Mary Fowler and Nathan Cleary are Australia’s most-watched sports couple. They are both top athletes who have to deal with long-distance careers, constant public scrutiny, and their own private dreams for the future. Their story is part romance and part resilience, from an ice cream date on the Nepean River to rehab sessions in the hospital and flights across the ocean.
From Rumours to “Royal Couple”
In August 2023, people started to talk when they saw the Matildas forward with the Penrith Panthers halfback. Cleary’s cheeky “that’s life 🍦” caption didn’t do much to calm the rumours; soon after, pictures of the riverbank made it seem like something was real. He had flown to Perth to support Fowler during the Olympic qualifiers by October. Fans were right: public sightings, like holding hands in a park and kissing at Sydney Airport during the holidays, proved it. Fowler’s first couple photo in April 2024 made them “Australia’s royal couple.“
A public relationship, paparazzi, and stress
Cleary’s profile rose even more, in part because of Fowler’s. At Penrith’s 2024 awards night, teammate Brian To’o started a conversation about engagement. Later, Cleary said that the attention sometimes felt overwhelming, remembering paparazzi waiting outside his house and even a car chase. He was most worried about Fowler because her World Cup breakout put her in the spotlight so quickly.
Long-Distance Love
Distance was normal for them by the end of 2024. Fowler’s football kept her in Manchester, and Cleary’s NRL commitments kept him in Sydney. But the normal things that kept them together were things like wearing jerseys in far-off sheds, video calls, and quiet evenings. As Cleary said, they just enjoy each other’s company and talk things over when they’re together.
Family Dreams, Spoken Out Loud
Plans that everyone can agree on are hidden behind the headlines. Cleary has said he wants a family after football, and he said, “I’d love for it to be with Mary.” Fowler agreed in May 2025, saying that they had early “paragraph-long chats” about life and psychology and a desire to have biological and adopted children grow up together.
The Break-Up Buzz and Why It Went Away
In 2025, rumours about breakups spread on social media—missed airport moments, unliked posts, and edited bios. Then Fowler showed up at a Panthers game that the team won 36–2, took pictures with fans, and spent time with Cleary and his family to calm things down. The tabloids kept pushing, but the couple’s quiet time together said more.
Injury, identity, and an unlikely sprint back
Fowler’s biggest test was in April 2025, when he tore his ACL in the FA Cup semi-final. The injury cut short her best season ever, during which she scored more than ten goals and was named to the PFA WSL Team of the Year. She will need 9 to 12 months of rehab. She was able to start light training again just four months after her surgery. She posted “Boots are back, yay” and shared videos of her doing running drills and band work at Manchester City’s pre-season.
She has been very clear about her thoughts: this isn’t a “bad knee” that needs to be fixed; it’s a “upgrade” that needs to be made stronger. Matilda’s teammates and other stars from the WSL flooded her comments with support, showing that she is becoming more famous outside of Australia.
Looking ahead to 2026 and home soil
Fowler’s return time is important because the Matildas will play in the Asian Cup on home soil in 2026. Coaches have said they are hopeful that the team will be back in competitive minutes by the end of 2025. Meanwhile, Australia is sizing up its rivals in Japan, China, and North Korea. If he is healthy, Fowler’s creativity and movement will make a big difference for a team that wants to win its first title since 2010.
A Long-Term Partnership
Cleary publicly supported the Matildas and Fowler by making crude comments about them. He has crossed oceans on his days off to be with her during the NRL grind. She has been a regular, smiling presence at Panthers events when she was able to go to them. It’s the little things—like travelling, spending time together, and making phone calls—that keep a relationship steady when everyone is watching.
A Romance That Goes Beyond the Headlines
Mary Fowler and Nathan Cleary are not a fad or a tabloid story. They are two young Australians who are making careers at the highest level while choosing each other over and over again, even when things are tough. Their story always comes back to the same things: being patient, being honest, and showing up. It could be the first awkward meeting, an Instagram hard-launch, or the long process of ACL rehab.
Fowler is working hard to get back in shape, and Cleary is leading Penrith through another season. The two of them are still a symbol of modern sports life: imperfect, public, and very human. The future they drew up—family, football, and a life bigger than both—still seems possible. And maybe that’s why so many Australians are interested: it’s a love story that is learning to last.
Originally Published On AUBURNTIMES
