A reported record-breaking pay offer and the chance to live closer to Nathan Cleary were not enough to bring Mary Fowler back to Australia.
The Matildas star remains at Manchester City after a reported $1million offer emerged as part of an ambitious plan to recruit Australian sport’s glamour couple to two clubs under the same ownership umbrella.
The proposal could have offered a solution to the long-distance relationship that keeps their careers on opposite sides of the world.
For battling NRL franchise Wests Tigers, it was an extraordinary bid to prise one of rugby league’s biggest names away from Penrith.
According to News Corp, Tigers owner Holman Barnes Group proposed a combined package worth $9million, including a $1million marquee contract for Fowler to join the Central Coast Mariners women’s team.
The group had acquired the Mariners women’s side, opening the door to a recruitment pitch spanning two sports.
Mary Fowler remains at Manchester City despite a reported $1million offer to return to Australian football
A proposed recruitment package would have brought Fowler to the Central Coast Mariners and Cleary to Wests Tigers
Fowler returned to Australia in October to support Cleary following two operations
Under the reported proposal, Cleary would have joined the Tigers and Fowler would have returned to NSW on what would be the highest salary in A-League Women history.
But the blockbuster homecoming did not materialise.
Fowler, 23, is contracted to Manchester City until 2028, meaning any move would also require an agreement with the English club over her release.
She has built a formidable profile away from the pitch, with News Corp reporting that her multi-year Adidas deal is worth $10million.
Her other commercial work includes a L’Oréal Paris ambassadorship and Chobani’s national ‘Game Changer’ campaign.
The couple’s long-distance relationship attracted renewed attention in October when Fowler returned to Australia to support Cleary as he recovered from two operations.
She withdrew from Matildas friendlies against Germany and Haiti for personal reasons in October, prompting questions about her sudden absence.
Football Australia said the decision followed discussions between Fowler, Manchester City and Matildas staff.
Fowler’s commercial pulling power extends well beyond football, with her multi-year Adidas deal worth $10million
Fowler became L’Oréal Paris’s first female athlete ambassador for Australia and New Zealand in 2024, adding a major beauty partnership to her growing profile
Fowler fronts Chobani’s national ‘Game Changer’ campaign, appearing across billboards, public transport and digital advertising as the brand launches its high-protein drinks
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Teammate Hayley Raso revealed the news had caught her by surprise.
‘I haven’t spoken to Mary. I only just found out the news myself,’ Raso said.
‘Obviously, Mary’s a really valuable player for our team, so it’s sad that she’s not here at this camp, but obviously, she has to take care of some personal circumstances.’
Cleary had fractured his fibula and dislocated his ankle during Penrith’s preliminary final loss to Newcastle, with a bone breaking through the skin.
He also had a fracture in his other foot.
Panthers chairman Greg Alexander later explained that the damage, while confronting, could have been worse.
‘The tibia didn’t break, no fracture in the tibia, which was fantastic news,’ Alexander told SEN.
‘In terms of the horrific injury that Nathan suffered, it was as good as could be expected without the double fracture.’
Cleary has since reportedly passed up another offer to remain with the club where he won four consecutive premierships.
The NRL expansion club the PNG Chiefs proposed a package worth up to $8.4million over three years, according to News Corp.
That reportedly included $6million in tax-free playing payments and a potential $2.4million in third-party endorsements.
Nine reported that Cleary told the Chiefs he intended to stay at Penrith, where he was expected to sign a two-year extension through to the end of 2029.
