How the AFL backs the Matildas for their deadly World Cup quarter-final against France
- AFL will show Matildas clash at MCG
- The game is shown on a big screen
- Also screened at the Optus stadium
The AFL has decided to show the Women’s World Cup quarter-final between the Matildas and France on the big screen at the MCG ahead of Carlton’s clash with Melbourne on Saturday.
Matilda’s fever continues to rampage across the country, with the do-or-die matchup with the European giants looming like must-see TV.
In a rare move, the AFL has decided to show the World Cup match at some matches so footy fans don’t have to watch Tony Gustavsson’s side land a potential semi-final on home soil.
The quarter-final will be played at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, kicking off at 5pm (AEST), with the start of the Carlton-Melbourne clash postponed from 7:25pm to 7:30pm.
The Matildas’ historic blockbuster will also be screened at Optus Stadium in Perth ahead of West Coast’s game against Fremantle.
The AFL will show the Women’s World Cup quarter-final between the Matildas and France on the big screen at the MCG before Carlton’s clash with Melbourne
The AFL caters to sports fans who want to watch both the AFL and football
“We expect a crowd of over 50,000 for the Western Derby and we know that many of those passionate fans may be concerned that they won’t be able to experience both,” said Mike McKenna, CEO of Optus Stadium.
“That’s why we’re going to show the Matildas live on the screen of the BHP Amphitheatre.
“We’re setting this up for fans coming to the stadium, and we encourage anyone wanting to see it live to head to the official FIFA Fan Festival ground at Forrest Place, which opens at 3pm on Saturday.”
The Adelaide Crows take on Brisbane in Brisbane at about the same time as the Matildas play across town.
Crows coach Matthew Nicks says he doesn’t blame fans if they choose to attend the round-ball game.
“Hopefully that takes some of that away from the crowd because if I could I’d watch the Matildas too,” he joked.
Large crowds of fans are also expected to attend live venues across the country, with bars and pubs also coming alive in the late afternoon.
The Matildas broke the ratings record books on Monday night with their 2-0 victory over Denmark, beating the State of Origin and both the NRL and AFL Grand Finals.
The Matildas’ game will also be shown in Perth before the West Coast’s game with Fremantle
The Matildas broke ratings records on Monday night with their 2-0 win over Denmark
More than 3.5 million people watched the record-breaking Women’s World Cup blockbuster on Channel 7 – with 3.18 million viewers on TV and 385,000 on the streaming service 7Plus.
It was the highest audience for any TV show this year, also surpassing the footy codes and major reality TV shows.
Seven’s coverage of the tournament has now reached a whopping 9.25 million on TV and 1.67 million on 7Plus.
The Aussie squad’s next match on Saturday night could well topple Ash Barty’s monster scores as she won the 2022 Australian Open.
More than 75,000 fans attended Monday night’s game at Stadium Australia and another huge crowd is expected at Suncorp Stadium for the quarter-final.