Sarah Walsh: It’s my turn to bring down barriers for young girls | Football Australia

With one week to go to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Football Day 2024, the Confederation’s latest “It’s My Game” episode delves into the remarkable journey of Sarah Walsh, Head of Women’s Football at Football Australia, whose unwavering commitment to developing the women’s game reached its pinnacle with the historic success of the Matildas at the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023.

A former striker who faced multiple career-threatening injuries before the age of 18, Walsh overcame the odds to make her debut for the national team at 21 in 2004 and eventually etched her name in the history books when the Matildas emerged as champions of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup™ for the first time in 2010.

Since hanging up her boots, the 40-year-old has drawn on her unique perspective as a footballer turned administrator to put players first while considering the broader needs of the sport.

“I was pretty much the only girl playing in Camden, and elsewhere it was probably just Heather Garriock (who was) playing at the time,” recalled Walsh. “To be honest, I was part of the one per cent and I would have overcome anything to play football for my country. Now it is my turn to do the work to bring down barriers for young girls and make sure all of them can play, even if it is just for fun.”

This determination led her to be at the forefront of the Legacy ’23 programme which transformed the landscape of women’s football Down Under, culminating in a historic Semi-final finish at the 2023 edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup – Australia’s best ever.

“Of course, we kicked off Legacy ‘23 in 2021 as part of our bid to win the rights to host the competition. But it was more about delivering economic and social