Retiring Matildas great Clare Polkinghorne will start against Chinese Taipei in Geelong in her 169th and final international match.

The 35-year-old enjoyed her send-off match — with a full celebration of her decorated career — against Brazil in Brisbane.

But interim Matildas coach Tom Sermanni will call on the legendary centre-back one last time in Saturday's clash at Kardinia Park.

"It's a Clare Polkinghorne game," he said.

"So this was her last training session today, and it will be her last time she takes a field as a Matilda.

"So you can guarantee she will start the game."

When asked about sending off Polkinghorne in Geelong, Sermanni quipped: "Speak to any Victorians — it doesn't get any better than that for a Queenslander."

It will be Polkinghorne's final professional match, having already finished up at Swedish club team Kristianstads. She made her Matildas' debut in 2006 and was selected for three World Cups.

Polkinghorne's selection makes sense, given experienced defenders Clare Hunt and Charli Grant joined Alanna Kennedy, Steph Catley and Ellie Carpenter in returning to Europe.

She will probably play alongside Tash Prior, while Winonah Heatley will likely start as a holding midfielder or as a third centre-back.

"Any time that I can play next to Polks [Polkinghorne] I'm very grateful for," Heatley said.

It could well be Sermanni's last match at the helm, given the Matildas do not play again until February's SheBelieves Cup in the US.

He is again set to field an experimental squad, following a 3-1 win over Taiwan in Melbourne.

"There will be some changes to the squad and some new players," he said.

Sermanni also moved to clarify that his comments on Tuesday — when he said the Matildas had not planned enough for the future — were not a shot at predecessor Tony Gustavsson, but a criticism of a "systemic" issue.

"I think that was perceived in some quarters to be a criticism of Tony, and I just want to really put out there: it had absolutely nothing to do with Tony at all," he said.

"Tony came in here as the head coach of the Matildas, and that was his job, and he did an exceptional job in that role, and got the team to two semifinals at major tournaments.

"The thing I was talking about has been a systemic issue."

Sermanni then added with a laugh: "So I just felt it's important to clarify that — otherwise, when I see Tony again, he won't buy me a beer."

AAP