there.”
Growing up in Mount Gambier, McCormick played a variety of sports.
The talented all-rounder was part of North Gambier’s cricket line-up, played soccer in the women’s league and also with the boys for her family club Blue Lake, where she grew up watching her father Brian play.
“I have played soccer for years and years and that is where my love for the game began,’’ McCormick said.
However her love of sport is not confined to the round ball, as she dipped her toes into AFLW for the league’s early seasons at the Adelaide Crows and winning two premierships.
“I always played footy at (Tenison Woods College) with the boys and I unfortunately never really took it seriously because there was never a competition to play in beyond school,” she said.
“I found a natural talent for footy, but it was always on the side and then when I found myself moving to Adelaide in 2010, I found there were many more opportunities.
“They had just started an Under 18’s girls competition for footy and that is where I got my first taste of serious competition.
“But back then I did not think there would be an AFLW, so I continued to pursue my soccer dreams. In 2017, I was playing soccer in Iceland and still had some contacts from those earlier days in the Under 18 and state competitions.
I received a call from the Crows and began to discuss the possibility of playing AFLW.”
McCormick was drafted to the Crows, where she was part of the inaugural AFLW season.
“To play for the Adelaide Crows for three seasons was a dream come true. I juggled both soccer and AFLW for those three years, but found I could not give my all to both.
I knew I was good enough to play soccer for my country but could not do it while I was playing footy,” she said.
McCormick then made the decision to leave the Adelaide Crows and concentrate on her soccer career, with her efforts rewarded by being selected for the national team – the Matildas – where she made her debut in November, 2019.
But for now, her eyes are focussed strongly on the A-League Women’s season ahead.
“I am looking forward to a strong season with Adelaide United and help them to push for a second finals appearance. Then we will see what happens next,” she said.
