Aloisi, who has a wealth of experience in women’s football, is regarded by some Matildas insiders as an ideal candidate for the head coaching job, which was vacated by Ante Milicic two weeks ago.

“I would definitely love the opportunity to coach again at the Matildas level,” admitted Aloisi, who was an assistant coach during the Matildas 2015 World Cup campaign. “I have a passion for the women’s game, and it’s where I love being.”

The 47-year-old has had widespread exposure to Australia’s football system, having been involved in junior and senior coaching for both men and women for more than a decade since retiring after a 20 year career as a player.  At present he runs the Female Football Development (FFD) academy, a program he started in Brisbane last year following his departure from the Brisbane Roar, where he served as an assistant coach in the A-League for five years. The FFD program not only caters for girls who want to strengthen their technical football ability, but also develops female coaches.
 
"I started the program to allow players to do extra training outside of their clubs, its more technical stuff that enhances the ability of players by exposing them to more ball contact, so when they go back to their clubs and follow the curriculum, they will have the sufficient ball control required to play out of the back," explains Aloisi.  "But I am also mentoring young female coaches as part of the program, they get paid for it as well.
 
"We are planning in the future to have physios and strength & conditioning staff, so it is really exciting to be able to set up a program that caters for different aspects of women's football."
 
This holistic approach to women's football is why Aloisi is well respected by players, coaches and the football fraternity across Australia and worked with Alen Stajcic previously.
 
"I had a great rapport with them, and I know them quiet well," acknowledges Aloisi. "They have all evolved as a playing group and I have as a coach. 
 
"I didn't want to leave the Matildas back then, but going to the Brisbane Roar really helped me develop as a coach. I learned in a professional full time set-up how to implement different structures, which is key in a game. I learned about simplifying the game and making it easier for players to understand. 
 
"An important thing I learned was about giving players freedom and allowing them to express themselves, especially in the final third. We have players like Sam Kerr, Hayley Raso, Kyah Simon and Caitlin Foord who would thrive on that.
 
"I learned a lot about this coaching in the men's game. Now being back in the women's game, I can take my learnings from that professional A-League set up and work with the ladies."
 
Aloisi started his senior coaching career in 2010 with former club West Adelaide in the men’s NPL in South Australia. In the three years he was at the helm, his team won 63 and drew four out of 87 games, going from the third tier of South Australian football to the top flight. From there he took the step into women's football in 2013, coaching Adelaide United in the W- League for two seasons and becoming Head of Women's Football in South Australia, which included the National Training Centre (NTC) junior program.

At the 2014 NTC Challenge, featuring teams from across the country, South Australia came out on top. In terms of results, South Australia were unbeaten, winning six and drawing two out of their eight games. They went on to beat the Northern NSW team in the tournament finale. The South Australians also came first on the technical points table, where teams were assessed for technical ability and execution of play. This was the first time a team had won both prizes.
 
Aloisi's admits his passion for coaching women stemmed from that 2014 tournament, where in the space of only five months he was able to adjust the way the team played, with the results speaking for themselves. 
 
"The players had an incredible thirst for learning," explains Aloisi. "For us to play out from the back we had to change, so we did a lot of agility work and a lot of conditioning on the ball. Our training sessions were very technical, we had a lot of passing, lots of striking with laces, passing over distance, maintaining possessions, playing on all thirds of the pitch."
 
As a result of their impressive performances, South Australia had no less than eight players make the Junior Matildas (Under 17s) and Young Matildas (Under 20s) squads. Emily  Condon and Alex Chidiac from that team have gone on to win senior Matilda caps. 
 
The likes of Condon, Chidiac, Jenna McCormick and Matildas legend Melissa Barbieri have all publicly praised Aloisi's approach to women's football.
 
While declining to talk about the Matildas search for a new coach, Aloisi believes an Australian would be the best option for FFA, underlining that whoever is chosen will need to work with the entire Matildas set up from the juniors right through to the seniors.
 
"The Young Matildas and Junior Matildas coaches also need to be part of the senior set up. Every member of the coaching staff, including medical staff, have to be involved in the structure from the ground up. They all need to have their say. Gone are the days of the head coach of the seniors knowing all.
 
"An Australian coach has a better understanding of our culture; the women's culture is different to the mens. The women listen, learn and crave football knowledge. An Aussie coach will give so much more because we understand what's been happening in the past, where we are at and crucially, what we need to do to evolve at all levels.
 
"Yes we need to win with the senior Matildas, but we also need to help evolve the game in Australia and this includes coaches, footballers and our program as a whole."
 
FFA have remained coy about the process to select the next coach with Aloisi, Mel Andreatta, Jill Ellis, Carolina Morace, Joe Montemurro, Ante Juric and Sarina Wiegman all mooted as potential candidates. 
 
Whoever lands the prestigious role will have a busy four years with the delayed Tokyo Olympics set for next year, the Asian Cup in India scheduled for 2022, the 2023 World Cup and the Paris Olympics in 2024.