Long live the Matildas football revolution

CRICKET Australia and rugby league coaches are dominating the headlines but I’m taking a stand – I refuse to say any more about them.

Instead I am focusing on something far more positive.

Regretfully I missed an important milestone in September but a match this weekend give me the perfect opportunity to address it.

September 16, 2017 was a turning point for Australian sport.

Scratch that actually – I think it’s fair to say it was an important milestone for women’s sport the world over.

Hosting international football powerhouse Brazil, our Matildas ran out in front off a sold-out Penrith Stadium crowd.

More than 22,000 people showed up for that game – some of them lining up for more than 90 minutes before gates opened.

At the same time down the road at Spotless Stadium, less than 15,000 attended the AFL semi between Greater Western Sydney and West Coast.

Australia beat Brazil 2-1 that day and three days later they did it again, winning 3-2 on that occasion.

This Sunday our golden girls will look to get the better of another South American team when they face Chile for the first time.

A lot has changed since that September day – all of it good – and the sporting landscape is better for it.

For starters, I think the Matildas should be considered one of, if not the, biggest draw-card in Australian sport.

They’ve produced some fantastic results of late beating the likes of Brazil, the USA and China, drawn with England and Japan and fought hard in a recent loss to France.

Coach Alen Stajcic has the Matildas playing an exciting brand of football – a perfect example of what real fans love about the game.

More importantly though female player numbers at all levels of the game have skyrocketed alongside the Matildas’ success.

They’ve changed the game at every level and that is something to celebrate.