Halse,who hails from the Camden Rugby Club,is one of the youngest girls to play in a major football league in Australia. (The youngest is Sydney FC’s Indiana Dos Santos,who made a name for herself last month by scoring a goal at age 15.)

Halse has been named at No.15 again this week for the Waratahs in their grand final rematch against Fijiana Drua on Saturday afternoon at Concord Oval.

“It’s been different. I’m not used to it at all,” Halse said of the extra attention to have come her way since her impressive debut. “Sometimes my teammates make a couple of jokes about how young I am. I have to look after Tara,our team mascot. I have to take her to all trainings,meetings and everywhere I go. She hasn’t been pinched yet. I’m doing my best.

“There were nerves but all the girls got around me and supported me. Everyone made sure I was fine. Once I got my hands on the ball,I was good to go.

“[On the Monday],everyone at school wanted to have a chat to me about how the game was and get to know what it was like.”

Halse,who still isn’t old enough to drive by herself,can thank her father Daniel for helping get up her logbook hours.

Once the school bell rings at Magdalene Catholic College,Halse catches a 20-minute bus home. Then it’s an 80-minute commute to Daceyville for Waratahs training,several times a week. That’s commitment - and it is paying off in spades.

“I love not only the team environment but the physicality of the game. It’s just so different from everything else. I don’t think of league at all. I think I’ll just stick with rugby,I love it way more than league.

“In the Illawarra area,there’s not many girls XVs sides all year round. So when you get to 13s,you have to stop playing with the boys. I moved out to the city comp and I played with Gordon for a while in under-14s. That’s when it hit me that I could potentially be playing for a XVs women’s side.”

Halse has experience in sevens,and it could be an avenue to pursue one day,but for now,it’s all about the 15-a-side game.

“I do dream of one day playing for the Wallaroos,” Halse said. “I’ve just got to keep training hard and hopefully,one day I’ll get picked.”

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