From Cowra to 100 caps

Cowra football star Ellie Carpenter has added another remarkable chapter to her already historic career, becoming the one of the youngest players to reach 100 appearances for the Matildas. The milestone came last weekend and marks yet another achievement for the 26 year old fullback, whose football journey began on local fields in Cowra before taking her to some of the biggest clubs and stadiums in world football. For father Scott Carpenter, watching Ellie bring up her century of appearances for Australia has been both emotional and rewarding. “It was a great milestone for someone of her age joining into that sort of team at such a young age, and then sticking with it,” Mr Carpenter said. “Following her journey from the start of the A League into the NWSL in America, and then to France, and now to the English Premier League, is just outstanding growth." “So it’s been three exciting times for her and the family as well.” While Ellie’s rise to the top of women’s football may now seem inevitable, Scott said there was never any certainty that the “little blonde kid from Cowra” would go on to become one of Australia’s biggest sporting names. “She was always a different sort of kid on the field,” he said. “People would always comment." "She sort of stood out a fair bit, especially coming from the tiny little town like Cowra. “You’d go and play at Forbes and Parkes and Dubbo and Young, and there’s this little blonde kid with a ponytail running rings around boys.” “She was always noticeable." "So you thought she was going to be a great player, but obviously you wouldn’t have thought she was going to reach the heights that she has.” Ellie made her senior Matildas debut at just 15 years old, forcing her to quickly adapt to elite environments while still balancing school and life as a teenager. From a parent’s perspective, Scott said her path had not been without sacrifice. “She had to really grow up quickly,” he said. “As a 15 year old girl getting pulled into a very senior type of setting with women nearly twice her age in a team representing a country, that was a tough ask for anyone, let alone a 15 year old kid.” “She had to really sacrifice a lot and put herself out of her comfort zone to take on that sort of challenge.” At the same time, Ellie was still navigating school, friendships and everyday teenage life. “She was only in Year 10 at school and she was juggling school and football, trying to be a teenager in there as well,” Scott said. “There were a lot of sacrifices she had to make.” Those sacrifices included leaving home at a young age, relocating interstate and eventually moving overseas to pursue professional opportunities. Before turning 18, Ellie spent time in Norway due to international transfer rules, before moving through clubs in Canberra and Melbourne and later signing with the Portland Thorns in the United States on her 18th birthday. “That was a challenge in itself because she was the youngest ever player to play in the NWSL back then,” Scott said. “There was a lot of pressure for an 18 year old kid to go to America, where football is like a religion for women.” “But she just wanted to be better." "Whenever she goes somewhere, she strives to be the best.” Ellie later moved to French giants Olympique Lyonnais Féminin, where Scott said she immersed herself in both the culture and language. “When she went to Lyon, there was a language barrier,” he said. “She worked really hard to go into French lessons and she was accepted very quickly because she tried so hard to learn the language. For Scott, one of the most meaningful parts of Ellie’s success is what it represents for children growing up in Cowra. “I suppose it shows that it can be done,” he said. “Back then people would say you can’t play for Australia from Cowra, you can’t make it.” “She’s clearly proved all those people wrong.” He hopes young footballers training on local grounds can now dream bigger. “It’s good for a young kid to play at Col Stinson Park and know that one day she could be playing at Wembley or Stamford Bridge for Chelsea,” he said. “Or playing in a World Cup in front of 80,000 people." "It’s pretty exciting.” Scott said while Ellie’s determination had been central to her rise, the support of family, friends, teammates and coaches had also played an important role. “It’s never an easy task,” he said. “It starts from those early days and people showing faith in you and giving you an opportunity." “There’s no right recipe to becoming an Australian sporting superstar." "It stands in the individual and what happens in their journey along the way, but they need that support.”