Known for her incredibly athletic ‘salmon’ goal keeping saves throughout her career. Harris predominantly played at Morley Windmills and Inglewood Soccer Clubs and also represented Western Australia as a goal keeper from 1988 to 1990, then became the State Team Manager from 1991 to 1992. It was in the administration space that Harris excelled, becoming Western Australia’s first paid Executive Officer in 1996 for Women’s Soccer WA (WSWA) when football was housed at Perry Lakes Stadium, also occupied by the Professional Soccer Federation, Soccer Administration WA, the Western Australian Amateur Soccer Association and the Junior Soccer Association.
In 1993 WSWA proudly hosted the Open Age National Women’s Soccer Championships at the home of women’s football, Gibbney Reserve in Maylands, with Harris in charge as Tournament Director. Harris and WSWA President, Janette Spencer, were the driving force behind the submission to take the lease at Gibbney Reserve, the first soccer association in Western Australia to have its own home ground.
Harris was part of an incredible WAWSA committee throughout the 1990’s that boasted many firsts for women’s soccer in Western Australia. Working alongside inspirational characters such as Janette Spencer and Sandra Szopski, the committee brought inaugural Girls Soccer Academies, Girls Soccer Leagues and Development Officers to the women’s soccer space. These were the triggers and foundations of massive growth in the sport in WA in the mid 1990’s.
Sitting on the Women’s Soccer Australia Board throughout the 1990’s and touring with National teams as part of the official parties, Harris was influential in the rebranding of the Australian Team name to the ‘Matildas’ in 1995.
Harris left WA women’s soccer in a very healthy state, prior to the merger of all facets of the code in 2004 and held several executive positions in other sports across Australia over the next decade, including Cricket and the Australian Sports commission.
Years of service to the sport were rewarded with an Australian Sports Medal in the year 2000. The medal was awarded by the government, to only a handful of Australians who served the community over and above.
In recent years Harris worked for Football Federation Victoria (2008-2012) as the General Manager, Business Operations, served a term on Football Australia’s Finance, Audit and Risk Committee and in 2024 on the Board of Women Onside, an advocacy organisation for the professional development of women in football.
Referenced from Kerry Harris herself!