Alexia Apostolakis

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Alexia Apostolakis
Personal information
Date of birth (2006-05-16) 16 May 2006 (age 19)
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s) Defender, midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Melbourne City
Number 8
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2021–2022 Western Sydney Wanderers 11 (1)
2022 Football NSW Institute 12 (0)
2022–2023 Western Sydney Wanderers 14 (0)
2023 Bankstown City Lions 12 (0)
2023–2024 Western Sydney Wanderers 17 (1)
2024– Melbourne City 25 (2)
International career‡
2022– Australia U20 21 (1)
2022– Australia U23 6 (0)
2025– Australia 1 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 17 May 2025
‡ National team caps and goals as of 10 August 2025

Alexia Marina Apostolakis (Greek: Αλεξία Μαρίνα Αποστολάκης, pronounced [apostoˈlacis] app-OSTO-LAH-kis;[1] born 16 May 2006) is an Australian soccer player who plays as a defender for A-League Women club Melbourne City and previously as a midfielder for Western Sydney Wanderers (2021–2024). She has played for the Australia women's national soccer team (Matildas) at international level.

Early years

[edit]

Apostolakis was born in Sydney in 2006,[2][3]: 81  to a second-generation Greek father and Filipino mother.[4] As a junior she played for Forest Rangers.[3]: 81  She trained at St George FA and FC Barcelona Academy Sydney.[5]

Club career

[edit]

During the 2021–22 season of the A-League Women, Apostolakis debuted for Western Sydney Wanderers in December.[3]: 81 [6] She appeared 11 times and provided one goal,[2] upon scoring in February 2022, Apostalakis became the youngest Wanderers' scorer of all time at 15 years 279 days.[3]: 190 [6] In the A-Leagues Women's off-season, the midfielder transferred to Football NSW Institute in the National Premier Leagues NSW Women's (NPL NSW Women's) for twelve matches before returning to Wanderers for 2022–23 season.[3]: 81 

In the A-League Women's 2023 off-season, Apostolakis returned to NPL NSW Women's, but joined Bankstown City Lions.[3]: 81  She returned to the Wanderers for 2023–24 season, where she kicked one goal over 17 appearances.[2][3]: 81, 193  Apostolakis was transferred to Melbourne City as a defender in July 2024,[7] on a two year contract.[2][3][8] During City's 2024–25 season, she appeared 22 times and provided two goals to help her team become league premiers.[9] Apostolakis represented City at 2024–25 AFC Women's Champions League across all six of their matches to finish runners-up to Wuhan Jiangda on 24 May.[10]

International career

[edit]

Australia women's national under-20 soccer team (Young Matilidas) coach Leah Blayney named Apostolkis as a defender to their training camp in May 2022.[11] She joined the 21-player final squad for the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, held in Costa Rica in August.[12] At the tournament the Young Matildas finished third in Group A and were eliminated.[13] The defender joined the Young Matildas for the 2024 AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup qualification first round in Group C, held in Kyrgyzstan in March 2023. By topping the group, they proceeded to the second round in Group A, which occurred in Vietnam in June – again they topped the group and went on to the 2024 AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup tournament in Uzbekistan in March 2024. They headed Group A, but lost their semi-final 1–5 against Japan U20. Young Matildas won the third place match 1–0 versus South Korea U20 to be awarded the bronze medal.[14]

As the tournament's semi-finalists Young Matildas qualified for 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Columbia in August–September.[14] By the time the squad was finalised in mid-August, Apostolakis had played 16 matches with the Young Matildas and kicked one goal.[15][16] At that tournament the Australian U20s lost all three group games without scoring a goal and were eliminated.[17] At the 2026 AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup qualifiers in Tajikistan in August 2025, Apostolakis was appointed captain.[18][19] She led them to three victories and qualification for the final tournament, which is due in April 2026 in Thailand.[20]

Back in mid-2022, Apostolakis was chosen by senior women's assistant coach, Melissa Andreatta to join the newly established Australia women's national under-23 soccer team (U23 Matildas), which competed in the 2022 AFF Women's Championship, held in Philippines in July.[21][22][23] They faced ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) senior national women's squads.[21] The U23 Matildas finished third in Group A after winning three matches, but losing 0–1 to eventual champions Philippines and drawing 2–2 with Thailand, who finished tournament runners-up.[24][25] In September 2023 she was named to the U23 Matildas squad for two friendlies in Varese, Italy.[26] They played AC Milan Women and then Scotland U23.[26] She also joined the squad, which contested the Four Nations invitational under-23 tournament held in Växjö, Sweden from 30 May to 4 June 2024.[27][28] Australia lost against hosts, Sweden U23 and visitors Germany U23, but won against visitors Poland U23.[29][30]

