It’s been a year of blue skies for Sydney FC’s newest attacking weapon, Skye Halmarick. She finished the recent NPL Women’s NSW season as Golden Boot winner on 23 goals, received the prestigious Player of The Year Award, and only weeks ago signed her first ever Ninja A-League contract with the competition’s most successful football club.
“I’ve never had a year so successful in terms of achievements.”
“Yeah definitely … I’ve never had a year so successful in terms of achievements. What stood out was (being selected for) the Young Matildas … signing for Sydney FC was a huge honour and something I worked towards for a long time.
“The opportunity I’ve been given at (North West Sydney) Spirit, starting each week, allowed me to develop my game and to progress in football … I think without that, I wouldn’t be here today,” she said.
When quizzed on what she was expecting in her first A-League season, Skye replied, “I know it’s my first ever professional season, so as much as I’m focused on playing as much as I can, I’m also focused on learning and gaining experience at the highest level. When I do get the chance to play, I want to try and make the most of every opportunity I get given.
“I’m super excited and grateful to sign for Sydney FC. It’s such a big club with such good history. I wanted to sign last year … but I think now from that injury (sustained in 2024) I’ve learnt a lot, and I think I’m a lot more mature than last year … it was kind of a blessing in disguise. I’m a lot more prepared now and I’m looking forward to learning as much as I can and challenging myself at a higher level.”
When asked what she was looking forward to most about joining Sydney FC, Skye said, “I have a lot of players I already know there … but also the players I don’t know and the staff I’m meeting are very welcoming. It’s a great environment to succeed.
“I’ve also enjoyed the professional side (of football). You come in, go to physio, they have prehab, the training is a lot more intense and consistent … which you can’t really do in the NPL. The training (in NPL) is at night time, sessions are shorter and it’s a bit less professional.”
Pressed about being able to notch up a similar number of goals in the A-League, Skye remained positive.
“I hope so. A lot of the defenders I came up against in NPL were A-League players … but they were also a lot harder to score against.”
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From Spirit to Sydney: The Journey
Reflecting on her time at NWS Spirit, Skye recalls key moments with fond memories.
“I debuted in 1st Grade for Spirit in 2023 as a 15 year old, under Tiana Gauci, who’s now the assistant coach at Perth Glory. That season I played (mostly) Reserve Grade, and we won the comp.
“Tiana gave me multiple opportunities to play … which allowed me to adjust to 1st Grade football.”
However, Skye hasn’t been without her setbacks. Last year, she sustained a major injury with a broken foot and ankle, making her breakout 2025 season even more remarkable.
“I didn’t play again until late July … towards the end of the season, with around five rounds to go.
“When I was in rehab and doing passing with my left foot, it just felt so weird … I scored on my first game back with my left foot and I realised how much the adrenaline and the game changes how you think. As soon as the season ended, I had a bit of a break and then I got back into training, and I did a lot of work in the off-season in terms of positional and striking training.
“During this season I scored in the first couple of games. My goal at the start of the year was to try and be in the top three goal scorers, so what helped with that was having clear goals each match, and that allowed me to focus on my role for the team and allowed me to stay consistent … taking each game as it comes.”
Skye continued to express her gratitude for opportunities at the club which has in large part made her the successful footballer she is today.
“Spirit gave me the opportunity when I was younger to play up (in age) a lot … when I was 12 or 13 they allowed me to transition to the Boys Youth League and I was a bit skeptical at the time, but I remember making that decision and thinking if it’s going to be the best for my career … and the speed, physicality and intensity definitely made me a better player, it was really good for my development.”
When asked who inspires her on the football front, Skye’s answer was definite.
“I think in terms of football idols, players like Erling Haaland and Alessia Russo. They inspire me the most … their hunger to score every game is definitely something I try to bring into my own game.”
Balancing Football and Study
As well as an eventful year on the football front, Skye also completed her final year of school at Loreto Normanhurst.
“I graduated high school which was a good moment. It helps a bit with training, I don’t have to (now) go to school afterwards.
“I have my HSC starting … it’s a bit scary but I need to embrace it. It’s hard to balance training and studying practically full time, but it’s just part of it and I’ve learnt this year how to manage it and how to prioritise different things in different moments.”
On speaking about what the striker did to manage the load and remain calm under pressure, her reflection of the busy year was authentic.
“It’s never going to be easy to balance both, sometimes you might have to prioritise something over something else. I remember I got back from the Young Matildas’ qualifiers trip after being away for two weeks whilst the Trial HSC was on, I then came back, had one day off, studied the whole day and then sat an exam every day excluding the weekends, until I finished. That was definitely a challenge.
“I said to my parents, I could have stayed home and just did the Trial HSC, but I wouldn’t change the opportunity for anything. That overseas trip was a big step in my career, it was my debut for the Young Matildas. Without that opportunity, I wouldn’t have this (A-League) contract.”
Looking Ahead: Goals and Aspirations
Whilst it appears for now that football is life for Skye, when queried about whether she has any other aspirations post-HSC she replied, “Yeah … next year is going to be a busy year in terms of the Young Matildas’ stuff and Sydney FC, but I do eventually want to go to uni. I’m not too sure what I want to study yet, but I definitely want to have another career path for when football finishes, definitely not maths or science, Advanced English and Modern History were some of my favourite subjects … I find Modern History very interesting.”
Skye is hoping to make her Sydney FC A-League debut against Melbourne City on Saturday November 1, the day after her last HSC exam. We wish Skye all the best with her exams and with the upcoming season.
