A women's international friendly match will take precedence over a domestic men's national cup final with Football Federation Australia set to reschedule the FFA Cup decider due to a clash of dates with the Matildas.
Fairfax Media understands this year's FFA Cup final is set to be moved from its original date of November 22 after the Matildas friendly against China at AAMI Park in Melbourne was booked for the same date.
In order to maintain the Matildas' momentum, the FFA is prepared to move one of its marquee fixtures to avoid any potential distraction. While a venue for the FFA Cup is yet to be confirmed, it is understood the final will likely take place either a day before or after the Matildas' first match against China as part of their two-game series in Victoria.
It follows the Matildas' successive victories over Brazil in their recent friendly games in Penrith and Newcastle, which drew a combined attendance of more than 31,000. Their 2-1 win over Brazil last Saturday attracted a larger attendance than Greater Western Sydney's AFL semi-final played on the same day at Spotless Stadium.
They followed it up with an entertaining 3-2 comeback over the South Americans in Newcastle on Tuesday evening in front of more than 16,000 - a figure greater than A-League club Newcastle Jets' highest home attendance over the last three seasons.
It's understood the FFA is eager to harness the public support surrounding the Matildas - who also beat the US, Japan and Brazil at the Tournament of Nations in July - particularly in Victoria, where women's AFL made a large impact in its debut season.
FFA sources confirmed the organisation is prioritising the Matildas over the FFA Cup and is set to announce the new FFA Cup final date as early as Thursday. The Matildas will play the first of their two-game series against China on Wednesday, November 22, at the 30,500 capacity AAMI Park where it's hoped they will break their record for a single-game attendance figure. Their second match will take place in Geelong on Sunday, November 26, at the 34,000 capacity Kardinia Park.
"The Westfield Matildas have captured the hearts and minds of Australian girls, boys, women and men in the last week with big crowds coming out to watch them play brilliant football and show their professionalism, humility and class off the pitch," FFA chief executive David Gallop said. "These matches will provide Australian sports fans with two more chances to see the Westfield Matildas on home soil."
The games present the FFA with another chance to state its credentials to host the 2023 Women's World Cup. That only grew with the large crowds in NSW and while international diplomacy will be at play in the background of the China series, the fixtures present another opportunity to boost the domestic support for the bid, both at a corporate and public level.
"With our bid to host the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup starting to gain momentum, this is also a great opportunity to showcase our venues and ability to host major women's football matches," Gallop said. "It is also a unique occasion to engage with the substantial local Chinese community through the shared language of football."
The fixtures will be Australia's final games of 2017, in preparation for next year's Women's Asian Cup and subsequent qualifiers for the 2019 Women's World Cup in France.
