Historic double for Ellie Carpenter at PFA Awards

In an historic first, Ellie Carpenter has won both the PFA’s Women’s Footballer of the Year and Women’s Young Footballer of the Year awards.

The Commonwealth Bank Matilda has had a stellar year which has now also been recognised by her peers.

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The 21-year-old beat out Sam Kerr, Michelle Heyman, and Dylan Holmes for the top gong and came out on top ahead of Mary Fowler, Kyra Cooney-Cross, and Courtney Nevin for the young footballer award.

“To be honest, it feels pretty amazing,” Carpenter said from Lyon where she is back preparing for the new French season with her side, Olympique Lyonnais.

“I'm very proud to be awarded these awards. I think for me, it also goes to show that it's not just me, it's also the teams that I've been playing in as well.

"Credit to every girl on the Matildas team and also my Lyon team here, they've pushed me to be the best that I can be.”


“It does feel a bit surreal," she continued when asked about the gravity of taking out both categories.

"I don't think it's really hit me quite yet, but of course there are so many great footballers in Australia and any girl on our team could've won this award. I think everyone had such a great year.”

Carpenter is the only woman to have been nominated for both awards simultaneously. However, it is not her first PFA award having claimed the Women’s Young Footballer of the Year award in 2020.

She now joins Alex Chidiac as a two-time winner of that award.

She also joins Steph Catley, Sam Kerr, Lydia Williams, Katrina Gorry, Elise Kellond-Knight, and Servet Uzunlar as a PFA Women’s Footballer of the Year winner.

This recognition comes off the back of Carpenter’s strong campaigns both domestically and internationally. During the award period - from July 2020 to June 31, 2021 – the defender played in several competitions in France and across Europe for Lyon while also contributing to the Commonwealth Bank Matildas' return to football earlier in 2021.

Her move to Lyon in mid-2020 signalled that she was not only ready to go to the next level in her football but that her rising star was being noticed beyond Australian shores.

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“I think my move to Lyon really helped me even that was so hard to learn a foreign language and pretty much be thrown in the deep end, I think it really got the best out of me, on the field, and off the field as well,” Carpenter explained.

“Obviously training with the best players in the world here, week in and week out and gaining experience has really helped.

"I think I've improved over the 12 months of just being here, so I'm really excited to see how much more I can improve over the next few years."

For all the benefits, there have still been some challenges, chief among them the pandemic.

Carpenter is one of several Commonwealth Bank Matildas abroad who hasn’t seen their families in months.

Ellie Carpenter playing against PSG


“It's been challenging not being home for over a year and a half, but I think you just keep telling yourself that you're doing a job and you love your job," she shared. 

"Everyone's in the same boat as me, we haven't been home for so long, but we just keep working at it.”

Carpenter has credited Lyon with teaching her more about having a winning mentality and bringing 100% to every session no matter how small. While the intensity surprised her at first, it is now second nature.

The defender is also transferring that attitude into the national team – and to great effect.

“I try and bring that winning mentality into the Australian team.

"During our Olympic campaign, I think I really brought that energy and a new sense of, 'let's go, we've got to bring the intensity every session.'

"The learning experiences here and bringing them into the national team is important for me to try and do everything that I can to help us win and be the best team in the world.”

In addition to these awards, Carpenter has also been voted Asia’s Choice for Best Women’s Player of 2020, made her way into the French Team of the Season and was recognised as one of ESPN FC’s 21 under 21.


Outside of awards, Carpenter also brought up her 50th cap during the Olympics and became the second-youngest Matilda to reach the milestone, behind Lisa Casagrande, at 21 years and 96 days old.

While she is still often one of the youngest members of any given squad, she’s also been in the senior national team now for five years, making her a leader, albeit a young one.

“Yeah, it's kind of weird to say that," she said of becoming a leader. 

"Obviously, I'm quite young still, but I do feel like I am a little bit of a leader off the pitch and on the pitch as well.

“In the Olympic tournament, I played more as a central defender and there I can see more of the pitch and I felt myself talking more than I ever have during a tournament," she continued.

“I'm happy to take on that leadership role a little bit and if I can do something that's going to help us win or just help a player do their job, that goes a long way. It's nice to feel that sense of maturity in that role as well.

"Whatever will help the team, I'll do it.”