Lydia Williams, Charlotte Grant miss Matildas’ Olympic Games squad with injured Katrina Gorry named

The Matildas have announced their 18-player Olympic Games squad that will carry an injured star but not a veteran shot-stopper.

There’s a “special feeling” in the Matildas camp as they approach the end of an era at the Olympic Games.

Of the 18 players named in the squad for the upcoming Paris Games, eight of them – captain Steph Catley, vice-captains Emily van Egmond and Ellie Carpenter, Mackenzie Arnold, Caitlin Foord, Alanna Kennedy, Clare Polkinghorne and Tameka Yallop – will become the first Australian footballers to become three-time Olympians.

Veteran goalkeeper Lydia Williams missed out on a berth in the squad, but will travel to Paris as one of four reserves, while another stalwart, Katrina Gorry, made the final cut despite currently being on the sidelines with an ankle injury.

Williams has already announced she will retire from international football after the Olympics, and it could also be the last time in green and gold for some other Matildas whose careers have spanned more than two decades.

And with coach Tony Gustavsson’s contract expiring at the Games, it could be his final tournament in charge of the squad.

The confirmed and potential departures have the Matildas intent on winning a medal in Paris after finishing fourth at last year’s World Cup and at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

“The unique thing with this is that for some athletes, it might be their last tournament with the team,” Gustavsson said on Tuesday.

“It might be my last tournament with the team ... so there’s a special feeling.

“Being in medal games in two major tournaments in a row, there’s a feeling in this group that they want to have something tangible, something to bring with them after all the years together, so there’s a hunger to perform, a hunger to medal.

“We don’t fear anyone. We respect them but we don’t fear them.”

Clare Wheeler celebrates with teammates after scoring against China. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images

Apart from Williams, the three other travelling reserves are Charlotte Grant – who was the other notable omission from the squad – Courtney Nevin and Sharn Freier.

“This has been an incredibly challenging squad to select with so many quality players competing fiercely for limited spots,” Gustavsson said.

“It has been a methodical process over the past couple of years to reach this point, and each of the players selected bring unique and beneficial qualities to our team that will be vital for our Paris 2024 campaign.

“I’m very excited for them, but also feel for the ones that didn’t make it.”

Williams started against China in Australia’s 2-0 win on Monday night and was given an emotional send-off by the home crowd when replaced late in the first half by Mackenzie Arnold, who was one of two keepers, the other being Liverpool’s Teagan Micah, named in the Olympics squad.

China’s coach Ante Milicic, a former Matildas boss, was adamant the Australians could go “all the way” and net a first Olympic medal in Paris having seen them in action twice in the past week.

“They’ve been very close in the past and it will be fitting for particularly this core group of players, this generation to get a medal as a reward for everything they’ve done for the code,” Milicic said.

“The Olympics, it’s different with 18 players and not as many teams, so the quality is strong, but there’s definitely a strong core group of players there that now hopefully can make Australia proud and end up with the medal.”

Matildas Olympic Games squad: Steph Catley (c) Mackenzie Arnold, Ellie Carpenter, Alanna Kennedy, Clare Hunt, Steph Catley, Katrina Gorry, Kyra Cooney-Cross, Emily van Egmond, Mary Fowler, Hayley Raso, Caitlin Foord, Cortnee Vine, Michelle Heyman, Clare Polkinghorne, Kaitlyn Torpey, Clare Wheeler, Tameka Yallop. Four travelling reserves: Charlotte Grant, Courtney Nevin, Sharn Freier, Lydia Williams.