CommBank Matildas full-back Charli Grant said that it’s “hard to put into words” what playing for the national team where she grew up, in Adelaide, means to her.
The 22-year-old was speaking to Football Australia Media at the squad announcement for the ‘Til It’s Done Farewell Series in Adelaide on Tuesday.
“It’s something I’ve always dreamed of – to play for the Matildas, but to do this in my home city, at Adelaide Oval, one of the best stadiums in the country, is incredible,” she said.
“This is where it all began for me. This is where I fell in love with the game and this is where my parents worked so hard to get me to where I am today. So it will be a really special moment, not only for myself but also for my family and friends who have supported me all the way.”
“[My teammates] are probably just looking forward to me shutting my mouth about how good Adelaide is, but I’m just really excited to show them my city, and to show them how much we love the game and how supportive we are. Really looking forward to having everyone in my hometown.”
She hopes that the series will continue to inspire the next generation of youngsters, just like she used to be.
“I started off playing at my school where it was just the boys. I think there was only one other girl on my team,” she recalled. “Then I went to Cumberland United Women’s Football Club, who were incredible, but they still weren’t as big as what they are today.”
“We want to inspire the next generation. We want people to fall in love with the game like we did ourselves, or fall in love with sport, and we’re really proud that we have inspired the next generation. We hope we can continue to do that.”
If selected, Paris 2024™ will be Grant’s second Olympic Games, adding to her experiences at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2022™ and the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™.
“Those experiences at those major tournaments will be really important going into the Olympics,” she said. “I really want to be part of this squad and help the team going forward. Those preparations that I’ve had in those previous tournaments will really help me going forward.”
In terms of the series on the pitch, the two games against AFC Asian Cup Champions China PR will be essential to the CommBank Matildas Olympics preparation.
“These are our final games to really get down everything we want to prepare ourselves for the Olympics,” she explained. “So we’re really looking forward to coming together again, working on those finger details or what we want to do going into the Olympics, and we can’t wait to get started.”
COMMBANK MATILDAS | MATCH SCHEDULE
Match One
CommBank Matildas v China PR
Date: Friday, 31 May 2024
Kick-off: 7.40pm ACST / 8.10pm AEST
Venue: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, South Australia
Broadcast: 10, 10 Bold (PER), 10 Play and Paramount+
Match Two
CommBank Matildas v China PR
Date: Monday, 3 June 2024
Kick-off: 7:40pm AEST
Venue: Accor Stadium, Sydney, New South Wales
Broadcast: 10, 10 Bold (PER), 10 Play and Paramount+