CommBank Matildas and Melbourne City Bryleeh Henry and Leah Davidson said that they were looking forward to playing in Melbourne after they were selected in Interim Head Coach Tom Sermanni’s squad to take on Argentina in the upcoming two-game series.
They were speaking to the media in Melbourne on Wednesday morning after Sermanni’s 23-player squad was announced.
“Playing somewhere you've played a lot, and is a bit familiar, definitely helps, and settles the nerves a little bit,” Henry said.
“To be able to do it with some club teammates [Davidson and Holly McNamara], that definitely helps as well.”
This is a third call-up to the national team for both Davidson and Henry. Davidson debuted in November against Chinese Taipei, while Henry debuted all the way back in October 2021 as an 18-year-old against Brazil.
“Each time you go in, you get used to what the environment is like,” Henry said.
“The first time you're a bit star-struck, you could say, and it's a bit of a step up. But I think once you've been there a couple of times, you know a few of the girls and you know what to expect, it settles the nerves.
“You can focus more on playing and training, and doing what you can do best.”
The players are expecting a tough two-game series against a strong opponent in Argentina.
“We just want to play our way, our Australian way, and we don't adjust for anyone,” Davidson said.
“Obviously they'll have strengths, and we'll go into detail with that, but I think we just want to play our kind of football, our brand. It should be a really good match.”
“[Our brand] is attacking football. It's exciting. It's entertaining… energy is a word I would use to describe Australian football.”
Both players acknowledged the role of the crowd in encouraging their attacking style of football.
“Hearing the roar they're giving when you get the ball or you're going forward… it gives the team a lot of momentum, and it shows the passion that the Australians have for football,” Henry said.
Henry and Davidson are players that will be looking to use every opportunity to stake their claim at a longer-term future with the CommBank Matildas.
The opportunity to play at a home tournament with the AFC Asian Cup 2026™ looming is something that provides a clear goal to work towards.
“It's definitely in the back of everyone’s minds,” Henry admitted.
“Having a home Asian Cup is really exciting. Each camp is preparation for the Asian Cup. But it's also about focusing on the now and improving each game. It's an opportunity to come together. There's not a huge number of windows each year.
“So it's focusing on what's in front of us, but having in the back of our mind that each game is preparation for the Asian Cup.”
COMMBANK MATILDAS | MATCH SCHEDULE | MAY / JUNE 2025
Match One
CommBank Matildas v Argentina
Date: Friday, 30 May 2025
Kick-off: 8.00pm AEST
Venue: Marvel Stadium, Melbourne
TV Broadcast: Network 10, 10 Play and Paramount+
Radio Broadcast: ABC Listen App
Tickets: matildas.com.au/tickets
Match Two
CommBank Matildas v Argentina
Date: Monday, 2 June 2025
Kick-off: 7.30pm AEST
Venue: GIO Stadium, Canberra
TV Broadcast: Paramount+ exclusive
Radio Broadcast: ABC Listen App
Tickets: matildas.com.au/tickets
