Caught in the Middle

Meet Matildas star goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold as a kid and follow her football and friendship adventures.

Mackenzie Arnold loves playing football with the Seaport Strikers. She's now the team's goalkeeper and is starting to like it. But when a classmate bets Macca that she can't keep a clean sheet against the Strikers' strongest competitors in the biggest game of the season, can she come through? A new friend and teammate from Argentina brings added skill to the team, but not everyone is happy.

Can Macca bring the team together and stop the ball getting past her?

About the Author

Mackenzie Arnold is Australia's number one goalkeeper, earning the nicknames The Brick Wall and Australia's new Minister of Defence.

She was born on the Gold Coast and made her debut for the Matildas in 2012 when she was 18. Since then, Macca has risen to the top both at an international level and throughout her Australian W-League career.

In 2023, Macca's heroic performance in a record-breaking penalty shootout against France to secure the Matildas a spot in the FIFA Women's World Cup semi-finals was watched by millions of Australians. In 2024, Macca will put on the gloves at the Paris Olympics, where the Matildas will go for gold.

She is currently goalkeeper and captain of West Ham United in England.