- Mary Fowler has taken a break from Matildas to focus on mental health
- Comes after World Cup hero Cortnee Vine did the same thing
- Teammate has praised packed schedule and wants to see more
Matildas star Caitlin Foord couldn’t be happier with the support networks offered to her and her national teammates, declaring the packed schedule was ‘all we’ve ever wanted’.
Playing loads are in focus on the back of the withdrawals of Foord’s teammates Mary Fowler and Cortnee Vine, both of whom mix club football overseas with their Matildas duties and pulled out of upcoming home clashes against Brazil and Chinese Taipei, citing mental fatigue.
Foord, who plays regular starring roles for English giants Arsenal, has flown back from the UK for the four matches across just 10 days, hoping to see some new faces present strong cases to be part of the Matildas’ 2026 Asian Cup campaign.
The 30-year-old said traversing the world for games, as much as it placed a ‘lot of demands’ on the top players, was indicative of the game’s growth and was adamant the support networks had advanced as well
‘That’s the way the game is going. There’s a lot more games, there’s a lot more demands on us to play,’ she said in Brisbane ahead of Thursday’s opening friendly against Olympic silver medallists Brazil.
Matildas star Caitlin Foord says all she wants to do is play and has called for more international fixtures for the national side
Matildas and Manchester City star Mary Fowler has taken a break from the national side because of mental fatigue
World Cup hero Cortnee Vine also stepped away from the Matildas because of mental health concerns
‘I mean, this is where every female footballer has wanted the game to go. The scheduling – that’s obviously up to the leagues and the federations to discuss on how that should be, but for us to play and play games is all we’ve ever wanted.
‘We have that support. We have the networks you need, if it’s mental, physical support you need, we have options for all of that. As it should be, everyone has that option to get the support that they need.’
Foord will be a key plank in what could the changing face of the Matildas en route to the Asian Cup, with interim coach Tom Sermanni picking a host of Australian-based players for the quartet of games.
Those personnel changes could mean more adapting for the likes of Foord, but ‘giving everything’ remains a non-negotiable for anyone who pulls on a Matildas jersey.
‘It doesn’t take long to adapt back into the Matildas environment and the type of style we want to play,’ she said.
‘When you put on the green and gold, it’s not so much about tactics, it’s about playing for your country and giving everything
‘It’s a great opportunity when we come back here in Australia to play, especially back in Brissy, we’ve had some great memories here.
‘I’m excited to be back here and to go out there at Suncorp and play again.’
Foord said the Matildas, who drew with Switzerland but defeated Germany in their most recent two matches in Europe, would relish the challenge of taking on the Brazilians.
‘We have a lot of history with Brazil, from major tournaments and knockout games,’ she said.
‘So it’s going to be a great opportunity for us, and a great challenge to come up against them, and do it here as well.’
