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Matildas Football Team

Published on: August 2023

Record: HANSARD-1323879322-133144

Matildas Football Team

Ms JULIA FINN (Granville) (17:00:28):

I move:

That this House congratulates the Australian women's national football team on their performance during the 2023 World Cup.

This is a motion we can all support after the Matildas' amazing 4-0 demolition of Canada—the Olympic champions—last night. The Matildas made it through to the round of 16 and finished top of their group. What an amazing performance! With two goals from Hayley Raso and goals from Mary Fowler and Steph Catley, they were just incredible. What a win! When faced with elimination, they came out and topped the group. The tournament has been an enormous success so far, with the largest crowds women's football has ever seen in Australia, including 75,000 fans at Stadium Australia for the opening game against Ireland and an average capacity rate of 95 per cent across all games played in Australia. Ticket sales are now at 1.67 million across the entire tournament. But that is not surprising when you consider that only a few months ago over 77,000 football fans crowded into Wembley Stadium to watch Sam Kerr and Chelsea defeat Manchester City—with the Matildas' captain, Sam, scoring the only goal.

All around the world, women's football is enormous and growing exponentially. TV ratings have been incredible—miles in front of the Ashes and National Rugby League games that coincided with Matildas games. Some 4.71 million Australians watched last night's game, as well as many millions more around the world and of course thousands more watching at live fan sites across New South Wales. Again, that is not surprising given that the Matildas' bronze medal game against the United States of America at the Tokyo Olympics was the highest‑rating event of those Olympics in Australia, along with Peter Bol's race. There are more than 20 live fan sites across the State, in Rockdale, Leichhardt, Cowra, Parramatta and my electorate at Granville Park, let alone the fantastic FIFA Fan Festival at Tumbalong Park at Darling Harbour, which has attracted thousands. Almost 8,000 fans visited during last night's game, with attendance peaking at just over 4,000 fans just after kick-off. In just 12 days of competition, over 118,000 people have visited the free fan site at Darling Harbour.

The Matildas deserve our biggest stage, and next Monday night they will be back playing their round of 16 game at Stadium Australia. I also cannot wait to see the Sydney Opera House bathed in green and gold next Monday night, and I really hope we see Sam Kerr back to full fitness. Sam is not just the captain; she is probably the best footballer, male or female, Australia has ever produced. She has been consistently nominated for the Ballon d'Or Féminin every year since its inception in 2018. Sam debuted for the Matildas in 2009 at just 15, and she has done so much more to inspire a generation of girls and boys to play "the beautiful game". In fact, I remember one of my male friends telling me that he explained to his son when Tim Cahill was retiring that Tim was a kind of male equivalent to Sam Kerr.

I also congratulate Steph Catley, who has been an amazing captain in Sam's absence. As an Arsenal supporter, I am a huge fan of Steph Catley and Caitlin Foord. I know that the member for Shellharbour is also a huge fan of Caitlin, who grew up in Shellharbour and debuted for the Matildas when she was only 16. As someone who grew up in the Central West of New South Wales, I would love to see Cowra's Ellie Carpenter and Grenfell's Clare Hunt on the world stage. Sydney will host 11 games in total—six at the Sydney Football Stadium and five at Stadium Australia, including the semifinal and the final. It is not just the Matildas games that are packed. Over 40,000 people attended each of the Columbia versus Germany and England versus Denmark games over the weekend, including my childhood hero, as an Arsenal tragic—probably one of the greatest strikers of all time—Ian Wright, who always gets behind women's football. He has been going to many games apart from England games, which is really good to see.

I first saw the Matildas play Sweden at the 2000 Olympics. Their performance and the women's game has gone from strength to strength over the past 23 years. All up, the Matildas have qualified for seven World Cups and four Olympics. The Australian Women's Soccer Association was founded in 1974 and our representative Australian team competed at the following year's AFC Women's Championship. A national team, made up primarily of players from New South Wales and Western Australia, went to the 1978 inaugural World Women's Invitational Tournament in Taipei, with Australia captained by Julie Dolan from New South Wales. We have gone from strength to strength in that time. I am hoping that this year we will get a medal, having come so close at the Olympics last year.

