Not the end, but the beginning. That was the dominant theme from the weary Matildas as they reflected on a remarkable run to the World Cup semi-finals and sought to put into words what this tournament has meant to a captivated nation. The reflections were tinged with sadness, of course, after a heartbreaking loss. “It sucks,” midfield veteran Katrina Gorry said. But above all there was hope for a better future for the game in Australia.
“It’s been incredible,” vice-captain Steph Catley said. “Gamechanging for women’s sport, women’s football, women in general. It’s been very special.” Alex Chidiac, among the next generation of Matildas stars, tried her best to be upbeat. “There’s a whole bunch more Matildas fans now,” she said.
The woman of the hour, captain Sam Kerr, who had momentarily breathed life into the game with a stunning goal, was also searching for the positives. “It’s been hopefully life-changing for women’s football in Australia,” Kerr said.
The sold-out stadiums, record-breaking television figures and viral social media content this World Cup have offered glimpses of a world where women’s sports are equal with their male counterparts, and an Australia where football rules. “There’s no argument now that people aren’t interested,” Catley said. “People are interested. The numbers are there. Kids are playing. People want to be watching the sport.”
Following England’s 3-1 win at Stadium Australia on Wednesday, as Kerr held court with a flock of journalists from across Australia and around the world, she was asked how the tournament might change perceptions of the game in Australia. Kerr had no hesitation, dispatching her answer with the same pace as her strike on the pitch barely half an hour earlier. “I think it already has mate,” she said.
The hard work starts now. How does the governing body and its state and territory affiliates convert this palpable enthusiasm for women’s football into government and commercial dollars, ongoing media interest and sustainable fan attention? How, in other words, do they make this football fever stick?
There will be plenty of interest in the A-League Women when it starts in two months – clubs have already been reporting strong season ticket sales. But will that interest still be there midway through the season? Next year? The season after? How do the powers that be bottle up the magic of this potent moment and use it effectively in the years to come?
“They have to take the next step,” England coach Sarina Wiegman said when asked about the future of the game in the host country. “How can Australia grow the game?” That is the billion-dollar question facing Football Australia.
Money is important, of course. The commercial dollars rushing into English club football of late have no doubt elevated the Lionesses and played a role in lifting them to the World Cup final. Recent talk of a public holiday to celebrate the Matildas has segued into financials, with several state governments already making funding commitments and growing pressure on the federal government for more.
“We need funding in our development, we need funding in our grassroots, we need funding in our … we need funding everywhere,” Kerr said. “At the World Cup, the Matildas succeeded largely in spite of not because of the structures around them. “The comparison to other sports isn’t really good enough,” Kerr said. “Hopefully this tournament changes that. Because that’s the legacy you leave – not what you do on the pitch, the legacy is what you do off the pitch.”
There will be plenty of time for postmortems of the Matildas’ campaign in the weeks ahead. Questions will be asked about the limited use of squad depth and Gustavsson’s apparent aversion to making the most of his substitutes. There is much ahead of the Matildas – the third-place playoff against Sweden on Saturday, qualifiers for the Paris Olympics and all going well another bid for an Olympic medal. Gustavsson is contracted until late 2024 – it is not yet clear whether he will see out his contract, or pursue other opportunities.
And so for all the disappointment, for 23 players and an entire nation, even in that moment of defeat, the focus has already turned to the future. “Hopefully – I mean it’s hard to talk about now – but hopefully this is the start of something new,” Kerr said. She was echoed by her vice-captain, Catley: “Hopefully it’s just the beginning. The future looks bright.”
At the end of the night, with the players ensconced in their dressing room, going through their recovery processes with another game to come in less than 72 hours, Gustavsson at last went to face the press. “This is not the end of something,” he said. “This needs to be the start of something.” But that legacy will not be automatic, it is not inevitable. The Matildas have played their part. For everyone else, the hard work starts now.
