Hayley Taylor-Young's jaw dropped in disbelief when her mother revealed her legendary past in a car park at Moore Park.
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The teenager's Oz Tag team had been invited to tour the Australian Rugby Union facilities in Sydney, but the real treat came before they stepped foot into the building.
As Helen Taylor pulled into an exclusive car space she told her daughter she was the first captain of the Australian rugby team.
"I thought, 'what?' She was kind of like a superstar that day, it was quite special," Taylor-Young said.
"Playing for Australia is impressive but to be the first Australian captain? That's a bit more than anything."
Taylor led the inaugural women's side in 1994 and her legacy lives through the Brumbies' Super W player of the year medal, the Helen Taylor Award.
Twenty-six years later the roles are reversed and she'll cheer on her daughter when Canberra United clash with undefeated Melbourne City in Broadmeadows on Friday.
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Women's sport has advanced significantly since Taylor first pulled on her footy boots, with elite athletes now being paid for their trade.
Football Federation Australia introduced new collective bargaining agreement in November, which will see the top-paid Matildas earn the same amount as the Socceroos for their international duties.
Many Australian players spend the W-League off-season plying their trade overseas and live solely off their sporting income.
Taylor believes the talent of Australian sportswomen will only improve with increased exposure and support, a promising future her daughter can be part of.
"We've probably had something to do with the genetics but she's totally in control of her own fate. I'm just going along for the joyous ride," Taylor said.
"I think she has a lot more in her and Heather [Garriock] believes in her which is an amazing inspiration for us all to see and for Hayley to take up and run with.
"It's just wonderful to watch her reap the benefits and achieve so much."
The 17-year-old forward made her W-League debut against the Newcastle Jets in round three and has since made two starts and scored one goal.
She's been named in Garriock's 17-strong squad for their clash with the star-studded City outfit, who have won six straight matches.
United has dropped to sixth place with three wins, three losses and are draw, but an upset over the ladder leaders could see them return to the league's top-four.
"Bringing the win home is the biggest thing," Taylor-Young said.
"We know how they play and we know what to do. We just need to put it out on the park."
W-LEAGUE Round nine
Thursday: Melbourne City v Canberra United at Broadmeadows, 7.30pm
Canberra United squad: 1. Annalee Grove (GK), 2. Laura Hughes, 3. Kaleigh Kurtz, 5. Nikola Orgill (C), 7. Simone Charley, 8. Olivia Price, 10. Camila Pereira, 11. Elise Thorsnes, 12. Hayley Taylor-Young, 15. Ashlie Crofts, 16. Karly Roestbakken, 17. Patricia Charalambous, 19. Leena Khamis, 20. Sham Khamis (GK), 21. Rebekah Horsey, 23. Lauren Keir, 24. Aoife Colvill *Two to be omitted
