Clare Elizabeth Polkinghorne (born 1 February 1989) is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a defender for Swedish Damallsvenskan club Vittsjö GIK and the Australia women's national team.
![]() Polkinghorne playing for Australia at the 2017 Algarve Cup | |||
Personal information | |||
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Full name | Clare Elizabeth Polkinghorne[1] | ||
Date of birth | (1989-02-01) 1 February 1989 (age 33) | ||
Place of birth | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia[2] | ||
Height | 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||
Position(s) | Defender | ||
Club information | |||
Current team | Vittsjö GIK | ||
Number | 4 | ||
Youth career | |||
Wynnum Wolves | |||
Capalaba Bulldogs | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2003 | Brisbane Toro | ||
2004 | Queensland Lions | ||
2004–2008 | Queensland Academy of Sport | ||
2008–2021 | Brisbane Roar | 139 | (17) |
2014 | → INAC Kobe Leonessa (loan) | ||
2015 | Portland Thorns | 9 | (0) |
2018–2019 | Houston Dash | 18 | (0) |
2020 | Avaldsnes IL | 15 | (1) |
2021– | Vittsjö GIK | 20 | (2) |
National team‡ | |||
2006–2007 | Australia U-20 | 14 | (0) |
2006– | Australia | 141 | (13) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 26 January 2022 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 26 January 2022 |
For the 2014 season, Polkinghorne was loaned to INAC Kobe Leonessa in Japan.[3] She signed for Portland Thorns of the National Women's Soccer League after the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.[4]
Portland Thorns waived Polkinghorne in February 2016.[5]
On 7 January 2017, Polkinghorne become the first player to play 100 club games in the W-League, all of which have been played for Brisbane Roar.[6]
Polkinghorne first represented the Australia women's national soccer team in 2006 and has played more than 100 matches, scoring 9 goals. She played in both the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup[7][8] and 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup and was an unused squad member during the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.
On 7 June 2018, Polkinghorne signed with the Houston Dash.[9]
In December 2020, Polkinghorne re-signed with Brisbane Roar after spending the off-season at Avaldsnes.[10]
Polkinghorne was selected for the Australian women's football Matildas soccer team which qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The Matildas advanced to the quarter-finals with one victory and a draw in the 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 playoff by USA.[11] Full details.
Key (expand for notes on “international goals” and sorting) | |
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Location | Geographic location of the venue where the competition occurred Sorted by country name first, then by city name |
Lineup | Start – played entire match on minute (off player) – substituted on at the minute indicated, and player was substituted off at the same time off minute (on player) – substituted off at the minute indicated, and player was substituted on at the same time |
# | NumberOfGoals.goalNumber scored by the player in the match (alternate notation to Goal in match) |
Min | The minute in the match the goal was scored. For list that include caps, blank indicates played in the match but did not score a goal. |
Assist/pass | The ball was passed by the player, which assisted in scoring the goal. This column depends on the availability and source of this information. |
penalty or pk | Goal scored on penalty-kick which was awarded due to foul by opponent. (Goals scored in penalty-shoot-out, at the end of a tied match after extra-time, are not included.) |
Score | The match score after the goal was scored. Sorted by goal difference, then by goal scored by the player's team |
Result | The final score. Sorted by goal difference in the match, then by goal difference in penalty-shoot-out if it is taken, followed by goal scored by the player's team in the match, then by goal scored in the penalty-shoot-out. For matches with identical final scores, match ending in extra-time without penalty-shoot-out is a tougher match, therefore precede matches that ended in regulation |
aet | The score at the end of extra-time; the match was tied at the end of 90' regulation |
pso | Penalty-shoot-out score shown in parenthesis; the match was tied at the end of extra-time |
Light-purple background color – exhibition or closed door international friendly match | |
Light-yellow background color – match at an invitational tournament | |
Light-orange background color – Olympic women's football qualification match | |
Light-blue background color – FIFA women's world cup qualification match | |
Orange background color – Olympic women's football tournament | |
Blue background color – FIFA women's world cup final tournament | |
NOTE: some keys may not apply for a particular football player |
Goal |
Date | Location | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | 5 March 2008 | Stockland Park, Sunshine Coast, Australia | ![]() |
5350.03005 4–2 |
5650.06005 4–2 |
Friendly |
2. | 2 June 2008 | Thống Nhất Stadium, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam | ![]() |
5350.03005 1–3 |
5650.06005 1–3 |
2008 AFC Women's Asian Cup |
3. | 16 June 2013 | Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra, Australia | ![]() |
5350.03005 1–0 |
5650.06005 1–1 |
Friendly |
4. | 10 February 2015 | Bill McKinlay Park, Auckland, New Zealand | ![]() |
5350.03005 1–0 |
5650.06005 2–1 |
Friendly |
5 | 11 March 2015 | Paralimni Stadium, Paralimni, Cyprus | ![]() | 5–2 | 6–2 | 2015 Cyprus Cup |
6. | 2 March 2016 | Nagai Stadium, Osaka, Japan | ![]() |
5350.03005 9–0 |
5650.06005 9–0 |
2016 Olympics qualifying |
7. | 9 August 2016 | Itaipava Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador, Brazil | ![]() |
5350.03005 2–0 |
5650.06005 6–1 |
2016 Summer Olympics |
8. | 28 February 2018 | Albufeira Municipal Stadium, Albufeira, Portugal | ![]() |
5350.03005 1–1 |
5650.06005 4–3 |
2018 Algarve Cup |
9. | 9 October 2018 | Craven Cottage, London, England | ![]() |
5350.03005 1–1 |
5650.06005 1–1 |
Friendly |
10. | 6 March 2020 | McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle, Australia | ![]() |
5350.03005 4–0 |
5650.06005 5–0 |
2020 Olympics qualifying |
11. | 10 June 2021 | CASA Arena, Horsens, Denmark | ![]() |
5350.03005 2–3 |
5650.06005 2–3 |
Friendly |
12. | 23 October 2021 | CommBank Stadium, Sydney, Australia | ![]() |
5350.03005 1–0 |
5650.06005 3–1 |
Friendly |
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Sporting positions | ||
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Preceded by None |
Brisbane Roar captain 2008–present |
Incumbent |
Preceded by | Australia captain 2013–2019 Served alongside: Kate Gill (2014) |
Succeeded by |
Vittsjö GIK – current squad | |
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Julie Dolan Medal | |
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Australia squads | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2016–17 W-League PFA Team of the Season | |
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2017–18 W-League PFA Team of the Season | |
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2018–19 W-League PFA Team of the Season | |
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2019–20 W-League PFA Team of the Season | |
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2020–21 W-League PFA Team of the Season | |
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