Matildas defender Winonah Heatley plays through grief after brother’s death

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The shock was also palpable for Katrina Gorry, a fellow Queenslander and friend who has known Heatley “since she was a baby pretty much”.

Gorry herself has experienced the distress of playing through grief when, during the 2023 World Cup, her father-in-law died two days before the epic quarter-final against France.

The 33-year-old buried her penalty during the shootout before revealing through tears what had happened.

“I don’t know how she’s kept herself so calm and composed this camp,” Gorry said. “She always comes in with a happy face, always positive. She’s got an incredible head on her shoulders.

“We are her family too and we’re always going to be there to support her. We’ll rally around her and continue to do that, and make sure she knows that she’s always got people around her to help her through the hard time – and also her family as well.”

Montemurro started Heatley as a centre-back alongside Steph Catley for her 13th international appearance, and the former Brisbane Roar and Melbourne City player – who moved to Italy after three years with Danish club Nordsjælland – made some critical clearances to further cement her Asian Cup spot.

“Look at the footballer she’s becoming,” Montemurro said. “She’s becoming a world-class defender, she really, really is. I get a lot of feedback from her in Europe. They’re rating her very, very highly at one of of the biggest clubs in the world.

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