Cortnee Vine Bio
Cortnee Brooke Vine (born 9 April 1998) is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a winger. She is currently signed with the North Carolina Courage of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and represents the Australia national team, known as the Matildas. Born in Shepparton, Victoria, Vine rose through the A-League Women ranks with Brisbane Roar, Newcastle Jets, Western Sydney Wanderers, and Sydney FC before moving to the United States.
Across her senior career since 2015, Vine has developed a reputation as a reliable wide attacker with an eye for goal in important matches. She gained international recognition during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, where she scored the winning penalty against France to send Australia into the semifinals.
Early Life and Background
Cortnee Brooke Vine was born on 9 April 1998 in Shepparton, Victoria, to parents Heidi and Gary Vine. She has a brother named Jayden. She began playing football at the age of five alongside her brother at St Georges Road Primary School, where she developed her first touches of the sport in casual school games.
When Vine was seven, her family moved to Mango Hill, a northern suburb of Brisbane, Queensland. She continued her football development with the Deception Bay Dragons and the Redcliffe Dolphins, often playing on her older brother’s team. She attended Clontarf Beach State High School, balancing her schooling with growing football commitments.
By the age of 12, Vine had earned a spot at the Queensland Academy of Sport, a clear marker of her rising talent. She went on to play for Peninsula Power in Queensland’s competitive football system before eventually signing for Brisbane Roar in 2015.
Path to Soccer
Vine progressed through Queensland’s youth football system, where coaches quickly noticed her pace and comfort on the wing. Her selection for the Queensland Academy of Sport gave her access to higher-level training, and her time at Peninsula Power offered regular matches against strong opposition. Those experiences prepared her for the step into senior football.
Her pathway was supported by family, with her parents and brother encouraging her development from those earliest games at St Georges Road Primary School. The move from Victoria to Queensland also broadened her football horizons, exposing her to new teammates and stronger competition in Brisbane.
Vine’s progress through Australia’s age-group teams soon followed, with selection for the Australia U-17 side and later the Australia U-20 team. That national recognition confirmed her status as one of the country’s most promising wide players heading into her senior career.
Cortnee Vine Career
Early Career (2015–2019)
Vine made her debut for Brisbane Roar on 25 October 2015 at age 16, appearing against the Western Sydney Wanderers. She went on to make seven appearances during the 2015–16 W-League season as Brisbane finished fourth in the regular season and qualified for the playoffs. The Roar’s semifinal against Melbourne City ended in a 5–4 penalty shootout loss after 120 minutes without a goal.
In 2017, Vine joined the Newcastle Jets ahead of the 2017–18 W-League season, where she continued to develop her attacking play. After two seasons with the Jets, she moved to the Western Sydney Wanderers in November 2019.
Sydney FC Breakthrough (2020–2024)
In August 2020, Vine joined Sydney FC, a move that launched the most decorated club chapter of her career. During the 2020–21 season, she made 11 appearances, scoring four goals and adding three assists as her team won the league. The following 2021–22 season brought six goals in 10 league games, plus three more goals across two playoff matches as Sydney again claimed the premiership.
Vine then completed a championship and premiership double with Sydney FC in the 2022–23 season, scoring seven goals in 21 games. Her contributions in big matches established her as a key piece of Sydney’s attacking unit.
On 14 June 2024, Sydney announced that Vine would leave the club to pursue an opportunity in the NWSL in the United States. During her time at Sydney, Vine had also briefly played on loan at Sydney Olympic in 2022, gaining extra minutes in the New South Wales premier competition.
North Carolina Courage Era (2024–Present)
The North Carolina Courage signed Vine on a three-year contract on 14 June 2024, with her becoming eligible at the start of the transfer window on 1 August. She made her NWSL debut in the starting lineup against the Seattle Reign on 25 August and quickly made an impact. Vine scored her first NWSL goal in her Courage home debut, equalizing in an eventual 2–1 win over the Kansas City Current on 1 September.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of the most memorable moments of Vine’s career came in August 2023 at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, when she scored the winning penalty in a 7–6 shootout victory over France to send Australia into the semifinals. Earlier, in July 2016, she had scored the equaliser against Myanmar at the 2016 AFF Women’s Championship as Australia topped their group. On 4 June 2024, she was named in the Matildas squad that qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics, marking her debut Olympic selection.
Cortnee Vine Career Wins
Cortnee Vine has built a strong record of team successes at club level with Sydney FC, where she won league titles, premierships, and a championship-premiership double. Her goal-scoring record at Sydney included four goals and three assists in 2020–21, six league goals plus three playoff goals in 2021–22, and seven goals in 2022–23. At international level, she has represented Australia at under-17, under-20, and senior level, including the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup and the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Sydney FC Highlights
Across her Sydney FC spell, Vine helped the club secure multiple domestic honors, including league titles in 2020–21 and 2021–22 and a championship-premiership double in 2022–23. She regularly delivered in high-stakes matches, including playoff appearances where she added three goals across two postseason games in 2021–22.
Other Wins & Performances
Vine also experienced a short loan at Sydney Olympic in 2022 within the New South Wales premier competition. Earlier in her development, she played for Peninsula Power in Queensland and featured at the 2016 AFF Women’s Championship with Australia’s youth setup.
Cortnee Vine Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Vine was raised by her parents Heidi and Gary Vine, who supported her move from Shepparton to Brisbane during her childhood. Her brother, Jayden Vine, played alongside her in her earliest football experiences at St Georges Road Primary School and the Deception Bay Dragons.
Personal Life
Since 2019, Vine has been in a relationship with Charlotte McLean, a fellow professional soccer player who has been her teammate at both Sydney FC and the North Carolina Courage. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020–21, Vine learned computer coding through online courses, and in 2023 she was studying part-time for a bachelor’s degree in information technology. On 15 November 2024, Vine announced she would take time off football to prioritize her mental health, and by March 2025 she had returned to the Courage’s regular roster.
2025 Season Performance
Vine returned to the North Carolina Courage’s regular roster by March 2025 after her period of leave, resuming her place in the team’s attacking line. Her presence on the wing added experience to a Courage squad looking to climb the NWSL standings, with coaches integrating her back into regular minutes as the season progressed.
At international level, Vine remained a candidate for Matildas selection heading into 2025, having featured at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the Paris 2024 Olympics. Her combination of club form in the NWSL and prior success in Australia’s biggest matches kept her firmly in the national-team conversation.
Looking ahead, Vine’s goals included regaining full match sharpness, contributing goals and assists for the Courage, and competing for further Matildas call-ups. Her established partnership with Charlotte McLean, both on and off the pitch, also provided personal stability as she balanced club play in the United States with international duties.