But it is not just this tournament. We are supporting a legacy program that is really important. The Office of Sport administers a $10 million NSW Football Legacy Program, which includes $6.21 million in grant programs to support female pathways for coaches, officials and leaders in the sport. It supports participation initiatives and community infrastructure development. Round one of the grant program opened on 5 September and closed on 14 October last year, with the successful applicants notified in January. The second round opened on 8 June this year and closes in August. In addition, we are doing so much to support women's participation in sport, and the growth of women's participation in multiple sports has been phenomenal in the past few years. Participation in tennis has grown by 5.3 per cent in 2022 alone, up from 4.7 per cent since 2020. Netball has grown by 5 per cent. Football has also grown by almost 5 per cent. Surfing is growing and basketball is growing.

But when it come to participation by girls, football is one of the biggest. There has been 5 per cent growth since 2020, but in 2022 alone participation grew by 15 per cent. It is huge, and this Government is supporting women's participation across sport. One of our most important election commitments for sport was to increase direct funding to State sporting organisations, tied to them being committed to growing female participation in all sports. That is an important commitment. We have also committed to naming one of the stands at Stadium Australia after a female athlete. But, more importantly, I am hoping that this is the year that the Matildas will win the World Cup—and on home soil. That is something we can all get behind.

Ms ELENI PETINOS (Miranda) (17:07:40):

How good are the Matildas? And how good is women's sport? Today I join the Government to congratulate the Matildas on their sweeping success at the FIFA Women's World Cup thus far and their emphatic win over Canada. To say the country's spirits have been lifted this morning by the impressive Matildas' win and their awe-inspiring victory would be an absolute understatement. I thank the member for Granville for bringing this important issue to this place and for giving us all an opportunity to join together and celebrate women in sport.

Let us consider last night's game. The mighty Matildas made history, demolishing Canada in a 4-0 obliteration to kickstart Australia's FIFA Women's World Cup bid in Melbourne. With their backs against the wall and needing a win, the Matildas pulled out a result for the ages, sending Olympic champion Canada crashing out of the tournament. They did all of this without their inspirational captain, Sam Kerr. I echo the comments of the member for Granville in relation to Sam Kerr and add that Kerr had in fact declared herself fit and ready for the match over the weekend and, despite being named on the bench, did not play a minute of football. To me, that showed that a successful team is far greater than any one person. Last night provided players from the broader team with the opportunity to emerge from Sam Kerr's internationally renowned shadow. We do hope to see Sam back in the next game, but it provided the other ladies with the opportunity to make household names of themselves and highlighted the depth that our Matildas have amongst their ranks.

Every player on the field last night was exceptional, coming together to bring it home from the goal, the attack, the midfield, the defence—each and every one of these women did us proud. I recognise the incredible women who scored the four goals on the night: Captain Steph Catley, Hayley Raso, and the player of the match, Mary Fowler, who returned to the starting side. It was a perfect night for the Matildas, and not only for their own victory. The draw between Nigeria and Ireland allowed Australia to top group B for the first time. In fact, it is the first time the Matildas have topped a World Cup group. Our Matildas do not have an easy path to the grand final, facing either England or Denmark in Sydney for the round of 16—both teams that appear higher in the rankings. In Australia we love an underdog. I have every faith that this team can win this for Australia, having made it further than our cross-Tasman rivals, the Kiwis.

Some of the best football players in the world are and will be women. Football fans who only watch the men's game miss out on a plethora of ultra-talented players who do not just break barriers but transcend them. For so long it was the men in Australian football who took all the glory and became household names, like Harry Kewell. But today, more and more, it is the exceptional women receiving their rightful glory, with players like Sam Kerr, Hayley Raso, Mary Fowler and Steph Catley becoming household names in their own right. This FIFA Women's World Cup is such an incredible opportunity for the next generation of women to be inspired by the current Matildas, and also for the young men around the country to be inspired by the incredible talent of these players.

It is so impressive that we are seeing more and more women in sport. There are going to be so many young girls across the country inspired by watching the Matildas on the pitch. Who knows where our next sporting heroes along the lines of Sam Kerr or Mary Fowler are—surely amongst one of our many electorates. It has been proven that when girls and women have access to team sports, they are able to cultivate critical skills, confidence, leadership and problem-solving that serves them well in both their professional and personal lives. Sport is a way that women can develop their skills, but it is also a way that we unify communities. Sport is a way that our own country became unified and it was one of the main contributors towards Federation.

