W-League champions Canberra United have told dual international Ellyse Perry she needs to commit full-time to the club over cricket or find another team.
Perry represents Australia in both football and cricket, often juggling the two during the W-League season.
But Canberra United chief executive Heather Reid says the club needs the 21-year-old to be all in or nothing.
"We have basically given Ellyse an ultimatum," she told Grandstand.
"Ellyse needs to choose whether she wants to be a full-time Canberra United player and commit to training every day like everyone else does.
"Or if she still wants to try and mix her cricket commitment with football, then perhaps she will need to find another club.
"The pressure is really just coming form Canberra United and in particular [coach] Jitka Klimkova, who is trying to build a much more professional football culture and she needs players to be fully committed to football."
Perry, who has represented both the Matildas at the 2011 women's football World Cup in Germany and the Southern Stars in the 2009 cricket World Cup, said she respected the club's position but thinks it is still feasible to play both sports at the highest level.
"With Jitka coming on board, and the wonderful success the club achieved last year, I certainly respect her position and the philosophy and direction she wants to take the club in," Perry said.
"That doesn't quite fit in with my situation.
"I was open to that being a possibility and given that is has happened, that is just the way it is."
Perry said she has not put a time frame on committing to one sport.
"Something I have to make sure is that I still love every moment of it, and at the moment I do," she said.
"I get a huge thrill out of playing both cricket and soccer.
"I certainly still feel it is feasible to play both."
Reid said Perry could find another club to continue her double act, most likely the W-League's new western Sydney franchise.
Perry, who lives in Sydney, said it is still to early to think about that, especially after she was recently selected in a Matildas squad ahead of two matches against New Zealand in June.
She will also take part in a Southern Stars cricket tour in September.
"I haven't really thought that far ahead in terms of the W-League season. It is still quite a way down the track," she said.
"I know they haven't even set competition dates yet, and playing rosters haven't even been looked at yet."
Cricket Australia spokesman Peter Young said CA would continue to support Perry's ambition to play both soccer and cricket.
"Ellyse Perry is a wonderful role model to young girls interested in either or both cricket and soccer," Young said on Twitter.
Tags: cricket, sport, soccer, canberra-2600, act, australia First posted May 29, 2012 13:51:07
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