Pat Captained a 1975 St George Budapest Club side from New South Wales (NSW) that was the very first team to ever represent Australia at an international women’s soccer (football) tournament. This tournament in Hong Kong, was the first ALFC (Asian Ladies Football Confederation) Asian Women’s Championship, the precursor of the modern day AFC Asian Cup, which doubles as qualifiers for the World Cup. The Australian team finished third. Pat’s husband Joe, coached the team. After moving to Western Australia in 1978 from NSW, Pat Captained the 1978 WA state team at the National Championships, turning out against the NSW state team, where Pat had one year before Captained them at the National Championships! Both Pat and Joe are inducted into the Football Australia Hall of Fame as pioneers of women’s football. Originally not recognised by national team selectors from the Australian Women’s Soccer Association or Soccer Federation of Australia as an Australian team, the decision was over turned in July 2024 by Football Australia.
The 1975 team competing in the ALFC Championship was:
Pat O’Connor – Captain
Christel Abenthum
Sue Binns
Kim Coates
Julie Dolan
Lynn Everett Miller
Trudy Fischer
Cindy Heydon
Vicky Kohen
Sue Larsen
Lynn McKenzie (GK)
Connie Selby
Trixie Tagg
Sue Taylor (GK)
Aunty Tarita Yvonne Peters (Stacey Tracy)
Gundega (Gundy) Zairins
Coach – Joe O’Connor
Photos courtesy Penny Tanner personal collection (Pat displaying her National Uniform), Pat O’Connor June 2023 (team photos), Peter Dimopoulos (profile shot Pat O’Connor), Football Australia (Pat and Joe photo).
