Football Australia’s commemoration of the 1975 St George Budapest team that represented Australia at that year’s AFC Women’s Championship as the ‘First Matildas’ has caused a bitter divide among the nation’s women’s football community.

The self-named Matildas Alumni have united in strident opposition to Football Australia’s decision, with other 60 names writing a letter to head office last June, demanding consultation and answers as to what they see as an erosion of their achievements and place in the game.

Despite months of protestation, Football Australia went ahead with their enshrining of the ‘1975ers’ last week, with a ceremony before the Matildas meeting with South Korea in Sydney. FA chair Anter Isaac stated he was proud to ‘formally and finally recognise the 1975 Women’s National Team as the First Matildas.’

‘Out focus from the very start was that we, like the Matildas Alumni, were not part of the decision making process. We weren’t consulted around it, so certainly weren’t part of the decision making process of Football Australia, in any way, shape or form’, Professional Footballers Australia chief executive Beau Busch told Box2Box.

‘There were a number of alumni that we care deeply about that were strongly opposed to the decision. I’ve also had discussions with a number of alumni that are heavily in favour..

‘We’ve found ourselves in a position where we’re potentially splitting the membership group. So, what we focused on was making sure we ensure a high level of support for all members through the past player program – we felt our role is to ensure all players feel supported.

‘We felt we didn’t have the capacity or the will to pick sides in any sort of way, but could make sure everyone felt they were able to come to us for support in relation to their wellbeing, and other areas, for all our retiring and transitioning players.’

The heart of the disagreement stems from whether due process was undertaken in selecting those that represented Australia in Hong Kong. All bar two players were drawn from club side St George, who’s captain doubled as the secretary of the Women’s Australian Soccer Association at the time.

The Matildas Alumni argue this should not see those players granted equal billing in the history books as those who earned Matildas caps through broader national selection processes, given they had to beat out a far greater number of candidates to earn their own recognition. After an independent review of its National Team Recognition Criteria, Football Australia ruled they disagree.

Matildas Alumni Advocacy Group leader Shona Bass – who’s status as Matildas Cap #2 has been challenged by the saga – recently told Box2Box the ‘dogged stubbornness’ of Issac had led to ‘trust issues with Australian football leadership’. In July 2024, Matilda #14 Jae Pettitt told the ABC she felt ‘like her identity has been stolen.’

‘This isn’t a new issue for footballers in Australia, feeling like they’re not having their voice respected and heard. I believe the sport can be enriched by engaging more deeply with players rather than less so, and I think at minimum that needs to come out of this process, that there should have been far more consultation in relation to it’, said Busch.

‘There’s a review currently underway from the women’s football council, we’ll follow those recommendations closely and continue to keep an eye on the situation. This is not what we want to see our membership split around, so we hope the review process can bring all the groups back together so that we’re able to move forward from there.’