Melissa Barbieri

Named Captain of the Westfield Matildas in January 2010, Melissa is the second most capped Goal Keeper in Australian Women’s Football.  Melissa started playing football at the age of eight in an all boys team in Melbourne, she was then banned from playing the year after but  returned to the sport at 14. Melissa was an established field player  after making the Australian Train On Squad as a 16 year old. In 2000 as a 20 year old, Melissa was overcome by an undiagnosed back injury that  surgeons said could not be fixed, they also told her that she was no  longer able to play football because of the running involved.

Melissa  didn’t approve of that idea so she decided to stop running and become a  goal keeper. After one year of goal keeping Melissa made the Australian team and in 2002 debuted with a clean sheet in Canada, against Canada.  Melissa has strong communication and attributes her ability to read the  game to playing on the field for so many years.   Melissa helped the Matildas to Win the Asia Cup in 2010. She has also represented her country 86 times – 4 World Cups and 1 Olympic Games.

Recently returned to playing after having her first child Holly and was the  recipient of the coveted Goal Keeper of the Year award in 2008/09 and 2013/14.

Melissa currently plays for Melbourne City in the Ninja A League and has been playing professionally for a record number of 28 years.