Matildas case crackdown vowed

FOOTBALL Australia chief executive James Johnson says a pending investigation into allegations of abuse, harassment, assault and grooming in women’s football has “taken a toll” on the Matildas, but promised to punish any players found guilty of such acts.

The Matildas returned to Australia this week for a two-game series against Brazil, but the focus has remained on the allegations of former star player Lisa De Vanna.

De Vanna’s revelations of alleged acts of abuse, harassment, assault and grooming by senior players have rocked the game and seemingly damaged the reputation of what has been one of the nation’s loved sporting teams.

It led to FA announcing an independent Sport Integrity Australia investigation, which is set to start this week.

“There will be an announcement where the conduct that former players have talked about will be addressed through an independent channel, not by Football Australia, by Sports Integrity Australia,” Johnson told the ABC.

“The specific allegations that were made – that behaviour, those allegations, if they’re proven, are not OK and we will through this process call out this kind of behaviour, that is the objective.”

He reportedly met the Matildas squad on Wednesday.