Cortnee Vine takes indefinite mental health break from football as she vows to return ‘stronger than ever’.
Cortnee Vine will prioritise her mental health and take a break from football after an “overwhelming” rise to prominence
The 26-year-old declared herself unavailable for selection during the second straight international window. She was once again a notable absence from interim coach Tom Sermanni’s 36-woman roster for Australia’s next friendly against Taiwan and Brazil.
Shortly after the squad was revealed on Friday, Vine confirmed in a statement sent by her management organisation that she plans to prioritise her personal health going forward.
“I’m sure many people can appreciate that my life has dramatically changed over the past two years,” Vine said. “Due to these very new and sometimes overwhelming experiences, I’ve discovered that identifying, managing and prioritising my mental health has become something I have needed to work very hard on.
“Like many who face mental health challenges, I have my good days and my difficult ones. But every day is a lesson in learning to find the right balance. For now I need to focus on taking care of myself, which is why I am taking some time off.”
Before being thrown into the national spotlight after being called up to the Matildas squad for the Women’s World Cup on home soil. Vine was a star in the A-League Women. When she netted the game-winning penalty in Australia’s quarterfinal shootout victory against France in Brisbane, her life was transformed and she was hailed as a national hero.
She turned down offers from foreign teams to stay at Sydney FC after the World Cup. And as one of the few Matildas playing in Australia, she became a competition face.
She was eventually enticed by the National Women’s Soccer League in the United States. And joined with North Carolina Courage in June following yet another great A-League Women season.
Vine was crucial to the Matildas’ Olympic qualification in Paris. However, she left the squad for qualifiers in February of last year for personal reasons. She later returned to play in her first Games match against Germany in Marseille.
She has played five games and scored one goal since coming to North Carolina.