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Elise Kellond-Knight

Elise Kellond-Knight

Age

33

Place of Birth

QLD

Hometown

Gold Coast

Junior Club

Runaway Bay Hawks

Senior Club

Washington Spirit

Coach

Richie Burke

Olympic History

Rio 2016

Tokyo 2020

Career Events

Football Womens 12-team Tournament

 

Elise's Story

Fast Facts

Sport: Football
Event: Women's
Olympic History: Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020
Highlights: 3x World Cups, Dual Olympian, 100+ caps for the Matildas
Year Born: 1990
State Born: QLD

About Elise

Elise Kellond-Knight started football as a four-year-old after watching her brother play the sport. The Queenslander grew up playing with the Runaway Bay Hawks on the Gold Coast and quickly developed into one of Australia's top players.

In 2009 Elise was awarded the W-League's Young Player of the Year. At the time she was playing for the Brisbane Roar, who she was signed with from 2008 to 2015.

Elise played in her first FIFA World Cup in 2011 where Australia made it to the quarter-finals. Her second World Cup appearance in 2015 also produced another quarter-finals appearance, where they were ultimately knocked out of the competition by Japan 1-0. She went on to sign with Germany's 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam for two years in 2015.

She made her Olympic debut at Rio 2016 where the Australian women's football team had the honour of being the first Aussies to compete two days before the Opening Ceremony. The Australian side was ultimately knocked out of the competition by hosts Brazil in the quarter-finals after a penalty shootout.

During the Olympics a moment between Elise and teammate Lisa De Vanna went viral after Lisa accidentally tried to drink from the wrong end of her water bottle, prompting Elise to quickly flip it round the correct way.

In 2018 Elise signed a short-term contract with Hammerby in Sweden which was extended to the end of the 2018 season. She returned home to Australia for the 2018-19 W-League season, signing with Melbourne City who then progressed through to the semi-finals.

That same year Elise achieved her 100th cap with the Matildas in a friendly against England. She went on to compete at the 2019 Women's World Cup, scoring on an impressive corner kick in the round of 16 against Norway.

In 2020 Elise ruptured her ACL just seven minutes into a game with Swedish Club Kristianstads DFF. After a gruelling rehab, she made a return and was named in the Australian squad for Tokyo 2020.

Elise and the Matildas made all of Australia proud in Tokyo, putting together a historic achievement.

Their fourth place finish, which was nearly a podium finish after a 4-3 loss to the USA in the bronze medal game, is the highest ever finish by the Matildas at an Olympic Games.

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