I take this opportunity to congratulate the Matildas on their win—on flying the flag for women in sport and on flying the flag for our country on an international stage. I—along with everyone in this place, I am sure—look forward to the knockout clash here in Sydney on Monday 7 August. I take this opportunity, on behalf of the Opposition, to wish the Matildas the best of luck for their next game and for the rest of the competition. I look forward to seeing the Opera House lit up and I look forward to seeing these girls do our entire country proud as they work towards winning a Women's World Cup for us.

Ms LIESL TESCH (Gosford) (17:12:53):

Let us hear it for the Matildas. I watched the Matildas for the first time in my electorate of Gosford as they brought home a win against Czechia earlier this year. What was clear during that game was the passion of the crowd around me. I sat in the wonderful Industree Group Stadium watching the faces of the young girls and boys who lined the front rows cheering on the Matildas as they brought home a victory in front of 7,700 people—which is a crowd for Gosford. The Matildas also beat Thailand 2-0 last year in front of a record crowd of 11,271. Both nights saw the city of Gosford come alive. The Chamber of Commerce and local businesses love the Matildas too.

How fantastic was it to see the Matildas bring this passion to an international crowd during the FIFA Women's World Cup? With an average 95 per cent capacity across all matches, and 4.7 million Australians tuning in to watch the Matildas play Canada, the Women's World Cup has brought Australia and the world together to cheer our teams to victory. The success of the Women's World Cup has made one thing clear: the appetite for women's sport is definitely out there. The showcase of tremendous female talent clearly shows our girls and women that their contribution to sport is welcomed and valued. Our brilliant Matildas provide role models not just for girls and women, but for all of our community as symbols of strength, athleticism and fabulous skill.

The Matildas highlight the ongoing connection of women's sport to our community and empower everyone—whether they are watching in their homes or in the stadium. With international women's teams hosted across the country, every town now has the chance to have their own second favourite team. The Central Coast is lucky enough to host the English Lionesses at the Central Coast Stadium, and the German team at Tuggerah. I had the privilege of going along to an open training match with the English team and was absolutely blown away by their sheer talent and skill. Most importantly, I watched the enthusiasm of local school children, who I chatted to in the stands. Students from Central Coast Sports College, Gosford Public School and Terrigal Public School told me that they were not interested in any career path except for being a soccer star when they were older, encouraged by the skill in front of them. While I will always be cheering on the Matildas, I now have a second team that I will be cheering on from the sidelines. It was great to watch the Lionesses play last Friday night and beat Denmark—yet I can't wait to see the Matildas take down the Lionesses.

The legacy of the Women's World Cup goes beyond the passion shown during the live matches. I am a beneficiary of the legacy of great sporting events and the inclusion that was delivered by the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games. Instead of kids asking, "What's wrong with that lady?", they asked, "What sport does that person play?" I definitely think that we have put women and women's sport on the front foot in Australia and New Zealand with the Women's World Cup.

The New South Wales Government is very proud to deliver a $10 million NSW Football Legacy Program, administered by the Office of Sport, to transform opportunities for football across the State. It includes a $6.21 million grant program supporting pathways for female coaches, officials and leaders in sport. As a Paralympian, I continue to see firsthand the difficulties that women face in accessing sport, with funding often hard to find and infrastructure lacking compared to our male counterparts. I welcome this investment as a very important step in recognising the value of women's sport to our communities. The Central Coast is lucky to have the women's A-League team, which is soon to launch alongside the Central Coast Mariners male team.

Mr David Harris:

Sign a new player today.

Ms LIESL TESCH:

Sign the new players—I think the new players are waiting to see what international gigs they get after the World Cup. But it is amazing that we have got fantastic Ellie Carpenter as a Wamberal local—I think she will get another signing overseas. It is also lovely to hear great stories of the benefits of the World Cup to other communities. I know the member for Camden had a busload of people from the Macarthur Football Club arriving home at 1.00 a.m., thrilled to be cheering on the Matildas. Another amazing thing is the legacy of women's sport and the excitement there. It is the people—the shoulders that these women stand on—that is super important.

