The Matildas will dust themselves down and attempt to quickly move on after a physical, relentless Brazil beat Australia 3-1 to crash retiring great Clare Polkinghorne's send-off match in Brisbane.

She is the defensive stalwart for the sporting team that has become Australia’s darling, yet after 18 years with the Matildas, Clare Polkinghorne has a clear-cut view of retirement: “I’ll definitely need a job.

Retiring Australian football great Clare Polkinghorne admits her Matildas send-off match won't fully sink in until she steps onto the Lang Park pitch for the final time.

Retiring Australian football great Clare Polkinghorne admits her Matildas send-off match won't fully sink in until she steps onto the Suncorp Stadium pitch for the final time.

Clare Polkinghorne couldn’t help but grin at the prospect of her Matildas send-off game coming against familiar foes Brazil. Australia have an 11-2-8 record against Brazil, with four wins, one draw and two losses on home soil. They have also registered memorable wins, and losses, against As Canarinhas, the Paris Olympic silver medallists.

Australia has fallen to a 3-1 defeat in a fractious, high-octane contest against Brazil at Lang Park in which Matildas coach Tom Sermanni said the referee "allowed herself to be bullied".

Matildas hero Clare Polkinghorne was given a Queensland-flavoured farewell full of emotion at Suncorp Stadium in a 3-1 loss to Brazil.