$210m proof Matildas are quickly becoming Australia’s favourite team

The Matildas captured the hearts of Australia at the World Cup and there’s proof their national dominance shows no signs of slowing down.

It’s official. The Matildas are quickly becoming Australia’s favourite sporting team.

They captured our hearts and minds on a fairytale run to the semi-finals at the women’s World Cup, going further than any Australian team, male or female, has gone before.

The historic tournament shattered TV ratings records and emptied sporting stores of Matildas merchandise as Australia rallied around the Tillies.

Sam Kerr said she wanted her Cathy Freeman moment and she got it, blowing the roof off the same stadium Freeman won Olympic gold in with an absurd bomb of a goal from outside the box in the semi-final against England.

Now, survey results from news.com.au’s readers and TAB show the Matildas are closing in to Australia’s cricketers as our favourite national sporting team.

Asked who Australia’s best national team is, our cricket teams drew 31.2 per cent of votes, ahead of the Matildas (22.8 per cent), rugby league’s Kangaroos (16.7 per cent), the Australian Dolphins swim team (10.3 per cent), netball’s Diamonds (9 per cent) and the Socceroos (6.4 per cent).

The Matildas are quickly becoming Australia’s favourite team. (Photo by Izhar KHAN / AFP)

Only 1.8 per cent voted for the Wallabies, in a remarkable result symbolic of the team’s fall from grace since those baggy gold jerseys were the toast of the nation at the turn of the century.

The Wallabies have been in dire form heading into this month’s Rugby World Cup in France, and at this rate it will be a huge success to beat Wales and Fiji to just make the quarterfinals.

The contrast in the change in fortunes of the Wallabies and the Matildas over the last 10 years couldn’t be more stark.

Mark Crowe from Brand Finance Australia told news.com.au the Matildas’ brand value is now worth up to $210 million and the team is well on the way to “becoming an iconic Australian brand”.

“In terms of brand value, we estimated the Matildas’ brand coming into the World Cup would be worth $40-45 million,” Crowe said.

“With the opportunities generated as a result of the World Cup and the Matildas’ brand strengthening, there is very much the possibility of their brand value rising to between $175 million up to $210 leading up to the next World Cup.

“Obviously post the World Cup, there is enormous upside for the Matildas.

“That now gives them the opportunity to boost their brand value in the lead up to the next World Cup as they go through their negotiation cycles of sponsorship rights, media rights and merchandise. And the opportunity for them to generate much higher revenue from matchday attendance.

“It’s fair to say there's enormous upside across those assets for the Matildas.

The Matildas’ brand value has skyrocketed after their success at the World Cup. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)

“You’re talking about a brand that has gone from having to play behind closed doors because they couldn’t afford to open a stadium to where they now have the record for the largest TV audience ever in Australia and it’s unlikely to be broken in the foreseeable future

“That’s an incredible turnaround over a few years.

“The Matildas brand is transcending just a game of football and becoming an iconic Australian brand, which generates enormous goodwill and favourable perceptions.

“Not just the performance on the field but the way they’ve engaged with and won over the public and the way they come across, means the opportunity for the brand goes well beyond when they’re playing in a game.”

Football is one of Australia’s favourite sports. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Other survey results showed readers believed AFL (Australian Rules) is Australia’s national sport, ahead of cricket, rugby league and soccer.

AFL dominated the results, topping the list for the sport with the best in-person atmosphere (38 per cent) and the sport with the most passionate fans.

Soccer rated second behind AFL in both those categories, ahead of rugby league in a sign there is a strong fanbase for the sport in Australia.

The fact the Matildas and soccer feature so high on these results and the success of the FIFA World Cup, proved that Australia is a footballing nation.

It’s hoped the success of the Matildas will spark bigger crowds and more interest at A-League and W-League games, especially since fans will get to see the likes of Clare Hunt and Cortnee Vine up close.

And you won’t need to wait too long to see the Matildas play again.

They will be back in action in Perth in late October for three Asian Qualifiers against Chinese Taipei, the Philippines and Iran as they aim to book their spot at next year’s Paris Olympics.

Originally published as $210m proof Matildas are quickly becoming Australia’s favourite team