Soccer-Pregnant Gorry to miss Tokyo Games, Football Australia pledges support

"As a player it is very comforting to hear about what has been put in place to ensure my mental, physical and emotional care as my pregnancy progresses," she said. "With this backing now I will have the ability to make decisions that are best for me and my future family." Football Australia Chief Executive James Johnson said in a statement it was important for the game to support its athletes. "We are Australia's biggest participation sport, and with that we have the platform to influence and help shift societal perceptions," he said.

Football Australia has pledged its full support for Katrina Gorry after the Brisbane Roar midfielder revealed on Monday she is pregnant and will miss this year's Tokyo Olympics. The governing body had reviewed its parental leave policy in 2019 to offer higher levels of support for 'Matildas' during pregnancy and when returning to national team duty.

The 28-year-old thanked the federation for extending support to female footballers. "As a player it is very comforting to hear about what has been put in place to ensure my mental, physical and emotional care as my pregnancy progresses," she said.

"With this backing now I will have the ability to make decisions that are best for me and my future family." Football Australia Chief Executive James Johnson said in a statement it was important for the game to support its athletes.

"We are Australia's biggest participation sport, and with that we have the platform to influence and help shift societal perceptions," he said. "We want football to be the number one sport of choice for women and girls in our country by creating an environment ... which is inclusive and supportive of their participation.

"Ensuring that our players have choices and flexibility in relation to life decisions is critical to providing positive modelling for our community..."