by Monica Clarke (7/10/26)
Above: Hana Lowry talks to the media ahead of the forthcoming international window with the Matildas. Image: Football Australia.
Hana Lowry and Charli Grant outlined today how their moves to Scandinavian football were vital in their call-up to the Matildas camp for the forthcoming games against Germany and Haiti matches.
Lowry is attending her first Matildas camp after an ACL tear forced her to miss her first call-up in November 2024. Grant returns to camp after a knee injury and a lack of minutes that has had her out of the international squad since the end of 2025.
Western Australian Lowry emphasised how her move to Vålerenga in April, has been a positive all round.
“It’s been great so far, the team’s been so welcoming for me, all the staff and everyone and really enjoy living in Oslo,” she said.
The 23-year-old also shared how her experiences at the Toppserien club have prepared her for coming into The Matildas national team set up for the first time.
“I think it’s prepared me really well, the professionalism at the club is really top and the level of the football being played and in training and everything, it’s super competitive.”
“It’s set me up really well, I feel really well supported at the club. So coming in here, they were all very happy for me.”
As one of the new additions to the national team, the midfielder revealed what the first training session was like: “It was nice, obviously the nerves were there but it was good to get the first one done. It was a good session, just getting some touches on the ball again. Just seeing the level of the training was really cool.”
This is not the first time Lowry has been called up to join the Australian national team, however back in November 2024 when the Perth native received her first call-up, she tore her ACL just one day before she was supposed to enter the international camp.
The former Perth Glory and Sydney FC star reflected on what that experience was like.
“Obviously it was tough, no footballer wants to do their ACL so that was really tough news to take and then the timing of it being the day before going into camp, that was difficult. Mentally you go from such a big high to such a big low really quickly.”
Lowry describes this current moment of being re-called into the national team as the moment that has motivated her: “I think it was probably the biggest motivation for me through my rehab was hoping to get another chance here.”
Also back in the saddle with the Matildas is Charli Grant. Fresh from a series of impressive performances with Malmö FF, the defender Grant discussed the significance of this move after she struggled with a lack of minutes at her previous club Tottenham Hotspur.
“It’s been definitely a great preparation for coming back in the Matildas environment, just getting the minutes I’ve needed for a very long time has been great preparation for me coming back in here, just to be confident, to know that I’m back playing ready to give my all to the team.”
The two games over the next week is part of the Matildas’ preparations for next year’s World Cup, and the 25-year-old believes that Germany and Haiti’s differing challenges are an important test.
“Of course every camp leading up to the World Cup is important, we don’t get a huge amount of time together. We just try and make the most of every opportunity we can.”
In terms of what she needs to do in order to ensure she re-establishes herself as a Matildas regular, Grant revealed that, for her it’s all about “Focusing on what I can improve on in each game that I play in my clubland and when I get here into this national team environment, it’s using the staff around me to see what I do need to develop, how I can contribute to the team more and just a lot of reevaluation after each week.”
A knee injury and a lack of minutes at her previous club Tottenham Hotspur has contributed to her lack of appearances in the national team and at the Asian Cup back in March.
“It was very unfortunate timing of my knee injury, but at the same time I felt fortunate to have not been a worse injury, at the time I thought it was.
“I thought that I might be able to come back in time for the Asian Cup but with no minutes, I wouldn’t have been able to give what I wanted to the team. That was really disappointing cause it would have been amazing to be at another home tournament, but I was definitely the biggest supporter.”
“It was a very difficult time, I didn’t actually get a return to play at Tottenham, so my first game was just when I moved to Malmö. I’m just really happy to be playing again and to be back with the girls now.”
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