Footballers at the Front: Elgar Hale
At around 4:30am on 25 April 1915, soldiers of the Australian Imperial Force began landing at what is now called Anzac Cove on the Gallipoli Peninsula. For the vast majority of the 16,000 Australians and New Zealanders who landed that day, it was their first experience of combat. By that evening, 2,000 of them had […]
State Under-16 Girls Crowned National Champions
Western Australia is celebrating its first Girls national title after the State Under-16s won the final of the 2026 Emerging Matildas Championships in Melbourne. Goals either side of half-time from Piper Dowe and Milla Butler secured a 2-0 victory over Victoria Blue and capped a memorable campaign for the team, who won all six of […]
Leticia McKenna Nets on Matilda’s Debut
Midfielder Leticia McKenna has got her senior international career off to a flying start by scoring in Australia’s 5-0 romp over Mawali at the FIFA Series in Kenya. The 23-year old became Matilda #243 when she came off the bench in the 78th minute as a replacement for Alex Chidiac, who put away Australia’s third […]
Franken vs Franken
Tony and Jordan Franken will be flying flags of different colours this evening when Australia squares off with China at Optus Stadium. The father and son pair find themselves in opposing corners with Tony a long-time member of the Matilda’s coaching team while Jordan is on staff with the Steel Roses, who just so happen […]
David Oldfield Recalls His Starring Role in the Manchester Derby
Perth-born David Oldfield was just 20 when he joined Manchester City from Luton Town in March 1989. An England Under-21 international forward, Oldfield was blessed with pace and an eye for goal and manager Mel Machin thought he’d be the perfect addition to his young, talented side. The Blues paid £600,000 for Oldfield who contributed […]
Superstars of Yesteryear: Alec Marr
“Not only is he agile as a cat and lithe as a panther, but in addition to being blessed with a solid frame, has also the heart of a lion,” is how the ‘Westralian Worker’ newspaper glowingly described Alexander ‘Sandy’ Marr, one of Western Australia’s finest ever goalkeepers. There were very few ‘keepers who could […]
Jacob Italiano Handed Socceroo’s Debut
Socceroo cap #653 belongs to Jacob Italiano after the Grazer AK defender made his full international debut in Australia’s 1-0 friendly defeat of Canada overnight. The 24-year old played the opening 57 minutes against the 2026 World Cup co-hosts, starting alongside fellow West Australians Alessandro Circati and Cameron Burgess in Montreal. “It’s every footballers dream […]
Alessandro Circati Grateful to Captain Socceroos
New Socceroos captain Alessandro Circati has expressed his gratitude over becoming the youngest national team captain in more than 40 years after helping his side to victory over New Zealand. The rising centre-back is the fourth West Australian to captain the Socceroos – after Ron Adair, Gary Marocchi and Trent Sainsbury – during the team’s […]
1950s Dream Team
The 1950s were a period of dramatic transformation for West Australian football. The pattern of immigration after World War II shifted from what had been predominantly an English and Scottish influx to one that included many southern Europeans escaping war-ravaged homelands. The outcome for West Australian football was a scene overflowing with players of exceptional […]
Fairytale Comes to an End for Nikita Rukavytsya
Socceroos striker Nikita Rukavytsya has announced his retirement from professional football. In a career spanning close to 17 years, the 37-year old former Perth Glory, Western Sydney Wanderers and Western United player took to social media to confirm he was hanging up the boots having been without a club since leaving Western United at the […]