Matildas mural divides opinion as Queensland government decides against building statue

The Queensland Government has decided against building a statue for the Matildas at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, opting for a bronze 'mural' instead. But the mural has proven extremely divisive after it was unveiled by Queensland Premier Steven Miles on Tuesday.

The mural was commissioned to commemorate the Matildas' run to the semi-finals of the Women's World Cup last year, the first time an Australian team had made the final four of a FIFA World Cup (men's or women's). Suncorp Stadium was the scene of their famous penalty shootout victory over France in the quarters, which propelled them towards their historic achievement.

And the bronze mural unveiled on Tuesday captures the iconic reaction of the players when Courtnee Vine slotted the winning penalty. The plaque is 5.5m long, 2.1m wide and sits at the southern entrance to Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.

And while the move marks a brilliant recognition for the Matildas and their achievements, some have questioned whether the mural hits the mark and depicts the gravity of the moment to the full extent. Due to the fact it's made of bronze, it would have been hard for creators 'Urban Art Projects' to depict the players' emotions and facial expressions properly.

Sports journalist Mark Gottlieb wrote on social media: "I had low expectations for this Matildas mural outside Suncorp Stadium but not even I expected… what this is." Gottlieb posted photos of two Matildas murals that he thought were much better, although he conceded: "Being made of metal doesn’t make it better."

Another social media user commented: "It's about as insulting as a token gesture can be. Even print out a photo and laminate it, would look better." Others compared it to the infamous bronze bust of football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo that looks nothing like him, while some suggested it would need to be labelled so people know it's the Matildas.

Plan to build statue for Matildas draws criticism

The mural sits alongside bronze statues of rugby league legends Wally Lewis and Allan Langer, and former Wallabies captain John Eales, that are already at Suncorp Stadium. However there are no official statues of any female athletes at the iconic venue, and former Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk revealed last year she wanted the Matildas to be immortalised with a statue.

"As a lasting tribute to the 2023 Matildas, we will build a statue at Suncorp Stadium," she said on stage at Brisbane's Riverstage during a celebration for the women's team. "There are plenty there, celebrating our male sporting champions, it's time we celebrated women as well. You deserve your place amongst the greatest."

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But the plans to build a statue proved divisive as well, with many questioning if the achievement was worthy. Despite the fact the Matildas made history, they still only finished fourth after losing to England in the semi-finals and to Sweden in the bronze medal game.

Some suggested it set the bar too low, and a fourth-place finish being immortalised with a statue might look silly if other achievements better it in years to come. Australian basketballer Andrew Bogut wrote on social media: “Matildas did well……Statue? No. A Gold/First Place is a statue and over the top celebration worthy achievement. Anything below is good, have a celebration or two, then move on. This goes for all sports by the way."