Clancy is on her way to Glory
Melbourne teenager and rising soccer talent, Clancy Westaway, is hoping to kick goals in Perth after signing with top women’s A-League team, Perth Glory.
The 18-year-old Haileybury Pangea student and former Junior Matilda began playing soccer with Glen Eira FC in Carnegie when she was only four-years-old. Since then, hard work and her impressive ball skills have seen Clancy represent Victoria and Australia on the pitch.
The move to Perth and her first professional contract is a major step in Clancy’s soccer career.
“Dad enrolled me to play for my local club as soon as I was able to begin the MiniRoos program. He was an avid supporter of Liverpool FC and I grew up watching the game with him,” says Clancy.
“I love the competitiveness of the game and the freedom to express myself on the pitch.”
Clancy, 18, has been part of Victoria’s NTC/FVA State program for the past five years and joined the Junior Matildas to play against Korea in a series of friendlies in 2022.
She was also one of the inaugural students at Haileybury Pangea, joining the online school in 2023 to be better able to fit her academic studies around her strict and intensive soccer training regimen. Clancy graduated from Haileybury Pangea this year. The school is Victoria’s first fully online school for Years 5 to 12
“Studying online during COVID, I realised how much I enjoyed it and how much easier it was to fit all my training, gym work and physio into the day,” she says.
Clancy received the news that she’d been selected by Perth Glory while on holiday with her mum.
“I was away with my Mum on the Peninsula when my manager rang to tell me the good news. It was a very special moment for me and my family,” says Clancy, who has already moved to Perth to begin training.
“I’m excited for a new chapter and to explore a new state. Of course, saying goodbye to family and living away from home has its challenges, but I’m settling in and I’m definitely enjoying the warmer Perth weather. I can’t wait for the season to begin.”
Perth Glory Football Director, Stan Lazaridis, believes Clancy has a lot of potential on the pitch.
“Clancy is a gifted midfielder who combines great technique with a robust approach to the game,” he says.
“She’s good on the ball, a hard worker off the ball and she have a very high ceiling in terms of where her talent can take her.”
