Stories - Game Changers

From the red dirt of Kalgoorlie to the international soccer stage, Matildas player Lydia Williams is a proud Nyungar woman who has now been inducted into the Aboriginal and Islander Sports Hall of Fame.

Tracey Wheeler made her international goalkeeping debut against New Zealand in 1989, and has played 55 international matches for the Australian women’s team, including three games at the 2000 Olympics.

Katelyn is an award-winning goalkeeper for the ParaMatildas, Australia’s first national team for women and girls with cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury and symptoms of stroke.

Growing up in Margaret River and not initially taking soccer seriously as a career, Tash took an unusual route to becoming captain of Perth Glory women’s team, replacing Sam Kerr in 2019.

Sports journalist Ann Odong travels with the national Matildas team and is Digital Content Project Manager for Football Federation Australia. Growing up in Perth as a Ugandan refugee, Ann connected with other kids through a shared passion for soccer.

Jaime is a trans woman, soccer player and committee member for the South Perth Pride Football Club, an inclusive soccer club for players of all different backgrounds, races, ages, abilities and sexualities.

Soccer runs through the Brooking family’s veins. After migrating from Zimbabwe to Perth, Thembi started out playing soccer where there was less opportunity for young girls to play. Now, her daughter Ischia is playing at an elite level with the Junior Matildas.

Marilyn has the great honour of being the first West Australian female referee to crash into the male-dominated game in the late 1970’s. In 1992, she was the first woman to run the line in a national men’s soccer league game.

Mikayla is currently completing her PhD studies at Notre Dame University in gender equity in soccer, working as a strength and conditioning coach for Fremantle Dockers in the AFLW, and as a mentor for young girls in soccer.