_(cropped).jpg) Catley playing for Melbourne City in 2015 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Stephanie-Elise Catley[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1994-01-26)26 January 1994 (age 31)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Melbourne,Victoria, Australia | ||
| Height | 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Left-back,Centre-back, | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Arsenal | ||
| Number | 7 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2000–2007 | East Bentleigh | ||
| 2007–2009 | Sandringham | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2009–2014 | Melbourne Victory | 51 | (7) |
| 2014–2015 | Portland Thorns FC | 18 | (0) |
| 2014–2015 | →Melbourne Victory (loan) | 13 | (2) |
| 2015–2020 | →Melbourne City (loan) | 62 | (3) |
| 2016–2017 | Orlando Pride | 35 | (1) |
| 2018–2019 | Reign FC | 33 | (0) |
| 2020– | Arsenal | 77 | (3) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2008–2009 | Australia U17 | 12 | (0) |
| 2011–2014 | Australia U20 | 5 | (0) |
| 2012– | Australia | 135 | (7) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22 March 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 27 February 2025 | |||
Stephanie-Elise Catley (born 26 January 1994) is an Australian professionalsoccer player who plays as adefender forWomen's Super League clubArsenal and theAustralia national team.[3][4] She can play in many positions in defence, such asleft-back,centre-back orsweeper.
She previously played forReign FC,Orlando Pride andPortland Thorns FC in the AmericanNational Women's Soccer League (NWSL) as well asMelbourne Victory andMelbourne City in the AustralianW-League.
Catley was namedPFA Women's Player of the Year in 2020. She was awarded the W-League's Young Player of the Year for the 2012–13 season and the Female U20 Footballer of the Year byFootball Federation Australia in 2012 and 2013.
Born and raised in Melbourne by her parents Lesley and Stephen, Catley joined her first soccer team at age six. She was the only girl in the East Bentleigh FC squad, the same team her older brother Daniel had played on,[5] and described herself as atomboy growing up.[6] She noted, "I fell in love with the game and with the idea of making myself the best footballer that I could be. I trained by myself, with my brother and with the other boys in the team until I made my first representative team."[7] At age 13, she started playing for Sandringham, one of the largest soccer clubs in Victoria.[5] When she was 15, Catley made her first state team and was chosen for theunder-17 national team.[7]
A talented youngster who played for the South East Cougars inFootball Federation Victoria's Victorian Champions League program, Catley made her senior debut withMelbourne Victory at a young age, playing against Perth Glory at only fifteen years of age in October 2009. Originally used as a midfielder, Catley was a key figure at her club and scored her first goal in her second season three days before her birthday in January 2011, again against Perth Glory. Following a switch to defence for the 2011/12 season, Catley had her most impressive season to date and was named Female Footballer of the Year.[8] She later became captain of the Victory, making 51 appearances, scoring 7 goals in her first 5 years playing for the club.[3]
Catley signed withPortland Thorns in the United States'National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) for the2014 season.[9] Catley made 14 starts in 15 matches as a defender during the2014 season.[10] Portland finished in third place with a10–8–6 record.[11] The third-place finish earned the team a berth to the semi-finals where the Thorns were defeated 2–0 by eventual championsFC Kansas City.[12] Catley was named to the league'sSecond XI team at the end of the season for her five assists.[13]
During the2015 season, Catley played in three games for the Thorns as much of her time was usurped by the2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.[10][14][15] Portland finished in sixth place with a6–9–5 record.[10]
During the NWSL offseason, Catley signed a loan agreement to return to her original club, the Melbourne Victory, for the2014 W-League season. She was captain and a starting defender in all 13 games she played helping Victory finish in second place during the regular season with a6–4–2 record.[16] Catley scored a goal against Canberra on 28 September lifting Melbourne Victory to a 4–2 win.[17] She scored her second goal of the season during a 3–0 win over Western Sydney Wanderers on 9 November.[18] After advancing to the semifinals, Melbourne Victory was defeated by eventual champions, Canberra United, in a penalty kick shootout.[19]
