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It has been quite a month for Mikaela Hunt.
After scoring two goals in Dunedin Technical’s Kate Sheppard Cup final victory, the defender was named Southern United’s national women’s league captain the following week.
She has since led the team through a convincing win, a gutsy draw and a heart-breaking loss and experienced a big rise in her off-field commitments.
Around all that, she is finding time to prepare for five exams at the end of October for her physio degree.
It certainly sounds hectic, although she was making it work and enjoying the added responsibility, she said.
"It’s cool — it’s quite a big role for a 20-year-old," she said of being made captain.
"But I think I’m just really lucky to have such a good support crew around me.
"I don’t feel like it’s just me and that there’s so much weight on my shoulders because I’ve got so many leaders around me.
"It’s been a cool experience — doing lots of the promo stuff for the national league is awesome.
"It’s cool to get that exposure to other players and other people in New Zealand football."
Leadership is not new to Hunt.
She captained her school teams and was either vice-captain or co-captain during the last three years she played for Upper Hutt.
Most notably she was the vice-captain of the Capital team which made the national women’s league final in 2016.
It seems that success followed her south last year — or perhaps she just timed her move well.
Either way, she said the side now genuinely saw itself among the league’s top teams.
"I think it’s just a big mentality shift for us.
"Lots of the players in the squad this year have been in Dunedin the past three or four years.
"So the players are there and the players are the same.
"It’s more experience of these top leagues and the mentality that we can go toe to toe with the best in New Zealand."
The side was getting more respect nationally, although one of the next steps was getting its players increased recognition.
She felt there were several who deserved that recognition, but had not quite got it yet.
Getting there would be great for the region and that had already started last year.
"If you have national players down here, it gives the younger people someone to look up to, knowing you can stay in Dunedin and play football and make it in the top leagues.
"That was the beauty of what Elise [Mamanu-Gray] did last year in making the Ferns.
"It was just a really big step for the whole region, saying you can be down here and still make the top flight of football."
The side will travel to Auckland to play WaiBOP at 11am tomorrow, the game being played in Auckland due to difficulties finding a ground in the WaiBOP federation.
National women’s league
Auckland, tomorrow, 11am
Southern: Jordan Woodward, Britney-Lee Nicholson, Shontelle Smith, Ruby Anderson, Emily Morison, Kirsty Hayr, Kelsey Kennard, Coral Seath, Lara Wall, Tahlia Roome, Chelsea Whittaker, Mikaela Hunt, Renee Bacon, Jade Middleditch, Mikayla Gray.
WaiBOP: Georgia Candy, Kate Williams, Olivia Hooper, Emma Cawte, Stella Neems, Helen Talbot, Ella Golding, Kelli Brown, Tiana Hill, Grace Cox, Grace Wisnewski, Ashley Weld, Chelsea Elliott, Rylee Godbold.