.jpg) Simon playing at the2017 Algarve Cup | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kyah Pam Simon[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1991-06-25)25 June 1991 (age 33) | ||
| Place of birth | Blacktown, Australia | ||
| Height | 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Sydney FC | ||
| Number | 17 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2008–2009 | Central Coast Mariners | 9 | (5) |
| 2009–2013 | Sydney FC | 41 | (23) |
| 2012–2013 | Boston Breakers | 30 | (16) |
| 2013–2014 | Western Sydney Wanderers | 0 | (0) |
| 2014–2017 | Sydney FC | 27 | (12) |
| 2015–2016 | Boston Breakers | 23 | (3) |
| 2017–2020 | Melbourne City | 31 | (10) |
| 2018–2019 | Houston Dash | 25 | (4) |
| 2020–2021 | PSV | 7 | (2) |
| 2021–2023 | Tottenham Hotspur | 14 | (3) |
| 2023–2024 | Central Coast Mariners | 12 | (3) |
| 2024– | Sydney FC | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2008–2009 | Australia U-20 | 15 | (10) |
| 2007– | Australia | 111 | (29) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 28 May 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 12 April 2022 | |||
Kyah Pam Simon (born 25 June 1991) is an Australian professionalsoccer player who plays as astriker forSydney FC of theA-League Women. In 2011, Simon became the firstIndigenous Australian player to score a goal in aFIFA Women's World Cup.
Simon has played forSydney FC,Central Coast Mariners,Western Sydney Wanderers, andMelbourne City in the AustralianA-League Women, as well asBoston Breakers andHouston Dash in the AmericanNational Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
Kyah Pam Simon,[1] who is ofAboriginal Australian descent,[2] was born on 25 June 1991[1] in thewestern suburbs of Sydney inNew South Wales, one of four children. Her mother, Pam, is of theAnaiwan people, while her father, Gordon, is of theBiripi andKamilaroi peoples. The family moved toQuakers Hill when she was a year old and she attended school atPacific Hills Christian School, with her siblings. She only later realised what enormous sacrifices her parents had made for their children to attend private school, and to support her career.[3] She later attendedHills Sports High School, whereAlen Stajcic (later coach of the Matildas) was head coach.[4]
Growing up amongst a family ofrugby league players, Simon was introduced to soccer by her neighbors,[3] and began playing for the Quakers Hill under-8s and fell in love with the game. As a youth, she played for theHills Brumbies before moving across toPenrith Nepean United. At age 15, she broke her leg just on the verge of earning a scholarship with theNSW Institute of Sport, but that did not deter her from pursuing her dream. She made her national debut for theAustralia women's national soccer team the following year at age 16.[5][6]
Simon made her debut for theCentral Coast Mariners againstMelbourne Victory on Saturday, 25 October 2008. Simon then made her scoring debut during Round 3 againstCanberra United, scoring a double to assist the Mariners to a 2–1 win away from home.[citation needed]
Simon joinedSydney FC for the2009 W-League Season, playing in the first round against former club theCentral Coast Mariners.[7][8]
She was the top scorer in the2010–11 W-League with 11 goals in 12 games. She also earned Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year and Players Player of the Year honours.[9]
In April 2012, Simon signed with theBoston Breakers for the first and only season of theWomen's Premier Soccer League Elite (WPSL Elite). She finished the season as the team's leading scorer with 12 goals and 26 points. She also ranked second in the league in the same categories. Simon logged 1,052 minutes with the Breakers and finished with twoassists.[6]
In 2013, Simon signed as a free agent with the Breakers for the inaugural season of theNational Women's Soccer League.[10][11]
In September 2013, Simon signed withWestern Sydney Wanderers.[12]
After being injured for most of the 2013–14 season and hardly playing, Simon returned to Sydney FC for the 2014 season.[13]
On 30 June 2015, after leading theAustralia women's national soccer team to a quarter-final of the2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, the Boston Breakers announced the signing of Simon, returning her to theNational Women's Soccer League.[14]
In January 2017, citing a need to "get my mind and body back to 100 percent health and fitness, and be ready for the next season",[15] it was announced that Simon would not return to the Boston Breakers for the 2017 season. The Breakers retained the rights to her contract for the 2017 season.[16]
On 6 October 2017, Simon returned to Australia, joiningMelbourne City.[17]
