Michelle Heyman is the woman of the moment in Australian soccer right now.
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What makes her story even more special - other than her goal-scoring heroics at age 35 - is she's experiencing an exciting new era for the Matildas never seen before, and is now set to lead their charge to the Olympics in July.
The phenomenon Australia's been witnessing since the Women's World Cup last year has been dubbed "Matildas fever", and for good reason, as another loud crowd of 54,120 packed out Docklands Stadium on Wednesday night for the side's 12th-straight home sellout.
A 10-0 win over Uzbekistan sealed the Matildas' ticket to the Paris Games and at the centre of it all wasn't Sam Kerr or Caitlin Foord, but Canberra United's own Heyman - a veteran who last played for Australia six years ago, retired in 2019 and went on a tear when she came back in 2020 to now be the A-League's leading goal-scorer.
Heyman was on an "emotional rollercoaster" after four first-half goals, and admitted she'd never played in front of a crowd like the Matildas did in Melbourne.
Heyman famously reflected on how the Matildas at the 2015 Women's World Cup were paid $750 each for reaching the quarter-finals. That's in stark contrast to the current players awarded over $250,000 each in prize money for their fourth-place World Cup finish last year, highlighting the extraordinary rapid growth of the women's game.
Being called up in place of injured Matildas skipper Kerr left some big shoes to fill, let alone for crucial Olympic qualifiers, but Heyman didn't flinch under the pressure and delivered with an ear-to-ear smile on her face.
"It's been a long and hard journey, but it's so rewarding and worth so much more this time around because of the hard work I've put in to get here," an emotional Heyman said after Australia defeated Uzbekistan 13-0 on aggregate to advance to the 12-team Olympic tournament.
"To hear how loud it was - it gave me goosebumps.
"It was something I always wanted to be a part of, especially after the World Cup. That helped the fire within myself to get back in the team.
"It's grown so much since 2010 when I first debuted. It's an incredible feeling to be part of that journey."
Will Heyman be in Paris?
Heyman made a clear statement about her intent to be part of the Olympics squad. While Uzbekistan are far below the quality the Matildas will expect to face in Paris, Heyman said she was up to the task.
"That's going to be the biggest challenge is to see where I'm at compared to the best. I do believe in my ability," she said.
"I'm not stopping. I'm going to continue to keep pushing even harder with Canberra United, keep working on my fitness and speed, and do everything I can to be one of those players going to Paris."
Why Heyman is so important
Picking a 35-year-old as Kerr's stand-in for the Matildas raised plenty of eyebrows when Heyman was named. But it highlighted how few options there were for an out-and-out, attack-minded striker.
Heyman is that player. She has perfected her role as a relentless No.9 on the pitch to do one thing extremely well - score goals.
In the first leg of the Olympic qualifier against Uzbekistan, the Matildas struggled to 0-0 at half-time while Heyman was on the bench. But when coach Tony Gustavsson brought her on, she scored within minutes en route to a 3-0 win.
Heyman is not Kerr, but she's proven to be just as valuable as a dangerous weapon up front.
"I think I can bring some things that are quite different to Sam," Heyman said.
"It's nice to be that solid nine forward that can get in the box and dominate when you're in front of goal. I'm just trying my hardest to stay as long as possible."
The Matildas are set to learn their Olympic opponents at a draw on March 20 in Paris.
Heyman will remain in Melbourne to rejoin her Canberra teammates and is a chance to play in their match against Western United on Friday afternoon.
A-LEAGUE WOMEN
Friday: Western United v Canberra United at Melbourne, 4.30pm