Nola Marino (Forrest, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

You are nodding? I am so pleased to see that. Women’s sport certainly needs a serious increase in the amount of profile, recognition and respect it receives, because women in no way commit any less than anyone else competing in sport. The Matildas, as we know, were ranked fourth on the continent when they arrived in China for the 2010 AFC Women’s Asian Cup but, the Matildas being the Matildas, they had a lot of confidence about what they could achieve. That confidence was well placed. As we have heard, they beat Korea in that penalty shoot-out. Even more significantly, we have heard that they were the first Australian team, male or female, to win an Asian title at any level. It was, I have read, Australia’s very first piece of major silverware. They beat their more famous male equivalents to that honour. That is something that has not been appropriately recognised.

Melissa Barbieri, the captain, said that the Australian Women’s Asian Cup win over North Korea was achieved with plenty of skill and heart. I think that is what we see in our women athletes. The win qualified the team for the upcoming 2011 Women’s World Cup finals. The Matildas were mobbed by the media and supporters on their return to Australia and I want to see that continue. These were people who wanted to share and celebrate the success and achievements of the team. As we know, these women are very keen to be role models for other young women who want to achieve in sport. Nobody in this room should underestimate the value of sport to young people, particularly in rural and regional communities such as the one I represent, through its encouragement of participation and team-building.

The Matildas would be very strong role models for young people such as Tash Rigby and Domonique Fedele, who are part of our South West Academy of Sport soccer and athletes program. To Amy Fortescue, who participated in the under-17 state female soccer team of 2009, and to all those great young girls, who, at a very young age, go out on the soccer field—

See this speech in context