The Matildas have thrashed Indonesia in their opening Asian Cup title charge, chalking up a historic score for both the team and skipper Sam Kerr in their campaign for a trophy they have not held since 2010.
Records toppled across the Mumbai pitch in their opening group-game match on Friday as Australia scored 18 unanswered goals against their 94th-ranked opponents.
It was their biggest-ever score in an Asian competition, but it fell just three goals short of their historic record of 21-0, recorded against American Samoa in 1998.
Captain Sam Kerr became the country's all-time leading goal-scorer, galloping past Tim Cahill's previous record of 50 after finishing the match with five goals to her name.
She now sits on 54 goals for her country in 105 games — the fastest time to notch a half-century in green and gold.
Goals to Emily Van Egmond, Mary Fowler, Ellie Carpenter, Caitlin Foord, Hayley Raso, Kyah Simon, a first international goal for 36-year old Aivi Luik, alongside a debut for 18-year-old Holly McNamara, ensured this was not a game to forget.
Catch up on how it all unfolded in our live blog below.
Live updates
By Samantha L
Full-time: Australia 18 - 0 Indonesia
It's a record-breaking night for the Matildas in many ways.
Australia have posted their biggest ever score-line in an Asian tournament.
Sam Kerr, the Matildas skipper, scored five goals to become the nation's all-time leading goal-scorer. She now sits at 54, four better than former record-holder, Tim Cahill.
Indonesia's players can be seen taking photos with Kerr after the final whistle; she's not just a superstar in Australia and Europe, she's Messi-levels of famous across Asia, too.
A debut to youngster Holly McNamara and a first international goal to 36-year old Aivi Luik capped off an overall dominant performance against a team they were always going to defeat.
Former Matildas Georgia Yeoman-Dale and Grace Gill aren't happy, though. They're on Channel 10's broadcast couch criticising head coach Tony Gustavsson's choice of players, particularly the half-time substitutions, where he brought on a wealth of experience in place of giving more minutes to younger, emerging players.
That'll be the talking-point heading into the second group-stage match against the Philippines: what should the purpose of these games be? Who does it benefit? And what, overall, do players learn from games like this?
It's safe to say Australia won't truly be tested until they face other 'first-tier' Asian nations like Japan, China, and South Korea towards the pointy-end of this tournament.
We'll have to wait and see the kind of teams - and the kinds of score-lines - that get them there.
By Samantha L
The little details...
An Indonesian player (number 3) was substituted on towards the back-end of the second half who's wearing a red hijab.
Indonesia isn't just the most populous nation in the world - they also have a huge Muslim population.
In fact, around 86% of Indonesians follow Islam. Like Iran, they'll have had plenty of national-team-level women footballers who benefited from the changes to the hijab rules at FIFA and AFC level.
It's a reminder that small changes at the governance level of football can have enormous consequences on those who play it around the world.
By Samantha L
18-0.
Hayley Raso puts Australia within a goal of equalling their biggest-ever competitive haul.
She taps home after a ping-pongy corner.
By Samantha L
There should be a mercy rule.
-Koala55
There's an interesting conversation happening over on Twitter.
What do teams learn from blow-out results like this?
Should the format of major tournaments - not just the Asian Cup, but we see double-digit score-lines in other confederations as well - change to give lesser-ranked teams more of a fighting chance?
Or are these experiences equally important to the players, staff, federations, and football fans in these lower-ranked nations? Do wallopings inspire nations to better invest in their football programs to try and ensure they don't see results like this again?
What do you think?
By Samantha L
Aivi Luik scores!
She was retired from international football just a few months ago, and now the midfielder has scored an audacious back-heel volley to mark her first goal in a green-and-gold jersey.
The 36-year old puts her hands to her face and grins into the sun as her team-mates flock around her in total squealing joy.
A lovely moment for a legendary player.
17-0.
By Samantha L
McNamara chance!
76th minute, she's through one-on-one with the keeper, but her shot hits the near post.
By Samantha L
Like you said earlier, I wish some of the younger players were getting game-time. Gus must think some of these senior players need a boost in confidence?
-Jonah
This could be it, especially off the back of the USA friendly series where the Matildas struggled quite a bit.
They may also be treating it as a kind of scrimmage match at this point. Gustavsson said pre-match that they tried to get a friendly organised during their pre-tournament camp in Dubai, but weren't able to find any nations willing or able to do it.
They played an intra-squad match instead.
