Ellyse Perry - Choice of Sport

Choice of Sport

Both cricket and football (soccer) are keen to retain Perry in their sport. She has accepted in interviews that she will probably one day have to choose between them, but for the moment she is pursuing both. In 2010 Perry was faced with the decision whether to play for Australia at the ICC World Twenty20 or at the 2010 AFC Women's Asian Cup which overlapped, of which she chose cricket.

On 29 May 2012 it was reported in the AGE newspaper that Heather Reid, the chief executive of her football club Canberra United FC, had given Perry an ultimatum to choose between football and cricket. On 5 September 2012, Perry signed with Sydney FC, with Sydney FC coach Alen Stajcic stating he was prepared to work with NSW Breakers coach Joanne Broadbent to allow Perry to play both sports, however, the cooperation between Sydney FC and NSW Breakers, to enable Perry to play both sports, came to a head when it was reported on 15 January 2013 that Sydney FC's W-League semi-final was scheduled for the same day as the NSW Breakers' Twenty20 final. A few days later, Perry's decision was to play in the football semi-final, rather than the Twenty20 cricket final, both of which were to be played on 19 January 2013. NSW Breakers won their cricket final, and Sydney too won their football semi-final, but the following weekend for the W-League football Grand Final Perry declined to play for Sydney, opting instead to play for Australia in a warm-up game for the Cricket World Cup in India.