Dolan took part in the Matildas' first ever match as captain, the 1979 2-2 draw with New Zealand that, as FFA chairman Chris Nikou said, started a movement, not just a team.

Dolan said the team - now a household name across the country and much of the football world - have come a long way from that first friendly.

“Women’s football was something most people hadn’t heard of," Dolan said.

"I remember making fliers myself and dropping them off in the local area because I lived near Seymour Shaw Park, so we just wanted to get supporters there to watch us.”

Dolan went on to become one of the most important people in Australian football history. She played in the pilot women's World Cup in China in 1988, made a total of 34 Matildas appearances and now has the W-League's highest honour, the Julie Dolan medal, named in her honour.

“I love seeing where the game has gone and the progress it has made," Dolan said.

"To see these girls on the world stage, to see a strong Westfield W-League, that’s everything we dreamed of when we were playing.

"It gives you an enormous sense of pride because you feel like you have been part of establishing a legacy for women’s football."