Former Ballarat junior Kyra Cooney-Cross plays for a bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympic Games' women's soccer tournament on Thursday.
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The Matildas face the United States in the play-off after losing a semi-final to Sweden on Monday night.
The US lost a semi-final to Canada.
This is the first time the Australians have reached the last four in a major competition.
Cooney, 19, played with Ballarat Red Devils in a three-year stay in Ballarat after moving from the Northern Terrritory.
Meanwhile, former Ballarat Lady Miners player Cayla George and Tessa Lavey, who spent a short time as a youngster living and playing basketball in Ballarat, are still in with a chance of getting a medal with the Australian Opals.
The Opals, winless after two pool games, needed to beat Puerto Rico by 25 points to advance to the quarter finals and after trailing at quarter time produced one of the great comebacks to win by 27 points, 96-69.
George shot 19 points and had seven rebounds and five assists in 27 minutes. Lavey had her biggest court presence to date in the tournament with 19 minutes.
This has set up a quarter final encounter with the all-conquering United States.
