But at Canberra Stadium on Tuesday night, the emotions went far beyond the final whistle or the 3-1 scoreline.

Matildas player Aivi Luik reached her $30,000 target - and then some - for the Mark Hughes foundation in honour of her younger brother Noa's brain cancer diagnosis.

The 37-year-old raised more than $36,000 in just four days, and true to her word, she shaved her head on the field.

Armed with the clippers was Football Ferns midfielder Rebekah Stott, who returned to the pitch late last year after her own cancer battle.

Both teams gathered around the pitch at Bruce and watched on in awe of the moment.

When asked about what the moment meant, Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson fell silent as he tried to compose himself.

"Apologies, I get emotional here because it's so much more than football and this team shows that so much every day, and the way they came together with Aivi," he said.

"She almost apologised a couple of days ago and said, 'I don't want this to be a disturbance' and all of us said, 'it's never going to be a disturbance, this is what we're about. We share our scars and we're in this together'."

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Luik still hasn't seen her brother since the diagnosis and wanted to fundraise the money as a way to negate some of helplessness she felt.

The overseas-based Matilda has also utilised her national team family in camp, and she told The Canberra Times their support had been phenomenal across the board.

Gustavsson reiterated the family message the side embraces.

"We're a big Matildas family, the past players, present players, the future players, their families, we've had babies in camp now," he said.

"I've had the privilege at both games here to meet the family and friends group up in the stands when the team's warming up and see how much they mean to these players.

"And then to see Aivi doing that for her brother and do it with Stott as well, it's so much more than football."

Stott, surrounded by the rest of the New Zealand side, put aside the results of the two game series and supported Luik during her head shave.

But for those in the know, there was no question the two trans-Tasman sides wouldn't come together for such an occasion, given the many friendships that go beyond national team alliances.

Ferns coach Jitka Klimkova said it was a beautiful moment to be a part of.

"Being part of it and seeing how Aivi is approaching this hard, tough situation, it's just unbelievable. Incredible," she said.

"I'm just proud to be part of it. And I know Australian players and Kiwi players are very close, so I hope that everybody felt that kind of support from the Ferns."