The Matildas have an incredibly long history. To see the Matildas alumni sitting in the stadiums and cheering on their modern counterparts is absolutely amazing, as it is to see the Opals alumni, and as I am proud to be part of the Gliders alumni cheering on our youthful fronts that are out there. Seriously, these women becoming household names is super exciting. We all know Sam's name—we know she can do a backflip. Oh my God, seriously, she is amazing. Wouldn't we just wish we were Sam Kerr? To see Steph Catley—Yasmin, is she your cousin?

Ms Yasmin Catley:

I'm sure she must be.

Ms LIESL TESCH:

Nearly the member for Swansea's cousin out there as the acting captain. As I said, Ellie Carpenter, Mary Fowler and Mackenzie Arnold—they are my heroes. Sport has the power to change the world and the Matildas are changing the world right here in Australia.

Ms STEPH COOKE (Cootamundra) (17:18:06):

I add my congratulations to the Matildas football team following their inspiring win in the latest group stage of the FIFA Women's World Cup. Their stunning 4-0 victory against the reigning Olympic Gold medallists, Canada, was a thrill to watch. The whole country united behind this fantastic team, cheering them on to victory last night. While the entire side are to be applauded for their efforts, there are two team members in particular who I would like to make special mention of: Clare Hunt and Ellie Carpenter. Both ladies hail from towns in my electorate of Cootamundra. Clare is from Grenfell, while Ellie grew up in Cowra. The residents in their home towns are exceedingly proud of what Ellie and Clare have achieved, with junior players drawing deep inspiration from the journeys of these superstars—journeys that started at the local football fields in regional New South Wales and culminated in last night's triumphant result on the world stage as they competed against the best players on the planet.

Their inspirational path to the international level is making an indelible mark on the minds of young girls in the regions, with Cowra and District Junior Soccer Club President Derek Sullivan recently remarking on the positive impact Ellie's success has had on female participation at the club, with girls now making up almost a third of players. I note, too, that Ellie has not forgotten her early years playing in Cowra and has engaged with her home side over the years by helping to secure funds and equipment while also holding clinics for young players to hone their skills. In honour of their hometown hero, Cowra council has well and truly been caught in the fever of the cup, staging a live viewing area, complete with a big screen, for locals to watch the Matildas play their pool matches against Ireland and Nigeria and, of course, last night's big win.

Clare Hunt has also been a true inspiration for players in her home town. Having grown up on a sheep farm just outside Grenfell, her journey to the top has been characterised by sheer drive and determination. She has spoken in the past about the long drives from her family's property to attend training and matches in Bathurst, Canberra and as far away as Sydney. After practising her skills using a goal area her father constructed out of poly pipe in a paddock on their farm, Clare decided she wanted to be a footballer at the age of 12. While she may have overcome the tyranny of distance in her rise to the top, Clare has also had to overcome multiple injuries—having had seven separate operations between 2018 and 2022. For her to beat those obstacles and compete on the biggest stage of them all is something we can all take inspiration and encouragement from.

Their stories of success serve to remind us of just how important sport is to the fabric of our communities, particularly those in regional New South Wales. Sport not only helps from a physical perspective by keeping us healthy and active; it also helps develop social connections and a sense of belonging. Whether it be through the shared achievements of a sporting team or the social interaction that comes from participating in solo events, sport contributes to our social capital in a way that nothing else does. Sport can support education. It can help alleviate antisocial behaviour. It oftentimes contributes significantly to economic growth through business investment and increased visitor numbers during sporting events. The list of benefits goes on.

We are indeed a truly sporting nation. Whether it be barracking for teams like the Matildas as they compete against the best on the world stage or barracking for the local junior sides—be it in football, rugby league, rugby union, netball, hockey or golf—who take to the field every weekend around the country, participating in sport and cheering on our favourite team is truly a national pastime. I once again offer my enthusiastic congratulations to the entire Matildas team on their outstanding and inspirational effort and, of course, I wish them good luck for the rest of the tournament.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Ms Sonia Hornery):

Before I call the member for Lismore, I give a shout‑out to Emily van Egmond, who I have been following ever since she was a young woman at the Newcastle Jets. I take the opportunity to say good on her for scoring a goal in that unmentionable game. That is the last I will speak of that evening.

