The Central Coast Mariners are delighted to announce the signing of Brianne Riley, with the American defender joining the club ahead of the upcoming Ninja A-League season.
The 24-year-old year old arrives on the Coast having most recently played for FC Pinzgau Saalfelden in the Austrian Regionalliga, following an extremely successful five-year college football career.
Born in Newport Beach, California, the American defender was selected as an NSCAA High School All-American in 2019, before opting to join the UCLA Bruins.
In her four years playing for the Los Angles based College, Riley featured almost 100 times for the side, being a part of the team that won the 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Championship.
This was just the second Women’s Football Championship in the school’s history, with the defender playing 23 games that season before departing to join Georgetown.
During her one campaign with the Hoyas, Riley started all 22 of the team’s games, before signing her first professional contract with FC Pinzgau Saalfelden in Austria.
After playing the back half of the 23/24 season with the Salzburg based club, Riley has decided to take up a new footballing opportunity, joining us on the Coast for the upcoming season.
The 24-year-old is thrilled to have signed with the club and is prepared for the challenge of the Ninja A-League.
“I am so excited to have joined the Mariners. They are relatively new back into the league, having had a successful season last year, and I am really excited to be a part of this club and to help build the team even more,” Riley said.
“This team has a tonne of potential and I am eager to work with everyone ahead of a huge season. I can’t wait to get out onto the pitch at our incredible stadium, meet our fans and put on the Yellow and Navy jersey.”
Central Coast Mariners Ninja A-League Head Coach Emily Husband is pleased to have secured Riley for the upcoming campaign.
“Brianne is strong and robust player who has all of the attributes that I look for in a defender. She will help solidify our backline this season, complementing the defenders that we already have,” Husband said.
“She is someone who is willing to put everything on the line for the team to win the ball back and has a great eye for a pass as well. Brianne has so much potential and having only been in the professional game for six months, this is just the start of what I think will be an amazing footballing journey for her.”
