ON THE EVENING of August 12, 2023, the nation’s heart stopped beating. Diners paused, people pulled their cars over, viewing parties ceased nattering. It was the match, and moment, that made history: for the first time, the Matildas were through to the semi-finals of the World Cup after the longest penalty shootout of any FIFA tournament – men’s or women’s – at 10 kicks per side. The subsequent semi-final against England was, and remains, the most-watched TV event in Australian history. Suddenly, sport wasn’t gendered – it was our biggest national equaliser: women, men, teens, children looked on. The Matildas broke more than one ceiling: they rallied, unified and cracked open a country that had long prioritised men’s sport.
Surely, the momentum would flag. The hysteria and love for a previously unheralded female sporting team wouldn’t persist among the masses, some feared. But fast-forward to June 3, 2024, to a friendly game against China and a near full house of 76,798 people flooded into Sydney’s Allianz Stadium once again, surpassing even last year’s records. Where some might have anticipated a decline in support for the national women’s football team, the reality is far from it. The Matildas fever of 2023 hasn’t gone anywhere. In fact, it’s growing.
Today on the set of our Women’s Health cover shoot, it is a comparatively low-key morning. No toppling plastic cups of beer as people scramble to cheer, no tell-tale honking (and deafening) of vuvuzelas. Instead, the three Matildas defenders – Steph, Ellie and Charli – are laughing and chatting, posing and smiling in front of the camera. There is an air of casualness about them despite the 2024 Olympics looming less than two months away. Perhaps it is this very laissez-faire nature that makes each of these women such reliable defenders; they are able to meet the moment, to marshal concentration when it counts. When the stakes aren’t quite as high – like, say, during a glossy cover shoot like today – they dial the intensity down a bit.
Steph wears Calvin Klein jacket, Vintage jacket from UTURN (worn underneath), Matteau top (worm underneath) and briefs, Tiffany & Co earrings and Nike shoes.
You can understand why. Compared to their teammates, defenders typically spend the most time on the pitch, with fewer substitutes for reprieve. They are particularly fit and mentally robust. Nicknamed ‘The Ministry of Defence’ by some, players like Ellie, 24, Steph, 30, and Charli, 22, are dependable, unfaltering, consistent. It’s less about the climatic, fleeting glory of the goal for them, and more about wearing down the opposition, giving meaning to the term “offence wins games, defence wins championships”.
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Ellie wears Canada Goose jacket, Sener Besim top, Wixii pants, Tiffany & Co earrings and rings.
There is an unspoken bond between them, too. A circle within a circle where this clutch of defensive players come together at the end of a game to celebrate a clean sheet, a stopped goal. They’ve witnessed the whole game from the back, capitalising on the advantage of an almost bird’s-eye view of the field. And within that nucleus each player brings a different quality. Where Steph is calm, ever the captain, Ellie is the energy, goading and revving. Charli, the youngest of the three, is no less of a force, although still finding her own voice in a team of veterans. She is a promising snapshot of what lies ahead for Australian women’s football.
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Charlie wears Blanca top (on top), vintage knit available at The Turn, Tiffany & Co earrings.
The characteristic composure of these women is evident in my chats with each of them. Their confidence and clarity ahead of the world’s biggest sporting tournament comes to the fore. A sense of unflappable resolution. Here’s why the Matildas are feeling calmer – and more clear-eyed – than ever before.
Women’s Health: How do you handle pressure?
Steph: Over the years of playing football, I’ve come to the realisation that pressure is a privilege. It’s something that I’ve learned to deal with better as I’ve gotten older. The more experienced you are, the more perspective you have on things. But when I do feel that pressure in the game, I ground myself by knowing that I’ve done the work over the many years that I’ve played. I know what to do in just about every scenario on the field. And the more that I practise, the harder I work, the less I feel the pressure. I know I’m ready for whatever situation I go into. And that calms me.
Charli: Often, I use my support network. When it’s tough and that pressure is enhanced, I talk with my family or my partner. They really help me through those times and point out that after all is said and done, I’m just playing for the fun of it, and that’s why I’ve always played. They help me get back to basics.
Ellie: I try not to think too much about the occasion and focus instead on the simple things. In those moments, you know what you’ve already done and that you’re ready. It diffuses those big pressure moments, so I can focus on what I need to do and what I can control.
