South Australia have never won 2019 National CP Football Championships gold before, but with a former Hyundai A-League ace up their sleeves, this tournament could be different.
Ex-Adelaide United star Marcos Flores is coach of the team from South Australia, having taken the reins back in September.
The 33-year-old Argentine – a former Johnny Warren Medallist - could be a trump card according to 22-year-old Taylor Harvey.
“His insight has been outstanding, when it comes to our formation and incorporating his knowledge of able-bodied soccer it’s been unreal,” Harvey said.
“He’s spent hours watching international CP soccer and state competitions, so he’s put the effort in himself.
“We can take a lot from that and when it comes to playing, we’ll show the rest of the competition we’re worthy to be there.
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“We’ve come into the competition as the dark horse, no one really knows how much we can achieve at this tournament.”
Harvey is hoping a strong showing at the 2019 National CP Football Championships will catapult him back into the Pararoos frame.
The South Australian burst onto the scene with a strong showing at the 2014 Nationals tournament, and five years on he hopes to replicate his form which had Pararoos selectors sit up and take note.
“The first Nationals I went to in 2014 when I was fresh into the program resulted in me being called up to a Pararoos training camp the next year,” Harvey said.
“That was my first taste of the national setup, but I haven’t been to one since.
Working under Flores, has Harvey confident he can reproduce the form which earned him a spot in the Pararoos training camp back in 2014 when he first started his CP footballing journey.
But before it all began, a career in football seemed unlikely for Harvey as a young boy.
“My story is a little bit different to most, as it’s a less conventional route (to football),” Harvey said.
“I grew up in an Aussie Rules dominated region.
“I always loved playing soccer out and about but my region never had any soccer teams to compete in.
“But once I found out I was eligible through my checkouts to compete at Paralympic sports, I always liked soccer so it was a no-brainer to choose it from there.
“Then going up to Adelaide for university I played club soccer as well and it built from there.
“Considering I didn’t have the opportunity to play and now I do, it’s been fantastic.
“I’m sports-dominated; I love sport, and once I had the opportunity to represent the state and potentially further that’s when my mind started drifting towards it.
“Since 2014 it’s something I’ve worked incredibly hard towards, it’s pretty much been at the forefront of my mind ever since then.”
With the 2019 National CP Football Championships playing out over this weekend, Harvey has another opportunity to put all his hard work which began five years ago into practice.
And as always, a call-up to the Pararoos squad is the ultimate goal.
“If you’ve seen the national side over the last year or two they’ve started to bring a lot of youth into the team,” Harvey said.
“It’s a very exciting time for the national team, competition for spots is at an all-time high.
“I’m brimming with motivation to get into the national team squad.”
READ: Everything you need to know about the 2019 National CP Football Championships
