Tokyo 2020 Olympic Roster: Introducing the forwards

The groups have been drawn, the matches set, and now Australia has a squad for Tokyo!

With kick-off in the first game against New Zealand just around the corner it's time to meet the team that will be representing Australia. 

Last but not least, the players up top: the forwards!

Sam Kerr 

Australia's captain will lead her country in her second consecutive Olympics when the team takes to the field in Tokyo. After injury interrupted her lead up to Rio 2016, Kerr enters this tournament off the back of some fine form for her club side. 

Domestically, Kerr helped her Chelsea to back-to-back league titles earning the golden boot along the way. She scored a hat trick in the Conti Cup final to secure the Blues more silverware and made it to a UEFA Women's Champions League final. 

Kerr in action


The second most prolific Matildas goal scorer, Kerr has gone from debuting at 15 against Italy to scoring goals at the AFC Women's Asian Cup, FIFA Women's World Cup and of course the Olympics.  

Follow Sam: Instagram/Twitter

Hayley Raso

It will be an Olympic debut for Hayley Raso in Tokyo. After missing out on Rio 2016, Raso has gone through a rollercoaster of emotions. Injury setbacks have seen her come back bigger and better and she has since made her FIFA Women's World Cup debut and played a role for club and country. 


Raso spent the 2020-21 season with FA WSL side Everton, scoring five goals in 22 appearances in the league. The 26-year-old has been successful across continents, winning W-League trophies with her hometown club, Brisbane Roar, as well as Canberra United and with the Portland Thorns in the NWSL. 

The speedy winger recently made her 50th appearance for the national team and she is sure to terrorise defences in Japan with her attacking prowess. 

Follow Hayley: Instagram/Twitter

Caitlin Foord 

Having debuted for the national team a decade ago, Caitlin Foord is adding another Olympics to her resume. At only 26 years old, Foord has already been to three FIFA Women's World Cups, two AFC Women's Asian Cups, and Rio 2016. 

Foord's football career began as a junior for the Warilla Wanderers in the Illawarra region of New South Wales and the game has since taken her around the world. She's won multiple titles with Sydney FC in the W-League, plied her trade in the NWSL with Portland, and had a stint in Japan with Vegalta Sendai Ladies. 


A former AFC Asian Women's Player of the Year winner, Foord spent 2020-21 with Arsenal in the FA WSL and impressed. Her versatility up forward was on full display and she contributed 10 goals in 21 league appearances. 

Follow Caitlin: Instagram/Twitter

Emily Gielnik

After going to Rio in 2016 as an alternate, Emily Gielnik is heading to Tokyo a fully fledged member of the squad. Gielnik debuted against Japan back in 2012 and has represented Australia at an AFC Women's Asian Cup and a FIFA Women's World Cup.  

 

Gielnik started with another Olympic sport - basketball - however injuries at age 12 and encouragement from her parents saw her try football. Playing her junior football at Redlands United, Gielnik has gone on to enjoy success at Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory in the W-League. 

She's also spent time in Japan, Germany, and Scandinavia where she is currently playing for Vittsjö GIK in Sweden's Damallsvenskan. With 10 goals in 41 national team appearances, the 29-year-old can make an impact up forward in Tokyo. 

Follow Emily: Instagram/Twitter

Kyah Simon 

Kyah Simon is off to her second Olympic Games. From playing her junior football in Western Sydney, Simon has gone on to create history. She was the first Indigenous Australian to score at a FIFA World Cup - men's or women's.

She scored the winning penalty at the 2010 AFC Women's Asian Cup, and scored the goal which saw Australia win its first knockout game at a senior FIFA World Cup. 


Injuries plagued her most recent club season but she found the back of the net twice for PSV in the Eredivisie Vrouwen from seven league appearances. The 30-year-old can play in multiple attacking positions and has used that versatility to claim four W-League championships and a Julie Dolan medal. 

Follow Kyah: Instagram/Twitter

Mary Fowler 

The youngest member of the Matildas' Olympic squad, Mary Fowler is off to her first Games. Olympic selection is a dream come true for Fowler who has wanted to be an Olympian since she was a child.

READ: Tokyo 2020 a childhood goal ticked off for Mary Fowler

She has represented Australia at youth international level and made her senior debut against Brazil at the 2018 Tournament of Nations. A season with Adelaide United in the W-League was followed by a move to France and Montpellier HSC. In the most recent Division 1 Féminine season, Fowler scored five goals in 22 appearances. 

Named in ESPN FC's 21 under 21, the 18-year-old has speed and creativity which opposition defenders will need to try and nullify. 

Follow Mary: Instagram