00:07Yeah, I think Australia is a, you know, sporting nation, so we're really going to embrace the
00:13women's game and hopefully take it to new heights. The Matildas are Australia's football team.
00:22As a golden generation of talent emerged in the 2010s, Australia's women's team began gathering
00:29momentum, building to the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup on home soil. Honestly, it gives me goosebumps
00:37thinking about it. You know, being in our home country, the atmospheres of the game, the crowds,
00:43the hype around it. You know, I've seen how teams get treated at their home World Cups and I can
00:49just
00:49imagine that Australia is going to be incredible for us. In the lead up to the tournament, the
00:54Matildas were playing to packed stadiums with the likes of Sam Kerr, Hayley Rasso and Mary Fowler,
01:02household names at home and starring for the biggest clubs overseas.
01:08It is a far cry from the team's amateur origins in the 1970s and ramshackle development through
01:14the 80s when little attention was paid to women's football. It wasn't until 2004 that Australia won
01:24a match at the Olympics and a further three years before they could celebrate a victory at the World
01:29Cup. But since then, they have grown into one of the most impressive countries in the game.
01:39Success at the Asian Cup in 2010 showcased the team's quality but did not lead to continued success,
01:46with fourth-placed finishes at the Olympics and World Cup and two silver medals at the Asian Cup,
01:52a recurring source of frustration.
02:00Reaching the World Cup semi-finals in 2023 was the most frustrating of all. With passionate home
02:07fans behind them and the team packed full of stars, Swedish coach Toni Gustafsson never
02:13overcame the handicap of losing captain Kerr to injury.
02:20Nonetheless, the Matildas cemented their place in the hearts of a sports-mad population,
02:26even those that rarely gave football a second thought.
02:31It was a brief glimpse into what might be for the sport in Australia, but one always destined to prove
02:39a mirage. Kerr remains the focal point of the side and her talent has seen
02:47her shortlisted for the game's biggest honours, even featuring as the first female cover star
02:53of the FIFA video game.
02:56It's so cool to be a role model and inspire people, and I think representation is one of the most
03:02important
03:03things ever. So I just think for me to be with all these amazing footballers, amazing clubs,
03:10I'm really proud to be a part of this journey that women's football and women's sport is going on.
03:15Um, and I think if you had told me 10 years ago I would have been a role model, I
03:20probably would
03:20have got a bit nervous. Whereas now I think I'm older, I'm more mature, I really enjoy it. I'm really
03:25proud to be a role model. Um, and yeah, it's something I enjoy every day. Like when you see young
03:30kids, young girls and boys, um, excited that a female's on the FIFA cover, it's, yeah, it's honestly a dream
03:38come true.
03:40The challenge now for Australia is to convert the euphoria of the 2023 World Cup into a sustainable
03:47future for women's football and ensure that a single generation of talented players does not come to
03:54define the Matildas. That is no guarantee for any football nation, let alone one with such scarce resources.
04:04That is no guarantee for any football nation. That is no guarantee for any football nation.
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