Football fans will get the chance to see some of their heroes up close, with the Matildas gearing up for their final two games of 2024 in Melbourne and Geelong.
Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos today joined the Matilda's interim coach Tom Sermanni at a pre-match press conference ahead of the first game against Chinese Taipei at AAMI Park on Wednesday night. After this the team will head to Geelong for their final game for 2024 on Saturday night.
This weekend marks the first time the Matildas have played in Geelong since 2017 and will be their first at the newly redeveloped GMHBA Stadium.
The venue has benefited from a $142 million upgrade and is now suitable for a variety of events year-round - from AFL and T20 cricket to football, concerts and functions.
Victoria has a proud history of backing women's football, with the Labor Government delivering more than $42 million for the Home of the Matildas at La Trobe University - a cutting-edge training hub for the national team and its other teams including the Young Matildas, Junior Matildas and ParaMatildas.
The two Matildas games come less than three weeks on from the Socceroos running out in front of a sold-out crowd at AAMI park for their World Cup Qualifier against Saudi Arabia.
The Matildas matches are part of a packed major events calendar this summer that boosts Victoria's $39.2 billion visitor economy - including Always Live, the Boxing Day Test, the Australian Open and the Yayoi Kusama exhibition at the NGV.
Tickets for the two Matildas clashes are available at matildas.com.au/tickets.
As stated by Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos
"Victorians live for sport and we're giving Matildas fans the opportunity to see their heroes up close with two blockbuster games in Melbourne and Geelong to close out 2024 for our treasured national team."
"We are focussed on growing football across the state and venues like the redeveloped GMHBA Stadium means we can bring these iconic events to regional cities."
As stated by Visit Victoria CEO Brendan McClements
"Events like these provide a major boost to our visitor economy - helping fill our restaurants, bars and hotels and showcasing the best of Victoria to the world."
As stated by Football Australia CEO James Johnson
We're excited to bring the CommBank Matildas' passion and energy to fans in Melbourne and Geelong, celebrating the growth of women's football in world-class venues like AAMI Park and GMHBA Stadium.
