Amy Duggan
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Amy Elizabeth Duggan (née Taylor) | ||
Date of birth | 11 June 1979 | ||
Place of birth | Canberra, Australia | ||
Height | 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) | ||
Playing position | Defender | ||
National team | |||
Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
1997-2004 | Australia | 20 | (1) |
† Appearances (goals) |
Amy Duggan (born Amy Elizabeth Taylor; 11 June 1979) is an Australian retired association football player and media personality.[1]
Football career
Amy Taylor was born in Canberra, Australia and grew up in Tuggeranong.[2] She started playing soccer at Tuggeranong United FC. At club level, she played nearly 100 games for the Canberra Eclipse in the now defunct Australian Women's National Soccer League,[3] and played professionally for Hampton Roads Piranhas in the USL W-League.[4]
She was a member of the Australia women's national soccer team, known as "The Matildas", playing as a defender in over twenty international matches. She was first selected to the Australian women's national team in 1997, at the age of 17—just six years after she began playing the sport. That same year she was called up for the 1997 Women's U.S. Cup to replace injured defender Bridgette Starr, scoring her first international goal as the Matildas lost 9-1 to the United States. Taylor was an unused substitute during both the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup,[3] and that same year she appeared on the cover of nude calendar featuring current Matilda's players, designed to lift the profile of the women's game and raise funds to support the national team's activities.[5] She wound up cut out of the Australian team for the 2000 Summer Olympics.[3]
After one year away from international soccer, Taylor returned to the Matildas in 2004 to take part in the Olympic qualifiers.[6] She was again an alternate player for the 2004 Olympics tournament.[7]
Known as a tenacious defender and aggressive tackler, Taylor's style of play contributed to a number of injuries which ultimately ended her football career. After two reconstructive surgeries on her ankles following the Matildas' 2004 season, she retired from competitive football.
Media career
Her appearance on the Matilda's calendar led to appearances in various magazines and print ads as a model. She joined WIN Television in Australia as a presenter on a fishing program called Fishing Australia. She further became the sports presenter for WIN News, becoming one of WIN's most popular personalities.[2]
In 2008, Duggan co-hosted the first series of football-reality television program Football Superstar on pay TV channel FOX8.[8] For the second series in 2009, she was replaced by Lee Furlong.[9]
While continuing her role on WIN News, she is also currently a sideline commentator for ABC's telecast of the W-League national women's competition.[10]
Personal life
Amy is married to Matt Dugan, and has three children.[11]
References
- ↑ "Women In Sport Luncheon". i98fm. 27 July 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
- 1 2 Dismay grows over WIN shift to Wollongong
- 1 2 3 Amy Taylor profile, Matildas official website
- ↑
- ↑ Nude footballers kick up a fuss
- ↑ 2004 OFC Women's Olympic Qualifiers > Australia
- ↑
- ↑
- ↑ "brian McFadden stings Matildas star Amy Taylor". Herald Sun. May 22, 2009.
- ↑ "ABC1 for W-League’s second season". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2 September 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-04.
- ↑ Amy Duggan on Twitter