Ms JANELLE SAFFIN (Lismore) (17:23:03):

What a win! I thank and congratulate the magnificent Matildas. They are inspiring so many football supporters across Australia and, in particular, the many girls and women—and boys and men—who are taking up the sport in record numbers. In the Northern Rivers football, or soccer, as they still call it, is the most significant team sport in terms of participation by a country mile, with some 8,251 registered players in 2023 turning out for 24 local clubs fielding teams across all age divisions. Local comps started as far back as the 1930s, and Football Far North Coast will be celebrating its seventy-fifth anniversary in the next few years.

There is the saying, "All politics is local." Well, all sport is local, even when we are talking about the Matildas. Total female participation in soccer in the Northern Rivers is 2,580 players. That represents around 31 per cent of all participants, and female participation has grown 15 per cent since 2022. The Matildas might have something to do with that too. Impressively, 14 women aged over 55 are still playing for their clubs week in week out—maybe there is a chance for me yet! I also acknowledge the veritable army of team officials and match volunteers, without whom no local comp would happen.

We in the Northern Rivers also claim a proud connection to the Matildas that stretches back to the very foundation of the national team in the late 1970s. The first connection is superstar Hayley Raso, who scored two of the Matildas' goals last night. She grew up playing soccer on the Tweed coast and her father John lives and works in Lismore. Bravo Hayley. The second is Matildas legend and midfielder Julie Dolan, who became the very first Matildas captain at the age of 18 when she led the Matildas to play against New Zealand in 1979. Julie took up the sport when she was 14 and living in the Northern Rivers, and she still has very fond memories of her time playing in the local league. The Julie Dolan Medal is named in her honour and has been awarded to the best player in the top women's competition since 1996.

Last but not least is another great midfielder, Lisa Casagrande, a well‑known name in Lismore, who grew up playing for the Goonellabah Hornets in the Lismore area—the same club where Socceroos legend Craig Foster cut his teeth. Lisa became one of the youngest Matildas ever when she turned out against Japan at the age of 14 in 1994 and represented Australia in the 1995 World Cup in Japan, where she scored a goal against the mighty United States of America. Lisa went onto play in the 2000 Olympics and was inducted into the Football Australia Hall of Fame in 2015. By the time Lisa retired in 2002 at the ripe old age of 22, she had played 64 games for the Matildas and scored 13 goals. Her parents, like the parents of Craig Foster—or Fos, as we call him—still live locally. I spoke to Craig just before I came into the Chamber and he said, "Janelle, these strong, brilliant, capable, competent women are at the national consciousness for one month and that is so good for us all." I thought that was a great statement.

The 2022 floods in my electorate put a big dent in the local competition but, due to magnificent support from the community and the tireless efforts of local officials and administrators, the league is now almost back to where it was. I take this opportunity to thank all those who contributed to the recovery, in particular Steve Mackney, the inspirational general manager of Football Far North Coast. In the first match on 21 July he texted me a photo of Craig and Lisa. He said Fos's mum took it. He was so excited that night. Steve tells me that, of the 24 clubs in the local comp, more than half were impacted seriously by the floods. Lismore Workers Club lost everything when waters went through, and the South Lismore and Italo clubs were similarly devastated. At one point it was feared that the entire season would be called off, but it is all back up to about 80 per cent of what it would have been normally. In summary, sport is the lifeblood of regional areas like the Northern Rivers and soccer is playing its part in knitting our communities back together again after a dreadful 18 months. The Matildas have lifted all our spirits. I wish them the very best for the remainder of their FIFA Women's World Cup campaign.

Ms FELICITY WILSON (North Shore) (17:28:09):

I join my colleagues at Parliament in recognising the outstanding efforts so far of the Matildas in the FIFA Women's World Cup. Like so many people across Australia and the world, last night I was watching with anxiety and hope that our girls would fulfil our collective dreams of reaching the round of 16 at our own home world cup. I watched a re‑run of the game this morning so that my kids could join in. They are already avid Matildas supporters, having attended the Ireland match two weeks ago.

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