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On 17 September 2015, newly createdMelbourne City announced they had signed Catley on a loan agreement for the2015–16W-League season.[4] Catley was a starting defender in all 13 matches she played.[10] Melbourne City finished in first place during their inaugural season with an undefeated12–0–0 record.[20] During the semifinal match on 25 January 2016, Catley scored the fourth penalty for Melbourne City in a penalty shootout win against theBrisbane Roar earning a berth to the2016 W-League Grand Final.[21] Melbourne City won the Grand Final 4–1 against Sydney FC.[22]
On 10 December 2015, Portland Thorns announced they had traded Catley to expansion teamOrlando Pride in exchange for goalkeeperAdrianna Franch and a 3rd round pick (#21) in the2016 NWSL College Draft, which was used to selectArizona State Sun Devils defenderMcKenzie Berryhill.[23] Catley scored Orlando's first-ever goal in the NWSL on 21 April 2016, which was subsequently voted by fans as the NWSL Goal of the Week.[24][25] She was a starting defender in all eleven games that she played.[10] The Pride finished theirinaugural season in ninth place with a6–13–1 record.[26]
Catley returned to the Pride for the2017 season. She was a starting defender in all 24 games recording 2,120 minutes on the pitch. During a match against Houston Dash, Catley's last-minute goal-line clearance was votedNWSL Save of the Week for Week 10.[27] Orlando climbed the league ladder to a third-place finish during the regular season earning a berth to their firstNWSL Playoffs.[10] Orlando was defeated by the Portland Thorns 4–1 in the semi-final.[28] Catley was named to theNWSL Second XI team and nominated forDefender of the Year after the season.[29][30]
Catley signed two other loan agreements with Melbourne City for the2016–17 W-League and2017–18 W-League seasons. Upon returning to Australia, Catley was named captain of the reigning league champions, Melbourne City.[31] City went on to be Grand Final Champions in both these campaigns.[10] During the2016–17 season, Catley captained the team as the starting left-back defender in all 14 games of the regular season.[10] She scored a goal in the 74th minute of a 3–0 win over Melbourne Victory on 27 November 2016.[32] Melbourne City finished in fourth place during the regular season with a6–4–2 record and earned a berth to the Final Stages.[33] After defeating Canberra United 1–0 in extra time during the semi-final with Catley playing every minute, Melbourne City advanced to the2017 W-League Grand Final where they faced Perth Glory and won the Championship 2–0 for the second consecutive time — a first for any club in the league.[34] Catley was named to the2016/17 W-League Team of the Season byProfessional Footballers Australia (PFA).[35]
2017–18 season, Catley was the starting left-back for all 14 matches.[10] Melbourne City finished in fourth place during the regular season with a6–4–2 record mirroring their previous season.[36] Catley celebrated her 100th W-League appearance with a 1–0 shutout against Western Sydney Wanderers in January. She also assisted onJess Fishlock's game-winning goal during the match.[37] Catley led the defense to shut out Brisbane Roar in a 2–0 semi-final win.[38] Advancing to the2018 W-League Grand Final, Catley was described byESPN as one of Australia's best defenders along with teammateAlanna Kennedy.[39] Catley captained the squad to a 2–0 shutout against league premiers, Sydney FC, entering the record books as the only W-League team to win three consecutive Grand Final championships.[40] Catley was named to the2017–18 W-League Team of the Season by the PFA.[41]
Prior to the2018 NWSL season, Catley was traded toReign FC in exchange forChristine Nairn andCarson Pickett.[42] During the 2018 season, Catley was a starting defender in the 17 matches in which she played.[10] The Reign finished the regular season in third place with a11–5–8 record earning a berth to theNWSL Playoffs.[43] Catley played every minute of the team's 2–1 loss to Portland in the semi-finals.[44]
Following her first season with the Reign, Catley underwent knee surgery after she was injured in a friendly international match in February 2019. Despite missing the beginning of the2019 NWSL season and competing at the2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France, Catley made 16 appearances for the Reign securing a fourth-place finish during the regular season.[45] After advancing to theNWSL Playoffs, the Reign were defeated by reigning champions North Carolina Courage 4–1.[46]
In May 2020, Catley announced her departure from the Reign. She added, "As an athlete you're always trying to push yourself to be better. I've been in the NWSL for the past 7 years and the league had made me the player I am today. However, I believe now is the right time to move onto the next chapter and challenge myself in a different environment. No matter where I am or who I'm playing for, I will always be OL Reign's biggest supporter."[47]
"It's an absolutely incredible feeling and very unexpected, especially being nominated alongside Sam [Kerr] and Emily [Van Egmond] who have both had incredible seasons. It's very humbling and there's no better award then being recognised by your teammates; that definitely hits home and it's a proud moment for me for sure."
