Above: Clare Hunt in action for the Matildas against Japan at the SheBelieves Cup. Image: Genevieve Henry for Impetus.
By Genevieve Henry (22/10/25).
Clare Hunt has been off to a flying start for the 25-26 season for Tottenham, establishing herself as one of the most composed and consistent centre backs in the Women’s Super League. Playing with confidence, she looks like a new player– or perhaps the one we fell in love with during the World Cup.
With questions about the look of the Matildas defence for not only this window but the next few years, many of Australia’s best defenders are looking to cement their starting spots under head coach Joe Montemurro. Between Hunt, Steph Catley, Alanna Kennedy, and Wini Heatley to name a few, there’s heavy competition for centre backs for the Australian national team– and since her transition from the left to the middle for Arsenal, Catley looks to be a lock for one of the spots. Alongside Catley, Hunt is putting on a convincing argument for why she should start.
If these decisions were made solely on club performance, Hunt would be a lock. Hunt is the only Australian in the WSL to play every minute of every game this season. Steph Catley comes closest, but Hunt has not been subbed off a single time so far. In contrast, Hunt’s likely main competition in Kennedy has played only 181 minutes for London City Lionesses. Only Charli Grant at Tottenham has played less for the Australians abroad in England. Heatley has been performing well and starting for AS Roma in Italy, but Serie A Femminile has played three matches to the WSL’s six as of yet.
Only losing to Chelsea and Manchester City in the WSL so far, Tottenham are performing at the expected level for the players they have. Undergoing a revitalization under head coach Martin Ho, the defence has solidified since previous seasons. Hunt has played a large role in that, anchoring the defence besides the sensational Japanese 19-year old Toko Koga.
Hunt has more clearances and more blocks than any other WSL player, with 40 and 14 respectively. Her clearances rank in the 91st percentile and blocks in the 99th. Additionally, Hunt is ninth in accurate long balls per 90, with the fifth highest success rate. Her percentage of aerial duels won also ranks in the 90th percentile, which is in complement to Catley’s only ranking in the 27th.
In fact, Catley and Hunt have near opposite qualities reflected in statistics; where Catley excels in passing and forward momentum, Hunt brings more typical centre-back characteristics. While this partnership works perfectly in theory, the pair should be tested together in the few remaining windows to build chemistry for this cycle.
In her meteoric rise to the biggest stage, Hunt barely put a foot wrong for the Matildas. She has kept this going for the large part of her still young national team career. There was a rough patch for her that coincided with the whole team’s rough patch, so it would be hard to calculate the mental and physical aspects that shaped that period. Hunt has also started to play at a higher level more regularly, which in turn is improving her confidence and form.
Even in playing against the biggest names in football including Bunny Shaw, Alessia Russo, and the dozens of other top strikers in the WSL, Hunt seems unphased. That’s not to say there’s no room for improvement– there is– but having the building blocks of composure make a difference, especially for the national team. When trust is placed in Hunt, it is evident that she excels and works hard to round out her game.
Another positive aspect of Hunt is her age. A player in her prime, the 26-year old plays with composure far beyond her years but still has longevity and time to develop even further. She is actually five years younger than Catley and four younger than Kennedy. Playing as right-sided centreback, Hunt could potentially play for many more cycles to come alongside 25-year old Ellie Carpenter.
Whether it’s a Hunt and Catley combo we see in these friendlies or any iteration of the many capable defenders that the Matildas have in their roster, Hunt has certainly put herself in the best possible position to shine.
Follow Impetus on social media –
Twitter (X): @impetusfootball TikTok: @impetusfootball
Instagram: @impetusfootball
impetusfootball.org 