Nearly one week after former Matilda Lisa De Vanna opened up about abuse she suffered during her playing career, the national team have now formally responded to her allegations.
In an exclusive report with The Daily Telegraph last week, De Vanna detailed cases of sexual harassment within dressing rooms and called on sporting bodies to ensure accountability.
Football Australia were quick to respond to the story and urged the Matildas veteran to make an official complaint as the sporting body sought to finalise plans for an independent body to investigate such matters moving forward.
Current players were publicly silent on the matter initially but have united to release a statement acknowledging De Vanna's situation but stress the team's current culture is anything but toxic.
“We acknowledge the seriousness of Lisa’s allegations about the past and we empathise with her for not feeling like she could come forth earlier," a joint statement from the team read.
"We will work with Football Australia, the PFA and Sport Integrity Australia to ensure that all current and future players feel comfortable, safe and able to report instances of inappropriate behaviour, in a timely manner. There must also be a trusted process to deal with these complaints.
"We all – from our most capped players to our most recently capped - would like to reassure to our fans, family and friends that today we have a strong professional, inclusive and supportive culture that does not condone any of the behaviour mentioned within the numerous media articles about historical incidents. Our strong leadership ensures our cultural norms are appropriate for today’s professional sporting environment.
"As a group, we represent the values reflective of Australia and that includes acceptance and inclusivity, regardless of sexuality, ethnicity or culture.
"It was disappointing to observe conversations inferring the group is not accepting of differences, especially given the diversity that exists within our current leadership group on all those fronts, let alone across the broader team.
"We would also like to re-iterate the professional standards that surround the current team today. Women’s football has dramatically grown in recent years and so has our professionalism and standards.
"As a team, we have spoken at length about the allegations and are all hurt by what has occurred. We hold this team close to our hearts and for many, this team has been a safe haven. It has given us strength and purpose throughout our careers. We are together like a family in this, from our oldest to our youngest player, and the difficulties we’ve faced in the last week have only made us stronger as a group.
"We stand supportive of athletes who are able to come forward and report instances of inappropriate behaviour in their respective environments, and therefore welcome an independent review into this matter."
Most Matildas also took to social media on Monday morning to share the statement with players making individual responses alongside the joint statement.
"I have been a part of this team for 12 amazing years, from 15 years old to now," Sam Kerr said in her comment.
"Throughout my career the Matildas have been a safe haven for me and allowed me to grow into the player and person I am today. I count myself lucky to be a part of this amazing group of athletes and people."
Tony Gustavsson's side will return to play in Australia for the first time in over 18 months when they host Brazil at Bankwest Stadium on October 23.