By Kieran Yap
Above: Matilda McNamara in action for AGF. Photo: AGF.dk official website
Matilda McNamara is feeling re-energised. The former Adelaide United defender has just come off one of the most envy inspiring off-seasons a player could wish for, and after helping Danish club AGF survive a relegation battle, it feels well earned.
Having three consecutive weeks off has been a rare thing for Australia’s female footballers. Historically, many have gone from A-League Women immediately into another league or to NPLW teams. A quick look through McNamara’s holiday snaps on her Instagram page make it look like she has travelled through a fairy tale.
“Me and a friend, we drove down south, got to Germany, Austria and went to a few of the nice lakes there,” she said to Impetus Football.
“We did that for a about a week, and it was really lovely to get into the sunshine and out of Denmark.
“We went camping for a bit. A couple of places we went to have no phone service. It was really nice to have a disconnect from the world for a second.
“Adelaide is always going to be home for me, but I very much enjoy living here and enjoy coming back here.
“I had these three weeks, I could have gone back to Australia if I wanted to, but I felt staying in Europe was really nice, and I very much enjoy where I live, it’s a great spot in the world.”
Life off the pitch has been rewarding, but the move overseas has been a success in a football sense too. McNamara left Australia as one of the league’s best centre backs. She is able to defend or attack the ball in the air, but is blessed with rare pace for her position and was never hesitant to use it to drive the ball into attack.
The South Australian has represented the national team at every age level, and is seen by many as crucial to the Matildas defensive stocks in future.
Despite the impressive CV, a move to Europe always carries a risk. It seems to have paid off, with McNamara starting almost every match in the heart of AGF’s defence and excelling in a series of must-win games toward the end of the season.
Denmark and AGF was not a speculative move. McNamara was sought out by the manager at the time, and that along with her experience in the A-League Women put her in good stead to adjust to the new surroundings.
“The coach at the time here was somebody who used to play at Adelaide, Katrine Pederson. She actually just reached out to me. Denmark was a very good way to find my feet in Europe instead of going to a team and not playing.
“For me, being a little bit older, being in the starting XI was really important to me.
“That was really nice that she reached out to me, also not really having much of a language barrier was a big thing for me.
“To be able to connect with my teammates and make some really good friends here… it all kind of worked out nicely.
“Luckily while I was at Adelaide, I had a couple of different coaches. You kind of get used to different setups. The main difference is the playing style here. In Australia it is much more physical and high intensity. Here it is very much ball based and possession based.”
McNamara’s days during the season are busy. The football program is intense, and any other time is devoted to studying. She is completing a degree in Data Science which offers a nice change of focus, but also requires commitment.
The dual responsibilities offer a balance to her lifestyle, which help with the demands of high pressure sport.
“A couple of days are full on football days. We get up in the morning, go straight to training. Train for a few hours then get some food, do meeting, then go to the gym and usually more meetings.
“Usually I head to the library after that, or go to a friend’s for dinner on those days.
“Then on the days where we train in the evening, because I’m still studying online, I get myself somewhere like a café or the library and do my work for a few hours then get through to training.
“It’s kind of a hybrid setup with the club I’m at, which works out well for me having to do so much schoolwork.
“The professional days at the club, we’re there from about 7am to 3pm, it’s a long days but it’s good to get a lot of time on the park, in the gym and with the team.”
It was a pressure filled season for McNamara and AGF in 2022/23. She played every minute of the campaign, and was faced with the unfamiliar proposition of a relegation playoff. It was not something she had faced in the A-League Women or with Adelaide City in the NPLW.
McNamara excelled for the club, scoring in the 2-2 draw with Aalborg to ensure AGF stayed up in Denmark’s top division. Although the experience of a relegation battle was tense, it was something that she relished.
“It was very strange experience,” she said
“If we didn’t survive it, I would be going somewhere else, which is a very weird feeling to have to move because your team doesn’t do well.
“I think it’s such an important part of football, and I would love to see it in Australia sometime.
It just puts higher stakes on games, even if you’re at the bottom of the table you’re still playing for something which I really like.
“If you’re not competing for the title, you’re still competing on some level.
“I was optimistic of what our team could achieve, we had a lot of narrow losses the first half of our season which looking into the season coming up we need to finish games a bit more professionally.
“It was a good experience to have, to know that we can’t let games slip away that easily. At the end of the day winning is more important than playing well when you’re at the bottom of the table.”
Her final season at Adelaide United saw the Reds make finals for the first time in their history. To achieve that, they had to grind out some results, and more importantly every point mattered. It put McNamara in good stead to handle the pressure of a relegation battle, even if the stakes were higher.
She maintains strong links with the club, and trained with United over the Christmas break. She follows their results closely from Denmark where she will remain for at least next season.
Nevertheless, Matilda McNamra remains a popular figure in Australian women’s football. On a NPLW themed podcast by fellow South Australian Nicole Blackett (nee Tilly) she was named in an all-time team by Adelaide United captain Isobel Hodgson.
On that same episode, a new nickname dropped for the star centre back. Fan’s have called her Tilly Mac, but the latest moniker was “Eminem.” This was news to her.
“I really don’t have a preferred nickname, I hadn’t heard of Eminem either that could be a nice one. Till or Macca, Eminem I guess is an option now, but I’m pretty easy as far as nicknames go.”
Whatever we want to call her, the reputation remains the same. She is of Australia’s finest centre backs and A-League Women exports.
AGF start their new season on August 26.
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