After undergoing minor knee surgery in October 2018 to fix a lingering issue,[49] Catley returned to Australia and played for Melbourne City in the2018–19 W-League season. She made seven appearances and scored one goal.[10] Melbourne City dropped for the first time to a fifth-place finish during the regular season.[50] Catley was named to the2018–19 W-League Team of the Season by the PFA for the third consecutive time.[51]
Catley returned to Melbourne City for the2019–20 season and started in every match.[10] Melbourne City won the premiership after finishing first in the regular season with an undefeated11–0–1 record.[52] During the2020 W-League Grand Final, Catley scored the game-winning goal against Sydney FC in the team's 1–0 win.[53] The win marked the fourth championship in five years for the club and Catley was named Player of the Match.[54] Following the season, Catley was named to the2019–20 W-League Team of the Season by the PFA for the fourth consecutive time.[55] She was also namedPFA Women's Footballer of the Year.[56]
In July 2020, Catley signed withArsenal for the2020–21 FA WSL season.[57] Arsenal manager,Joe Montemurro said of the signing, "she suits our fluidity and she's very good in a positional sense, but more importantly she's very effective going forward, so we're excited to have her as part of the squad and we're looking forward to some exciting times together."[58] Catley made her debut for the club during the club's 6–1 win overReading F.C. on 6 September.[59] In May 2022, Catley signed a new contract with the club.[60]
Following the teams 2023 champions league semi-final exit, Catley said that the setbacks are what brings the team closer together.[61] In June 2023, Catley signed a new contract with Arsenal.[62]
Having spent years playing in the youth teams of Australia, Catley made her international senior debut againstNew Zealand in June 2012, along with her childhood friendAshley Brown.[63] Catley made 32 appearances for theMatildas leading into her first World Cup campaign.[3]
In the summer of 2015 at age 21, Catley competed with the Matildas at the2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada.[64] During the tournament, Catley played every minute of all five of Australia's matches in the left back position, tallying a total of 450 minutes. She made eight tackles and won them all. Catley also made 12 interceptions and won 13 duels. Her passing accuracy was measured at 72.4%.[3] The Matildas lost 3–1 to theUnited States during their first group stage match.[65] Catley helped holdNigeria to a 2–0 shutout in the team's second group stage match[66] and a 1–1 draw against Sweden.[67] Australia finished second in the "Group of Death"[68] and advanced to the Round of 16 where they faced Brazil and won 1–0 as the underdog team.[69] The Matildas faced 2011 champions,Japan in the quarterfinals and narrowly lost 1–0 after Japan scored a last–minute goal in the 87th minute.[70]
After qualifying for the2016 Rio Olympics in Japan, the Matildas faced Canada in their first group stage match and lost 2–0 with Catley subbing in forSam Kerr at halftime.[71][72] The team tied their next group stage match againstGermany 2–2.[73] After defeatingZimbabwe 6–1, the team finished third inGroup F and top ranking in the third place teams advancing to the knockout stage. During their "thrilling" quarterfinal match against Brazil, the defense kept Brazil to a 0–0 draw, but the Matildas were ultimately edged out 7–6 during the shootout and knocked out of the competition.[74] Catley competed in all four games for the Matildas making three starts.
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Catley competed at the2017 Algarve Cup and2017 Tournament of Nations. In 2018, Catley she helped the Matildas to a fourth-place finish at the2018 Algarve Cup, a second place win at the2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup and2019 Algarve Cup and their first place win at the2017 Tournament of Nations.[citation needed]
On 14 May 2019, Catley was named vice-captain for the Matildas squad for the2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France.[75] Catley played as a centre defender during the tournament — her second World Cup selection —covering for injured playersClare Polkinghorne andLaura Alleway.[76][77] During the team's first group stage match againstItaly, a late Italian goal in the fifth minute of extratime resulted in a 2–1 surprising loss for the Matildas.[78] They faced rivals Brazil next and won 3–2.[79] Catley broke her hand during Australia's 4–1 overJamaica, though continued to play through the tournament.[76]
Australia finished second inGroup C and advanced to the Round of 16 where they faced Norway. After a 1–1 tie, Norway won 4–1 in penalties and the Matildas were knocked out of the tournament.[80] On the loss, Catley said, "This team had high expectations and goals coming into this tournament. To go out this way, it was pretty rough, and I haven't really wrapped my head around it. It doesn't really feel like we're out. (But) it's a very strong group and as you can see in the way that we play, we never doubt what we can do or think that we can win, so taking that, being more clinical and doing all the little things right, we're going to be fine."[76]
Catley was selected for the Australianwomen's footballMatildas soccer team which qualified for theTokyo 2020 Olympics. The Matildas advanced to the quarter-finals with one victory and a draw in the group play. In the quarter-finals they beatGreat Britain 4–3 after extra time. However, they lost 1–0 toSweden in the semi-final and were then beaten 4–3 in the bronze medal playoff by USA.[81] On 30 January 2022, she played her 100th match for Australia in a 1–0 defeat againstSouth Korea in the2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup quarter-finals.[82]
On 3 July 2023, Catley was once again named vice-captain of the Matildas for the2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.[83]Catley scored the winner in the opening game against Ireland. It was a penalty which was the only goal of the game.[84] She scored the final goal in Australia's 4-0 win over Canada, once again via a penalty.[85]
On 4 June 2024, Catley was named in the Matildas team which qualified for theParis 2024 Olympics, her third Olympic games selection.[86]
On 31 January 2023, Catley announced that she was engaged to her long-time partnerDean Bouzanis.[87] The couple split in 2024.
