Do you have any learnings from the 2016 Olympic campaign you’re taking into this one?
From the tournament perspective, we have been through so many tournaments since then. You sort of grow from each of the football matches. As the Olympics are such a quick one, you don’t have much time to just ease into the group stages so from past experience we have learned that we need to be at our best from the start.
How are you different as a player to four years ago? And how have challenges shaped you?
Obviously, I am just more experienced. I think I am much more of a composed player now. I am more consistent and that is something I have been working on over the past four years. I think when you become more consistent you become more confident in yourself, so my confidence is higher than it was back then.
I think as a person I have grown a lot as well so that has in some ways shaped who I have become as footballer too.
Who are some female leaders in your life and how have you benefited from their guidance?
I would say Clare Polkinghorne. She is my roomie at the moment, and she doesn’t really have to say a lot. It’s more so just in her actions and the way she carries herself and her passion for the game.
Obviously, you could see it at home against Vietnam when she scored a goal, her passion just sort of ignites you. Something inside all of us as players and it just inspires us to want to be like her really.
What would it mean to have the FIFA Women’s World Cup played in Australia in 2023?
It would be a dream come true. The Women’s World Cup is the pinnacle of our sport and so to have that played at home, to bring such a huge tournament to Australia would be unreal. For us I just love playing in front of our fans at home.
Friday night’s match against Vietnam was a perfect example of how a home crowd just makes the atmosphere much more exciting when you have all those fans behind you.
I think for the next generation of young girls they would be inspired and ignite a dream for them knowing that they could potentially be on the biggest stage when they are older as well. It is a really cool thing that we are able to.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
It is just an opportunity to celebrate the amazing women in our lives. To acknowledge the successes and appreciate how empowering women can be alone and how empowering we can all be together. I think it is a good opportunity for us to support each other and lift each other up.
