CommBank Matildas Head Coach Joe Montemurro said that the overwhelming feeling was that of being prepared after naming the 26-player squad that will represent Australia at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™ on home soil.
Deciding on the final squad was not easy, but it was one that Montemurro said reflects the best possible balance heading into the tournament.
“It's always a tough decision,” he explained.
“We had a cut-off time to get the squad announced. The biggest thing for me was to make sure that, given the nature of the tournament - being so short and with a quick turnaround - we had players who were consistently playing and ready to play.
“We weren't in a position to bring players in that were coming back from injury, or coming back from situations where we had to modify them through the camp. We don’t have that opportunity.
“The biggest thing for me was to find a good balance in the squad, so that each scenario is adhered to. This means that if we get a situation where we lose a player early, or we go a goal down, we've got the opportunity to make that impact.
“We needed players ready, players prepared, and we needed players who can make an impact in those situations.”
He said that there were a number of players who were unlucky to miss out, particularly from the A-League Women.
“We've done a lot of work in the A-League over the last six months - scouting, looking, finding scenarios - and there were probably four players that were very, very close to making this squad. They were not identified in the build-up, but have done well in the A-League,” he said.
“We believe that the future is in a good space, because there's a lot of talent. We now just need to expose them to that international competition.”
One of the players who was selected is Mary Fowler. She played her first minutes in recent weeks for Manchester City after returning from an ACL rupture, and Montemurro said that she is ready to go for the tournament.
“She’s been training with the squad [at Manchester City] for a couple of months now, and playing some minutes. She's ready to go, and she's in good shape,” he said.
“We're going to assess and see which is the best line-up to tackle each game. Mary could feature from the start, or Mary could come on in the last 20 minutes. We'll just assess each game as it goes.”
Another huge inclusion is captain Sam Kerr, who has been regularly playing for Chelsea since her own return from injury earlier this season.
“There's something in Sam's voice, speaking to her on Zoom calls and so on, that just excites me about the fact that she's really, really excited to come here,” he said.
“She's really excited to put that jersey on, and really excited to give the public a showcase of how we're going to play. There's a buzz in the air when you speak to her and it's really exciting. She’s really happy to be coming back and performing on this amazing stage.”
He made it clear that, despite the big names, the entire 26-player squad would be important throughout the journey.
“No one's coming in as squad depth,” he affirmed.
“Everyone's coming in for a reason and will be called upon. There will be situations where players will get minimal minutes, but we know that they're going to be important. Even from a training stimulus, and also from a group stimulus perspective."
The opening game of the tournament is against the Philippines on the 1st of March. Montemurro agreed that the match would be about setting the standards for the group and sending a message for the rest of the tournament.
“It's important we set the tone in terms of our football,” he said.
“We want to dominate games, and we want to be in charge of our destiny. That's really, really important.
“We've looked at the Philippines. They’re a tricky side, a tricky team, they have quality. They'll be well organised. When you dominate a lot of games with the ball, it's those one or two moments when you lose the ball in transition that all of a sudden, something happens.
“We need to be super prepared from a football perspective, because we know the occasion is going to be a big occasion, it's the opening game in a home tournament.”
His message to the fans was simple: come out and watch, and be entertained by the CommBank Matildas.
“We love our events here, so I assume a lot of the supporter base will come out, because it is a tournament that is on the world scale,” he said.
“But my remit in the way I approach the game is to always play a brand of football that excites and is proactive. One of the things that's important to me, and important to the brand, is that we play a brand of football that is going to put on a good showcase.
“So come out and watch a CommBank Matildas game. You'll be entertained.”
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
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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
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CommBank Matildas v Korea Republic
Date: Sunday, 8 March 2026
Venue: Stadium Australia, Sydney
Time: 8:00pm AEDT
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