For all of football’s domestic ills, and the precarious financial future of the A-Leagues, FA executives believe recent events are showcasing the game’s overall strong health. Last week, more than 6000 crammed into a suburban venue to watch an Australia Cup qualifier between Preston Lions and South Melbourne, two teams who will play in the new national second division for men next year. Meanwhile, the A-League Men grand final set a new attendance record in Gosford, and the glamour friendlies at the MCG and Marvel Stadium involving Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United’s men’s teams, Arsenal’s women’s team and A-League All Stars teams for men and women were watched by more than 121,000 people.
The Socceroos also sold out their two World Cup qualifiers against Lebanon in March. But where fans of the men’s game tend to turn up en masse only for important games or big opposition, all the evidence suggests that fans of the women’s game don’t really care. As long as the Matildas are playing, that’s all that matters to them.
“These robust ticket sales not only reflect the passion for the sport, but also contribute significantly to its development and success,” FA chief executive James Johnson said. “Ticketing revenue has become a vital revenue stream, which we have been able to reinvest in the ongoing development of the sport and our national teams.”
Hunt is still getting her head around it all. She made her international debut only last year but has become a fixture of the Matildas’ back four, and her immense World Cup displays led to a life-changing transfer to PSG.
“When you’re a country kid, and you go straight to Paris, it’s a little bit of culture shock, I must admit,” she said. “But I feel like I adapt quite well, and I have people over there who are quite supportive of me – and English speakers as well.”
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Her footballing transition has been a lot smoother – apart from a stress fracture in her foot that sidelined her for about six weeks and forced her to miss PSG’s recent victory in the Coupe de France final.
Now fully fit and firing again, she is ready to make her first appearance for the Matildas since helping the team clinch Olympic qualification in February, and ready to show Australian audiences more of what she’s learnt since moving to Europe.
“I get to play with some of the best players in the world and train with some of the best players in the world. It’s definitely increased the tempo at which I play,” she said. “It’s challenged me to be faster in everything that I do. It’s been really, really tough, but also really, really enjoyable, and I’d say a massive learning experience for me.”