After the Breakers folded ahead of the 2018 NWSL season, the NWSL held a dispersal draft to distribute Breakers players across the league. Her rights were selected 6th overall by Houston.[18] On 28 February, the Dash announced they signed Simon to a contract.[19] She made her debut for the Dash on 28 April against theNorth Carolina Courage in a 2–0 loss. Simon scored her first goal of the season in a 1–1 draw against thePortland Thorns FC on 9 May.[20] Following the 2019 NWSL season, the Dash and Kyah came to a mutual agreement to depart the club, placing her on the re-entry wire.[21]
In October 2023, Simon re-signed withCentral Coast Mariners.[22] On 28 January 2024, Simon made her first appearance of the season as a 83rd minute substitute in a 2–0 win overNewcastle Jets. This was Simon's first match after 480 days, after spending a lengthy period of time out due to injury.[23] In August 2024, the club announced her departure.[24]
In September 2024, Simon returned to former clubSydney FC, signing for the2024–25 A-League Women season.[25]
Simon made her debut for theMatildas in August 2007, at the age of 16, in a match against Hong Kong. She scored her first goal in a win over Brazil in the2008 Peace Cup. In 2010, she scored the winning penalty for Australia to win the2010 Asian Cup.[6]
Simon appeared at the2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, where she scored both of Australia's goals in a 2–1 win overNorway to ensure qualification for the quarter finals. She was the first male or femaleIndigenous Australian player to score a goal in a World Cup tournament.[6][26]
During the2015 FIFA Women's World Cup round of 16 match against higher ranked Brazil, Simon slotted in the winning goal on a rebound after an initial attempt byLisa De Vanna bounced off the Brazilian goalkeeper Luciana. The Matildas qualified for a historic quarter-final match after the 1–0 win against Brazil, however were knocked out by Japan in the quarterfinal. Simon played each of Australia's 5 matches and scored 3 goals, including both goals in a 2–0 win against Nigeria in group stage.
During the2020 Tokyo Olympics, Simon became the ninth Matilda and firstIndigenous Australian player to reach 100 caps.[27] TheMatildas qualified for the quarter-finals and beat Great Britain before being eliminated in the semi-final with Sweden. In the playoff for the Bronze medal they were beaten by the USA.[28]
Simon has learnt about the hardships and discrimination endured by her grandparents' families, which gave her new appreciation for what her family has given her. She has said "...every time I pull on the Matildas jersey, it's for my family. As I see it, the jersey is as much theirs as mine".[3]
She is proud of her Aboriginal heritage, and appreciatessocial media for the role it plays in helping to "change that conversation [about what it means to be Aboriginal] and open people's eyes to get different perspectives". Simon was instrumental in the Matildas' decision to display theAboriginal flag in the team photo for their first game of theTokyo Olympics, as a uniquely Australian gesture, rather thantaking the knee in solidarity with theBlack Lives Matter movement.[2] She has joinedFootball Australia's inauguralNational Indigenous Advisory Group[29] to help foster engagement between the game and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.[2]
In 2013, Simon was featured in an hour-long episode of ESPN'sAussies Abroad entitled,The Matildas, which profiled four Australian national team players (Simon,Lisa De Vanna,Samantha Kerr, andCaitlin Foord) and their experience playing internationally.[30][31]
Simon was also one of the subjects, the other beingLydia Williams, of a football documentary titledNo Apologies by filmmakerAshley Morrison. This documentary tells the story of the two Aboriginal female footballers and their journey to theWomen's World Cup in Germany in 2011.[32]
In June 2011, Simon was on the cover of theAustralian FourFourTwo Magazine along with fellowMatildasMelissa Barbieri,Sam Kerr,Thea Slatyer andSarah Walsh.[33]
Simon is in a relationship withFaye Bryson.[34] Her cousin,Gema Simon, was also an Australian international footballer.[35][36]
| Australia national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2007 | 1 | 0 |
| 2008 | 11 | 1 |
| 2009 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | 10 | 1 |
| 2011 | 11 | 5 |
| 2012 | 7 | 4 |
| 2013 | 2 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | 18 | 5 |
| 2016 | 12 | 5 |
| 2017 | 6 | 2 |
| 2018 | 9 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 5 | 2 |
| 2021 | 13 | 1 |
| 2022 | 6 | 2 |
| Total | 111 | 29 |
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