One-time Matildas defender and MCC member, Ellie Brush, could be one to watch when the AFL’s new women’s league kicks off next year, with the multi-talented athlete looking to expand her prowess beyond the soccer pitch.

The 27-year-old plays for Canberra United in Australia’s W-League and, in the current off season, is plying her trade for Houston Dash in the National Women’s Soccer League in the USA.

With the AFL launching its women’s league with much fanfare at the MCG in June, the lure for many multi-talented sportswomen like Ellie will be strong, something she does not shy away from.

Ellie took part in the AFL's national talent screening earlier this year and has already been offered a spot in the NSW-ACT Academy. The AFL competition is likely to run in February and March, so there is the possibility she could play in it and the W-League, in a similar vein to Ellyse Perry’s juggling of elite level soccer and cricket commitments.

I love Aussie Rules and really do hope to play in the new professional league, if not in the inaugural season then soon after,” she told us from the USA, explaining that football and cricket had been a huge part of her childhood.

Dad was a good footballer (with Eastlake in Canberra) and taught me how to kick properly off both feet from a young age,” she said. “I played footy and cricket through my school years, with footy phasing out earlier because there was no pathway for girls. So this is a great chance for AFL to create a pathway for women."

Ellie was also named ACT Junior Cricketer of the Year in 2003, but one year later had to choose between cricket and soccer.

She has been the backbone of the Canberra United defence since the inception of the W-League in 2008. Her talents saw her selected for the Matildas, Australia’s national team, in 2009 and 2012. She has also represented Norwegian team Avaldsnes IL.

Cruelly, a leg injury at a national team training camp last year crushed her chances of making the Matildas squad for the Women’s World Cup in Canada.

Ellie has been “a very proud MCC member” since 2004 and has strong family ties to Melbourne Football Club and the MCC. Her great-uncle, Donald Duffy, was Melbourne Football Club president for 12 years (1963-74) and a long-time MFC medical officer, and also served on the MCC Committee for 27 years (1960-87).

So keep an eye out when the AFL’s women’s competition takes shape. Along with Meg Hutchins, Phoebe McWiliams and several others, you just might have some MCC members to cheer on, no matter whose team’s colours they are wearing.

But with her historical ties to the club, and strong family connections to Melbourne, here’s hoping Ellie Brush finds her way to the Demons next season.