By Marcus Uhe
Emerald’s Lawton sisters played key roles in Australia’s fifth-placed finish at the Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup in Santiago, Chile, concluding on Sunday 11 December.
Amy and Josie Lawton were part of a Jillaroos side that went undefeated in Pool play to finish second in Group A, defeating the hosts 2-0 and South Africa 4-0, and drawing with table-topping Netherlands 2-2 in its opening match of the competition.
The quarter-final draw was unkind to Australia, however, as they drew powerhouse Argentina in the next round, going down 3-1.
Argentina topped Group B after not conceding a single goal in group play and finishing with a fearsome goal difference of +18, thanks in large part to a 14-0 win over Zimbabwe.
A costly six minutes in the second quarter saw Argentina score twice through penalty corners and take a 2-0 lead into the half time break.
Tatum Stewart pegged one back for the Australians in the 39th minute to half the margin, but the South Americans scored again in the 52nd minute to put the result beyond doubt.
Australia then entered the playoffs for the tournament’s remaining places.
A 1-0 defeat of Japan saw them qualify for the fifth-place playoff against Germany, in which an Amy Lawton field goal helped the Jillaroos to a 2-0 defeat.
Lawton found the back of the net in the 25th minute, with teammate Grace Young doubling the advantage in the 33rd.
Both sisters started matches on the pitch together against the Netherlands and South Africa, before Josie was used as a substitute in the remaining four matches as Amy maintained her starting position.
Despite her age, 21-year-old Amy is already a Veteran of nearly 60 Hockeyroos caps, including both the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, where she claimed a silver medal.
The midfielder was also included in the 22-player 2024 Hockeyroos squad announced last week, in a massive year for the sport with the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris.
19-year-old Josie, meanwhile, is a star on the rise.
Keysborough striker and 2022 Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist Nathan Ephraums was named for the Kookaburra’s 2024 squad.
