While the Tillies fever that swept the nation last year inspired a generation of mini Kerrs and Catleys, it also saw another generation swept up in its wake: women in their 30s and 40s. It’s something Australian goalkeeper and former Matildas captain Melissa Barbieri – or “Bubs”, as she likes to be known – saw first-hand. “A huge amount of people [approached me], mainly those who were stopped from playing, were embarrassed to play or had to go to school so they stopped playing, and the World Cup really inspired them to start again,” says Barbieri, who has been playing for Melbourne City in the A-League women’s division since 2017.
“They were pretty upset with themselves that they allowed that to happen. And I’d say, ‘Well, that’s just evolution, isn’t it? There are more places for you now’.” Melissa Barbieri says her passion for the game is what motivates her to keep going.
At 44, Barbieri is a veteran of the game, an anomaly in a sport where the median age of retirement for professional female footballers is 26 (the median is slightly older for goalkeepers, the position she plays). As well as holding the title for being the oldest player in history in Australia’s professional football leagues, she holds the record for the longest-serving national league player, with 27 years under her belt. To put that into numbers: that’s four world cups, one Olympic Games (Athens 2004, as the captain of the Matildas) and 86 caps internationally.
If you consider the fact she’s been playing since she was eight, that’s a staggering amount of half-times, handshakes and saves. But Barbieri is characteristically chill when asked about the secret to her longevity, citing motivation as king. “My passion for the game, the way it challenges me, so I’m never bored.
The game is always evolving, and you’re always learning ...
having that feeling every day after training, like, ‘Oh, I missed that shot, I missed that pass’, I want to get better that next day.” “I know when that leaves it’s time to go.” Still, passion alone can’t heal a torn ACL or hamstring.
Barbieri attributes a high pain tolerance, an ability to recover quickly from injuries and a diligent, holistic approach to training to her physical resilience..
