Tracy Singleton
At a time when Victorians struggled to gain national prominence, Tracy Singleton broke the long-held dominance of New South Wales and Queensland to achieve national honours when few opportunities existed for Australia’s women.
Singleton’s interest in football came from watching her younger brother David play, who himself, went on to play top-flight football with Sunshine City, Box Hill and Croydon City. Tracy’s playing career started when she joined Waverley City in 1977, establishing herself as a key midfielder in Waverley’s team. She was quickly noticed by state team selectors, making her debut in Don Jones’ 1979 squad that travelled to Darwin.
While missing selection in 1980, Mick Hoar saw fit to select Singleton again in 1981 after she impressed in another fine season at club level. Her performances for Victoria in Sydney attracted the attention of National Team Head Coach Trixie Tagg and following Nationals, Singleton joined the squad on the tour of New Zealand, playing in all four matches, including the A-International against the hosts in Auckland. She scored in a 6-0 rout of club
team Otago, and appeared settled in a team comprising of Julie Dolan, Cindy Heydon and Sue Monteath. A further six Internationals followed in 1984, with Singleton earning 10 caps for the Green and Gold.
Singleton’s success with Victoria culminated in three National Championship Titles, 1987 in Alice Springs, 1989 in Canberra, where Victoria beat South Queensland in a thrilling penalty shootout, and 1992 in Brisbane, where a win over Queensland capped off the most successful era for Victoria at National Championship level. Her appearance in eleven Championships all-up sees her ranked seventh in the AWSA era, her contemporaries all members of the Hall of Fame.
Singleton’s club career with Waverley extended to Nunawading, Coburg and Box Hill, where she won the Association Cup after a 4-1 win over Dandenong in the final.
With Australian and Victorian honours earned over a dozen years, Tracy Singleton is one of Victoria’s elite performers in a period where recognition was hard fought and often overlooked.