This is the first major test of the Joe Montemurro era. One object can help cement his legacy in the history books

It has only been eight months since Joe Montemurro stepped into the top job at the Matildas, but he has the chance to cement his legacy in the history books in a big way.

Only five times have the Matildas had the chance to win a major title on home soil, with their last opportunity being in 2023 at the FIFA Women's World Cup.

Now, Australia will host the 2026 edition of the Women's Asian Cup, where Montemurro has the chance to lead the team to lift their first major trophy in 16 years.

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The stakes are high for this home tournament, given that it is likely this will be the last time most of the playing group will represent the green and gold at a major tournament on home soil in their career.

But it is also the last time the team will have the opportunity to use this tournament as a direct qualification path for the World Cup.

The Matildas have not lifted the Asian Cup trophy since 2010, and they are set to come up against fierce competitors, like Japan and China, on the road to reliving that moment.

The success of the Matildas in recent years has had a great influence on Australia, from rapidly climbing the world rankings while also testing some of the game's best.

In the words of Craig Foster, the Matildas are "some of our (nation's) most successful footballers ever", and they only look to be heading upwards under Montemurro.

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It will only take a series of talent, either hidden or already known, to be unlocked on a new level for the team to elevate their legacy once again.

And no injury cloud or speculation over squad selection will stop Montemurro's plan for the team to achieve exactly that.

"We've seen many tournaments – the men's World Cup, women's World Cup – bring up a lot of surprises," Montemurro said after the squad was announced on Thursday.

"It's very important that we're prepared for quick turnarounds. We've also got a bit of travel, so that has its difficulties and challenges.

"But the biggest thing for me was to make sure we covered all scenarios. So if we needed to change the system, if we needed to change the structure, we could do that quickly.

"All we are going to do is assess each game and see which lineup is the best to tackle each game."

One of the big questions leading into the squad announcement was the involvement of Mary Fowler, who has been playing limited minutes since returning from an ACL injury.

Montemurro confirmed Fowler will take to the field. For how many minutes? He is unsure.

"She has been training with the squad for a couple of months and playing some minutes; she is ready to go," he said.

"Mary could feature from the start, (or) Mary could come in in the last 20 minutes. We will just assess that each game and see how it goes."

As for Sam Kerr, who was also out injured for a lengthy period, it is her spirit that the national team manager is eager to see back in action on home soil.

"There is something in Sam's voice that just excites me about the fact that she is really excited to come here and put on that jersey, and to give the public a real showcase of how we are going to play," he added.

"I hope she does a lot of backflips because that means she would be scoring goals."

Aside from the injury updates, it was clear in his most recent press conference that Montemurro's mind is solely set on getting a fit and healthy team to lift a major title.

With attention turned back to his blueprint for the team and the weaknesses that have troubled the Matildas in past tournaments.

One of those key issues that Montemurro and former interim coach Tom Sermanni identified as a weakness in the team was the lack of depth across various positions.

To counter that issue, the former OL Lyonnes coach has frequently called on some youthful talents who will only build the foundations for the future of the team.

For eight of those called up to play in the upcoming tournament - Clare Hunt, Kahli Johnson, Jamilla Rankin, Charlize Rule, Kaitlyn Torpey and Jada Whyman - it will be the first time they have had the chance in their career to step out in an Asian Cup match.

"If you look at the squad, to have the amount of players making their first appearance at the tournament, but now also stabilising that future for us going forward, I think it is really important," Montemurro said when asked about the next generation of talent selected.

"We were able to identify some talents playing at a good level overseas that will bring the ideas we're trying to bring forward in terms of the football we're trying to play. They're top talents, playing at good clubs, coming in with great form.

"The biggest thing for me was to find a good balance in the squad, a good balance that each scenario is adhered to – meaning that if we get a situation where we lose a player early, or we go a goal down, we've got the opportunity to make those impacts. So we needed players prepared to make an impact.

"My football is all over the place; it is fluid. We adapt to the situation ... this squad has adaptability."

The weight this tournament may hold over the team is not going to rattle the dynamic of the playing group, especially not if Montemurro has any say in that.

Only time will tell what the fate of the Matildas at this tournament will be.

The Women's Asian Cup will kick off on March 1.