Julie Dolan Awarded OAM
One of Australian Women’s football’s most passionate footballers, Central Coast born Julie Dolan has been made a Member of the Order of Australia for her wonderful services to football at state and national level and to the community.
Dolan has been recognised as a pioneer of women’s football in Australia and is genuine footballing royalty.
The commanding central midfielder and skipper represented the Matildas 34 times across a 14-year career which included 18 full A-internationals.
Dolan played the first of her A-internationals against New Zealand in 1979 as Australia’s captain, at the age of just 16.
Prior to that, she was in the Australian teams that contested the first Women’s Asian Championship in 1975 and the inaugural Women’s World Invitational in Chinese Taipei in 1978.
She was Australian captain on six occasions and played in the World Invitational Tournament twice, the first Oceania Cup in 1983 and the pilot World Cup in China in 1988.
One highlight for Dolan was playing in the Australian team that defeated Brazil 1-0 in their first encounter in 1988.
Dolan started playing football at an elite level at the age of 13 and played for the likes of St George Budapest, Marconi Stallions, Gymea Bay, Ballina, Sutherland, Grange Thistle and Arncliffe Scots.
In 2013, Julie was named in Football Federation Australia’s 1979-89 Team of the Decade as the team’s captain.
Dolan was also inducted into the Football Federation Australia Hall of Fame in 1999 and received the Queen Elizabeth II Australian Sports Medal.
In 1988, the Australian Women’s Soccer Association created the Julie Dolan Medal for the best female footballer of the year.
In 2016, football became the first major Australian sport to jointly name its prestigious awards event in honour of both a legendary female and male player – the Dolan Warren Awards – with Dolan honoured alongside national men’s icon Johnny Warren.
Dolan was also named International Federation of Football History and Statistics Oceania Player of the Century.
Julie Dolan also had the honour of being presented with Cap Number 1 for the Westfield Matildas, in recognition of her being the first captain in the team’s first A-International.
Currently, Julie Dolan is the football technical director at the International Football School and continues to spread the good word on our world game on the Central Coast of New South Wales.
Football NSW would like to commend Julie on her amazing achievements with the award certainly fitting this well-loved football advocate and admirer of this amazing sport.
