Elise Kellond-Knight


Elise Kellond-Knight is an Australian former football player, who played as a defensive midfielder or defender. From 2007 to 2023 she played 115 games for Australia women's national soccer team, before retiring from international football in 2024. Kellond-Knight is a left footed set piece specialist.
𝕏 elise_kk8

Personal life

Kellond-Knight was born on 10 August 1990, and raised on the Gold Coast where she attended Coombabah State School and then St Hilda's School. She played junior football for Runaway Bay in the local Gold Coast competition.
Kellond-Knight graduated from Griffith University with a Master of Business Administration in December 2023, after previously completing a Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Science at the same university.

Club career

At the annual Westfield W-League awards dinner in 2009, Kellond-Knight was jointly awarded the Young Player of the Year Award with Canberra United's Ellyse Perry.
After leaving 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam at the end of 2017, Kellond-Knight was hoping to join the Reign FC in the NWSL, however a discovery claim by the North Carolina Courage prevented her from joining the Reign. In April 2018, she signed a short-term deal with Hammarby in the Damallsvenskan. In June she extended her contract through the end of the season.
Kellond-Knight signed with Melbourne City for the 2018–19 W-League season. Reign FC announced on September 24, 2018, that Kellond-Knight had signed with them for the 2019 NWSL season.
On July 15, 2019, Kellond-Knight was traded to Washington Spirit in exchange for Sammy Jo Prudhomme. On October 26, 2019, Kellond-Knight returned to Brisbane Roar. In July 2020 the footballer ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament, which took over two years of recovery. She rejoined Hammarby in August 2022.
In November 2022, Kellond-Knight returned to Australia, joining reigning champions Melbourne Victory. An Achilles tendon injury during training resulted in her missing the 2023 season. In September 2024, Kellond-Knight joined newly promoted National Premier Leagues Victoria Women's club Avondale FC. A fortnight later, she announced her retirement from professional football.

International career

For Kellond-Knight's performances at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup and 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, she was named as part of the All Star Team for both tournaments.
During a match against Brazil at the 2016 Summer Olympics, a moment of Kellond-Knight and her teammate Lisa De Vanna went viral when during a short break, De Vanna absent-mindedly tried to drink from the wrong end of a water bottle, prompting Kellond-Knight to quickly flip it in her hand.
On 9 October 2018, Kellond-Knight earned her 100th cap for Australia in a friendly against England, which ended in a 1–1 draw.
At the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, she scored a goal directly from a corner kick in the Round of 16 match against Norway.
Kellond-Knight was included in the squad for the 2020 Summer Olympics. The Matildas advanced to the quarter-finals with one victory and one draw during group play. In the quarter-finals they beat Great Britain 4–3 after extra time. However, they lost 1–0 to Sweden in the semi-final and were then beaten 4–3 in the bronze medal match by the United States. After her ACL injury, she returned to the Matildas squad in December 2022. Kellond-Knight participated in the 2023 Cup of Nations in February of that year, in which Australia won all three games and took the title for the second time. Due to an Achilles injury, the defensive midfielder was unavailable for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup held in Australia and New Zealand during July–August. She subsequently retired from international football.

Career statistics

International goals

GoalDateLocationOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.22 May 2014Thống Nhất Stadium, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam2014 AFC Women's Asian Cup
2.22 June 2019Allianz Riviera, Nice, France2019 FIFA Women's World Cup

Honours

Club

; Brisbane Roar:

International

; Australia

Individual