Three World Cups. Two Asian Cups. Two Olympic Games. And a scholarship holder in two different sports. But even that doesn’t tell the full story for one of the mainstays of the Australian women’s football team, the Matildas, for 13 years.

Di Alagich, retired from international competition when when the Matildas took on NewZealand in the curtain raiser to the Olyroos pre Olympic trial Alagich, who is part of an Australian football dynasty, made her international debut in football when she was just 16 against the then newly-crowned World Cup champions, Norway.

Her 86 game career was even more impressive considering she was ruled out of football for two years when she required a knee reconstruction in 1996, and again suffered knee injuries in 2001 and 2003.

Alagich had the honour of starting in every single one of Australia’s World Cup and Olympic games matches from 1999 to 2007 involving the Women’s World Cup tournaments in 1999, 2003 and 2007 and the Sydney and Athens Olympic Games.

As well as being an Australian Institute of Sport scholarship holder in football, Alagich was also a champion kayaker and was a South Australian Sports Institute scholarship-holder and former junior Australian representative in that
sport also.

Her club football teams included Port Adelaide, West Adelaide, Adelaide Sensation, the South Australian Institute of Sport and the San Jose CyberRays in the US Women’s League.

Following retirement from international competition  Alagich played for in the inaugural season of the Westfield W-League turning out for Adelaide United.

Di works for the Australian Customs Service and has recently undertaken a Diploma Course in Massage, a Certificate course in fitness and has enrolled to complete the FFA Advanced Coaching Licence.