What women's sport has given me, and why more support is needed

A lot has changed in almost 30 years, but a lot also hasn't.

My coach now doesn't smoke, we mostly have the use of changerooms at grounds - although sometimes you'd probably prefer not to use them - but I still carry a spare roll of toilet paper with me.

It might seem like a small thing, but it's also big - a potentially big deterrent for some women and girls to play the game.

So, as I reflect on this World Cup and the groundswell of support it and the Matildas have generated for women's sport, there are a few hopes I have for the future.

Included on the wishlist are better facilities for females, better lighting, more training for coaches at all levels, improved grounds that are shared equally by men and women, and pay parity for our elite players.

But, I also simply want to see more girls and women take up the sport - or any sport.

It's fantastic that young kids can so clearly see such great sporting role models in the Matildas and a pathway to the elite level.

But it's equally important to value participation at a community level.

The power to unite people through sport has been glaringly obvious through this World Cup.

And, to get more people involved in the game, it needs to be accessible.

An injection of government funding is desperately needed, from grassroots to the elite.

Football fees at a grassroots level have skyrocketed and I know plenty of women who haven't signed up over the years due to the cost.

The importance of playing a team sport cannot be emphasised enough, in my opinion.

Through all of my life's ups and downs over the past 30 years, football has been a constant and I am eternally grateful for that.

Through sport, I have made lifelong friendships and established village-like support networks.

I have breastfed and pushed prams on the sideline during games. I have also had teammates, coaches, managers and supporters watch my kids on the sideline so I can play.

As a mother of three children - a teenage son and two daughters - I want to show them the importance of being active but also of being part of a team, of knowing how to deal with victory and loss.

Sport teaches us so much - how to be resilient, how to collaborate.

It generates confidence and feelings of self-worth.

And, there's so much more.

That 90 minutes of football on the weekend is the only time I feel like I switch off to everything else - family life, work life - all week.

It's also the conversations that are had on the sidelines, at drinks breaks during training.

It's feeling connected, knowing if life knocks you down there's someone to listen and help you back up.

In this day and age, where kids are on screens more and work feels like a 24-7 commitment, sport and being active has become more important than ever.

As a female, I have heard all of the disparaging comments about women's sport and the lack of respect it is often shown.

I have also found that women, in particular, put others first, sometimes at the detriment to themselves.

So, it's been brilliant to see the Matildas and women's sport in the spotlight through the World Cup.

But now we need to make sure that that support continues, through all levels.

We need the politicians who have donned Matildas scarves and jerseys to champion for more funding into women's sport and for media organisations who have jumped on the bandwagon to continue devoting space to it as well.