2024 saw 44 players from the A-Leagues called up to Matildas or Socceroos, plus the appointments of Tony Popovic and Tom Sermanni to each side respectively, continuing an important connection between the domestic competition and the national teams’ success, explains David Weiner, the author of a young adults book The Goals That Changed Australia – Stories From the Biggest Stage on Earth, the modern story of our national teams, which is out now.
With confirmation this week that Sydney and Perth will host the Socceroos’ crucial home World Cup Qualifiers against Indonesia and Japan in 2025, the incentive for the side’s local stars to prove their case to Tony Popovic has never been stronger.
Add the Matildas’ SheBelieves Cup campaign in February – under Sermanni, or a new coach if the veteran hasn’t returned yet to his role as Head of Women’s Football at Western Sydney – and the summer months provide a crucial shop window for the A-Leagues’ Socceroos and Matildas to state their case for inclusion in the new year.
The 2024 roll call of players called up under Graham Arnold, and then Popovic, who was Melbourne Victory boss last season, saw 22 players (out of 51 called up) involved in the Isuzu UTE A-League at some stage this year.
Prodigious talent Nestory Irankunda was the headline selection before he was left in Munich for the last window to continue to settle into life at one of Europe’s elite clubs. Instead, it was Popovic’s winger from his Victory tenure, Nishan Velupillay, who showed all domestic based players that form and minutes in the A-League Men can catapult you into not only Socceroos contention, but a pivotal role as the side aims for the swiftest path to the 2026 World Cup – as complicated as that journey currently is.
Meanwhile, 20-year–old Sydney FC defender Hayden Matthews’ call-up has put every Olyroo on notice.
Different coaches bring different opinions and so the list veers from Bruno Fornaroli’s Asian Cup involvement through to belated international debuts for veterans Luke Brattan and Anthony Caceres under Popovic, Paul Okon and Hayden Foxe. The other feelgood story as midfield experimentation continues is the reward for the heartbeat of Central Coast’s Championship double, with Max Balard and Josh Nisbet being recognised for their exceptional consistency. Will they get a concerted run in the national team squad? Form in Holland and Scotland, respectively, will determine that now as they take the plunge abroad.
The biggest winners appear to be Joe Gauci, whose move from Adelaide United to Aston Villa, albeit without much game time, saw him edge skipper Mat Ryan for the first games of the Popovic regime in goal, while Melbourne Victory’s Jason Geria made up for lost time looking right at home when shown faith by his former club boss. Daniel Arzani, meanwhile, is finally back after years rebuilding his career.
All those spots are extremely competitive, especially in midfield. Opportunity beckons in the No.9 slot, however; can Western Sydney’s Brandon Borrello, who was so lucky with mistimed injuries around big tournaments, make a run for that spot leading the line?
The Matildas numbers are slightly inflated thanks to the influence of Sermanni, who took it upon himself to blood fresh faces during his interim tenure to expose a number of fringe players to the rigours of international football. A deeper squad is something Tony Gustavsson wasn’t able to develop, and it will be critical to massaging the triple responsibilities of a home Asian Cup, transitioning from the Golden Generation as they head into their thirties, while balancing the weight of public expectations into the next World Cup cycle.
On the experienced side, Chloe Logarzo and Emily Gielnik’s return to the set-up was a nice story in the recent Brazil and Chinese Taipei games, and both experienced pros are key contenders to keep strong competition for places in the Tillies, while showing you can still vie for selection from the domestic league – as Michelle Heyman and Tameka Yallop have shown. Yallop, in particular, was exceptional in the last window ushering in a new wave of talent alongside her. Sermanni showed all his experience by fielding sides that were a balance between mainstays and new faces, rather than throwing the debutants to the wolves.
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Six players from the Ninja A-League started the final friendly against Chinese Taipei, and after a raft of substitutions, there were still at least that many on the park at full-time.
23-year-old Roar talent Sharn Freier caught the eye in particular with her fearlessness, while Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City were responsible for a raft of fresh faces, including Leah Davidson (23), Daniela Galic (18) and Laura Hughes (23).
For the romantics, 26-year-old Newcastle defender Natasha Prior’s involvement was a great story, scoring a first international goal after a journey from the brink after suffering a spate of concussions. She wasn’t the only local defender given a shot at challenging a fairly established rear guard, with Bryleeh Henry, Matilda McNamara and Jessika Nash given a taste, while Karly Roestbakken earned a taste at this level for the first time in three years.
Now it is up to those given a shot to seize the moment, both domestically or with moves abroad, and in the national team set-up.
Both squads are packed with players who got their first taste in Australia before dominating the league or kicking on abroad or returning home to make a contribution. If there is ever a reminder of the tradition of the A-Leagues to the story of our national teams, just one glance at the pulsating seven-goal thriller on the weekend at Allianz Stadium, the venue where the Socceroos will kick off in 2025, tells you all you need to know.
There was Socceroos icon John Aloisi, owner of the iconic Uruguay penalty and a World Cup goal scorer, celebrating jubilantly in one dugout, celebrating Western United’s 4-3 win at his former club, having snuck an 87th minute winner past Sydney FC keeper Andrew Redmayne, owner of one the most important saves in green and gold history.
Those two moments are two of the pin-up stories for young readers to immerse themselves in in The Goals That Changed Australia, which features Aloisi and former Sydney FC star Cortnee Vine on the front page. Vine, of course, scored the famous winning penalty in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup quarter-final against France – the most watched goal in Australian football history scored by an A-League Women’s player.
Indeed, opportunity beckons.
Who will be the next local star to etch their name in Australian football folklore, write the next chapter and inspire the next generation?
David Weiner is the author of The Goals That Changed Australia, published by Fairplay Publishing, available online or in stores.
Socceroos and Matildas who played in the A-Leagues in 2024
Adelaide United (3): Joe Gauci, Nestory Irankunda, Matilda McNamara
Brisbane Roar (2): Sharn Freier, Tameka Yallop
Canberra United (1): Michelle Heyman
Central Coast Mariners (4): Max Balard, Isabel Gomez, Jessika Nash, Josh Nisbet
Macarthur (1): Luke Brattan
Melbourne City (9): Nathaniel Atkinson, Aziz Behich, Leah Davidson, Bryleeh Henry, Laura Hughes, Mathew Leckie, Karly Roestbakken, Marco Tilio, Kaitlyn Torpey
Melbourne Victory (9): Daniel Arzani, Alex Chidiac, Bruno Fornaroli, Jason Geria, Emily Gielnik, Paul Izzo, Jamilla Rankin, Nishan Velupillay, Lydia Williams
Newcastle Jets (2): Natasha Prior, Apostolos Stamatelopoulos
Perth Glory (1): Adam Taggart
Sydney FC (7): Anthony Caceres, Rhyan Grant, Joel King, Hana Lowry, Hayden Matthews, Jada Whyman, Cortnee Vine
Western Sydney Wanderers (3): Brandon Borrello, Sophie Harding, Lawrence Thomas
Western United (2): Chloe Lincoln, Chloe Logarzo
