Matildas striker Kyah Simon's career has come full circle with the 32-year-old signing with Central Coast as the face of the Mariners for their return season in the A-League Women.
- Kyah Simon initially signed with the Mariners in 2008 and played for them until they folded soon after
- Emily Gielnik, who has 54 Matildas caps but missed out on the World Cup squad, has signed with Melbourne Victory
- The A-League Women season starts on October 14
The Mariners announced Simon's return hours after Melbourne Victory added to their complement of Matildas by snapping up forward Emily Gielnik.
Simon started her career at the Mariners in 2008, scoring five goals in nine appearances in the first W-League (now A-League Women) season before moving to Sydney FC, then to Melbourne City.
The Mariners folded after the first two seasons but have returned for the upcoming campaign.
"Mariners being my first A-League club in the inaugural season, they've always held a special place in my heart and it's a real full circle moment for me," Simon said.
"The closer I came to this decision, the more it felt right for a number of reasons.
"Coming off a really difficult 10 or so months it was a priority of mine to be somewhere I felt supported and to be in an environment surrounded by the best medical care and resources."
Simon was contentiously selected in the Matildas' Women's World Cup squad despite not having played since tearing her left anterior cruciate ligament for former club Tottenham in October last year.
The striker did not play a single minute in her third World Cup.
She has scored 29 goals in 111 Matildas appearances and also played in England, the United States and the Netherlands.
Gielnik, who boasts 54 Australian caps but missed out on the final 23 for the World Cup squad after a serious ankle injury, joins fellow internationals Lydia Williams and Elise Kellond-Knight in Melbourne.
The 31-year-old has spent much of her career overseas, including stints with Aston Villa, Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Swedish club Vittsjö.
"I had a great experience during my first stint at the club … and I'm looking forward to achieving more success this season," Gielnik said.
Star Matildas defender Clare Hunt and penalty shootout hero Cortnee Vine (Sydney FC) were the only two Matildas contracted to A-League clubs at the end of the World Cup, but Hunt left Western Sydney Wanderers to take up a deal with Paris St Germain last week.
The ALW gets underway on Saturday, October 14.
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