Three Shellharbour stars retire chasing first-grade grand final trophy
Shellharbour City players Christina Werakso, Maddi Costanzo and Kristy Brown are retiring. They will play their last game in Sunday's grand final, hoping to complete a treble.
Three players will end their careers after Shellharbour City's Women's Premier League grand final against University of Wollongong on Sunday. Goalkeeper Christina Werakso, player-coach Maddi Costanzo and Kristy Brown promised each other to go out as winners.
Werakso is 38 and moved to Australia from Tennessee in 2012. She met an Australian footballer and decided to stay.
She coaches her seven-year-old daughter's team while playing for Shellharbour. She will walk onto the field with her daughter for the grand final.
"Getting to lift a few trophies with them is a bonus," she said. Werakso had a record-breaking season.
She let in only six goals in league play with 18 clean sheets. Costanzo is 31 and works as a personal trainer.
She has overcome multiple anterior cruciate ligament injuries during her career. She leads the league in goalscoring.
Shellharbour have already won the league title and Julie Porter Cup this season.
- 38
- Werakso's age
- 2012
- Year she moved to Australia
- 18
- Werakso's clean sheets
- 6
- Goals conceded by Werakso
Why it mattersAthletes retiring together on their own terms, with family present, show how sport brings families and communities together.
AustraliaLocal football fans in New South Wales will see a grand final with genuine narrative stakes as three experienced players bid farewell.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 16 h ago
