Fit-again Simon ready to fire City back to the top

Kyah Simon is fit, enjoying her football again and back in Victoria ready to help Melbourne City regain its powerhouse status in the Westfield W-League.

The experienced Australian international has battled back from a hamstring injury that saw her miss out on the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019 and pieces of the 2019 National Women’s Soccer League campaign with Houston Dash.

City had been crowned Champions in every campaign since their inaugural 2015/16 season but missed the Finals Series for the first-time last time out.

But the club have made some major moves in the transfer window in order to get back to the top of the pile.

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“We’ve got a good core group of girls down there, a few new additions and hopefully a few more internationals to come on board as well.

“I’ve been down there with Emily van Egmond so that’s great, she’s a great addition to our team.

“We’ve obviously got a lot of girls that have been around, [Lauren] Barnes, Steph Catley and Lydia Williams for a fair few seasons now as well.”

The striker credits the quality of the club for its ability to attract and retain top players. 

“I think whenever I go to Melbourne City there’s an aura around the club that is professionalism.

“You know where you are, you know what the club stands for, you know you’re investing into holding higher standards for yourself and that’s something I love.

“When the club and everyone around you holds you accountable it really does raise the bar to hold yourself even higher in your accountability as an individual.

“I feel that’s the best environment for me to be first of all healthy but second of all to be able to perform my best football.”

Staying healthy is a major focus for Simon who has had a horror few years dealing with injuries that saw her miss a ticket to France 2019.

She credits the supportive environment at City for sticking by her through these injuries and helping her manage the difficult task of splitting her time between the NWSL and the Westfield W-League.

“I think that’s always been a challenge for us female footballers but it’s kind of our second nature and it’s what we’re used to,” she said.

“So for me I know what to expect and what I’m going to get when I go down to Melbourne and wear the City colours and I think that really aligns with my kind of goals I’ve got coming up for this season.”

Despite her other footballing commitments taking her around the world, Simon is happy to be back playing in Australia. 

“I think definitely playing in the W-League is a highlight for me all year round being back in Australia, there’s no better country in my opinion.

“I’m super excited that anyone around the world and in Australia especially can tune in and watch their favourite teams, players and show support for the women’s game in Australia.

“That’s definitely a privilege to be a part of and hopefully we can put on a good brand of football for anyone tuning in.”