AS WE celebrate The Matildas and their form heading into a home World Cup, kicking off tonight, the connections between the round ball game and AFLW are everywhere.

Nearly 30 current or former AFLW players have roots in soccer pathways, from 2016 marquee signing and former Matilda Brianna Davey right through to Hawthorn's most recent addition, Melbourne Victory keeper Casey Dumont.

The skills developed through playing soccer have been attributed to a neat transition between the codes by some of those who have made the switch.

"There's a nice crossover between playing as a defender in football and coming from being a centre-back or wing-back at soccer," Hawthorn defender Catherine Brown said to hawthornfc.com.au.

Catherine Brown in the warm-up session before the S7 match between Fremantle and Hawthorn at Fremantle Oval in round 10, 2022. Picture: AFL Photos

Brown played 32 games with Canberra United in the A-League Women's competition, formerly known as the W-League.

"The way you organise the ground and see the ground and some of those movements as well backtracking are very transferable … Soccer has made it a lot easier in that regard to apply tactics in two different sporting languages," Brown said.

The Hawks defender became known for her booming, congestion-clearing kicks in her debut AFLW season, playing every possible game in the club's debut season.

For former Adelaide defender Marijana Rajcic, who now works as part of the Crows' AFLW coaching panel, it was a similar story.

Marijana Rajcic and Chelsea Randall celebrate Australia’s goal during the FIFA Women's World Cup friendly match between the CommBank Matildas and France at Marvel Stadium on July 14, 2023. Picture: AFL Photos

"Coming from soccer, you've got that transferable skill even if it's just game knowledge or game sense," Rajcic said to afc.com.au on the eve of her debut in 2018.

"Spatial awareness is probably one of the biggest ones, knowing when to run, timing, where to run. Any sport, it's all about movement."

At the conclusion of last season Rajcic announced her retirement from AFLW after 50 games and two premierships.

Erin Philips and daughter Brooklyn, Marijana Rajcic and Chelsea Randall during the FIFA Women's World Cup friendly match between the CommBank Matildas and France at Marvel Stadium on July 14, 2023. Picture: AFL Photos

Notably, Collingwood forward Sarah Rowe recently spent some time with Melbourne Victory and back in Ireland playing for the Bohemians, while Jenna McCormick and Ellie Brush gave away their careers in footy to head back to the soccer pitch.

New North Melbourne recruit Lulu Pullar played for the Brisbane Roar, Fremantle vice-captain Ange Stannett started her professional sporting career with Perth Glory, and Jess Waterhouse (Adelaide), Jacqui Vogt (Essendon), Jamie Stanton (Gold Coast) and Zarlie Goldsworthy (GWS) were all junior Matildas in a past life.

By no means is this an exhaustive list, but simply a sample of the impressive crossover between the codes and why the round ball game offers so many skills transferable to footy.