Heather Garriock Q & A: Iconic moments, powerful stories, and ‘never celebrating wins’

Heather Garriock is one of the very best to ever pull on the famous Westfield Matildas jersey.

An AFC Asian Cup winner, two-time Olympian and three-time FIFA Women’s World Cup player, only Lisa De Vanna and Cheryl Salisbury have played more games in green and gold.

Few have left their mark on the game quite like the tough-tackling, inspirational midfielder born in Campbelltown.

Garriock, who enjoyed a decorated career in the United States, Denmark and Sweden as well as down under, retired from the game in 2014. She continues to help pioneer the growth of football in Australia in her role as head coach for Westfield W-League club Canberra United.

Last week, for the Westfield Matildas’ 40^th year celebrations, www.matildas.com.au caught up with Garriock to talk about the great strides forward the game has made, euphoric memories of the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup and more.

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Matildas.com.au: Heather, thanks for joining us. On Saturday, 6 October, stars of the Westfield Matildas past and present gathered at Seymour Shaw to celebrate 40 years since the Australian women’s team’s first ever match. What are days like this about?

Heather Garriock: It’s about coming together and being able to tell stories and being able to reflect on memories and the pathway that we set. Not just us but all the players who came before us.

I think it’s fantastic that players these days get to see where the game was and where it’s at now. They can see how far it’s progressed, and players now should really be grateful for all the players that come before them.

The more we promote it and the more we hold events like that, the more positive it is for the current players so they can understand this isn’t how it always was. It’s important to bridge the gap, and it comes with education.

What some of the stories you’ve heard from past Westfield Matildas that still resonate with you?

HG: It was tough back in the day, you were lucky to get your own shirt that fit you. But then you the Julie Dolan’s of the world say, ‘well, I actually had to pay to go away and play for Australia’.

Back in the 1995 World Cup, players all had working jobs and were trying to get time off. One thing that resonates with me was a player like Shelly Youman, one of the most creative midfielders and a player I admired very much. She left Newcastle with her husband and young kids aged two, three and six to move to the Australian Institute of Sport and pursue her football goal of going to a World Cup and Olympics. There was very little support. Her husband had to work two jobs to support the family. It was a massive ask and when I reflect now, I respect and admire the sacrifice she made to play for her country.

A story like that is really powerful for me. I’ve got three kids and any Matilda that is going to be a mother in the future is going to be supported hopefully. The hardest thing I think is having support. When you’re not financially supported it makes it very difficult, because it’s almost like you to work full-time, you have to play football full-time.

Do your kids have a sense or an appreciation of what you’ve achieved in your footballing career?

HG: Being the Canberra United coach, media is pretty prevalent here so they see me on TV at times with different things, but no, not really.

My daughter asked me last week, ‘mummy are you famous?’ I said ‘no, mummy’s not famous. She’s just your mummy’.

Tell me about your experience at the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup - a history-making tournament for the Westfield Matildas.

HG: From the general public and the outside world there was very little expectation for the Matildas to do well. We expected to get out of our group, and we had high expectations of ourselves.

I feel still to this day the 2007 World Cup team was the best Matildas squad I’ve played with. It was exceptional.

We got out our group and played Brazil in the Quarters… and then Cristiane, bloody Cristiane scored that goal. She scored a goal with her right foot, and her right foot is only for standing on. I lived with her the year after [the pair played for Chicago Red Stars] and she said oh yeah that was the first right foot goal I’ve scored.

We were close, so we were disappointed to lose that game.

One of the best moments of my career was when Cheryl [Salisbury] scored that goal [against Canada]. We thought we were going home. That was one of the best moments.

Is that the most iconic, most important moment in Matildas history?

HG: It is. Because what happened after that, this is where the Matildas got on the map. We then captured the imagination of the public back home in Australia.

I remember every single wall of the top stairs of the hotel was filled with messages from people, fans, family, it was just amazing. That was a huge sense of pride that we really showcased. We were on TV which was a big thing back home.

When did the magnitude of what you achieved in China begin to sink in?

HG: You don’t reflect as an athlete or a footballer; you focus on what’s next, the next game, the next club you’re playing at and the next Olympic Games or the next World Cup.

You focus on the next, because you’re so driven about things to achieve and the goals you need to achieve.

When you actually sit back, and that’s when I first gave birth to my daughter, you sit back and you reflect about your career or you retire and reflect on your career you just say ‘wow, I can’t believe the journey I’ve had and what I’ve achieved, the friendships I’ve gained… that I was able to travel the world doing what I love and what I’m so passionate about. That’s when you really reflect on the journey.

How do you push celebration to one side and stay focused on your next goal, particularly when you achieve something huge?

HG: It’s something that if I look back on and I coach my footballers now, I try and help them understand the process is actually more important than the outcome.

I never celebrated the wins, I always looked at what was next.

That’s one criticism I’d say about my career; I would never stop to smell the roses and go ‘wow’. I think it’s really important that coaches and whoever it is that’s leading the team that you celebrate the wins like that.

We did, we went out, we got on it as you do in the old days, and they’re times to build culture. But in saying that, we talk about it now amongst the best of friends that I still have as part of the Matildas or old girls, and we reflect, and we have fantastic memories. We still get goose-bumps when the national anthem plays because that’s how it was when we were holding hands together and singing it together.

What’s making you happy in football at the moment? And what’s next for you?

HG: I’m in a dual role at the moment which I didn’t think I’d be in. I thought I would only be happy coaching at national team level but I’m overseeing our development pathways at Canberra United academy.

That’s given me a step to real genuine enjoyment, to see young players aspiring to get to the top. Being a W-League coach, they can see what’s achievable with a coach like me coaching them.

That’s been fantastic. I’ve got aspirations to coach at national level and coach at the best clubs in the world. I’m really happy at Canberra and I’m really happy to want to contribute to the development of players in Australia along with at national level as well.