Community
21 March, 2025
Ella’s dream
RISING goalkeeper Ella Buie, 14, continues blocking shots and chasing dreams after being selected for a goalkeeping program with Valencia C.F. in Spain.
She’s rallying the community to fundraise $8500 for her dream to come true.
Despite having played football since she was six-years-old and being a great striker, Miss Buie discovered her true passion two years ago when she went from midfielder to goalkeeper of the Edge Hill Tigers. Since then she’s been unstoppable.
Now she aims to take her skills to new heights after being selected by Professional Goalkeeper Tuition Coaching, alongside nine other goalkeepers in Australia, to participate in a 13-day goalkeeping program with the Valencia C.F team in Spain in early 2026.
The program includes training sessions with Valencia, tickets to La Liga under-23, under-19 junior and women’s matches, opportunities to watch the Valencia teams training and more.
With the costs of the program – which also includes plane tickets and accommodation – being so steep, Miss Buie, her family and the club are aiming to fundraise $8500 through raffles, sausage sizzles, support from the Edge Hill Cairns Bowls Club and a Go Fund Me. So far they’ve raised $2890.
“I like football because I enjoy spending time with my friends and I also like that competitiveness of the game,” Miss Buie said.
“I’ve played in school nationals representing with the Peninsula team in 2021, 2022, 2024 and 2025. I was in the Queensland under-14 rep team last year and I’ve played in the Cairns State High Bill Turner Championship since 2022.
“I was very excited when I was told about the goalkeeping program. I’ve never travelled abroad, it would mean a lot for me to be there, playing in a different country against different people, see their level of ability, which is probably higher, and get so much out of it.”
Edge Hill Tigers coach Dean Ashton said the opportunity would improve Miss Buie’s game.
“Goalkeepers these days aren’t there to just stop shots, they’re there to start the attack and Ella’s really good with her feet and her distribution,” he said.
“She likes to distribute balls in the air at angles, which are great, but a bit high risk, but to her credit she’s got great distribution, she hits the players she wants to hit and she can play short.
“To play here she’s our number one goalkeeper, she knows how to play great quality football and, if she keeps training with us and adds the goalkeeping academy, she’s only going to get better.
“When she goes to Spain her eyes are really going to open up and see the quality that’s over there and hopefully that’ll drive her to come back and be even better and go into bigger things.
“It might sound as a cliché, but she can take this as far as she wants to. Coming from Cairns is a bit more difficult but she’s naturally talented and she’s got a great attitude.”
Miss Buie’s mum Tamara Buie said she was grateful for all the community support and hoped to see her daughter on a plane to Spain next year.
“To get people’s support would just mean a lot for her and for me,” she said.
Miss Buie said that this program was just the beginning.
“I’d like to be able to play professional one day,” she said.
To help Miss Buie donate here https://bit.ly/4bCvC8v
