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.
00:16The Matildas are Australia's football team.
00:23As a golden generation of talent emerged in the 2010s, Australia's women's team began
00:29gathering momentum, building to the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup on home soil.
00:36Honestly, it gives me goosebumps thinking about it.
00:39You know, being in our home country, the atmospheres of the game, the crowds, the hype around it.
00:46You know, I've seen how teams get treated at their home World Cups and I can just imagine
00:50that Australia is going to be incredible for us.
00:52In the lead up to the tournament, the Matildas were playing to packed stadiums with the likes
00:58of Sam Kerr, Hayley Rasso and Mary Fowler household names at home and starring for the biggest
01:05clubs overseas.
01:08It is a far cry from the team's amateur origins in the 1970s and ramshackle development through
01:15the 80s when little attention was paid to women's football.
01:21It wasn't until 2004 that Australia won a match at the Olympics, and a further three
01:27years before they could celebrate a victory at the World Cup.
01:30But 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
01:45success.
01:46With fourth-placed finishes at the Olympics and World Cup, and two silver medals at the Asian
01:52Cup, a recurring source of frustration.
02:00Reaching the World Cup semi-finals in 2023 was the most frustrating of all.
02:06With passionate home fans behind them, and the team packed full of stars, Swedish coach
02:12Toni Gustafsson never overcame the handicap of losing Captain Kerr to injury.
02:20Nonetheless, the Matildas cemented their place in the hearts of a sports-mad population, even
02:26those that rarely gave football a second thought.
02:32It was a brief glimpse into what might be for the sport in Australia, but one always destined
02:38to prove a mirage.
02:43Kerr remains the focal point of the side, and her talent has seen her shortlisted for
02:48the game's biggest honours, even featuring as the first female cover star of the FIFA
02:54video game.
02:56It's so cool to, like, be a role model and inspire people.
03:00And I think representation is, like, one of the most important things ever.
03:04So, I just think for me to be, like, with all these amazing footballers, amazing clubs,
03:10like, I'm really proud to be a part of this journey that women's football and women's
03:14sport is going on.
03:16And I think if you had told me 10 years ago I would have been a role model, I probably
03:20would have got a bit nervous.
03:21Whereas now I think I'm older, I'm more mature.
03:24I really enjoy it.
03:25I'm really proud to be a role model.
03:27And, yeah, it's something I enjoy every day.
03:30Like, when you see young kids, young girls and boys excited that there are females on
03:36the FIFA cover, it's, yeah, it's honestly a dream come true.
03:40The challenge now for Australia is to convert the euphoria of the 2023 World Cup into a sustainable
03:48future for women's football and ensure that a single generation of talented players does
03:53not come to define the Matildas.
03:57That is no guarantee for any football nation, let alone one with such scarce resources.
04:04blackаемors.
04:05Of course we've been doing this training, but in the past we've now been trying to get
04:05You have to look at the years.
04:05So, you're at the end of the year.
04:05And you're going to look at the whiteokrat, you're coming!
04:05There's quite a little bit of a little bit there.
04:06It's really a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of
04:06a time,
04:06the way I'm going to continue to do this.
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