<\/p>\n
The idea another World Cup could be a bridge too far for a host of Matildas veterans made Wednesday\u2019s crushing 3-1 loss to England a \u201ctough one to swallow\u201d for Katrina Gorry. <\/p>\n
At 31, Gorry is among seven players aged over 30 in coach Tony Gustavsson\u2019s current squad, many of whom were crucial to the two-year build-up to a home World Cup where glory was within touching distance before the loss to the Lionesses. <\/p>\n
Gorry said while the entire group was feeling the pain of defeat, after the entire country rallied behind the Australian team, some would realise it was their best chance at tasting World Cup success. <\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone\u2019s gonna be hurting. I think the veterans probably more \u2013 we don\u2019t really have another World Cup in us,\u201d Gorry said after the game. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt sucks. A lot of emotions. It\u2019s a tough one to swallow at the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n Veteran defender Clare Polkinghorne, 34, Tameka Yallop, 32, back-up goalkeeper Lydia Williams, 35, and the injured Kyah Simon, 32, are among the squad\u2019s oldest players.<\/p>\n Even star skipper Sam Kerr, who is 29, Steph Catley, 29, Caitlin Foord, 28, Alanna Kennedy, 28, Hayley Raso, 28, and Emily van Egmond, 30, may not be at the peak of their powers, or even playing, when the 2027 World Cup comes around. <\/p>\n The emergence of the next generation of stars like 21-year-old Mary Fowler and Kyra Cooney-Cross, who is also only 21, loom as the nucleus of the team going forward and building blocks for future success. <\/p>\n Catley, who has every intention of playing for a little bit longer to \u201cpush for some more trophies\u201d, said the learning experience for the squad throughout the tournament would help sustain the Matildas\u2019 success. <\/p>\n \u201cIt does take a while and I think we\u2019ve made enough quarter-finals, enough round of 16s,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cYou learn a lot from those moments and some of these young girls that have just stepped in and they\u2018ve now played in a semi-final, they\u2019re gonna learn so much and they\u2019re gonna be so much more prepared for the next time it comes around and that\u2019s something that a lot of us haven\u2019t had.<\/p>\n \u201cSo the fact that they\u2018ve got that now so early in their careers is massive.<\/p>\n \u201cSome of the players that we\u2019ve seen come through: Mary, Kyra, the way they\u2019ve performed, Clare Hunt, there\u2019s so many.<\/p>\n \u201cThey just stepped up \u2013 they look so ready, they\u2019ve got long careers ahead of them and hopefully we\u2019re developing loads more girls that can come in and step in when they need to.<\/p>\n \u201cHopefully, us old ducks can hold on a little bit longer and push for some more trophies.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n