Matildas abroad: Where every Australian star is playing this season

It's a new era for the Matildas as the disappointment of the Paris 2024 Olympics shrinks in the rearview mirror.

Veteran coach Tom Sermanni has been tasked with leading the team in the interim while a long-term head coach is found. There are no major tournaments scheduled for the Matildas until the home Asian Cup in 2026, which means the new coach will have a year's worth of international windows to prepare for that tournament and put their own stamp on the team.

Part of a new era and a new cycle also means finding and integrating new players with the likes of Lydia Williams, Clare Polkinghorne, and Elise Kellond-Knight -- with a combined 386 caps between them -- all retiring this year.

It means now is the time to keep an eye on Matildas-eligible players across the globe. The list does not include Australians who have declared and played for other eligible national teams for obvious reasons, nor does it track the dozens of Australians playing their football in the US college system for brevity.

Instead, this is a list of more than 30 players playing in top leagues around the world, many known Matildas quantities and many on the national team fringes, waiting for an opportunity to be afforded to them.

Women's Super League

Kyra Cooney-Cross, 22, MF, Arsenal: One of several Aussies in and around North London, Cooney-Cross has cemented herself as a Matildas starter but has yet to do the same at Arsenal. With solid minutes in the Champions League qualifying rounds, she's played just 253 minutes across five games in the WSL. With a new Arsenal coach incoming following Jonas Eidevall's departure, hopefully more minutes are imminent.

Caitlin Foord, 29, FW, Arsenal: Foord has been consistently starting for the Gunners as they navigate the WSL and the Champions League, now without a manager. The 29-year-old is returning to some good form with a goal against Chelsea in the league and a goal against Valerenga in the Champions League group stage.

Steph Catley, 30, DF, Arsenal: Injury has hampered Catley's start to the season, but the stand-in Matildas skipper is finally back on the pitch, clocking a full 90 against West Ham United in the league following cameos off the bench in England and Europe. She's been deployed as both a left-back and centre-back; a combination Matildas fans are all too familiar with.

Milly Boughton, 18, MF, Arsenal under-21s: The outlier on this list, both in age and league, Boughton is one to keep an eye on. She was part of the squad which steered the Young Matildas to a third-place finish at the Under-20 Women's Asian Cup earlier this year, and was the only member of that squad who played overseas. The 18-year-old recently made the move from Tottenham's under-21s to Arsenal, and made a strong impact on debut, scoring a brace.

Charlize Rule, 21, DF, Brighton & Hove Albion: Rule was a key part of Sydney FC's success and was rewarded with a move to Brighton last season. A hip injury limited her to nine appearances in her debut season and surgery and rehab has delayed her start to this new season. But she is working her way to full fitness and will look to impress new Brighton manager -- former Melbourne City boss Dario Vidosic -- as well as the new Matildas manager in due course.

Sam Kerr, 31, FW, Chelsea: The Matildas skipper hasn't played since January when she tore an ACL during a training camp in Morocco with Chelsea. Undeniably one of the first names on the team sheet when she is fit, there seems to be a consensus among all interested parties that there is no sense in rushing her back. While she will be a welcome sight back in green and gold, part of the new coach's job will be finding someone who can play as a goal-scorer for the Matildas, if and when Kerr is absent in the future.

Clare Wheeler, 26, MF, Everton: It's Wheeler season! After a breakout year with Everton when she cemented a spot in the centre of the Toffees' midfield, she has carried that form into the new season, playing every minute of every game so far. A greater opportunity at national team level feels like the next logical step.

Courtney Nevin, 22, DF, Leicester City: Nevin has long been on the periphery of the Matildas squad. Into her third season with the Foxes, she has been building up her matches: 12 in her first season, 16 in her second. She has started this new campaign with 214 minutes across four games including back-to-back full 90s before this international break.

Teagan Micah, 27, GK, Liverpool: There was plenty of excitement at Micah's move to Merseyside. However, her first season was marred by concussion and its symptoms, keeping her off the park for large swathes of time. Her second season has followed suit, this time an ankle injury keeping her from Liverpool and the Matildas. A clean bill of health will be the first step in her quest for the No. 1 goalkeeper spot for club and country.

Mary Fowler, 21, MF, Manchester City: Fowler has settled into life at Manchester City super well and Gareth Taylor has finally figured out how to get the best out of her. The 21-year-old is making an impact in the league and the Champions League, getting consistent minutes and finding the back of the net. The task for the next Matildas head coach is figuring out how to unlock the best of Fowler in a way that benefits the national team as a whole.

Alanna Kennedy, 29, DF, Manchester City: Kennedy is a rusted-on centre-back for the national team but is still battling for that title at Manchester City. Injuries have played a role in her lack of minutes but when she is given the nod, she certainly knows how to make an impact. Case in point: her 90 minute-performance against St. Polten in the Champions League was capped off with the thunderous strike above.

Charlotte Grant, 23, DF, Tottenham Hotspur: Now in her second season at Tottenham, Grant is surrounded by her Matildas teammates. However, the South Australian hasn't been able to break into the starting XI and stay there, picking up 94 minutes in the first five weeks of the WSL season. She is a player who would love to be earning more minutes.

Clare Hunt, 25, DF, Tottenham Hotspur: Hunt has taken to Tottenham like a duck to water following her move from Paris Saint-Germain over the offseason. The 25-year-old has seamlessly slotted into the Spurs' starting XI, playing every minute of WSL action this season, and scoring a goal to boot.

Hayley Raso, 30, FW, Tottenham Hotspur: North London agrees with Raso, who made a bright start to life at Spurs with three starts and a goal in her first three games in the WSL. It was a welcome change of pace from her time on the pitch at Real Madrid, where she was very much used as a bench option. Unfortunately, a hamstring injury has ruled her out of action for the next little while.

Katrina Gorry, 32, MF, West Ham United: Now donning the captain's armband, Gorry is back bossing the midfield for West Ham after ankle surgery ended her 2023-24 campaign prematurely and had people anxious about her availability for the Olympics. She has started this new season with 442 minutes across the opening five games.

National Women's Soccer League

Cortnee Vine, 26, FW, North Carolina Courage: Arguably the most anticipated move by an Australian woman in quite some time, Vine finally signed overseas with North Carolina Courage. She's logged 233 league minutes in four games and is adjusting to life in a new league and new country. While the current season isn't over, there is a hope that next season will be the one when she cements her place as a starter.

Charlotte McLean, 24, DF, North Carolina Courage: A strong performer with Sydney FC across multiple seasons, McLean made the move to North Carolina alongside Vine. While the defender has only made one appearance for the club -- a cameo off the bench in a Summer Cup match -- she remains an intriguing option as a future Matildas centre-back option. For now, more minutes is the main objective.

Mackenzie Arnold, 30, GK, Portland Thorns: The No. 1 goalkeeper from the Matildas surprised many when she signed with Portland Thorns following her stint with West Ham. Unfortunately, life in the Rose City hasn't been rosy with Arnold playing in five league games, conceding 10 goals. At this point in time, however, it shouldn't pose a threat to her status as the first-choice goalkeeper at national team level.

Emily van Egmond, 31, MF, San Diego Wave: A stalwart for the national team, van Egmond has played in every match this NWSL season for San Diego Wave, amassing 1,800 minutes across 25 appearances. While the 31-year-old is clearly trusted at club level in the midfield, her use in the middle of the park for the Matildas is a question the new coach will need to answer.