The Matildas’ Olympic qualifier against Iran in Perth on Thursday night was the first live sporting event I have ever attended. It was beyond anything I could have hoped for. I may not have understood all the rules and I may have got some terms wrong (it’s half-time, not an intermission), but the energy in the crowd was absolutely electric and I have made memories that will last a lifetime.
Like many others, I discovered football for the first time during the recent Women’s World Cup. I knew the tournament was happening and saw a few highlights pop up on social media, but it wasn’t until I watched Australia’s match against France that it really caught my attention.
From that nail-biting penalty shootout on, I was completely and utterly hooked. I looked up all the players names, added the upcoming matches to my Google calendar, and had to ask the sports fans in my life to explain how leagues work. Is it football, or soccer? And what the hell does offside mean? (That, I still couldn’t tell you.)
I watched the Matildas’ last two World Cup matches from pubs in Sydney and loved the atmosphere, but I needed more. I wanted to see the players in the flesh, rub shoulders with other fans and be part of the crowd. The football gods must have been listening, because shortly after the World Cup my tax return arrived – perfectly timed for an impulse purchase.
The game might have been in Perth, a mere 3,290km and four hours on a plane away from Sydney, but I booked flights and tickets to the opening match without a second thought.
Once game day arrived I felt excited, donning green and gold attire and feeling an unusually deep sense of patriotism. But by the time we reached HBF Park I was practically buzzing. We walked through food vendors and merchandise stalls, passed children chanting “let’s go Matildas!” in high-pitched voices and stopped for a cheesy photo with a Kangaroo mascot. But entering the stadium – with the bright green turf of the pitch below a fading orange sunset s – was a real pinch-me moment.
From kick-off, the atmosphere was amazing. With each clever pass or near-miss in front of goal, I found myself getting goosebumps and couldn’t help but join in with the chorus of cheers behind me. One group of fans kept a steady drumbeat going for the entire game, and there was the obligatory Mexican wave that the crowd managed to keep going for a few laps of the stadium.
Even though our front-row seats (again, pinch me!) may not have been the best for watching the actual game, there was a major perk – players from the bench warmed up directly in front of us. And luckily for us, the likes of Sam Kerr, Caitlin Foord, Steph Catley and Mary Fowler were all named as substitutes. Seeing all those familiar World Cup faces mere metres away proved a distraction on more than one occasion.
I got talking to a duo of friends sat next to us and learnt it was also their first time at a live sporting event. Like me, they jumped on the bandwagon during the World Cup (“Before that I would have asked, who are the Matildas?” one of them told me) and haven’t looked back.
There are a few reasons why it took me 25 years to finally attend a game; the biggest is that I never felt like I belonged. Growing up I was a dance kid, so never joined a sports team, and when I did try and get involved during PE at school the boys always yelled at me to “pass them the ball” or “stop doing the wrong thing”.
As an adult, the sport on TVmore often than not featured male players and audiences filled with men, so I changed the channel. Not for me, I thought.
But the Matildas have blown those notions away. Even with my lack of knowledge of the game, I felt like I belonged in that crowd. Once the match finished the players made the rounds, taking photos and signing shirts. Suddenly Sam Kerr was in front of me. I hadn’t thought to bring anything to get signed, so I nervously asked her to sign my arm. Of course she obliged – and graciously smiled for a photo.
The interaction lasted mere seconds but it meant the absolute world to me. I honestly had a hard time composing myself – I kept saying “what just happened!” and the smile did not leave my face as we walked through the streets of Perth and caught the train home.
Even now as I write this, I can’t stop myself from glancing down and smiling at my arm. My heart is so, so full. Although I can’t stay in Perth for the last two qualifying games, I’m already counting down until I can attend another match.
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October 27, 2023 at 09:26AM
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Travelling 3,000km to watch the Matildas for the first time filled my heart and left me craving more - The Guardian
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