Vale Maria Berry
Melbourne University Soccer Club is deeply saddened by the passing of our cherished Life Member, Maria Berry AM.
Maria was a trailblazer in Australian football, with her impact spanning over 40 years. Maria touched the lives of so many of us at MUSC, as a teammate, coach, volunteer, mentor and friend. Her advocacy for inclusion, equity and transparency was unmatched.
Maria first joined the women’s club in its early seasons. Recognising her huge contributions, Maria was the first winner of our women’s players’ player trophy in 1985. In 2013, we renamed the trophy in Maria’s honour. The Maria Berry Trophy remains one of our most prestigious awards.
After retiring as a player, Maria’s involvement during the early 2000s expanded to coaching and governance. Maria was integral in establishing the inaugural UniSport Nationals women’s program, coaching the side from 2001 to 2006. She served as Women’s Divisional President from 2006 to 2008, leading the club during the merger of the women’s and men’s clubs, and significantly expanding our women’s program (from 1 team to 5 teams between 2000 and 2006). The legacy of Maria’s efforts during this time lives on in the club leaders she mentored and developed.
For the contributions listed here, as well as many more that are not, Maria was awarded Life Membership in 2010.
Outside of MUSC, Maria’s leadership helped shape the game across many clubs including Brunswick Zebras, Yarra Jets, Darebin Falcons and Kensington Juniors. She held several significant governance roles including Director of the Australian Women’s Soccer Association, Chair of Football Victoria’s Women’s Standing Committee, Director of the Victorian Soccer Federation, and founding member of Women Onside.
She was a driving force behind the establishment of the National Football Hall of Fame, worked as Match Commissioner for several international games played in Australia, and was Head of Delegation and Team Manager for youth and senior Matildas teams in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Maria’s legacy has been formally recognised with:
- The National Sports Medal (2000)
- The Victorian Honour Roll for Women (2020)
- Member of the Order of Australia (2023)
- Football Victoria Life Membership (2024)
- Football Victoria Hall of Fame (2024)
Maria was also honoured in Football Australia’s 100 Years of Women’s Football mural.
Even with her many roles and accolades, she always had time for our club – whether it be sharing advice, mentoring our leaders and coaches, speaking at our events, watching our games, having a yarn at an A-League match, or even teaching some of us to drive! For many, these moments will be what we remember most about Maria.
She had a fiery passion for the game, a sharp sense of humour and a strong community ethic. She firmly believed that an individual’s contributions to the game were not limited to their skill as a player and was committed to seeing women succeed in all areas of the game. We extend our heartfelt condolences to Maria’s family and friends. We know our club wouldn’t be the place it is without Maria’s enormous contributions. We will honour her legacy with every game we play.
Details for a celebration of Maria’s life will be shared soon.
See Football Victoria’s tribute to Maria at https://www.footballvictoria.com.au/news/vale-maria-berry