by Ben Gilby (13/2/25)
Above: Kelli Brown speaking today to the media. Image: Perth Glory.
Perth Glory striker Kelli Brown is finally fit and raring to go after being part of the club’s long injury list for so long and is in line to potentially start against her former side Wellington Phoenix in the Distance Derby at the Sam Kerr Football Centre on Sunday.
Whilst there is relief at the return of the Kiwi attacker and Sarah O’Donoghue, it has been tempered by the news that both Gabby Hollar and Georgia Cassidy are now on the sidelines for a considerable amount of time.
Reflecting on her period of rehab, the 23-year-old attacker said: “It was super hard. I do everything (as a player) by being physical…so it was torturous, but we’re there now, so it’s all good.”
Brown received a huge boost as she was within touching distance of returning to A-League Women action by receiving her first call-up to the senior New Zealand national team. The attacker was previously a member of the Young Football Ferns squad that finished third in the 2018 FIFA U17 World Cup in Uruguay.
The news was a massive boost to her confidence. “It’s pretty exciting. I’ve been working a long time to get to finally be a part of it, it is crazy! It was super unexpected. It was really fulfilling knowing I was still there and I still had it.”
After making her return from injury playing the last 20-odd minutes from the bench at Adelaide United last week, Brown is in line to be considered for the starting line-up for Sunday’s Distance Derby clash with her former club Wellington Phoenix. It’s a prospect that leaves the striker full of smiles.
“It’s obviously a big one – old club, (they are all) my friends from home, so definitely I want to go out there and beat them, and prove that I’m a good enough player to be playing at this level. It’s an important game and a special game.”
In terms of what she expects from the clash between the most geographically separated clubs in a domestic league at 5,200+kms, Brown expects a rumbustious clash.
“I think in New Zealand we play a bit more of a physical game, so I think that’s definitely to be expected and that’s all part of it.”
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