When it comes to new ways of consuming sports, no one is weaving narratives quite like the TikTok editors.

The music choices, the clip selections, the careful thought placed into what beats to hit, what lyrics to emphasise, what visuals will hit the hardest; they all tell a story as good as any when done right.

And with the TikTok generation and new modes of fandom catapulting these Matildas into the stratosphere, it’s kind of fitting to think about this squad and the task ahead of them in this way.

If you close your eyes, you can probably picture it already. There will be the hype reels — energetic, fast paced, filled to the brim with highlights. There might be some ABBA. Or some Olivia Dean.

Videos will track the highs and lows of this team in this decade spanning from the surprise of the 2020 Olympics, the devastation of the 2022 Asian Cup, the sweet memories of the 2023 World Cup, and back down to the horror that was the 2024 Olympics.

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Each era is necessary in painting the full picture and telling the whole story of this team. And as the videos move from pre-tournament to post-tournament, they will answer the questions: what does the next chapter of this story look like? Will the winner take it all? Is this the last time to get it right? Will this be the deflation of our dreaming?

Are these the women to get Australia back to the final? Is this the team that can lift the trophy? Can this group of Matildas, legacy already firmly in place, cement it beyond a shadow of a doubt?

Joe Montemurro thinks so. With the relative luxury of a 26-player squad compared to the constraints of a 23-player squad at the World Cup and the shackles of an 18-player squad at the Olympics, he has been allowed to indulge.

Michelle Heyman or Holly McNamara has become Michelle Heyman and Holly McNamara. And Remy Siemsen. And Kahli Johnson to boot.

Is this the team to bring Australia another Asian Cup trophy? Nick Potts/PA Images

It’s no longer a question of if there is room for Jamilla Rankin and Charlize Rule but rather a statement on defensive depth which includes both players featuring at their first Asian Cup.

Players who felt as if they were on the periphery — the likes of Alex Chidiac and Courtney Nevin and Jada Whyman — have instead found themselves within the boundaries of the team.

Of course, a larger squad is only really useful if it is indeed used. With, hopefully, six games in 21 days, Montemurro needs to use the full extent of the players at his disposal and learn from the mistakes of Tony Gustavsson and the narrow path he set for himself.

Much like Gustavsson he has his own injury gamble that he will hope pays off much more than the Swede’s did.

After returning to the pitch on February 1, less than a year after her ACL injury, Mary Fowler has been named to the squad. She’s only played 15 minutes in her return to football but that is 15 minutes more than Kyah Simon had played when she was selected for the 2023 World Cup.

The genius, or delusion, of the decision will only be revealed once the tournament has ended. But the prospect of what Fowler could do undeniably makes for an even more exciting squad. And it’s already an incredibly exciting squad.

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Down one end of the spectrum you have a gaggle of eight Asian Cup debutants, ready to stamp their authority on this team in this specific moment. While the likes of Winonah Heatley and Amy Sayer and Clare Hunt have already impressed, can they do it now when so much more is riding on it?

And down the other end of the spectrum are the nine core members of this team. The ones with the most caps, 1,094 combined to be exact, the longest tenures, the vastest experience. These are the players who may not feature at the next Asian Cup, who have already built a legacy worth remembering and lauding.

We will find out if they and their coach were given enough time to be successful following Montemurro’s appointment. We will find out if the stories of this era include jubilation at the final whistle and confetti angels or faces covered by shirts and dejected disbelief. We will find out if the changes that are coming, and they are coming because national teams can’t look the same forever, will be made slightly easier with a trophy in hand.2