Seattle Reign FC Sign Australian International Midfielder Elise Kellond-Knight
Seattle Reign FC has signed midfielder Elise Kellond-Knight. Kellond-Knight, an Australian international, currently plays for Hammarby in Sweden’s Damallsvenskan. After the Swedish season wraps up Kellond-Knight will head to Australia for the W-League season, where she will join 3-time W-League champion Melbourne City. She has also collected 95 caps with the Australian national team.
“I’m so happy to have finally come to an agreement with the NWSL to join Seattle Reign FC in the upcoming 2019 NWSL season,” said Kellond-Knight. “They are a class team who play a style of football that I can see myself enjoying.”
Kellond-Knight has represented Australia in two World Cups, featuring prominently on both the 2011 and 2015 teams. Her performances earned Kellond-Knight a spot on both tournaments’ all-star teams. Other individual accolades for Kellond-Knight include the W-League Young Player of the Year in 2009, and FFA Female Footballer of the Year in 2011. Kellond-Knight also started all three of Australia’s matches at the 2018 Tournament of Nations.
“We’re excited to have Elise on the team. We’ve been working a long time to find a way to bring her to the club,” said Seattle Reign FC head coach Vlatko Andonovski. “She’s a very talented player who will add another dimension to our midfield. We can’t wait to get started and see Elise on the pitch.”
Kellond-Knight’s club career includes 68 games and eight goals with the Brisbane Roar in Australia’s W-League. The 28-year-old has also played overseas in Denmark, Japan, and Germany, including three seasons with FFC Turbine Potsdam. 2019 will be her first season in the NWSL.
“Although I am extremely excited about 2019, I still have a lot of football to play before I join Seattle. I must first finish the season with Hammarby in the Damallsvenskan. I am so lucky to have found such a special, unique and supportive home at Hammarby this year,” shared Kellond-Knight. “I hope to build a bond and home at Seattle that can compare to my experience here in Stockholm. And then, of course, I will play in the Australian W-League for Melbourne City before joining the Reign. There’s so much to look forward to and I can’t wait to start the new adventure.”
Kellond-Knight will join Matilda teammates Steph Catley and Lydia Williams in Seattle. In 2018, Reign FC went 11–5–8 and finished third in the NWSL table. The team set a club record for fewest goals allowed (19) and returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2015.