WH: What’s the first moment that comes to mind when you think of last year’s World Cup?
Steph: Probably the penalty kick against Ireland. That was the highest-pressure moment in my life and my career to date. But in saying that, I felt completely prepared. I felt ready. And for the team, it was a momentous game. After four years of buildup and with a sold-out crowd at a home game in the World Cup, it was huge moment.
Charli: The France penalty shootout game. It’s iconic and shows how far we’ve come as a sporting team, and as a football nation. I think this whole country will hold that moment in their hearts forever.
ELLIE WEARS MATTEAU SWIM TOP AND BRIEFS, TEMPLA JACKET, SENER BESIM SKIRT AND NIKE SHOES. CHARLI WEARS HAYDENSHAPES X DION LEE WETSUIT AND BOLERO, WIXII PANTS, TIFFANY & CO EARRINGS AND PUMA SHOES. STEPH WEARS MATTEAU SWIM TOP, CANADA GOOSE JACKET, TEMPLA PANTS AND NIKE SHOES.
WH: At what point did you realise that the Matildas were changing perceptions of women’s sport in Australia? When did you see that tidal wave moment?
Steph: There were so many different moments. For the team, after the first game [of the World Cup, where Catley scored the penalty to close a 1-0 victory against Ireland] we suddenly couldn’t leave the hotel. We couldn’t really go anywhere without being recognised and asked for a photo or an autograph. For me personally, it was after that aforementioned penalty shootout. I hadn’t really let myself go online too much during the tournament, but I let myself go on social media because my family told me what was going on. And the videos I saw of masses of people watching that shootout: whether they were at an AFL game, an NRL game, their workplace, in the street huddled around a phone, those scenes of people screaming their lungs out, like they’ve supported the Matildas their entire life, it was insane. And it wasn’t just about football. It wasn’t about women’s football. It was everything in between and it meant so much to so many people and it’s had a lasting effect.
Charli: Coming out of that World Cup, simply walking in the streets and people saying thank you to us, showing such appreciation, it really felt like we had changed the game forever. Now when we play at-home games in Australia, we’re consistently getting sold-out crowds. That’s really showed us. And we’re proud of our country for getting around us.
Ellie: After the penalty shoot out, I saw the tidal wave effect. We could see what that moment meant to so many people. Not just our family and friends, but people who may never have connected with football before and yet were a part of that moment. It was made even clearer when we played on home soil after the World Cup in Perth. To see the momentum continue and the fans still retain the same passion, I really understood what had shifted.
WH: What does training for Paris look like?
Steph: Some of us will have a break and then we’ll all convene at a camp in Spain before the window actually starts for Paris preparation. Training will consist of hard work, it’ll be mentally taxing, it will be hot. But that’s sort of the point. I think that type of training is so important to get yourself mentally ready for a tournament like the Olympics. During the Games, you have a small squad, you have quick turnarounds, you play the best of the best straightaway in your groups, so mentally you really have to be switched on and ready. And you can only do that from hard work, from pushing each other and from being around the best players and working hard together. So yeah, it’ll be hot training, gym work and probably running sessions, too. When it comes to the Olympic Games, you want to be as ready as you possibly can because it’s a once in a lifetime experience.
Ellie: The upcoming break will be really important mentally and physically after a big 18 months. Following that we have pre-camp in Spain for about two weeks. We’ll come together as a team to commit to the hard work. Spain will also give us a chance to acclimatise to the hotter weather conditions we’ll later face in the south of France.
WH: If you were to play another position, what would it be and why?
Steph: As I get older, I happen to be enjoying playing centre-back a lot more. More than when I was younger and offence was an exciting thing to do. But I think as my perspective has shifted, as I’ve understood the game more, I really value the role of the centre-back. And the attack, really, starts with the centre-back’s decision making, positioning, and passing. In my wildest dreams, scoring goals and getting all the splashy ‘Player of the Match’ and all those fun things you don’t get when you’re a defender, would’ve been great, too. But yeah, more realistically, probably a centre-back.
Charli: I would probably play wing. It’s not too dissimilar from a fullback, and I do love getting up in the forward line. You can attack and defend in that position, and there’s more opportunity to score goals.
WH: What would you tell your younger self?