Catley is a fan of theSt Kilda Saints in theAustralian Football League (AFL). Her favourite player of all time isLenny Hayes,[88] who she met and did ajersey swap with in July 2023.[89] As a child, she supportedLiverpool in thePremier League.[90]
According to Matildas teammateMackenzie Arnold, her favourite song is reportedly "Strawberry Kisses" byNikki Webster. Arnold revealed in 2023 that the song was a "team favourite" during the2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, held in Australia and New Zealand.[91] This led to the song becoming associated with the team, even being described as the Matildas' unofficial team song,[92] and after the World Cup ended, Webster surprised the team and audience by performing the song at the Matildas' public reception atRiverstage inBrisbane.[93]
Catley appeared on the cover of the Australian edition ofFIFA 16, alongside global cover-starLionel Messi, as well as compatriotTim Cahill, making her one of the first women to feature on the cover of an EA Sports video game.[94][95][96] She has been featured in each annual edition of the game along with her national teammates since.[97] In 2016, she was the Guest Quiz Master on the fifth episode of the fourth season of the Australian game show,Have You Been Paying Attention?.[98]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Continental[c] | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Melbourne Victory | 2009 | W-League | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | |||
| 2010–11 | 10 | 3 | — | — | — | 10 | 3 | |||||
| 2011–12 | 10 | 0 | — | — | — | 10 | 0 | |||||
| 2012–13 | 12 | 3 | — | — | — | 12 | 3 | |||||
| 2013–14 | 14 | 1 | — | — | — | 14 | 1 | |||||
| 2014 | 13 | 2 | — | — | — | 13 | 2 | |||||
| Total | 64 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 64 | 9 | ||
| Portland Thorns | 2014 | NWSL | 15 | 0 | — | — | — | 15 | 0 | |||
| 2015 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | ||
| Melbourne City | 2015–16 | W-League | 13 | 0 | — | — | — | 13 | 0 | |||
| 2016–17 | 14 | 1 | — | — | — | 14 | 1 | |||||
| 2017–18 | 14 | 0 | — | — | — | 14 | 0 | |||||
| 2018–19 | 7 | 1 | — | — | — | 7 | 1 | |||||
| 2019–20 | 14 | 1 | — | — | — | 14 | 1 | |||||
| Total | 62 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 62 | 3 | ||
| Orlando Pride | 2016 | NWSL | 11 | 1 | — | — | — | 11 | 1 | |||
| 2017 | 24 | 0 | — | — | — | 24 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 35 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 1 | ||
| OL Reign | 2018 | NWSL | 17 | 0 | — | — | — | 17 | 0 | |||
| 2019 | 16 | 0 | — | — | — | 16 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 0 | ||
| Arsenal | 2020–21 | WSL | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 2021–22 | 18 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 32 | 2 | ||
| 2022–23 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 32 | 1 | ||
| 2023–24 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 1 | ||
| 2024–25 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 23 | 0 | ||
| Total | 77 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 31 | 1 | 126 | 4 | ||
| Career total | 289 | 16 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 31 | 1 | 338 | 17 | ||
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 November 2012 | Bao'an Stadium,Shenzhen, China |  Hong Kong | 4–0 | 4–0 | 2013 EAFF Women's East Asian Cup qualifying |
| 2 | 19 May 2015 | Valentine Sports Park,Sydney, Australia |  Vietnam | 1–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 3 | 7 February 2020 | Campbelltown Stadium, Sydney, Australia |  Chinese Taipei | 3–0 | 7–0 | 2020 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament |
| 4 | 20 July 2023 | Stadium Australia, Sydney, Australia |  Republic of Ireland | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup |
| 5 | 31 July 2023 | Melbourne Rectangular Stadium,Melbourne, Australia |  Canada | 4–0 | 4–0 | |
| 6 | 28 July 2024 | Stade de Nice,Nice,France |  Zambia | 4–5 | 6–5 | 2024 Summer Olympics |
| 7 | 5–5 |
Melbourne Victory
Melbourne City FC
Arsenal
Australia
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