Making their mark on the World Game
Angela Iannotta
Played locally for Melrose Park Rangers, Albury City FC and Albury United SC
International teams ACF Agliana (Italy)and Panasonic Bambina (Japan)National League with Canberra Eclipse
Toured Japan in 1989 for Australia as a Junior
International debut in October 1991 against NZ
Scored her first international goals with a pair against PNG (1991)
33 caps for Australia playing in the 1995 and 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cups
First Australian male or female to score a goal at a World Cup – China in 1995
Inducted into the Sport Albury Wodonga Hall of Fame in 1997
Angela Iannotta, originally grew up in Victoria, travelling around Myrtleford and Melbourne and Whitfield in the north-east. Her parents were tobacco farmers who migrated from Italy to Australia in the 1960s, and she and her older brothers spent the first few years of their lives moving about before finally settling in Albury.
As a forward, she represented Australia women’s national association football team in the 1995 and 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cups and played club football in Australia, Italy and Japan. Iannotta’s equaliser against China in 1995 was Australia’s first ever World Cup goal.
Iannotta was just the third Matildas player ever to play their club football overseas, following in the footsteps of Alison Forman and Julie Murray.
Josh Kennedy
Josh began playing junior football in AWFA, he played with Twin City Wanderers FC and later Boomers FC.
From Football Federation Australia –
After almost two years since playing his last game for the Socceroos, Josh Kennedy became Australia’s saviour on the road to the 2014 Brazil World Cup. Kennedy headed home the lone goal in the Socceroos 1-0 defeat of Iraq to secure World Cup qualification for Australia in the final match of the campaign.
Originally from country Victoria, Josh Kennedy was a member of the Joeys side that sensationally reached the final of the 1999 Under 17 World Cup.
He made the move abroad soon after, and took part in his first match in the Bundesliga in September 2001, despite just turning 18 – the youngest Australian to feature in the German first division.
After a couple of years on loan in lower divisions, he returned to Germany’s top tier in 2003–04, before establishing a regular spot at Dynamo Dresden the following season.
Kennedy earned a move to high-flying Bundesliga club Nurnberg prior to the 2006 World Cup, but upon returning from the tournament, he snapped his Achilles tendon at his first training session, effectively ending his season.
Excused from the 2007 Asian Cup finals as he worked to get his club career back on track, Kennedy moved to fellow Bundesliga club Karlsruhe SC in January 2008, but that didn’t work out as planned.
A big move to Asia followed, and Kennedy has made a big impression since signing for J-League side Nagoya Grampus in 2009, become the league’s top scorer as the club won its first title in 2010.
Archie Thompson
Archie Thompson played junior football in AWFA for Twin City Wanderers FC.
From Football Federation Australia –
He began his professional football career in the NSL before heading to Belgium club Lierse where he played between 2001-05.
He returned to Australia where he has now racked up over 150 caps for Melbourne Victory including his five goal effort in the 2007 A-League grand final against Adelaide United.
Thompson was the first player to reach the 150-game milestone at the club and is also Victory’s leading goalscorer. He made his Socceroos debut in 2001 and soon claimed the world record for most goals by a player in an international match as he put 13 past American Samoa.
Thompson went on to compete at his first World Cup in 2006 in Germany before helping the QANTAS Socceroos to qualify for both the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and the 2014 Brazil World Cup.
Amy Chapman
Amy Chapman grew up in Albury & played her football at Albury Hotspurs FC
From Football Federation Australia –
Playing amongst the boys from an early age, alongside her twin sister Georgia. Chapman first debuted for the Matildas in 2007 and has been a regular member of the Matildas squad ever since.
Early on, her representative years with the Young Matildas saw her compete at the 2006 FIFA U-20’s Womens World Championships in Russia.
Her youthful exuberance and quick witted humour proves to be a great asset for her as a footballer & team-mate.