On this week’s episode of The Official Liberty A-League podcast, host Campbell Johnson is joined by Catherine Cannuli and Grace Gill as they discuss who are the five greatest players in the history of the competition, and more. Listen below.
There have been some incredible players in the Liberty A-League over the years. Just think of the likes of Michelle Heyman, Sam Kerr, Teresa Polias, Katrina Gorry, Clare Polkinghorne, Lisa De Vanna and Ellie Brush.
But who is the greatest of all-time?
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Canberra United legend Heyman stands on the cusp of history this weekend – she is one game away from surpassing Sydney FC great Polias (157) as the record holder for most appearances.
The 34-year-old already owns the record for most goals, and she is just six goals shy of reaching 100 in the Liberty A-League.
Ahead of a momentous Round 19, former A-Leagues stars Catherine Cannuli and Grace Gill were asked to list their five greatest players of all-time, limited to just Australians.
Here are their respective top fives.
Catherine Cannuli
5. Kim Carroll
“She’s been a fantastic stalwart for this game… She’s still going strong.
“I know sometimes as defenders people don’t normally get the recognition they probably deserve and you have to give it to her. She’s been doing super well every season.”
4. Clare Polkinghorne
“When she did play her football in the A-Leagues, she was immense and the rock of the Roar team. She was so loyal.
“We also can’t go past the Championships she won with the Roar. I hope to see after her time with the Matildas and possibly her time overseas, she does even return to the Roar and play out her last couple of seasons there.”
3. Leena Khamis
“A tough competitor. Always knew where the goal was. I had the pleasure of being a coach when she came over to the (Western Sydney) Wanderers.
“Won so many Championships and Premierships with Sydney. She wasn’t the most talented player, she never had that type of limelight but she was one of the hardest workers in the game.”
2. Michelle Heyman
“We can’t go past the records she’s breaking. She’s been quality, especially this season.
“I don’t think people truly understand what an achievement it is to go multiple seasons, over and over again, and to be on you’re a-game and one of the superstars of the team at her age.
“She’s been a prolific goalscorer and a great addition to the footballing family. To see her in the form she is in now, is a credit to her and her mindset.”
1. Teresa Polias
“The Greek Goddess. Gotta give her number one. Prior to stepping away to have a little girl, she’s been the centre of that team at Sydney FC.
“I’m pretty sure if you look at the stats, there wouldn’t be many minutes she didn’t play across all her seasons in this competition. You never see her getting subbed off or not starting. She is a little general on the pitch. She’s brought up so many young players, and mentored and given the next generation so much hope.
“I really do hope we see her back in the competition. Whether it’s back at Sydney FC or another a-leagues club – I’m pushing for her to be the star player going back to the Mariners.”
Grace Gill
5. Clare Polkinghorne
“Her contribution to Australian football, and particularly Brisbane Roar.
“What she did in the early years of the competition, how long she spent there and what she built at that club was really special. She’s gone on to do wonderful things since leaving the A-Leagues.”
4. Collette McCallum
“She is a world-class player, no longer in the game. What she contributed to Australian football, this wand of a left foot. What I learned from her in a couple of years was immense. A down-to-earth character. Her football was next level.
“When you have a medal named after you – the PFA has the Young Player of the Award which is the Collette McCallum Medal, it speaks for itself.”
3. Teresa Polias
“The contribution she made, largely to Sydney FC… it’s just boundless. What she achieved with that club in the way of Championships and Premierships but she was just a mainstay in midfield for so many years.
“What a legend. Sydney FC in my mind, I think Teresa Polias. She epitomises everything about the Sky Blues.”
2. Michelle Heyman
“I remember when Heyman was playing for Central Coast Mariners in the first season of the league. We had a game and I was playing for Canberra United. I remember this so clearly. We had the kick-off and it was passed back to me, and I got absolutely bowled over by this girl.
“I didn’t know who she was. She had a ponytail, she was fast, she was strong. I learnt that day it was Michelle Heyman. That was the kind of impact she started in this league.
“When she first started, she was with Sydney and she struggled to get minutes. She wasn’t getting game time… For a young girl who didn’t go through those more traditional pathways of building your way up in the game, I think that’s even more impressive.”
1. Sam Kerr
“It’s hard to go past the GOAT – Sam Kerr. What she’s done at Perth glory as a marquee player, a Julie Dolan Medallist, Golden Boots across the years. Just exceptional.
“In her early, early days at Perth Glory she wasn’t the Sam Kerr she obviously is today but in her second stint at Perth she was astounding. When she came back from a couple of nasty injuries, after that it was exceptional.
“Now, look at her. It’s really, really hard to walk past a player who in my mind is perhaps one of Australia’s most internationally-recognised sports stars. She is the GOAT of women’s football and the fact she is part of the A-Leagues here is pretty special.”
