Ayana Aoyagi

Ayana Aoyagi (, Aoyagi Ayana, ; born 16 June 2000) is an Australian soccer player who last played as a goalkeeper for A-League Women club Melbourne City. She previously played for W-League club Brisbane Roar, Hokushinetsu Women's Soccer League (HWSL) club Lily Wolf Ishikawa and National Premier Leagues Victoria Women (NPL Victoria Women) club South Melbourne.

Early life Aoyagi was born on 16 June 2000 in Cairns, Queensland, to Lynette and Shigeto Aoyagi. She is of Japanese descent, and has two siblings.

Aoyagi attended Kelvin Grove State College in the suburb of Kelvin Grove in Brisbane, before moving to the United States to attend university. As a junior she played soccer for Far North Queensland (FNQ FC) under-15s in 2014.

College career Aoyagi first moved to the United States in 2019, and attended Tyler Junior College in Tyler, Texas, where she joined the Tyler Apaches for the 2019–20 season. In 2021, Ayagi moved to Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, where she played for the Creighton Bluejays during the 2021 season. In the following year, she moved to the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida, where she played for the Florida Tech Panthers during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. She made her debut as a defender on 5 April 2025, coming on as a substitute for Akeisha Sandu in the 87th minute of a 5–1 away win over Heidelberg United at Olympic Park. She made her starting debut as a goalkeeper on 3 May 2025 in a 1–1 home draw with Spring Hills FC at Lakeside Stadium in Albert Park. She kept her first clean sheet on 15 June 2025 in a 1–0 home win over Bentleigh Greens. She finished the season with three clean sheets in nine appearances.

Melbourne City Aoyagi signed for A-League Women club Melbourne City ahead of the 2025–26 season. Despite not playing a match, she was a valued member of the playing group and departed at the end of her contract in August 2026.

Personal life Known for her social media presence, outside soccer Aoyagi has also worked as a disability support carer, freelance photographer, Instagram content creator, model and recruitment agent for American universities.