CommBank Matildas defender Winonah Heatley said that having the opportunity to play in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™ on home soil is special.
It will be a first major tournament for the 24-year-old, who is excited to step out onto the pitch.
“I’m super excited to be in camp, and I think there's a good vibe amongst the group,” she said on Thursday.
“We're all happy to be back in Australia, back in the sun, and to play in front of home crowds is very special.”
Having been in and around CommBank Matildas squads for several years before finally making her debut in 2024, Heatley knows the pain of narrowly missing out on the final cut.
She said that biding her time taught her to be patient and built her resilience.
“I've been in a few scenarios over the last few years where I've been on the fringe and on that edge of squads,” she explained.
“That taught me to release any feelings around trying to have control over those situations, and to be at peace with the people in power and their decisions.
"I learned to control what I can control, and that's just playing as best as I can and improving every day.
“The Olympics [Paris 2024™, when she was amongst the Matildas' emergency reserves] was one of those situations that was really hard as a player. Of course, you want to represent your country at every possible moment. But it's one of those things that's taught me to bide my time, focus on me and wait.”
The centre back role is one that is hotly contested within the squad, with multiple players coming into the tournament in fantastic club form.
Heatley is among them, having started the majority of this season for an AS Roma side who are six points clear on top of the Serie A Femminile table.
“There's nothing better than being surrounded by quality players,” she said of her CommBank Matildas teammates.
“As players, we're leaving the choice up to the coaches and trying to control the controllables, put in 100% and see what happens.
“There's a good gel in the group, a good group of players, and we're all getting along well. We’re focused on that and the cohesion hopefully shows on the pitch.”
She said that the team was out to win silverware, not for any other reason than that it is up for grabs in a major tournament.
“We're always looking to win, and especially having the opportunity to raise a trophy on home soil is something that we’re pretty inspired by,” she said.
“Every tournament, every player has wanted to win… everybody's pretty grateful for every game and every opportunity to be in the team. It goes without saying that everyone wants to win the trophy.”
Head Coach Joe Montemurro has praised Heatley throughout his tenure, saying that she has the potential to be a world-class defender. She revealed a little bit about his advice to her.
“The conversations that I've had with him are just about continuing to improve every day,” she said.
"To trust myself to make decisions, and I think his trust certainly helps me to do that. It’s just about playing with confidence, and trusting myself, and trying to be the best player I can be.”
Ahead of the first game of the tournament against the Philippines on Sunday evening, she said the team would be focused on taking things one game at a time.
"Anything can happen… especially in tournament football,” she said.
“So we try and take it game by game, with the ultimate goal always in mind, but trying not to let it sit on your mind too much.”
AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™
CommBank Matildas v Philippines
Date: Sunday, 1 March 2026
Venue: Perth Stadium, Perth
Time: 5:00pm AWST/8:00pm AEDT
Broadcast: Network 10, 10 Play and Paramount+
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IR Iran v CommBank Matildas
Date: Thursday, 5 March 2026
Venue: Gold Coast Stadium, Gold Coast
Time: 7:00pm AEST/8:00pm AEDT
Broadcast: Network 10, 10 Play and Paramount+
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CommBank Matildas v Korea Republic
Date: Sunday, 8 March 2026
Venue: Stadium Australia, Sydney
Time: 8:00pm AEDT
Broadcast: Network 10, 10 Play and Paramount+
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