Matildas: stand your ground Australia's best in quest for fairer pay deal The Matildas deserve support in their pay claims.
Photo: Getty Images T he Matildas must stand their ground in the quest to strike a fairer pay deal for women in sport.
This isn't just about the 23 players in the national squad who strive to represent Australia on the world stage against the best women's soccer players on the planet. 
It's about setting a platform for the next generation who lace up a pair of football boots as soon as they can walk with the goal of reaching the top.
The barbs from both sides have been flying thick and fast since the Matildas made the extraordinary decision to boycott a national training camp in Sydney this week, which led to the cancellation of their tour of the US.
Coach Alen Stajcic was left by himself on the training pitch while most of his players were in front of Football Federation Australia headquarters making their stand for improved working conditions.
Their gripe centres around a rise of their base salary, from $21,000 to $34,000 - which is the minimum full-time wage in Australia - along with increases to match payments.
The FFA has been quick to get on the offensive, putting the dispute firmly at the feet of the Professional Footballers Association and its struggles to reach agreement on an increase to the A-League salary cap.
Politics will always come into play in these situations. We saw that last week when the Socceroos - all of whom are well paid by their respective clubs - declined to perform sponsorship requirements ahead of their World Cup qualifier against Bangladesh in Perth.
The purpose was achieved. It was all about raising awareness and showing solidarity in numbers.
The Matildas need our support.
We want them to be the best in the world, but we expect them to make financial sacrifices to do that.
The FFA's argument is that the Matildas' isn't a full-time program.
In some respects, that's true.
For three to four months of the year, Australia's best players are training and playing with their W-League clubs.
At other times of the year, most of those same players are playing in the US or in Europe. But it's not like they are earning big salaries there, either.
While there is a salary cap of $150,000 in the W-League, that is a pipe dream for every club, maybe with the exception of the new "girls" on the block, Melbourne City.
Canberra United, for example, will spend roughly $60,000 on the Australian players in their squad while also covering flights, accommodation and small salaries for their three foreign recruits on top of that.
Split $60,000 across 17 players and the pie gets cut up very thin in a short space of time.
The larger question to address is - if we are going to increase the Matildas' pay, where is that extra money coming from?
The W-League isn't the answer.
Crowds to games are in the hundreds and television coverage has been stripped back.
Another suggestion is to take it out of the Socceroos' pool of cash?
But do we really want to rob Peter to pay Paul?
An idea raised on social media was a "Matildas tax" on A-League tickets. Add an extra dollar or two to the price and use that money to fund our national women's program.
It's got merit. I'd be happy to pay that if it means giving our women footballers the best chance of excelling on the world stage.
The Matildas must be seen more often. Make them more visible in the public eye.
Enough of this rubbish where they play a two-game series and one of those is behind "closed doors" to cut costs.
What an absolute joke.
Imagine the uproar if our women's basketball team, the Opals, did that? It wouldn't happen with the Diamonds, who are the most prolific and marketable women's sporting team.
Our netballers are just ahead of the Southern Stars.
Their historic deal with Cricket Australia in 2013 changed everything.
The top player retainer increased from $15,000 to $52,000 while the minimum retainer rose from $5000 to $25,000.
Suddenly, our elite women cricketers had the potential to earn up to $80,000 per year.
Fast forward two years and women's cricket in Australia has never been stronger.
We're having games from the women's Ashes in England shown live on free-to-air TV in Australia and the entire series was broadcast on TV in England.
The women's Big Bash League, which will start this summer, is another step forward in promoting women's sport.
The FFA must give our elite players the incentive to stay in the sport and inspire the next generation.
While it's a shame to see the Matildas having to walk away from a marquee two-game series with the US, their stance will help spark necessary change in the long run.