It's good to remember that these players don't actually get that much time together before tournaments: 7-10 days is normal, with some players arriving earlier and later than others. It takes all teams time to rediscover their chemistry and get up to speed with each other, so that could be the purpose behind the substitutions.
We'll ask him in the post-match presser.
By Samantha L
Simon makes it 16-0.
This is officially Australia's highest ever score against an Asian side, surpassing the 15 goals they scored against Hong Kong in 2007.
Reminder that 21-0 is (as far as I can find) the highest all-time score, which Australia put past American Samoa in 1998.
Still 20 minutes left to smash it...
By Samantha L
Two more goals to Australia!
Kyah Simon and Emily Van Egmond both slot home to make it 15-0.
Meanwhile, we have a debut: 18-year-old Melbourne City forward Holly McNamara has been subbed on for her first cap for Australia!
Speaking of Fowler, McNamara is another star of the future. Anyone who's watched her in the A-League Women's competition this season knows what I'm sayin'.
By Samantha L
Mildly interesting, the Matildas top 6 rankings on FIFA 22:
Kerr 91, Carpenter 83, Catley 82, Foord 82, Raso 79, Van Egmond 79. Seems pretty accurate - any player requests?
-Tillies fan
I'd like to know where Mary Fowler currently sits. She's been included in a number of "Best Young Player" lists across various football websites over the past 18 months - surely she's gotta be slowly climbing up the video-game rankings, too?
Also, how about our goalkeepers?
By Samantha L
Indonesia with their second chance of the game!
Some great combo play for Indonesia's forwards before number 11 ghosts in behind Australia's defenders and into the box. She receives a lovely chipped pass and Mackenzie Arnold comes rushing out to smother, but the attempted chip goes just wide of the post.
Flash-backs to Thailand in the 2018 semi-final, that...
By Samantha L
Another penalty!
Sam Kerr is tripped in the area and stands over the spot, ready to convert her double hat-trick...
...but she hits the crossbar!
Small mercies for Indonesia at this stage.
By Samantha L
Van Egmond hat-trick
A bit of ping-pong around the box before the midfielder fires through a forest of legs.
Just reward for an impressive performance in midfield, dictating the ebb and flow like an orchestra conductor.
13-0.
By Samantha L
12-0
Van Egmond nods home an assist from Kerr after an Australia corner.
There's some chatter on the broadcast and on Twitter about the purpose of bringing on experienced players.
Kyah Simon scored the winning penalty in the Asian Cup when Australia won it in 2010.
She joins the seasoned Yallop and Luik with the half-time subs, while emerging players remain on the bench.
Why?
By Samantha L
Kerr's got her fifth!
Courtney Nevin makes a charging, Catley-esque run down the left wing and delivers a delightful curling cross for Kerr to slam home.
54 goals for Kerr now - she's galloping away from Cahill's earlier record.
Australia 11 - 0 Indonesia.
By Samantha L
CARPENTER WORLDIE!
A short corner finds the full-back stationed 35 yards outside the box, and she launches a curling cross that floats into the far corner of the net.
10-0 to Australia.
By Samantha L
Second-half underway!
There are four changes for the Matildas at the break, as expected.
Courtney Nevin, Aivi Luik, Kyah Simon and Tameka Yallop are on.
Fowler, Foord, Polkinghorne, and Catley appear to be off.
Indonesia have also made another change, swapping out their goalkeeper - and who could blame them.
18-year old Roma defender Shalika Aurelia Viandrisa is also now on.
By Samantha L
Half-time: Australia 9-0 Indonesia
Well, the Matildas probably couldn't have wished for a better start to their Asian Cup title run.
They've bettered Japan's 5-0 result against Myanmar earlier today, and they've still got 45 minutes to go.
It's been, in short, a bloodbath.
Just want to give a shout-out to the Indonesian keeper, she's been brave putting her body out there over again, has made some decent saves too.
-theleylegend
Indonesia's defensive players, including their goalkeeper and centre-back captain, have been incredibly committed to their jobs - it's true. And given the gulf in resources, experience, fitness, recent match minutes, and one-on-one quality, it's admirable that they aren't shying away from the challenge.
They'll be wanting to try and protect their Goal Difference as much as they can, as the best third-placed teams across the group stage are still in with a shot of progressing.
By Samantha L
Kennedy the new Kerr?
Australia's centre-back has been thrown forward for the closing minutes of the first half.
Has Gustavsson shown one of his potential Plan Bs here? Or are they just having a laugh?
