Melita Harrison

The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website | home

Melita Harrison

	MELITA HARRISON
Age / Birthdate	January 9, 1978
Nickname	Mel

Individual Achievements	NZ wider training squad, 1996-99
	NZ U-20s 1995-98 - 8 caps, 2 goals
	NZ U-17s 1993-95 - 3 internationals, 0 goals + 6 goals in 9 domestic matches
	Auckland rep. 1997-98 - 7 appearances, 1 goal

Individual Honours	1997 Auckland Young Player of the Year

Club Record	Eden / Three Kings United, 1995-2000 - 90 appearances, 17 goals
	Lynn-Avon United, 2001 -

Club Honours	Northern Premier Women's League champions 1998, 1999, 2002
	Auckland Premier Women's Knockout Shield winners 1997, 1998
	Auckland Premier Women's Champion-of-Champions winners 1997, 1998
	WSANZ Knockout Cup winners 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002

Representative Team Honours	National Women's Soccer Tournament champions 1997, 1998

MELITA HARRISON

A Personal Appreciation

by Jeremy Ruane

Melita Harrison is one of the more promising young players around in the women’s game, but whether she is able to truly fulfil her undoubted potential will depend on how she recovers from a potentially career-threatening knee injury, sustained at the National Women’s Soccer Tournament in 1998.

Such has been the extent of the injury that it’s really knocked her career sideways in the ensuing two years, and despite numerous attempts at a comeback, the side effects have been such that she has been unable to play on a regular basis, nor to anything like her best form, ever since.

It’s a great shame, because this bubbly young lady has so much to offer the game, either as a striker or in a defensive role.

She first hit the headlines as a twelve-year-old, when she became the first goal to be selected for the North City Under-13 representative side, a squad which included the likes of Phil Porteous, Graham Greene and Jonathan Smith, players who have captured headlines in New Zealand’s leading men’s club competitions in recent seasons.

Starting out as a five-year-old, her ambition back in 1990 was to secure a spot for herself in the SWANZ. She has represented her country at Under-17 and Under-20 levels, scoring two goals for the latter against South Korea in 1995. But hopes of progressing further have been severely hampered by her injury.

As well, she has represented Auckland and Under-17 and Under-19 level, prior to making her “A Team” debut against Wellington at the 1997 National Tournament.

Her lone goal for the province’s senior rep. team came later that week, against Canterbury in the semi-final, while being named Auckland’s Young Player of the Year that season remains the high point of her career to date on a personal basis.

Team honours-wise, despite her injury, “Mel” has been able to play a part in each of Three Kings’ last two seasons, having been a virtual ever-present in the previous four campaigns for the team, during which she won all there is to win in the women’s game.

I sincerely hope Melita conquers the greatest challenge of her career to date, and makes a full recovery from her knee injury. It will give me great pleasure to see this vivacious young lady overcome the physical and mental scars which this setback has brought upon her, and successfully resume her career en route to fully realising her potential, and her ultimate ambition.

Scoring record for Eden / Three Kings United

Date	Opponents	Score	Tally	Comp.
2/4/95	Pakuranga Town	1-0	1	PWL
9/4/95	East Coast Bays	4-2	1	PWL
14/5/95	Te Atatu	1-4	1	SKC
18/6/95	East Coast Bays	3-0	2	PWL
25/6/95	Claudelands Rovers	3-0	1	PWL
27/8/95	Waikato Unicol	1-1	1	PWL
2/9/95	Manukau City	4-0	1	WKS
9/9/95	Mt. Roskill	10-0	2	WKS

4/5/97	University	11-0	2	PWL
8/6/97	Manukau City	4-1	1	PWL

26/7/98	Te Atatu	7-0	1	PWL

11/4/99	Waikato Unicol	5-0	1	PWL
2/5/99	Claudelands Rovers	8-0	1	PWL
21/7/99	Papatoetoe	7-0	1	WKS

	TOTAL		17
	Premier Women's League		12
	Women's Knockout Shield		4
	SWANZ Knockout Cup		1

Stars of the Past