Apostolakis received her first call-up for the senior Matildas in 2025, when she was added to the extended squad for two friendlies against South Korea in Sydney and Newcastle following an ankle injury to fellow defender Ellie Carpenter.[5][31] She made her debut for the Matildas in their 0–1 loss to visitors Panama on 5 July 2025 at Bunbury, Western Australia.[32]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPFbTQ1j0yF/?igsh=anNucW40dGc2OTBj
  2. ^ a b c d "Australia - A. Apostolakis - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway". au.soccerway.com. Archived from the original on 20 November 2022. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "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. ^ Heddo, Taryn (16 March 2024). "Alexia Apostolakis: 'Play like no one's there'". Football Australia. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
  5. ^ a b "Alexia Apostolakis". Matildas. Archived from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2025 – via National Library of Australia. n.b. Academies are shown at archived copy only.
  6. ^ a b "15-year-old Alexia Apostolakis becomes youngest WS Wanderers scorer in A-League Women". Neos Kosmos. 24 February 2022. Archived from the original on 7 March 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ "Alexia Apostolakis – Melbourne City". Melbourne City. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  8. ^ "Young Matildas star joins City". Melbourne City. 1 July 2024.
  9. ^ "A-League Women Ladder | Latest Standings on A-League Women Table". aleagues.com.au. 2025. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  10. ^ "AFC Women's Champions League | Melbourne City FC - Wuhan Jiangda Women's FC". the-afc.com. 24 May 2025. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  11. ^ "Blayney calls in 30 Player Squad For Commbank Young Matildas Training Camp". Football Australia. 3 May 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  12. ^ "Australia confirm 21-Player Final Squad for FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Costa Rica 2022". Matildas. Football Australia. 1 August 2022. Archived from the original on 1 August 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  13. ^ "FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup™". FIFA. 11 August 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  14. ^ a b Lewis, Samantha (31 August 2024). "Young Matildas to watch as FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup kicks off in Colombia". ABC News. Archived from the original on 31 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. ^ "CommBank Young Matildas final squad unveiled for FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup 2024™". Football Australia. 9 August 2024.
  16. ^ "Squad Update: CommBank Young Matildas - 15th August 2024". Football Australia. 15 August 2024.
  17. ^ "Standings". FIFA. 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  18. ^ "CommBank Young Matildas squad confirmed for the AFC U-20 Womens Asian Cup Qualifiers". Matildas. Football Australia. 21 July 2025.
  19. ^ "CommBank Young Matildas Squad Update – AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers". Football Australia. 29 July 2025.
  20. ^ Woods, Julia (11 August 2025). "The CommBank Young Matildas secure spot in the AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup Thailand 2026™ after a 3-0 win over Chinese Taipei". Matildas. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  21. ^ a b "Andreatta confirms youthful final 28-Player Australian U-23 Squad For 2022 AFF Women's Championships". Football Australia. 1 July 2022. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  22. ^ Yap, Kieran (3 July 2022). "Andreatta and Stajcic Speak Ahead of AFF Opener". impetusfootball.org. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  23. ^ "Apostolakis and Gallagher named in Australia's preliminary squad for AFF Women's Championship". Western Sydney Wanderers. 10 June 2022. Archived from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  24. ^ "2002 ASEAN Women's Championship". AFF – The Official Website Of The Asean Football Federation. Archived from the original on 8 August 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  25. ^ "Filipinas trounce Thais to be crowned AFF Women's Championship queens". The Philippine Football Federation (PFF). 18 July 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  26. ^ a b "Four Victorians named in 24-player Australian U-23 Women's National Squad". Football Victoria. 12 September 2023. Archived from the original on 10 April 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  27. ^ "Andreatta confirms U-23 Women's National Team Four Nations Tournament squad". Football Australia. 15 May 2024.
  28. ^ "Australian U-23 Women's National Team Squad Update (22nd May)". Football Australia. 22 May 2024.
  29. ^ "Australia [U23 Women] National Team » Fixtures & Results 2024". worldfottball.net. 2024. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  30. ^ "AUS 3-2 POL | Australia - Poland | Summary". flashscore.com.au. 4 June 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
  31. ^ russgibbs (3 April 2025). "James & Bertolissio Added to Matildas Squad in Train-on Capacity". Canberra United. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  32. ^ Heddo, Taryn (5 July 2025). "Watch: CommBank Matildas defeated 1-0 by Panama as four players debut". Matildas. Retrieved 19 August 2025.