You used to be able to set your watch to Matildas mania. Everywhere the team went, the town would lose its mind for the duration of their stay.

We all remember the afterglow of the 2023 World Cup. How Sam Kerr and Mary Fowler were the most Googled Australians that year, and every player became phosphorescence personified.

This was no clearer than in Perth that November. It was the first time the team had returned to Australia since the tournament, and the three-match home series of Olympic qualifiers was a fitting study of the sports team as celebrity.

The Daily Mail stalked Mary Fowler and........

© Brisbane Times