Nathan Cleary question shut down as Mary Fowler opens up on 'incredible' year

Fans eager to know more details about the budding romance between Mary Fowler and Nathan Cleary will have to remain patient after the Matildas star refused to answer questions about her boyfriend during a public appearance on Wednesday. The new 'it couple' of Aussie sport set tongues wagging on Tuesday evening after a heartwarming reunion at Sydney Airport.

Cleary was seen picking up Fowler from the airport after the Matildas ace returned home via an Emirates flight from Dubai, having been given time off over Christmas from her English football club, Manchester City. Fowler and Penrith's three-time premiership winner Cleary were spotted sharing a hug and kiss, before leaving the airport all smiles as the NRL star helped the Matildas forward with her luggage.

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The reunion between the Aussie sporting couple was their first since November 2 when Cleary was seen farewelling Fowler at Perth airport, following a frolic in a park that all but confirmed rumours of their relationship. There were concerns Fowler and Cleary would be denied their latest reunion when the Matildas star pulled out of a football fan event scheduled for Thursday, but the 20-year-old kept her commitment to a school in Sydney's south after arriving home from overseas.

Fowler attended the Rise & Shine Kindergarten in Carlton on Wednesday, where the 20-year-old was happy to meet her young fans and speak about her "incredible" year. However, reporters eager to know more about Fowler's relationship with Cleary were shut down by the Matildas media team at the event, with the 20-year-old reportedly going silent whenever the NRL star's name was mentioned.

Mary Fowler reflects on meteoric rise in 2023

Fowler did speak about her meteoric rise in Aussie sport in 2023 and the 'Matildas Mania' that swept the nation during the women's football side's extraordinary run to the World Cup semi-finals. Fowler cemented her status as one of the nation's biggest fan favourites in the Matildas side and even ended up on the front cover of Marie Claire’s Woman of the Year magazine.

“When you start out, you don’t really think too much about these things,” she admitted about the meteoric rise in 2023. “I never would have thought that I’d get the opportunities that I do now, but as I’ve got more opportunities being out in the spotlight a bit more, it’s made me realise the kind of responsibilities that you have to all these people that are watching you.

“I’ve always thought that the biggest way for me to inspire someone is for me being myself, so that’s what I do when I’m out there. I try to be genuine, and if that makes someone want to go after a dream or smile, then that would make me happy.”

Recent data from Google showed that Fowler was the second-most searched sporting star in Australia in 2023 - behind only Matildas teammate Sam Kerr. The 20-year-old admits she was blown away by the public interest in women's football in Australia and said it was an "amazing" journey to be a part of as the women's team played in front of record crowds around the country.

“It’s been an incredible year. It’s hard to put into words how big it’s been,” Fowler added. “I didn’t expect that (how much Australia embraced the Matildas). I think the majority of us went into the World Cup not expecting that, but that was amazing. I think that was the best part of the World Cup, to see how many people got behind us and how together Australia came.”

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