There are some players who change the temperature of a game just by stepping onto the pitch. Mary Fowler is one of them. And if you want to know how much the Matildas have missed her, just listen to Katrina Gorry.
The Brisbane-born midfielder, one of the most experienced figures in the Australian women's game, has made no secret of her delight at seeing Fowler back in green and gold. Gorry's enthusiasm is the kind that comes from a teammate who has watched up close what Fowler brings, not just in matches, but in training, in the dressing room, in the way she raises the standard around her.
Fowler, who plays her club football in Europe and has been managing a period away from the national team, is the sort of forward opposition defenders talk about in team meetings. Quick, technically sharp, and with the ability to conjure something from nothing in tight spaces, she gives Australia an attacking threat that very few players in the world can replicate.
Gorry's comments, reported by the Sydney Morning Herald, speak to something beyond tactics. There is a genuine warmth in how the Matildas group talks about one another, a collective identity that was forged through the extraordinary 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup campaign on home soil, when Australia captured the attention of an entire nation. That tournament raised the bar for women's football in this country in ways that are still being felt.
The challenge now is to build on it. The Matildas have faced the same question every successful team confronts after a landmark moment: how do you sustain the momentum? Injuries, club commitments, and the relentless international calendar all conspire against continuity. Getting Fowler back into the fold is a meaningful step toward answering that question.
For fans of the women's game across Queensland and beyond, there is real cause for optimism. The Football Australia pathway has been producing players of genuine world-class quality, and Fowler sits near the top of that list. Her development as a professional in Europe has added layers to her game that only come from competing at the highest level week after week.
Gorry herself is no footnote in this story. A two-time FIFA Women's World Cup participant, she has long been the engine in Australia's midfield, the player who keeps things ticking when the pressure mounts. Her perspective on Fowler carries weight precisely because she has seen what world-class looks like from the inside.
The Matildas' upcoming schedule will demand the best from everyone in the squad. International women's football has never been more competitive, with nations across Europe and Asia closing the gap on the traditional powerhouses. Australia cannot afford to stand still, and the return of a player of Fowler's calibre is the kind of boost that lifts an entire group.
The numbers, as they say, won't do it justice. What Fowler brings is energy, unpredictability, and the confidence of a player who knows she belongs at the top level. For Gorry and the rest of the Matildas, that is more than enough reason to be excited.
Women's football in Australia has earned its moment in the spotlight. The fans are there, the talent is there, and with players like Gorry and Fowler leading the way, the Matildas have every reason to believe the best is still ahead of them.