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had not given consent, and the adoption was not officially finalised. The exposure of these facts caused some distress, and she credits football with keeping her on track and alive. She used football to process her grief. She identifies as being of the
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In 1983, on her 21st birthday, she was selected for the
Matildas, the first Indigenous woman to do so, and stayed in the national team for six years, during which time she played seven times.
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Menzies represented
Northern NSW from the age of 14 (1977), starting in the open-age team, and continued playing for them for 15 years. There she met longtime friend
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National
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Menzies' natural athletic ability was recognised, and she also played cricket,
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34:. She played seven games for the Matildas in the period 1983–1989.
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201:"Meet Karen Menzies, Australia's first Indigenous Matilda"
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In
November 2021 Menzies was selected to be a member of
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in the mid-1987. She wrote her PhD thesis on
Aboriginal
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50:. She loved sports as a child, in particular
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68:She learnt that her mother was
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314:27 November
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214:26 November
579:Categories
169:References
86:water polo
70:Aboriginal
56:Yugal Ryde
44:North Ryde
38:Early life
491:Milanovic
401:Buschmann
63:Newcastle
537:MF
531:Priestly
527:FW
517:MF
511:Monteath
507:MF
497:DF
487:MF
477:MF
467:MF
457:DF
451:Loveless
447:FW
437:FW
427:MF
417:GK
407:DF
397:GK
387:MF
281:Matildas
205:ABC News
81:people.
79:Wonnarua
501:Millman
481:Menzies
471:McQueen
441:Iserief
411:Buswell
551:Robins
521:Murray
461:Martin
52:soccer
22:(born
541:Rader
431:Dodd
421:Deas
391:Bass
316:2021
288:2021
249:2021
216:2021
126:and
88:and
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