Steph: Enjoy the moment a little bit more. When I was younger I had so many goals and was so driven and obsessed about reaching them. I was in a rush to do so many things that probably didn’t appreciate the good times and dwelled too much on the bad times. I think as a young footballer, I was quite a pessimist, and rarely gave myself a pat on the back. That probably caused more stress. So, I’d probably just tell myself to relax, enjoy it and appreciate yourself a little bit more.
Ellie: Keep going no matter what anyone says. There’s so much opportunity ahead of you. Dream as high as you want because there’s no limit on how far you can go in your career.
WH: If you weren’t a football player, what would you be?
Steph: So I’ve got two answers to this. I’ve been studying to be a primary school teacher for the past ten years – just chipping away at it. I think I’ll stick around in football for a while and perhaps go into teaching at some stage. Though what I’m probably most passionate about, other than football, is dogs. I would love to run a doggy daycare or similar.
Charli: I’d be playing another sport. Probably netball given that I had to forego that quite early to play football.
Ellie: Probably something in forensic science! That or athletics.
WH: We all experience feelings of self-doubt at times. It’s a common thread through all of us. Do you remember a specific time and how you overcame that?
Steph: When I first moved overseas. I went from the W League here in Australia, being cream of the crop and doing really well, to Portland to play in the NWSL. I was 17, 18 years old and was just this tiny, tiny fish in a huge pond. I was knocked down so many pegs. I physically and mentally wasn’t ready for it and felt really disconnected from everyone and doubted my entire career. At that point, I made the decision to work as hard as I could, learn from other people and remind myself that it didn’t matter that I wasn’t there yet, that I would get there.
Charli: My move to Tottenham made me doubt myself. It was a very exciting time, but you’re also trying to prove yourself and show that you’re worthy of that position. When you don’t get that game time or that reward, it is hard to believe that you’re supposed to be there. What helped me to get over that was to talk those feelings out with my support [crew]. That and reminding myself of why I love the game.
WH: What’s the last song you listened to?
Steph: ‘Whiskey Over Ice’ by Gremlin
Charli: ‘Break My Stride’ by Mathew Wilder
Ellie: ‘Espresso’ by Sabrina Carpenter
Charli wears Blanca top (on top), vintage top available at UTURN (worn underneath), Haydenshapes x Dion Lee shorts, Tiffany & Co earrings. Ellie wears Canada Goose jacket, Sener Besim top, Wixii pants, Tiffany & Co earrings and rings. Steph wears Calvin Klein jacket, vintage jacket from UTURN (worn underneath), Matteau top (worn underneath) and briefs.
WH: What’s your go-to recipe when cooking?
Steph: Spaghetti bolognese
Charli: Chicken pesto pasta
Ellie: Grilled salmon with a fresh Greek salad
WH: What’s the one thing in your bag you can’t live without?
Steph: My slick stick.
Charli: My Chapstick.
Ellie: My blue headband! Luckily for me it is made out or pre-wrap, so it is easy for me to find and carry around.
WH: Who is your hero or mentor?
Steph: My mum and my brother. My mum’s been through hardships and loss and she’s still the strongest person I know. She taught me to believe in myself, care for others and to be humble and gracious.
Ellie: My mentors throughout life, on and off the field, are Christine McLoughlin and Sam Mostyn. They are both incredibly accomplished businesswomen who provide great insight, as well as commentary on gender equality.
WH: What is a motto that you live by?
Steph: There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.
Charli: Focus on what you can control.
Ellie: Everything happens for a reason.
WH: What do you love most about football? What drew you to it?
Steph: The teamwork aspect. I’ve played a lot of different spots growing up, but football really brings people together. It doesn’t matter if you’re tall, small, faster, slower, what position or foot you kick with. It doesn’t matter. You can be valued on a team and make your impact no matter what walk of life you’ve come from.
Charli: I love the freedom that it brings, especially the freedom to express myself.
Ellie: To be surrounded and motivated by world class athletes. I’m lucky to work with some incredible women who are at the top of their game and we push each other to be our best. I also love travelling the world. Football has taken me to so many different countries and provided me with once-in-a-lifetime memories.
Head of brand and words: Scarlett Keddie
Editorial director: Christopher Riley
Photographer: Manolo Campion
Stylist: Karla Clarke
Hair: Max Serrano
Makeup: Kristyan Low
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