‘Setting the tone': Joe Montemurro opts for mix of experience and potential with first Matildas squad

Alex Chidiac has been recalled into the Matildas squad to face Slovenia and Panama is a series of friendlies in Australia.
Alex Chidiac has been recalled into the Matildas squad to face Slovenia and Panama is a series of friendlies in Australia. Photograph: Darren Pateman/AAP
Joe Montemurro will use the start of his tenure to test the depth of Australian women's football, after the new Matildas coach announced an extended squad for four friendlies that lacks star power and is awash with fresh and fringe faces.
Continuing the experimentation of interim coach Tom Sermanni, nearly half of the 33 players called up by Montemurro for the series against Slovenia and Panama have fewer than 10 caps.
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Related: Matildas usher in new era after key interim role is filled perfectly by Tom Sermanni | Joey Lynch
Notable absences include stand-in captain Steph Catley and forward powerhouse Caitlin Foord, who are taking personal leave. Tameka Yallop is out with injury, Katrina Gorry remains on leave and Sam Kerr's return to playing remains a mystery.
Mary Fowler's extended absence also continues as she recovers from an ACL injury sustained during Manchester City's FA Women's Cup semi-final in April.
Along with six uncapped players – including Young Matildas Grace Kuilamo and Adriana Taranto, who have received their first senior call-ups – Montemurro has brought back into the fold a handful of experienced Matildas who have been on the fringe in recent years.
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Dynamic midfielder Alex Chidiac returns off the back of a successful A-League Women season with Melbourne Victory after which she received the Julie Dolan medal for best player in the league. Chidiac most recently stepped out in the green and gold for some token minutes during the 2023 Women's World Cup.
Chloe Berryhill (nee Logarzo) and Emily Gielnik will also join the squad after returns to form and fitness. Berryhill's long-awaited return to the national team was cut short in December last year when she suffered a concussion in the 27th minute.
Montemurro said the long international window allows him to lay the groundwork for the major tournaments on the horizon, chiefly the home 2026 Women's Asian Cup and the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil.
'This window is about setting the tone,' he said. 'We're laying the foundations for the next phase of our journey as we build relationships, create an understanding of our style of play, and enhance the high-performance environment that enables our players to thrive.
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'We wanted to use this window not just to prepare for the matches, but to really explore the talent that's coming through.'
Holly McNamara, Jamilla Rankin, Natasha Prior, Bryleeh Henry, Winonah Heatley and Jessika Nash – all relatively new to the national set-up – will have another chance to shine with senior players out of the mix. One exception though is breakout star and debutant from the Argentina series Kahli Johnson who has been ruled out with an injury she picked up in the second match.
Ellie Carpenter is back after taking a short break to get married, and goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold, midfielder Hayley Raso and forward Sharn Freier have all recovered from injury.
The former Lyon and Arsenal coach said his selections represent a good balance of experience and potential.
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'Slovenia and Panama have been strategically scheduled to give us the right mix of conditions and opposition as we begin this phase,' he said. 'With the blend of players in this extended squad, these fixtures allow us to explore tactical ideas, build cohesion, and gradually shape the way we want to play moving into the next cycle.'
Not all players in the extended squad will be available for both the Slovenia and Panama series.
Matildas squad
Mackenzie Arnold, Chloe Lincoln, Sally James, Teagan Micah, Jada Whyman; Alexia Apostolakis, Ellie Carpenter (vc), Charlotte Grant, Winonah Heatley, Clare Hunt, Alanna Kennedy, Jessika Nash, Courtney Nevin, Natasha Prior, Jamilla Rankin; Chloe Berryhill, Kyra Cooney-Cross, Alex Chidiac, Jacynta Galabadaarachchi, Alana Murphy, Amy Sayer, Adriana Taranto, Emily Van Egmond (vc), Clare Wheeler; Sharn Freier, Emily Gielnik, Bryleeh Henry, Michelle Heyman, Grace Kuilamu, Holly McNamara, Hayley Raso, Remy Siemsen, Kaitlyn Torpey

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