Matilda with a CV to Di for!

Three World Cups. Two Asian Cups.. Two Olympic Games. And a scholarship holder in two different sports.

Three World Cups. Two Asian Cups.. Two Olympic Games. And a scholarship holder in two different sports.

But even that doesn-t tell the full story for one of the mainstays of the Australian women-s football team, the Matildas, for the past 13 years.

29 year old defender, Di Alagich, is set to retire from international competition when the Matildas play host to the New Zealand women-s team this Saturday afternoon at North Sydney Oval.

Click here to view a full international match listing and achievements.

Alagich, who is part of an Australian football dynasty, made her international debut in football when she was just 16 against the then newly-crowned World Cup champions, Norway.

Her 86 game career (including this Saturday-s match) is even more impressive considering she was ruled out of football for two years when she required a knee reconstruction in 1996, and again suffered knee injuries in 2001 and 2003.

Alagich has the honour of starting in every single one of Australia-s World Cup and Olympic games matches from 1999 to 2007 involving the Women-s World Cup tournaments in 1999, 2003 and 2007 and the Sydney and Athens Olympic Games.

As well as being an Australian Institute of Sport scholarship holder in football, Alagich was also a champion kayaker and was a South Australian Sports Institute scholarship-holder and former junior Australian representative in that sport also.

Her club football teams have included Port Adelaide, West Adelaide, Adelaide Sensation, the South Australian Institute of Sport and the San Jose CyberRays in the US Women-s League.

“Di Alagich is a champion player from one of Australia-s highest achieving sporting teams,” said Football Federation Australia (FFA) CEO, Ben Buckley.

“She has been a credit to the sport, to the Matildas and, of course, to herself, and she has the appreciation and best wishes of the entire football family for the future.”

While Alagich is retiring from international competition she plans to continue playing in the new national women-s league, to be launched soon by FFA, probably turning out for her adopted city of Sydney where she works for the Australian Customs Service.

“I-m quite sad to be retiring from the Matildas, but I also know it-s the right decision,” Alagich said.

“There comes a time when the body can-t take the extra rigours required of top flight international competition and that time is now for me!”

Alagich makes her final appearance in the green and gold this Saturday when the Matildas take on New Zealand in the first of a double-header at North Sydney Oval between Australia and traditional rivals from across the Tasman.

Alagich said she is looking forward to Saturday-s match.

“I want to enjoy the game as much as possible, and make sure we beat New Zealand as we-ve never lost to them.

“I-ve always loved playing in the green and gold and this game will be no exception.”

The match between the Matildas and the ‘Silver Ferns- kicks-off at 12 noon at North Sydney Oval, with the Qantas Under 23 men-s team and the New Zealand Under 23 men-s team also meeting in a pre-Olympic Games warm-up starting at 2.00pm.

Tickets are available from Ticketek or by telephoning 132 849.