Nola Marino (Forrest, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The sport of soccer has gained popularity in Australia. I would like to congratulate one young man from my electorate of Forrest who has been making a terrific contribution to the sport at the national and international level. Josh Risdon's love of the sport started at an early age, and his parents, Ray and Leanne, would drive him from Bunbury to Perth on the weekends to support his dream. At the age of 14 he moved to Perth permanently to seriously pursue his chosen sport; he always acknowledges his parents' sacrifice.

It was a sacrifice that paid off. In 2007, Josh was accepted into the Football West National Training Centre. Within a year he was picked as part of the Perth Glory training quad. He made his professional debut for Perth Glory in the A-League in 2010, starting against North Queensland Fury. Since that debut, he has made 153 appearances for Perth Glory, before signing a contract with Western Sydney Wanderers in 2017. In 2015 he made his debut for Australia and has since played 13 games for the Socceroos, including representing Australia in this year's World Cup in Russia. I understand a number of international clubs are seriously interested in his talents. This is the combination of great talent, passion, commitment and hard work—from my part of the South West—by both Josh and his parents. He is supported by fantastic parents.