Joe Montemurro correctly called Matildas 'one of the best brands in the world', and is now arguably the most important coach in Australia

Australia Broadcast Center

2 days ago

The role of being Australia's Test cricket captain was once colloquially considered to be the second-most important position to being the prime minister in Australia.
This fictional cabinet that features Anthony Albanese and Pat Cummins would be well-versed to extend a seat to another very important role in Australia's sporting sphere, to Joe Montemurro, the new Matildas coach.
Over the last half-decade, none of Australia's national sporting teams have captured the attention of the entire nation quite like the Matildas have, particularly during the home World Cup campaign in 2023 where they came within a few matches of winning it all.
The Matildas now routinely pack out stadiums at home, whether it be for a friendly or a match of greater importance. They are arguably more popular than their male counterparts, the Socceroos.
However, with greater attention and exposure comes greater expectation, and ultimately it will be the ability to match those expectations that will determine whether the Montemurro era is a success or not.
The Matildas have truly risen to prominence over the last decade. Alen Stajcic began the ascent by recording crucial wins at the 2015 World Cup and 2016 Rio Olympics. Tony Gustavsson carried on the work by guiding the team at the 2023 World Cup, and now Montemurro must continue the positive momentum.
Montemurro was right to call the Matildas "one of the best brands in the world" in his introductory press conference, and will understand the expectations that come with being the leader of that brand.
Fans of yesteryear may have been happy to see Matildas teams of previous generations recording the odd positive result as the underdogs punching above their weight, but the adoring public will now simply require more from Montemurro's squad, beginning with next year's Asian Cup at home.
The good news for the Matildas is that Montemurro is no stranger to meeting high expectations.
Montemurro returns to his home country off the back of successful stints in Europe with Arsenal, Juventus and Lyon at his last three stops, where winning was the major prerogative.
The Aussie has proved himself to be a serial winner everywhere he has coached. He won two grand finals with Melbourne City, a WSL title with Arsenal, the Serie A with Juventus and the Premiere Ligue with Lyon. Those are just some of his achievements.
If the Matildas have serious plans to stack their trophy cabinet over the next few years, there is really no better candidate to lead them in that quest.
The challenge for Montemurro will be straddling the line between winning now while transitioning and future-proofing his squad.
Montemurro takes over a squad that features a 31-year-old Steph Catley, a 30-year-old Caitlin Foord, a 32-year-old Katrina Gorry and a 31-year-old Sam Kerr, who were all mainstays of the Gustavsson era.
Along with Kerr, the trio of Catley, Foord and Gorry should all have a number of productive years left in them, but also have significant miles on them as they approach their mid-30s.
It remains unclear exactly what version of Kerr, Montemurro and the Matildas will get when she makes her long-awaited return following almost two years on the sidelines nursing a serious knee injury. As brilliant as Kerr is, it is probably unfair to expect her to bang in goal after goal immediately when she returns to the park.
Montemurro must figure out the optimal time to hand the keys over to the next generation of Matildas, a task made trickier with the face of that generation, Mary Fowler, also currently sidelined with a long-term knee injury.
Fowler, when healthy, won't be able to do it alone and Montemurro will be tasked with building the team around her with an eye to the 2027 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics. Doing that will require youngsters coming through the junior national teams to be guided through the system while also maintaining a close eye on the A-League Women.
Transitioning away from stalwarts in any sport is particularly tricky, and how he handles the inevitable tough calls that come in the next few years over the likes of the aforementioned veteran quartet will also define the Montemurro tenure.
The only controversy surrounding this appointment isn't because of who was appointed, but rather how long it took to appoint him.
The 10-month stretch where the Matildas seemingly remained in flux under interim coach Tom Sermanni could have been a period where Montemurro recorded significant reps ahead of the Asian Cup.
It was a period that frustrated the players themselves, with Foord admitting earlier this year that playing while not knowing who the next Matildas coach would be felt like "wasted time".
FA CEO Heather Garriock hit back at those criticising the timeline of the Montemurro hire saying "all good things come to those who wait" at his official unveiling.
Time will tell just how much damage, if any, that period of flux has done to the Matildas train that had built up such positive momentum under Gustavsson and Stajcic before him.
Now that Montemurro is finally in the seat, he is arguably the most important coach in Australia as he leads the Matildas brand into its all-important next generation.