Gema Simon
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Gema Simon | ||
Date of birth | 19 July 1990 | ||
Place of birth | Armidale, Australia | ||
Height | 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in) | ||
Position(s) | Left back / Winger | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Newcastle Jets | ||
Number | 7 | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2008–2014 | Newcastle Jets | 63 | (4) |
2013 | → Ottawa Fury (loan) | ||
2014–2015 | Melbourne Victory | 11 | (2) |
2015–2022 | Newcastle Jets | 67 | (4) |
2016 | → Suwon (loan) | ||
2017 | → Avaldsnes (loan) | 13 | (0) |
2022 | Þróttur Reykjavík | 15 | (0) |
2022–2023 | Melbourne Victory | 6 | (0) |
2023–2024 | Newcastle Jets | 4 | (0) |
International career‡ | |||
2009 | Australia U20 | 1 | (0) |
2014–2019 | Australia | 11 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16 May 2023 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 5 April 2019 |
Gema Simon (born 19 July 1990) is a former Australian international soccer player who played for Newcastle Jets, Melbourne Victory, Ottawa Fury, Suwon, Avaldsnes, Þróttur Reykjavík, and the Australia women's national soccer team.
Early life
[edit]Simon was born in Armidale.[1] She is an Indigenous Australian, and grew up the eldest of three siblings.[2] Her cousin, Kyah Simon, is also an Australian international footballer.[3] Gema started playing football aged five.[2]
Playing career
[edit]Club
[edit]Simon was a member of the inaugural Newcastle Jets team in the W-League in 2008–09.
In May 2013, Simon joined USL W-League side Ottawa Fury.[4] She was not paid for her time at the club, but did receive off-field assistance.[5] She suffered an injury one month into the season and did not recover during her remaining two months with the side.[2]
In 2013, Simon was given the captaincy of the Jets.[6] She was awarded the Jets' Player of the Year award for the 2013–14 season[7]
After captaining Newcastle Jets in the 2013–14 season, Simon joined Melbourne Victory alongside Hannah Brewer.[8]
In October 2015, Simon re-joined the Newcastle Jets.[9]
After a rewarding season with Newcastle Jets, Simon signed a deal to play the winter season with Suwon in the WK League.[5]
After her loan at Suwon, Simon was announced as captain of Newcastle Jets once more.[10]
In September 2023, Simon returned once more to Newcastle Jets,[11] where she retired at the end of the season.[12][13]
International
[edit]In mid-2009, Simon was called up to the Australia under-20 team for the 2009 AFC U-19 Women's Championship.[14] She made her debut for the side in a pre-tournament friendly against South Korea in July 2009.[15]
Simon was first called up to the Australian senior side for the 2014 Cyprus Cup.[16] She made her debut for the team in March 2014, playing a full match in a loss to Scotland in the group stage of the tournament.[17] She was again included in the Australia squad for the 2015 Cyprus Cup.[18]
Honours
[edit]Australia
Individual
- Newcastle Jets Player of the Year: 2009–10,[19] 2013–14[7]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Rowe, Alex (25 November 2012). "Midfielder key to Jets' finals push". Daily Liberal. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
- ^ a b c Hanney, Daniel (6 February 2014). "Gema Simon: Stepping out of the shadows". The Women's Game. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
- ^ "Female stars keeping it in the family". FIFA. 29 April 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2015. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
- ^ "Fury unveil 2013 PDL & W-League rosters". SoccerWire.com. 21 May 2013. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
- ^ a b Kerry, Craig (8 February 2016). "Newcastle W-League captain Gema Simon nets rich South Korean deal". The Newcastle Herald. Archived from the original on 27 June 2018. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
- ^ "Peter McGuinness announces Newcastle Jets squad". The Women's Game. 15 October 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
- ^ a b "Brillante named Jets Player of the Year". Melbourne City FC. 13 April 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
- ^ "Victory lands Jets duo". Football Federation Australia. 14 August 2014.
- ^ "Deans Boosts Squad With Mix of Youth And Experience". Northern NSW Football. 7 October 2015. Archived from the original on 7 March 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
- ^ "Simon To Lead Jets into Another Season". Northern NSW Football. 5 October 2016.
- ^ "Newcastle Jets sign Gema Simon". Newcastle Jets. 1 September 2023.
- ^ Newcastle Jets [@NewcastleJetsFC] (7 May 2024). "Thank you for everything Gema. A stalwart of the Jets, congratulations on a fantastic career. Simon departs the Jets after 134 appearances for the club" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Liberty A-League 2024-25 Transfer Centre: Your club's ins/outs". aleagues.com.au. 28 May 2024. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
- ^ "Westfield Young Matildas squad selected for AFC U-19 Women's Championships 2009". Football NSW. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
- ^ "Young Matildas (U20) Internationals for 2009". OzFootball. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
- ^ Kerry, Craig (24 February 2014). "Brewer, Simon to join Matildas in Cyprus". The Newcastle Herald. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
- ^ Kerry, Craig (11 March 2014). "Jets duo make Matildas debuts". The Newcastle Herald. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
- ^ "Stajcic names Matildas squad for 2015 Cyprus Cup". The Women's Game. 24 February 2015. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
- ^ Kerry, Craig. "Gema Simon relieved to make Matildas training squad". The Newcastle Herald. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
External links
[edit]- Gema Simon at Soccerway
- 1990 births
- Living people
- Australian women's soccer players
- Indigenous Australian soccer players
- Newcastle Jets FC (A-League Women) players
- Melbourne Victory FC (A-League Women) players
- Suwon FC Women players
- A-League Women players
- Women's association football defenders
- Women's association football midfielders
- 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup players
- Australia women's international soccer players
- People from Armidale
- Sportswomen from New South Wales
- Soccer players from New South Wales
- Avaldsnes IL players
- Toppserien players
- Ottawa Fury (women) players
- USL W-League (1995–2015) players
- Expatriate women's footballers in Norway
- Expatriate women's soccer players in Canada
- Australian expatriate sportspeople in Norway
- Australian expatriate sportspeople in Canada
- Australian expatriate sportspeople in Iceland
- Expatriate women's footballers in Iceland