Matildas midfielder Alex Chidiac excited for new era to start under new coach Joe Montemurro in WA

It has been six months since Alex Chidiac last played for the Matildas, and the midfielder cannot wait to renew acquaintances with the green and gold jersey in WA. And there is an extra sense of occasion and excitement for Chidiac, as she prepares to play under new Matildas coach Joe Montemurro for the first time in almost a decade. Chidiac, a 2023 Women’s World Cup player, has been named in the Matildas squad for their four-game series in Perth and Bunbury, which kicks off on Thursday night. Australia will face Slovenia at HBF Park on Thursday and Sunday, before they face Panama in a historic clash at Hands Oval in Bunbury on July 5 and then return to Perth to play Panama again on July 8. Chidiac has been one of the stars of the A-League Women with Melbourne Victory and is a two-time Julie Dolan Medallist for the league’s best player. But despite being a fan favourite, the 26 year-old’s 35 appearances for the Tillies have come sporadically since her national team debut in 2015, and she has missed out on selection for several major tournaments, including last year’s Paris Olympics. Chidiac told The West Australian the heartbreak of so many near-misses of squad selection had taught her the value of every camp she did get called up to. “It’s a great feeling, a little bit unexpected after not getting call-ups in-season. It’s obviously an honor to always get called up and to to be able to put on that shirt again,” she said. “Looking at my career with the national team, I try not to put too much emphasis on making those big tournaments anymore. “I’ve obviously had a lot of heartbreak with missing out on quite a few Olympics and World Cups. I’m just trying to take each camp as it comes and try and enjoy the moment when I’m there. “I’m not looking too far into the future because it’s kind of out of my control — it’s up to the coach, he makes the final decision at the end of the day.” The current — and new — coach Montemurro is a big fan of Chidiac’s, having given her game-time as a 16 year-old in Melbourne City’s 2016 A-League Women grand final victory, and also going as far as to publicly call for her to play more minutes during the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Chidiac did not feature for the Matildas during any of their seven previous games this year, but Montemurro has called her into his 33-player squad for the WA games and she had nothing but warm words for the coach, nine years on from the last time they worked together. “I always thought that he was an incredible manager. Training sessions were really fun, he spoke to every single player in the team and made them feel like they were part of the team and part of the project,” she said. “He’s gone on to do some of the best things in women’s football and football in general, he’s an incredible manager. “I’m very much looking forward to getting to work with him again and making the most out of all the knowledge that he has in the game.” Perth holds fond memories for Chidiac, given it was where she scored her first of two international goals back in 2018. With an Asian Cup on home soil just nine months away, Chidiac said it was the perfect spot for the team to begin a new era under Montemurro and start preparation for the looming tournament. “It’ll be a very important camp for the team moving forward, and obviously in the lead up to the Asian Cup, because we’re going to go and try and win it and there’s ambitions to continue to push on with this incredible team moving forward. “It’s a incredibly important four games for the team and I’m excited to see what Joe can do with it.”