Cortnee Vine

Winger Cortnee Vine gave the Matildas their Aloisi moment when she scored the winning penalty in a shootout against France to send Australia into their first ever World Cup semi-final in 2023. 

In a situation reminiscent of when John Aloisi slotted home the winning penalty against Uruguay in 2005 to send the Socceroos to the men's World Cup for the first time in 32 years, Cortnee stepped up to the spot 18 years later.

After goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold had made three remarkable saves and France’s Vicki Becho hit the post with the 19th penalty of the shootout, Cortnee had the chance to win it. 

And win it she did, slotting her shot past the French keeper before wheeling around and racing back towards her ecstatic teammates – just has Aloisi had done. 

The Matildas’ run to the semi-finals of the World Cup captured the imagination of Australians and gave women’s sport in the country a massive shot in the arm – and so much of it was down to that one moment.

“I don’t think it’s hit me,” Cortnee said afterwards. “It does help in those moments to just think about that you’ve done it so many times, and you’ve hit that spot so many times. And I know there’s so many people watching, and there’s a lot of pressure, but it’s just about being in that moment and just trying to hit it how you hit it.” 

Cortnee was born in the Victorian town of Shepparton and began playing soccer as a five-year-old because that’s what her brother Jayden was doing.

“I had an interest in all sports when I was younger, but I always wanted to be like my older brother and the sport he chose to play was soccer … so I played as well,” she said.

“I just always wanted to be better than him at everything from a young age.”

When she was seven the family moved to Brisbane and Cortnee continued to play football, eventually earning a spot at the Queensland Academy of sport as a 12-year-old, before singing for Brisbane Roar in 2015.

She made her debut for the Roar at the age of 16 and played 10 games with the club between 2015 and 2017 before stints with the Newcastle Jets and the Western Sydney Wanderers.

In 2020, Cortnee signed with Sydney FC and played a key role in the club winning the Women’s A-League premiership in 2020-21 and 2021-22 and the premiership and the grand final in 2022-23.

She represented Australia at under-17 and under-20 level, scoring two goals as the under-20 side won their group at the 2016 AFF Women’s Championship. Her first appearance for the Matildas came against the Philippines at the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, where Australia finished fifth.

Since her vital contribution to the World Cup performance, Cortnee has had a stunning season with Sydney FC. Although she withdrew from the Matildas squad for the Olympic qualifiers against Uzbekistan in February 2023, her electric pace and ability to create opportunities and score goals mean she will play a key role in the Paris Games campaign.