A deep dive into the Matildas

Image: The Matildas during a recent SheBelieves fixture vs Japan Credit: @Matildas on Instagram

Fourth place at both the 2021 Olympic Games and at their home World Cup two years later, and the majority of their squad playing for some of the world’s best club sides, recent years have seen The Matildas at the peak of their potential. But things are now changing – one era has come to an end, and a new one is starting, very slowly, to emerge.

A poor Paris Olympics which coincided with the end of head coach Tony Gustavsson’s contract has led to a period of what could be described as major transition.

One of the major positives of the Gustavsson era was the establishment of a firm pathway from the U18 and U21 Junior and Young Matildas’ sides to the senior team. Under his tenure, more young players than ever before were given an opportunity to play international football against the best sides in the world.

It led to the likes of then A-League Women stars Kyra Cooney-Cross, Cortnee Vine, Charli Grant, and Sharn Freier given their first international caps. Previously, whenever the Matildas squad was hit by injuries, the regulars were just shuffled around playing out of position. Now, at last, there was a depth.

The departure of Gustavsson has left a hole – one that Football Australia are still trying to fill – although the whispers among the Australian women’s football family are very strong about who the person who will fill that hole is – and why it’s taking so long to fill it. More of that later.

It’s not just the senior side who are without a permanent head coach. The all important role of leader of the Young Matildas, who works hand in glove with the senior national team coach to bring through the next generation, is also vacant.

Leah Blayney was hugely respected both by players and the wider footballing world. Under her tutelage, the squad were building, achieving results, and giving some sensational talents international experience. After five years in charge, Japan approached her to become assistant coach to their senior national team. It was a perfect fit as Japan is redeveloping their own national side with a host of outrageously talented young players who are well on the way to re-establishing the nation as Asia’s best once more. A title that for so long had been Australia’s.

Japan’s gain was very much Australia’s loss. Blayney’s role in preparing her new side for their opening victory in the She Believes Cup on Thursday against Australia, a game they won 4-0, achieving Japan’s biggest ever win over the Matildas, cannot be underestimated. She knew all of the Australian side inside out.

Coming in to take the senior Matildas leadership on an interim period last (European) autumn was Tom Sermanni. The Scot is a legend in Australian women’s football circles. The 70-year-old was in charge of the Matildas twice previously from 1994-97, and 2005-2012. Also having led the USWNT and New Zealand, ‘Uncle Tom’ has significant clout and gave many of the legends of Australian women’s football their first taste of international football. You name them, they played under Sermanni.

Sermanni had been out of the international coaching game for over three years when asked to step in. But it was a clever temporary appointment by James Johnston and the rest of the Football Australia board. He knew all they key players and what makes them tick.

The method of playing out from the back that had caused so many worrying moments under Gustavsson was out. The team were given a freedom to fight and battle. The defence was more organised that it had been for quite some time. The Matildas’ backs against the wall display to defeat the exciting new Germany side in the October 2024 international window was the stuff of legend – a return to the good old days.

But other issues have reared since reared their head – issues that were out of Sermanni’s control.

Mackenzie Arnold was one of the key reasons for The Matildas’ World Cup successes, but in recent months, her performances have not quite hit the heights. Tegan Micah should perhaps now be considered to start regularly.

There has also been the retirement of long time national team stalwart Clare Polkinghorne whose influence on the team’s defence cannot be emphasised enough. Eighteen years and 167 appearances across five World Cups, three Olympic Games, and five Asian Cups.

Alanna Kennedy’s international form has also taken a significant dip, with the former Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur defender finding herself under significant pressure under the high ball into the box and from speedy runners.

In attack, Cortnee Vine is on a self-imposed sabbatical from football for well-being reasons. Then there is Sam Kerr, the nation’s talisman. The Western Australian has hardly played international football for the last 18 months. Whilst anyone of her quality is impossible to replace, it hasn’t been helped by the absence of a young talented goal scorer coming through.

With the exception of one key candidate, the youngsters who have come through are generally all defenders or creative midfielders. Whilst we will consider that key candidate shortly, Laini Freier, twin of Sharn, has been given a first call up for the She Believes Cup. Much has been made of her seven goals in 10 games for Brisbane Roar this season. But, those statistics are slightly misleading. The 23-year-old has only scored in three matches. Six of those goals came as hat-tricks in consecutive games.

Filling the breach has been the legendary figure of Michelle Heyman. A reliable and charismatic striker for Canberra United, but at the age of 36, not a long term solution. Heyman remains a powerful presence with pace and supreme heading ability. She has scored eight goals for Australia in this period – her first international strikes for eight years – but it must be emphasised that these came against Uzbekistan, China, Zambia, and Chinese Taipei. Heyman wasn’t able to get the necessary influence on games against the major international sides – but she remains a player that should be hugely respected as well as one of women’s football’s most outstanding human beings.

Yet perhaps better times are indeed ahead. Kerr’s absence has coincided with two devastating injury blows for Holly McNamara, the hottest young striker in the A-League Women. The 22-year-old has suffered two ACL injuries – in 2021 and 2023 – which hampered her chances of breaking through to the national team.

McNamara has an average of a goal every other game for Melbourne City, and she is establishing herself back as a regular for the unbeaten A-League Women league leaders at last. McNamara is intelligent attacker with the ability to make searing runs into space, as well as having a predatory nature in the six-yard-box. If you think this sounds similar to a certain East Fremantle-born Chelsea attacker, you would be right.

McNamara could finally be the next biggest thing for Australia, and has been rewarded with a call-up for the Matildas’ She Believes Cup squad, and made a good impression in that opening 4-0 loss to Japan.

Australia have the time to experiment again and develop. For the first time since 2020, there will be no major international tournament to take part in this European summer. That’s why they have been able to afford to wait to get the right person in as new senior head coach.

Right now, all my money is on Joe Montemurro. The Aussie, formerly head coach at Arsenal and Juventus, is committed to European giants Olympique Lyonnais at the present time. But come the end of the season, it looks highly likely that Football Australia will put that offer in.

Montemurro knows a lot of the current Matildas team, and has past form for strong belief in developing young players. Keeping the production line from the Junior Matildas to the Young Matildas and on to the senior national side is something Australia need to preserve as the talent seam coming through is exceptionally exciting. The likes of the sublimely talented duo of Melbourne Victory’s Alana Murphy and Brisbane Roar’s Grace Kuilamu, along with the aforementioned McNamara could be part of the senior national team for years to come.

Australia are hosting the Asian Cup in March 2026 (the continent’s version of the Euros). There will be packed houses in the huge awe-inspiring venues hosting matches in Perth, Sydney, and on the Gold Coast. An exciting new era Matildas team lead by Montemurro could finally give the national side their first taste of silverware since 2010. Having been at the games supporting the Matildas during their last home tournament, the 2023 World Cup, they will certainly have the packed fervent fan base behind them to do so.