PORT Stephens touch football dynamo Ali Mitchell is a schoolgirl athlete on a mission.

At seventeen years of age the Shoal Bay native is one of the country’s rising prospects and a player to watch at the upcoming National Youth Touch Football Championships at Coffs Harbour.

The gifted Mitchell will represent NSW Combined High Schools at the prestigious carnival next month, where she will test her skills against the best young female touch footballers in the nation.

It is a third successive campaign for the Tomaree High School student, who will spearhead a talented NSW squad against arch rivals Queensland in a quest for supremacy.

She will line up as one of the most experienced players at the national titles and will give the Sky Blues an edge with her turn of speed, vision, maturity and ball skills.

“It is always an honour to represent NSW and we have assembled a very strong squad for this year’s tournament,” the talented Mitchell told News Of The Area.

“Despite the wet weather the team continues to work hard on our drills during the weekend camps at the Tomaree Sports Fields,” revealed Ali, who was named Port Stephens Council’s Sportsperson of the Year on Australia Day back in January.

The mercurial middle also steered the Nelson Bay Neptunes to an Under 18 Girls Regional championship title to cap another remarkable personal milestone.

A natural athlete, Ali was named Player of the Grand Final after helping the Neptunes topple Orange 5-4 to clinch the Peter Wilson Memorial tournament trophy – scoring two tries and creating another three for her teammates in a superb display.

The Year 11 prodigy is also an emerging centre with the NSW Combined High Schools Rugby Sevens team that finished runners up to Combined Independent Schools at the 2024 State titles.

She also gained some valuable international experience after touring New Zealand with the Sevens squad during the April school holidays.

A regular in the Nelson Bay Neptunes and Hunter Hornets representative teams since the age of ten, Ali was one of a record six Tomaree High students in 2023 that earned Sports Blues for outstanding achievement.

She gained selection in the National All Schools Under 15s and Emerging Blues touch football squads and helped the Newcastle Open Women’s team reach the State Cup final at Port Macquarie.

Ali showed her versatility last year as a netball goalkeeper when she helped the Nelson Bay women bring home the State Senior Netball Open Division 3 championship title.

By Chris KARAS