The First Matildas

“In The First Matildas, Dr Greg Downes speaks to most of the women involved in the 1975 team who were, indeed, the first team to represent Australia overseas at an international tournament organised by the Asian Football Confederation. While the team was comprised largely of the members of one club, it was also sanctioned by the Australian Soccer Federation, the 1975 equivalent to Football Australia. They wore green and gold. They had the Australian crest on their shirts. They competed as an ‘Australia XI’ as was the norm. They played under an Australian flag. And they had the obligatory kangaroo as a mascot.”

Alen Stajcic, Head Coach of Philippines Women’s National Team, and Former Head Coach of the Matildas

Greg Downes became interested in women’s football (soccer) due to the involvement of his youngest daughter Caitlin. Greg was involved in many roles over the years his daughter played club, school, and regional representative soccer in northern NSW with the Byron Bay club. He has been both clubs- and representative-team manager, club treasurer, regional-committee member, supporter, and general dogsbody. As a parent, Greg became aware of the many injustices and discriminations faced by young girls and women in their pursuit to play the game. During this time he became involved in the fight to make his daughter’s involvement in soccer an inclusive one.

While studying for his Masters, Greg used examples of these injustices faced by women involved in football as topics for his research. He came to realize that little or no research had been done on the history of women’s football in Australia. The voices of the women were unheard and were yet to be written into the history of the game. Greg’s Ph.D. research topic, An oral history of women’s football in Australia, addresses this shortage of knowledge by asking the question – ‘What can the oral history of women who played and play the game of football contribute to the understandings of gender and football history in Australia?’ Greg plans to use the research to recognize the pioneers of the game in Australia and to acknowledge the sacrifices they made in order for them to play a game they loved.

Dr. Greg Downes is a sessional academic and completed his Ph.D. thesis in 2016 with Victoria University, in Melbourne Australia. Greg currently writes, teaches, and researches women’s sports history, sport management, and human services. Greg lives in Lennox Head on the far north coast of NSW Australia.