Michelle Heyman’s one Hundred Liberty A-League goals has brought with it some important milestones. Canberra United looks back at a few of these in what has been a storied and stellar goalscoring career.
OFF THE MARK
4 October 2009
Sydney FC 1 (Walsh 47’) Central Coast Mariners 3 (Heyman 12’, 63’, Golebiowski 90+1’)
Heyman’s first goal in the competition came when it was branded the Westfield W-League and was in the colours of the Central Coast Mariners. The striker, who had played a trio of games for the Sky Blues in the inaugural campaign, opened the scoring against her former club on twelve minutes of a 3-1 success. Heyman rose highest to send Jenna Spackman’s floated cross from the right past Sydney FC ‘keeper Nikola Deiter with a looping header. She later struck again to put the Mariners back in front after Sarah Walsh had equalised for the home team.
FIRST IN GREEN
7 November 2010
Perth Glory 1 (Gill 76’) Canberra United 4 (Heyman 34’, 70’, 87’, Maciejewski 57’)
The Golden Boot winner made the move South to Canberra in the 2009/10 season and got off to a flying start with a hat-trick on debut away to Perth Glory at 6PR Stadium in Perth. After an initial period where both teams traded long distance blows United was able to take the lead in the 34th minute when Heyman struck the first of her treble, latching onto a through ball from Caitlin Munoz before firing past the exposed Tine Cederkvist in the Glory goal. Cian Maciejewski was the other Canberra scorer in a big win.
GRAND FINAL GLORY
28 January 2012
Canberra United 3 (Heyman 11’, 56’, A. Sykes 18’) Brisbane Roar 2 (Gielnik 22’ Butt 63’ (p))
A sensational Grand Final double was perhaps Heyman’s greatest moment in green. In the 11th minute of the fixture Brisbane turned over the ball in midfield allowing Hayley Raso to find Ashleigh Sykes in space. The forward steadied herself and released Heyman with an inch perfect pass and the Westfield W-League Golden Boot did the rest, taking the ball in her stride and sliding her shot past Casey Dumont in the Roar goal to give Canberra the lead. After setting up Ashleigh Sykes for the second, Heyman grabbed her double, and what would prove to be the matchwinner. Taryn Hemmings won a corner and Grace Gill floated over a sensational cross to Heyman who, leaping highest, sent a firm downward header into the back of the net.
FIFTIETH GOAL
7 December 2014
Canberra United 2 (Heyman 69’, A. Sykes 85’) Perth Glory 1 (Kerr 54’)
A half-century of goals was achieved in the unusual surroundings of Viking Park in Canberra where Canberra was based for one match, only the third venue that the club has used outside of McKellar Park and Deakin Stadium up to that point. The goal was the equaliser for the greens, netted just a quarter-of-an-hour after young gun Sam Kerr had fired the Glory in front. Sally Rojahn clipped a delightful long-ball into the penalty area which was nodded on by Caitlin Munoz into the path of Heyman who volleyed magnificently past Mackenzie Arnold from close range. Ashleigh Sykes struck the winner with five minutes remaining.
A CENTURY OF GOALS
13 January 2024
Canberra United 3 (Heyman 50’, 52’, Milivojevic 64’) Adelaide United 1 (I. Hodgson 46’)
Canberra had conceded less than thirty seconds into the second-half of Unite Round, played at Leichhardt Oval in Sydney and appeared to be sluggish. They needed a spark and who better to provide it than Heyman. A long ball was sent into the Adelaide half where Heyman’s presence forced an error from the Reds defender, allowing the alert striker to steal in and nick it away. The second touch saw Heyman advance on goal, before unleashing a hammer of a strike that blazed past Annalee Grove in the Adelaide goal to level the scores and create a moment of Australian Women’s football history. Not one to settle on her laurels, a minute later Heyman met a Vesna Milivojevic cross with a trademark header to put Canberra ahead. Of course, she did!
One hundred moments of Heyman magic!
