There’s no doubt you know how the Matildas have been going in recent years; Australia’s national team and one of the strongest international women’s sides is killing it at the moment. But chances are, you might not know their origins and just where the team has come from.
A new Stan Australia documentary, Trailblazers, is about the change that.
It’s set to chronicle the history of the Australian Women’s football team from its relative obscurity in the 1970s through to its rise to prominence in the 2010s, capped by a home World Cup in 2023.
It’s the second Matildas documentary set to hit Australian screens since the beginning of 2023, a period where the side rose to become the favoured sporting side of just about every Australian. While details on the film remain thin, there’s still enough to get excited about.
Everything there is to know about the Matildas documentary, Trailblazers
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When will it hit screens?
Sometime before the Olympics
While an official release date is yet to be confirmed by the streaming service, it’s expected Trailblazers will be available sometime in the build-up to the Paris 2024 Olympics, which kick off on July 26, 2024.
It coincides with the Matildas confirming their qualification for the tournament, their fifth time competing at the Olympics, with an emphatic victory over Uzbekistan in Melbourne. An aggregate score of 13-0 over the two-legged affair highlights the continued technical growth of Tony Gustavsson’s side.
Without superstar Sam Kerr, the Matildas were able to find the back of the net 10 times in their victory over Uzbekistan at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium. Veteran striker Michelle Heyman, who’d retired from international football in 2019, returned to the fold to score four times in the first half alone to go with a strike in the first leg away in Uzbekistan.
Is there a trailer?
Not yet.
But the official instagram handle has a sneaky amount of content to help set the scene, including this little teaser:
What will Trailblazers cover?
According to information from Stan; ‘Trailblazers is a documentary that tells the incredible story of the Matildas and women’s football. From the first FIFA recognised game in 1979, to the Matildas aspirations of winning Gold at the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics.’
Many may not know but women’s football was banned in Australia, and much of the rest of the world, for a large portion of the 20th century. This came following a decision made by the English Football Association in the 1920s, which deemed women’s football ‘quite unsuitable for females and ought not to be encouraged.’
It wasn’t until the 1970s that this changed. Seymour Shaw Park in south Sydney’s Miranda was the venue where Australia’s women’s side partook in their first ever ‘A’ international. It’s a far cry from the sell-out crowds packing stadiums to watch Australia’s women’s side, featuring some of the best footballers in the world like Mary Fowler and Caitlin Foord.
As Stan mentioned, the documentary will explore the side’s aspirations of winning Gold at the Paris Games. Previously, the side’s best Olympic finish was at the Tokyo 2020 games, held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Drawn in a group of death at that tournament, which saw the side pitted against Sweden, the USA, both of whom finished in the tournament’s final four, and New Zealand, Gustavsson’s side progressed as one of the best third-placed sides.
The Swede will hope for a better showing than Tokyo, especially as expectations of the Matildas have increased since the side’s incredible run at the 2023 Women’s World Cup on home soil. Without Kerr’s talismanic presence for much of that tournament, Gustavsson’s side improvised and largely overcame opposition.
With Kerr confirmed as absent from the Paris games, Gustavsson will once again need to find a way to get his side firing on all cylinders, with Heyman’s return to the fold undoubtedly a positive for the coach.
Who’s producing the film?
While we don’t have specific names of the production crew, it’s reportedly being produced by a female-led creative team.
Are there any other women’s football documentaries hitting screens this year?
Yes, Copa 71, a documentary about the unofficial Women’s World Cup held in 1971, is set to hit screens in March.
