Selin Kuralay
A prodigious young footballing talent, Selin Kuralay was one of a handful of Victorians to force her way into the Australian national team in the era post-amalgamation between the Victorian Women’s Soccer Association and the Victoria Soccer Federation. The only woman to have ever won a Weinstein Medal and represent Victoria at a Boys National Championship, Kuralay played with Victoria Vision for five seasons, winning the National Rising Star award in 2000 and becoming an Olympian in Athens 2004, all before the age of 20.
Kuralay embarked upon on a successful US college soccer career, being selected in the All-Star team in her freshman and senior years, before returning to Australia in 2008 at the dawn of the W-League, where she represented Melbourne Victory in the inaugural season, scoring twice on her mid-season debut over Adelaide United at Hindmarsh Stadium, a lob over keeper Sian McLaren from virtually the halfway line announcing her return to Australia. Spells at United, South Melbourne and Melbourne Victory again were interrupted by ACL injuries, the last of which ended her senior professional career at the age of 30.
Kuralay holds a unique place in Victorian football history. She is the only female player to have ever been selected in a Boys state team and participate in a National Junior Boys Championships and remains the only female to have won the Weinstein Medal, an honour she claimed at the age of 16 in 2001. Her talent was recognised by national selectors, with Kuralay selected in successive Under 19 World Cup squads in 2002 and 2004. Her performances in the latter tournament in losing teams against Germany and the United States caught the eye of college selectors, and she was drafted to Florida State University in 2005.
Her debut season yielded 16 goals and 9 assists, records in both categories, and selection in the All-America team, an honour she reprised in her senior season. 10 goals and five assists in 2008 with the Savannah College of Art and Design saw her earn another All-America team call-up. Her performances in US College Soccer see her regarded as one of the most successful international imports of all time and the most successful Australian ever to have graduated from the famed development system.
In all Kuralay, earned 22 caps for Australia between 2004 and 2008, representing the Matildas in every match at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. While long-term injuries put paid to her international career and representation at a FIFA World Cup, she remains Victoria’s fifth most capped Matilda, only Steph Catley, Melissa Barbieri, Kyra Cooney-Cross and Jane Oakley to have worn the jersey on more occasions.
Few have been able to demonstrate the excellence on the pitch to such an impressive level at such a young age.