She is our Minister for Defence, bossing Australia’s back line from the goal line. And she is now regarded as one of the world’s pre-eminent keepers. Meet Westfield Matildas keeper Lydia Williams.
► She has American heritage as well as an Indigenous Australian family background.
► She grew up in the frontier mining town of Kalgoorlie, spending much of her childhood travelling to remote parts of Western Australian with her father, an Indigenous tribal elder.
► She moved to Canberra at the age of 11 and only played goalkeeper because all the other spots at her local football club were filled up. She saved a penalty in her first game and the coach told her she was staying in goal!
► She has been playing top-level football since she was 16.
► She was named Westfield W-League goalkeeper of the year last season for her stunning displays between the sticks for Melbourne City.
► Her Tournament of Nations was cut short when she suffered a quadriceps injury in training, but not before she recorded the clean sheet in the historic 1-0 win against USA, including a crucial save from a blistering shot by her Houston Dash teammate Carli Lloyd.
