Clare Polkinghorne is 34 and at her fifth Women’s World Cup. Mary Fowler is 20 and only just getting started.
But neither Matilda can quite believe how their home tournament has taken off.
FIFA reeled off the stats of how far the game has come in a report released on Friday.
More than 1.7 million tickets have been sold across the tournament, while in China, an extraordinary 53.9 million viewers watched the Steel Roses’ match against England.
There have been bumper crowds in Australia in particular, while the Matildas have enjoyed a record attendance.
“It’s amazing. It’s stuff that you probably won’t be able to fully take in until it’s finished and you have a proper moment to sit back and reflect on it,” Fowler said.
“But I’ve said so many times, I think I’ve come into women’s football at the perfect time.
“Because there are so many opportunities for female footballers these days, and seeing the amount of growth it’s had, the amount of people that come out to watch us and support us, it’s unbelievable, and it’s stuff that I wouldn’t have thought possible when I was starting out.
“It’s crazy. It’s unbelievable. And I’m really lucky to be able to have the opportunity to be part of it all.”
Polkinghorne has openly spoken in the past about playing in front of tiny crowds and has delighted in packed stadiums so far.
“Every game it’s just getting bigger and bigger,” she said.
“It’s been a huge success for the whole game in Australia and just to see the amount of support that every game has got has been incredible.
“It’s just crazy to think that we’ve been able to achieve that here in Australia. I’m really proud of that.”
Polkinghorne is likely to join two of the game’s greats in Marta and Christine Sinclair in featuring in her final World Cup.
Like that pair, Australia’s games record holder hopes to leave a lasting impact.
“I’ve always wanted to leave the jersey in a better place to when I found it,” she said.
“That’s the aim of this team as well, so that’s not just my personal goal, that’s all of ours.
“We’ve taken that responsibility on us players and hopefully, we’ve been able to achieve that in some sort of small way.
“If I’ve inspired someone along the way then I’m pretty happy with that.”
