Gareth Taylor’s team fly to Western Australia later this month for two matches in the Perth International Football Cup.
First we’ll face Leicester City at HBF Park at 11:15 (UK) on Wednesday 28 August before a game against either Paris Saint-Germain or West Ham United at the same venue on Sunday 1 September.
Both games will be live on CITY+ in selected regions, which will be confirmed in due course.
The Matildas, Australia’s women’s football team, made last summer’s World Cup semi-final on home soil, with City stars Mary Fowler and Alanna Kennedy in their ranks.
Meanwhile, the national cricket side which Mooney is a part of currently boast both the 50-over World Cup and T20 World Cup trophies.
With Mooney’s compatriots across multiple sports also earning medals at the 2024 Olympics, it’s clear women’s sport in Australia is going from strength to strength.
It’s something the wicketkeeper-batter, who is currently playing for Manchester Originals in The Hundred, is very excited about.
“From a fan’s perspective watching other women’s sports, we’re trying to raise the bar a little bit in terms of what’s possible,” she said.
“Whether it’s cricket, football, AFLW, NRLW. We haven’t put a ceiling on what can be achieved in women’s sport in Australia.
“It’s been amazing to see the strides we’ve made in the last few years and the support we’ve got from fans, boards and organisations.
“Australia is making sure the opportunities are there from a young age to get access to quality coaching, facilities, strength and conditioning.
“When I was growing up, I had to play boy’s cricket. Now there is just so much opportunity to improve your game from a really young age and make strides into senior teams.
“A lot of us are competitive too, I think that’s just part of the genetic makeup of an Australian.”
On the Matildas in particular, Mooney believes they’re helping to take Australian women’s sport to a new level.
Our stars Fowler and Kennedy were vital parts of the historic run to last year’s final four and Mooney is excited to see where that side can go.
“I was at the semi-final in the World Cup last year,” she began.
“I was in Europe but got home just in time to see the semi-final live, which was cool.
“They’ve been a great team for a number of years and they’re finally getting the recognition they deserve for changing the landscape of football in our country.
“They’re outstanding citizens and play the game beautifully, so they’ve really put us on a map.
“Football is global sport and we’ve been a bit behind, but they’re doing really well and hopefully we’re just seeing the beginning of what they can achieve.”
Mooney, who represents Perth Scorchers in the Women’s Big Bash cricket league, has first-hand experience of sports crowds in the city.
The 30-year-old has told our squad about what to expect.
“They can get pretty rowdy!” she said in an interview that covers Australian women’s sport, what to look out for in Perth and Mooney’s view of Manchester.
“Especially if you’re not a local, but thankfully for you guys you’re not playing local teams.
“From my time being there, they get out in droves to watch their teams.
“They’re crying out for more sport so any opportunity to watch a high performance team, the city will get behind.
“It’s a great culture in Perth for sport and living an active lifestyle.
“You’ll see people down on the beach in the morning running and swimming, so that lifestyle supports sport and people being interested in sport.”
Australia Tour 2024
City travel to Australia later this month for a two-game pre-season tour ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
We will play Leicester City at 11:15 (UK) on Wednesday 28 August at HBF Park in Perth.
After that, we will face either Paris Saint-Germain or West Ham United on Sunday 1 September at the same venue.
Both games will be live on CITY+ in selected regions, which will be confirmed in due course.
We’ll have key updates throughout the tour, including interviews with players, training shots and plenty of behind the scenes action!
