A golden era for Matildas kicked off with game-changing achievements

These days, the Matildas are experiencing a golden era, receiving the recognition and respect they have always deserved. Girls and boys are flocking to games with Sam Kerr's name emblazoned across the backs of their Matildas jerseys. The Australian captain is a not just a household name, she is a global superstar, on a deal with English club Chelsea reportedly worth nearly $2 million.

Last year the Matildas signed an historic collective bargaining agreement, taking top-tier player earnings to $83,000 per year - the same as the top Socceroos - down to a $40,000 minimum.

And while football navigates its way through the financial burden of the coronavirus crisis and, like most sportspeople around the world, the Matildas play a waiting game, Williams said having that security for now has been a positive.

For the 31-year-old, not one single moment has brought the Matildas to this point. It has been an accumulation of many achievements, and the trailblazing efforts of legends of the game like Cheryl Salisbury. Every World Cup has had impact. Her World Cup debut was in China in 2007 when the Matildas won a match for the first time.

"That was pretty epic," Williams said from Melbourne this month. "And that was when we qualified to the next round and it was the first time we got into the knock-out rounds. That was pretty amazing and I think that really started it all for what was to come next."

In the 2015 World Cup in Canada came another pivotal moment - beating Brazil in the round of 16 for their first ever win in a knock-out phase.

"I remember talking to a reporter and it was the first time that we had Australian news reporters come overseas to watch a game and report on the girls," Williams said. "Beating Brazil and having that run, I think that's when it took off."

For Emily van Egmond, who has been with the national team since 2010, the game-changer did not come at a World Cup or Olympics; it was winning the 2017 Tournament of Nations in the United States, recording an historic win over the US as well as beating Japan and Brazil.

"I think with that tournament we really captured the hearts of the Australian public, and people around the world, just through our performances against some of those top teams," van Egmond said.

"And to win that in America was obviously something special ... that for me was one of the big moments for this current Westfield Matildas team to be in the position we are now."

When the Matildas hosted Brazil in her home town for an international friendly in September that year, a few months after the Tournament of Nations win, a then record crowd of 16,829 turned out at McDonald Jones Stadium. By the end of 2017 they had risen to all-time high world ranking of No.4. Last November, 20,029 watched on as they took on Chile in a friendly at Penrith's Bankwest Stadium as they finetuned preparations ahead of qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics.

The Matildas' rise has correlated with a rise in female players at grassroots level in Australia, which last year climbed to over 1.95 million participants.

In March, FFA Head of Game Development, Sarah Walsh, said hosting the 2023 Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, who have put in a joint bid, would fast-track a push to reach a target of 50:50 gender parity by 2027.

"It's just good to see where the game has gotten to from when I first came in," van Egmond said.

"We're extremely grateful for that and as current Westfield Matildas you only hope that it paves the way for the future generation coming through and we hope that it continues to grow."

Van Egmond and Williams were part of Melbourne City's championship-winning W-League side. Van Egmond is contracted to Orlando Pride in the US and is waiting to see if the league can start. Williams is hoping to move to a European leagues but said "everything is up in the air".