Matildas make triumphant return to Victoria and the Home of the Matildas
Published: 20 December 2024While back home for 2 successful friendlies against Chinese Taipei, the Commbank Matildas spent time recovering at the state-of-the-art Home of the Matildas which has just been made bigger and better with the completion of the third and final FIFA-grade synthetic pitch.
After helping launch the new Centre of Excellence in the lead up to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Australia & New Zealand™, the Matildas have made a return to the Home of the Matildas at La Trobe University Sports Park within La Trobe University in Bundoora.
Back in Victoria for the first time since their dominant 4-0 victory of Canada in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup group stage, the Matildas claimed 2 victories over Chinese Taipei in friendlies at AAMI Park and Kardinia Park.
Following their 3-1 victory at AAMI Park, the team recovered at the world-class facility, enjoying the many amenities that are helping grow football across Victoria.
The recovery sessions coincided with a fresh milestone for the Home of The Matildas with the completion of the final FIFA-grade synthetic pitch, bringing the total number of FIFA-grade pitches up to 5. This means more football can be held on site including international team training camps, national squad training camps, Football Victoria high performance and community use and La Trobe University programs.
The football hub now features 5 FIFA grade pitches (3 synthetic and 2 natural/synthetic hybrids), multiple change rooms, a fully equipped high-performance gym, medical facilities, modern wet recovery areas, coaching development spaces and an 800-seat permanent grandstand.
At the launch in July 2023, Football Australia CEO James Johnson was full of praise for the facility.
The Home of the Matildas will provide our most talented Australian Women’s National Team footballers and staff the opportunity to thrive and a place of excellence for the next generation to develop.
James Johnson – Football Australia CEO
The recovery session at Home of The Matildas was part of a successful trip back to Victoria, and with an eye on the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™, FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027™ and the LA 2028 Olympics, the team boasted plenty of new faces winning the second friendly over their Asian Football Confederation counterparts 6-0 in front of more than 30,000 passionate fans at Kardinia Park.
The Victorian Government is proud to invest in football infrastructure that supports the growth of the game in Victoria, ensuring women and girls have the facilities they need to train and compete at the grassroots and elite levels.
The Home of the Matildas was funded as part of a $101 million investment by the Victorian Government into the La Trobe University Sports Park, which has transformed women’s football in Victoria, helping to grow the state’s future female football superstars.
The Victorian Government provided $42.29 million directly for the Home of the Matildas as an investment in women’s football – the biggest ever made by any level of government for a football-specific project in Australia, with the Federal Government contributing a further $15 million.
The world-class facility provides the best possible support for our senior Matildas, as well as the Commbank ParaMatildas, Young Matildas and Junior Matildas.