‘Of course it’s taken a toll’: Matildas soldiering on amid controversy, says FA boss

Football Australia chief executive James Johnson has admitted ongoing allegations of cultural problems within the Matildas set-up are taking their toll on players as they prepare for their first game on home soil in almost two years.

More than a fortnight since retired great Lisa De Vanna claimed she had been sexually harassed, bullied and ostracised during her two-decade career, her former teammates gathered for their first training session as a full squad on Wednesday ahead of their two-match friendly series against Brazil.

The Matildas play Brazil on Saturday night, which will be their first game on home soil in almost two years.Credit:Getty

Coach Tony Gustavsson – who is in the country for the first time – faces a significant challenge in keeping his players’ minds on their opening clash at CommBank Stadium on Saturday night and away from the controversy that has engulfed the sport.

FA on Wednesday denied suggestions that it had prior knowledge of De Vanna’s specific allegation of being assaulted by teammates in 2001 while with the Young Matildas, insisting they only became aware of it when she was first quoted in a News Corp story earlier this month.

FA also rejected inferences that chairman Chris Nikou had obstructed attempts by De Vanna to meet with the FA board to discuss her views on the Matildas’ culture.

“Lisa has on multiple occasions been invited to speak with Football Australia, to report any, and all issues,” the spokesperson said. “This included a meeting held with members of the board of Football Australia.”

De Vanna has not played for the Matildas since the 2019 World Cup, after which FA commissioned an independent review into the team’s culture led by Diane Smith-Gander. The vast majority of recommendations from the report handed down by the panel have since been implemented, and sources close to the team say it has led to significant cultural change in the Matildas.

Johnson has already met with Matildas players to discuss the status of the independent investigation to be conducted by Sport Integrity Australia, which the Herald revealed earlier this week will focus on four areas – harassment, bullying, intimidation and discrimination – and across all levels of men’s and women’s football.

Further details are to be announced in the coming days, but FA has already declared it will refer De Vanna’s allegations to SIA, meaning they will be investigated by the government agency without her having to lodge a formal complaint. The process has the full backing of federal sports minister Richard Colbeck.

Johnson said it was important to draw a distinction between specific claims of wrongdoing and broader claims of a poor culture within the Matildas.

“Culture’s not something you can turn off and on, it needs to be continually developed,” he said. “We need to differentiate that from the specific allegations that were made through The Daily Telegraph a couple of weeks ago. That behaviour, those allegations, if they’re proven, are not OK, and we will, through this process, call out that kind of behaviour.”

Asked if current players were struggling amid the fallout of the last two weeks, during which some players have been targeted by trolls on social media, Johnson said: “Of course it’s taken a toll. But on the other hand, you’re talking about a great group of professionals. They’re playing at some of the biggest clubs in the world right now.

“The scrutiny on these players is very high. They’re handling it very well, they’re professionals, and what I can see is they’re focused on playing to the best of their ability against a world-class team in Brazil.”

One of the Matildas’ most experienced players, Lydia Williams, was reluctant to discuss the De Vanna allegations and the broader suggestions of cultural issues within women’s football in Australia in an interview with the Herald on Wednesday.

“For us it’s more, I guess, we’re here wanting to be back and playing in front of our fans, and getting back to a little bit of normalcy,” the Arsenal goalkeeper said. “We’ve all been in different places and coming back here, we want to focus on the game.”

Pressed again if she was aware of any cultural issues in the sport that needed to be addressed, Williams said: “Obviously, any of that kind of stuff is not tolerated in any kind of forum.”

Williams, 33, was one of the 15 players who provided personal statements that accompanied a group statement released last week by the Matildas, which defended the team’s current culture as safe, professional and inclusive. The statement was widely panned by supporters for not showing enough solidarity towards De Vanna, who said she felt “hurt” by it in a column for News Corp.

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