Look, for the second time in three years Australia finds itself hosting a major women's football tournament, and fair dinkum, you'd think that would make everything feel a little more settled heading into the opener. But the Matildas arrive at their 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup campaign on Sunday night in Perth with more questions than answers, and that makes it genuinely fascinating to watch.
First things first: who is actually standing in goal? Mackenzie Arnold, the undisputed first choice, appears to have missed significant training this week through either injury or illness. Coach Joe Montemurro was keeping his cards close to his chest, saying only that the situation is being monitored by medical staff and that no decisions on the starting XI have been finalised. That leaves the door open for either Jada Whyman or Chloe Lincoln, who came into the squad late as a replacement for the injured Teagan Micah.
Whyman has been in camp longer, but handing a player her international debut in the opening match of a continental tournament would be a bold call, even by Montemurro's standards. Lincoln has three caps to her name, which admittedly isn't a massive portfolio, but it makes her the most experienced option available if Arnold can't go. Expect Lincoln between the posts if Arnold doesn't get the all-clear.
Then there's the question every Matildas fan has been asking since mid-2024: when do we get Sam Kerr back? Being in Perth, her home town, this feels like exactly the kind of moment she has been grinding through all those months of rehab for. Kerr tore her ACL and missed the Paris 2024 Olympics entirely. She has since gotten some minutes into her legs and, crucially, scored some goals to rebuild her confidence. I reckon she starts on Sunday.
Mary Fowler's situation is a different story. She made genuine progress last weekend with her first start for Manchester City since her own ACL surgery, which was a wonderful sight. But flying long-haul straight into the Western Australian summer heat, then asking her to perform at international level from the first whistle, feels like a risk that probably isn't worth taking just yet. Montemurro will almost certainly manage her load carefully across the group stage.
Beyond the headline names, the midfield and defensive shape is genuinely hard to predict. Ellie Carpenter, Caitlin Foord, Hayley Raso and Katrina Gorry all feel like certainties in some form. But does load management for Kyra Cooney-Cross open the door for Clare Wheeler from the start? Does Steph Catley, who has had a heavy programme at Arsenal, get a breather here? If so, Jamilla Rankin or Kaitlyn Torpey could get their chance at left-back. There are genuine decisions to be made, and Montemurro isn't giving anything away.
As for the match itself, you wouldn't expect a repeat of the 8-0 scoreline from when these sides last met at the same Perth venue in 2023, when Kerr and Foord each bagged hat-tricks in front of nearly 60,000 fans. Philippines coach Mark Torcaso, an Australian himself and now in his second match in charge when that rout happened, insists his world No.41 side has developed considerably since then. "We're just going to be there and be annoying and constantly be pushing," Torcaso said. "And I know that the girls will fight. That's the one thing I'm proud of with our country." That's not a team coming to make up the numbers.
Here's the thing about Australia's Group A draw: Sunday's match against the Philippines is the most manageable of the three fixtures, for all the selection uncertainty surrounding it. Iran, ranked 68th, are known for a combative style that can disrupt rhythm and create upset conditions. South Korea, while no longer the dominant force they once were in Asian football, loom as the real test. The Matildas haven't forgotten that 1-0 quarter-final defeat to the Koreans that ended their 2022 Asian Cup campaign. That one still stings.
At the end of the day, Sunday night in Perth is about getting the tournament started on the right foot, managing players carefully, and giving the home crowd something to cheer about. The Matildas are the tournament favourites and they should win this group comfortably. But the selection puzzle heading into kick-off is a reminder that even at home, with all the advantages that brings, football has a way of keeping you honest.