Clare Hunt 2.0? Matildas’ big find

A senior consultant at a big four firm by day and a Newcastle Jets defender by night, Tash Prior is poised to add far more international football to her already loaded plate after an assured performance for the Matildas on Wednesday night.

Prior put her hand up to become an important defensive option for the Matildas’ next manager, and also showed some flair with an impressive maiden goal to open Australia’s account in the 3-1 win over Chinese Taipei.

Interim coach Tom Sermanni compared Prior’s seamless transition to the top level to 2023 revelation Clare Hunt, who she partnered in defence in the absence of Alanna Kennedy.

With Hunt and Charli Grant leaving the camp for club duties in Europe, Prior could lead the Matildas backline in the final game of the series at Kardinia Park on Saturday.

“I think she’s walked (into) the team a bit like Clare Hunt did a year and a half ago,” Sermanni said after the game.

“She plays with composure, authority, she’s got good defensive strength, she’s mobile … and she’s very good on the ball.

“She’s actually got all the qualities that her father (former Premier League defender and Matildas assistant coach Spencer Prior) never had as a player. And scored one more goal than he ever did.”

Prior said a national call-up had been on her radar for the past few months as Sermanni kept track of her movements, but little more than a year ago it would have been fanciful.

She retired from football as a 21-year-old following a nasty concussion playing for Canberra United – the latest in a string of head knocks dating back to her junior career.

Two years later, her rise through the ranks as an analyst at Deloitte brought her back to Sydney, where she made a brief A-League Women return for the Sky Blues before signing with the Jets in September last year.

Prior said she had given herself two days off following Saturday’s clash before returning to her job, which she currently has no plans to step back from.

“I think being compared to players like Clare Hunt is obviously a large compliment. Clare and I are friends off the field, so it’s nice to be partners on the field now,” Prior said.

“I think I go onto my next project next Wednesday, so I’ve given myself two days off after this camp.

“But I’ll go back to working full-time, and I guess just see what happens … I would love to obviously get called into another camp overseas.”

Prior could lay a challenge to the 29-year-old Kennedy to partner Hunt in defence at the She Believes Cup in February – which will be the Matildas’ next engagement after a long lay-off following Saturday’s friendly.

Attacking midfielder Chloe Logarzo was yet to be ruled out of the Geelong clash despite being subbed out following a head knock in the 28th minute.

Sermanni said the team doctors had not determined whether she would need to enter the concussion protocols, which would force her to miss her last chance to audition for the USA camp.

“(Logarzo) feels good … she’s obviously, as you can imagine, devastated by having to go off,” he said.

“She’s waited a long time to get back in the team, to get an opportunity, so I feel really, really disappointed for her.

“Hopefully it’s not too bad, and she might come into discussions for the next game.”