Natasha Prior
 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Natasha Prior | ||
| Date of birth | 20 January 1998 | ||
| Place of birth | Leicester, England | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Newcastle Jets | ||
| Number | 4 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2017–18 | Newcastle Jets | 11 | (0) |
| 2018–19 | Canberra United | 3 | (0) |
| 2021–22 | Sydney FC | 6 | (0) |
| 2023– | Newcastle Jets | 28 | (1) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2024– | Australia | 3 | (2) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17 December 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17 December 2024 | |||
Natasha Prior (born 20 January 1998) is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a centre-back for Newcastle Jets in the A-League Women and the Australia national team.
She was born in Leicester, England, and raised in Australia.[1]
Club career
Prior debuted in the 2017–18 W-league season for the Newcastle Jets before transferring to Canberra for the 2018–19 season.[2]
In the fifth round of the 2018–19 season, Prior clashed heavily with Savannah McCaskill and was stretchered from the field.[3] While the initial hopes that the injury was only a mild concussion, it was later revealed to be more severe than that, and Prior was forced to sit out the remainder of the season.[4][5] As a result of this concussion, which was her fifth in less than six seasons, Prior made the decision to retire at the age of 21, saying "I didn’t really want to have dementia at the age of 30," citing an implied pressure to return earlier than recommended from concussion injuries.[6]
Prior returned to football in 2021, signing with Sydney FC.
On 30 September 2023, Prior signed with the Newcastle Jets.[7]
International career
In November 2024, Prior received her first senior call up to the Australian national team.[8] She made her debut in a 1–2 loss against Brazil on 1 December, coming on as a substitute at half time.[9]
International goals
- As of match played 7 December 2024
- Scores and results list Australia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Prior goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 December 2024 | AAMI Park, Melbourne, Australia |  Chinese Taipei
|
1–0 | 3–1 | Friendly |
| 2 | 7 December 2024 | Kardinia Park, Geelong, Australia | 5–0 | 6–0 |
References
- ^ "Natasha Prior – Soccer player profile & career statistics – Global Sports Archive". globalsportsarchive.com. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
- ^ "Canberra sign Jets duo". The Women's Game. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
- ^ "Canberra win marred by Prior injury". The World Game. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
- ^ Tiernan, Eamonn (24 December 2018). "Canberra defender Natasha Prior out for season with severe concussion". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
- ^ "Injury News: Natasha Prior ruled out for remainder of season". Canberra United. 24 December 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
- ^ Female athletes have higher concussion rates, prolonged recovery times, 2 October 2019, retrieved 18 November 2019
- ^ "Newcastle Jets sign Natasha Prior". Newcastle Jets. 30 September 2023. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
- ^ "CommBank Matildas 36 player squad called up for Brazil and Chinese Taipei internationals". Matildas. Football Australia. 15 November 2024.
- ^ "Natasha Prior reveals inspiration behind professional football return after debut". Matildas. Football Australia. 2 December 2024. Retrieved 8 December 2024.