Alana Cerne

Alana Cerne
Personal information
Date of birth (2002-12-11) 11 December 2002
Place of birth Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Position(s)
Team information
Current team
 Western Sydney Wanderers
Number 22
Youth career
Fawkner
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2018 FFV NTC
2019, 2022 Calder United
2022–2025 Western United 53 (1)
2025 Essendon Royals
2025– Western Sydney Wanderers 0 (0)
International career‡
2024– Australia U23 4 (1)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 22 August 2025
‡ National team caps and goals as of 19 August 2025

Alana Cerne (born 11 December 2002) is an Australian soccer player, who is a defender and midfielder for Western Sydney Wanderers since 2025. She previously played for Western United in the A-League Women (2022–2025). Internationally, she has been a member of Australia women's national under-23 soccer team (U23 Matildas).

Early years

Cerne was born in Melbourne in 2002;[1]: 186  she grew up in the suburb of Fawkner with a sibling.[2][3]: 199  She began playing soccer from the age of five or six. Her mother was unsuccessful in talking her into netball.[4] At age seven she followed a primary school friend to training sessions.[5] Her junior years were spent at Fawkner SC alongside boys,[3]: 199 [5] where she was "playing all kinds of position, including goalkeeper."[4]

Club career

Cerne joined Football Federation Victoria National Training Centre (FFV NTC) in 2017, which competed in the National Premier Leagues Victoria Women (NPL Victoria).[3]: 199  She transferred to Calder United in 2019 in the NPL Victoria,[3]: 199  which won both the Premiership and Championship.[6] The 2020 and 2021 seasons were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.[7][8] Cerne continued with Calder when the NPL Victoria resumed in 2022, once again the team were Premiers and Champions.[9][10] She had kicked five goals during regular season and one more in the grand final.[11] The defender was awarded the NPL Victoria Player of the Year Medal.[12]: 133 

Cerne was the first woman signed with newly established A-League Women's team, Western United on 4 August 2022 for their 2022–23 season.[13][14] During the regular season she made 17 appearances, which helped her team to second place on the Premiership table and two finals appearances to become Championship runners-up.[15][16]

During Western United's 2023–24 regular season, Cerne appeared 22 times, her team finished in third place on the league table.[2][17] She scored a goal in their elimination final 2–4 loss against Newcastle Jets during April 2024.[18] After achieving 50 A-League appearances with Western United, Cerne was unavailable due to injury for portions of the 2024–25 season resulting in 11 appearances.[19] After A-League duties ended in the off-season she played in the NPL Victoria team, Essendon Royals.[1]: 186 [19] In October 2025 she signed with Western Sydney Wanderers ahead of the A-League's 2025–26 season.[1]: 186 [20]

International career

Australia women's national under-20 soccer team (Young Matildas) coach Leah Blayney offered Cerne a scholarship with a Future Matildas program in 2023.[21] She received additional training sessions after Western United's season ended.[21] Coach Melissa Andreatta named Cerne to the Australia women's national under-23 soccer team (U23 Matildas) squad for the U-23 Women's National Team Four Nations Tournament, held in Växjö, Sweden during 30 May–4 June 2024.[22][23] She kicked a goal on debut against Poland U23.[24] Australia U23 had come from 2–0 behind to draw 2–2 at full-time with Cerne's goal followed by Anna Margraf's equaliser.[24] In the resulting penalty shoot-out U23 Matildas won 5–3.[24]

At the 2025 ASEAN Women's Championship in Vietnam in August, Cerne returned to the Australia U23 squad under new coach, Joe Palatsides. They competed against senior national teams in Group B. She help defend Australia's goal for clean sheets in their victories against Philippines (1–0)[25] and Timor Leste (9–0) to reach the semi-finals.[26] Australia U23 were crowned champions after defeating Myanmar (1–0) in the final.[27]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Ninja_A-League_2025-26_Season_Guide-1.pdf" (PDF). A-Leagues Media Centre. 31 October 2025. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 November 2025. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Alana Cerne Stats". Soccerway. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d "Ninja A-League 2024/25 Season Guide" (PDF). A-Leagues Media Centre. November 2024. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 August 2025. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
  4. ^ a b Pisano (2 February 2023). "24 words that started a historic A-Leagues origin story in primary school: 'From then, I didn't look back'". A-Leagues. Archived from the original on 6 November 2024. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
  5. ^ a b "Alana Cerne paves path from Fawkner SC to A-League stardom". Football Victoria. 3 February 2023. Archived from the original on 9 March 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ "Ladder for NPL VIC Women - GameDay". mygameday.app. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
  7. ^ "2021 Start Up". Football Victoria. 16 October 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  8. ^ "Metro Melbourne 2021 season status". Football Victoria. 3 September 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  9. ^ "Ladder for NPL VIC Women". GameDay. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  10. ^ "FV - NPL Women's Grand Final Match Centre". GameDay. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  11. ^ Catalano, Alex (30 September 2022). "Western United carrying 'Calder culture' into A-League Women debut". The Inner Sanctum. Archived from the original on 21 November 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. ^ Persoglia, ony (20 March 2025). "2025_ NPLW Official Season Guide V1 05" (PDF). Retrieved 10 October 2025.
  13. ^ "Alana Cerne makes history as first Western United Women's player". Western United. 4 August 2022. Archived from the original on 28 September 2022. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
  14. ^ Hughes, Nick (21 August 2023). "Alana Cerne's journey in the West continues in Green and Black". Western United. The 20-year-old initially signed a two-year deal ahead of the Western United's inaugural Liberty A-League campaign
  15. ^ "A-League Women Ladder | Latest Standings on A-League Women Table". A-Leagues. 2025. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
  16. ^ "Western United vs Sydney - 30 Apr 2023". A-League Women. 30 April 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
  17. ^ "A-League Women Ladder | Latest Standings on A-League Women Table". aleagues.com.au. 2025. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
  18. ^ Lewis, Samantha (15 April 2024). "A-League Women Round-Up: Casey Dumont haunts Melbourne Victory as Central Coast and Newcastle Jets make finals history". ABC News. Archived from the original on 15 April 2024. Retrieved 11 October 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  19. ^ a b Hughes, Nick (30 July 2025). "Western United women stars flying Australian flag". Western United. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
  20. ^ "Wanderers Secure Cerne for Upcoming Ninja A-League Season". Western Sydney Wanderers. 25 October 2025. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  21. ^ a b "Cerne, Johnson named in Future Matildas program". Melton & Moorabool Star Weekly. 16 March 2023. Archived from the original on 12 October 2025. Retrieved 12 October 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  22. ^ "Andreatta confirms U-23 Women's National Team Four Nations Tournament squad". Football Australia. 15 May 2024.
  23. ^ "Australian U-23 Women's National Team Squad Update (22nd May)". Football Australia. 22 May 2024.
  24. ^ a b c Yap, Kieran (5 June 2024). "Margraf magic wins it for Aussie U23's". impetusfootball.org. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
  25. ^ Yap, Kieran (11 August 2025). "Jancevski wonder goal wins it for Australia". impetusfootball.org. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  26. ^ "MSIG SERENITY CUP™ 2025: REPORT: AUSTRALIA 9-0 TIMOR-LESTE". ASEAN United Football Confederation. 13 August 2025. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
  27. ^ Tan, Gabriel (20 August 2025). "How Australia U23 overcame slow start to be worthy ASEAN Women's Championship winners". ESPN. Retrieved 20 August 2025.


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