Key Points
- Australia’s women’s national football team, the Matildas, were formed in 1978.
- They were the first Australian national sporting team to go on strike.
- Due to a funding shortfall, they once posed for a nude calendar to raise money.
The Matildas have a rich history, and they’ve consistently polled as one of the country’s most beloved sporting teams.
The Matildas were formed in 1978. Source: AAP / SportPix/Sipa USA
Here are some things you might not know about the women’s national football team.
When were the Matildas formed?
Women’s football in Australia first showed up in recorded history in the 1920s.
Julie Dolan, who was the team captain for that game, was bestowed the honour of cap number one for the Matildas.
The Matildas’ funding is worlds away from where it was when they formed in 1978. Source: AAP / Sports Press Photo/Sipa USA
The team played sporadically in the 1980s as there was almost no opportunity to play in international competitions.
There’s been seven tournaments since that first one in China and the Matildas have been at every one.
The Matildas celebrate their victory over North Korea in the final of the 2010 AFC Womens Asian Cup Australia defeated North Korea 5-4 in the penalty shootout following a tense 1-1 draw. Source: AAP / Lei yuandong/AP
Their first piece of silverware came in 2010 after they beat North Korea on penalties in a tense Asian Cup final in China.
Their best result in a tournament was fourth place at the 2021 Olympics, beating Team GB to make it through to the semi-finals before losing to Sweden. The team then lost to the US in the fourth-placed playoff.
How the Matildas got their name
The options were the Soccertoos, Waratahs, Matildas, Lorrikeets and Blue Flyers.
A graphic from SBS’ On the Ball segment in the 1990s. Source: SBS News
The winning name didn’t come out of nowhere – in 1982 Matilda the winking kangaroo was introduced as the official mascot for the Brisbane Commonwealth Games.
Matilda the winking kangaroo was the mascot for the 1982 Commonwealth Games mascot in Brisbane. Source: AAP / NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA
The Matildas once posed for a nude calendar to raise money
They sold tens of thousands of copies but the reaction was mixed and included a fair bit of negativity, former Matilda Katrina Boyd said in 2019.
“I wasn’t surprised by the negative reaction. That would still happen today. We were more surprised by how much people were into it, but half of them were blokes, of course.”
The Matildas once went on strike
In 2015 the Matildas went on strike over poor pay as they were only receiving $20,000 to play and train in multiple fixtures a year, which was a tenth of a Socceroo salary at the time.
The Matildas have regularly spoken up about equality in the game and recently called out the disparity in prize money.
Investigation into sexual harassment allegations
Football Australia on the same day announced it would investigate and asked players to come forward and make formal complaints, which they had not previously done.
Two complaints were investigated – one was withdrawn and the other was unable to be substantiated.