Tameka Yallop has been a Matilda since she was 16. This part of her story will surprise you.

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Growing up on the Gold Coast, Matildas player Tameka Yallop loved playing football. 

Her childhood memories are shaped by the glorious weather and landscape of the Gold Coast — the perfect setting for a kid who loved being outdoors more than anything.

"Pretty much my childhood was living out in the sun," she told Mamamia, "whether that was at the beach or on a football field."

"I grew up close to Springbrook National Park and the Gold Coast Hinterland," she said, reminiscing on the natural beauty that surrounded her early years.

As a five-year-old, Tameka started playing soccer at her local club, Mudgeeraba SC, because that's what her older brother was doing. "I did everything he did, including skateboarding," she laughed. "Not that I'm any good at skateboarding now, but that's something we would always do."

Tameka may not have been much of a skateboarder, but she was certainly good at football. "I had a really good coach at Mudgeeraba who was super passionate and took me from being 5 years old to playing in the boys team in the Under 12s."

"I spent a fair bit of my childhood at the local soccer club. My childhood memories are just literally being outdoors."

When Tameka was 12, her coach recommended that she start playing with the senior women's team. From there, she was selected to join the Queensland Institute of Sport and began playing football more seriously in Brisbane.

"That's when I realised there was a women's national team," she said of her dream to become a Matilda at age 16. "I didn't have to 'age out' — I could keep playing professionally."

What Tameka didn't expect is that one day, her team would represent her country in a stadium just down the road from her childhood home. When the AFC Women's Asian Cup hits Australian shores in 2026, the Matildas will play Iran at the Gold Coast Stadium on March 5.

Image: Instagram/@tamekayallop.

For Tameka, having what she describes as the "biggest women's football tournament in the world" on her home soil is a dream come true.

"I'm super excited about it," Tameka said. "I remember growing up, in my late teens, when the Gold Coast Stadium at Robina was being built, you could see construction from my house. Any time there's a game on there, we look out and watch it. It's been a stadium that I've seen being built, so I'm particularly excited for that game on the Gold Coast."

The Gold Coast will host a series of Group A clashes, starting on March 2 with Korea Republic taking on IR Iran. On March 5, the Philippines face Korea Republic before the Matildas meet IR Iran later that evening in a highly-anticipated home fixture. The group stage wraps up at the stadium on March 8 with IR Iran playing the Philippines — then later in the tournament, the Gold Coast will also host Play-Off 1 and Play-Off 2 on March 19, as teams compete for additional qualification spots for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup.

"The Gold Coast is where it all started for me," Tameka told Mamamia. "This is where my fondest memories are. I'm always so excited to bring my international teammates to explore the Gold Coast. Some of them are used to mountains and skiing so it's a great surprise for them. I recently brought friends from Norway to the Gold Coast in December. It was snowing in Norway but they went home from the Gold Coast with the biggest [glow] — they just loved it."

When asked to recommend her favourite spots on the Gold Coast, Tameka has almost too many to list. "Burleigh, Coolie [Coolangatta], Surfers, Snapper, Rainbow and Greenmount — honestly, the amount of times I've surfed with dolphins at Snapper, making my way down the breaks, is really cool."

"I'd always recommend fish and chips at Burleigh Hill, or heading to Springbrook Mountain — seeing the waterfalls, the twin falls, the glow worms, it's all so beautiful."

For Tameka — a mum to two daughters with her wife, former New Zealand international footballer Kirsty Yallop — staying close to the Gold Coast means having her family experience the things she loved the most about her own childhood. In particular, it's the natural beauty of the Gold Coast, and the option to be outdoors year-round. Being a parent of two under five, and a Matilda isn't the easiest job in the world, but Tameka says it's a juggle that's worth it.

Image: Instagram/@tamekayallop.

"When I started women's football it was not professional at all, and now as a collective nation we've changed what it means to be a female athlete. It blows my mind that my [eldest] daughter has really only seen that part of the game and she expects that now, which is what it really should be. It's really heartwarming to see the end product of what not just myself but all the footballers who came before me have achieved.

"I mean, it's obviously a challenge time-wise and logistic-wise but at the same time, it's kind of even more rewarding when I play now," Tameka said of balancing motherhood with elite sport.

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"My daughter walked out with me at Robina Stadium [now known as Cbus Super Stadium] on the Gold Coast for the first time, the first game Matildas have ever had at that stadium. I have videos of my daughter standing on that field with me.

"We've had to push to get the spotlight on, but it's so motivating having kids playing now. The boys in my daughter's class, they all know who the Matildas are and they have a favourite Matilda. I've honestly seen so many young boys wearing Sam Kerr jerseys. It's crazy cool."

Buy your tickets now to the AFC Women's Asia Cup Australia 2026.

Featured image: Instagram/@tamekayallop.

The AFC Women's Asian Cup is landing on the iconic Gold Coast in March 2026, bringing Asia's best women's soccer teams to Australia's playground. Hosted at Gold Coast Stadium in Robina, the tournament will showcase world-class football as nations compete for continental glory and qualification toward the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup. Set against the Gold Coast's famous beaches, outdoor lifestyle and vibrant entertainment scene, matchdays promise an unforgettable atmosphere on and off the pitch. Don't miss your chance to be part of this historic sporting moment — secure your tickets and experience the excitement live on the Gold Coast.