Just four caps shy of Cheryl Salisbury’s all-time appearance record of 151, the Matildas’ leading scorer (47 goals) is eyeing off the exploits of 41-year-old Brazilian midfielder Formiga, who is about to become the first player - male or female - to feature at seven World Cups.
And she’s thinking - ‘why not me’?
Realistically, De Vanna - who is studying for her ‘B’ coaching license - sees a potential end point at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
“I’d been thinking about going through to the Games and maybe finishing up on that,” she says.
But then her mind jumps to the formidable Formiga and she adds with a sense of wonder: “I’m not saying I can go that long but I look at her, and I think ‘wow, what an athlete'.
“She’s going going to a seventh World Cup - incredible. I’m not saying I can follow that but it goes to show that age is just a number.”
De Vanna has been training recently with the Young Matildas and gets a buzz being able to impart her wisdom to the next generation.
In typically forthright style De Vanna puts it like this: “They might look at me and say ‘wow, I’m training with Lisa De Vanna.
“But I’m looking at them and thinking ‘wow, I’m actually training with the next best thing here’.
“It’s a great balance. I can relate to what they’re thinking. I can give them something and they give me a lot back.”
One youngster who will be joining De Vanna in France next month as Australia’s most beloved national team chases the ultimate prize is 16-year-old fellow striker Mary Fowler, perhaps a mini De Vanna in the making.
“There’s something about Mary,” she says. “She’s got a kind of determination different to any other young kid I know.”
That said she also nominates Young Matilda Kyra Cooney-Cross, 17, as one of “next best things” who will emerge in the women’s game.
De Vanna says there’s an “extra special” feeling ahead of the group games against Jamaica, Italy and Brazil, with Saturday’s (AEST) final warm-up against the Netherlands in Eindhoven offering coach Ante Milicic a last chance to assess his squad.
“I felt more pressure going into the last World Cup than this one, which is strange because there’s a lot more hype around this time,” she adds.
“Last time I wanted to be part of some sort of history and see us change the game.
“I knew that people would fall in love with us and with how much much heart and soul we put in.
“Now we’ve got the support and the backing from the public, I have other goals now - and that’s to take it to the next level.
“I want us to reach a semi-final, which we’ve never done before, and if we go through and win the World Cup, then that’s the icing on the cake.
“This is definitely the golden generation. If we are going to win it, or come close to winning it, it’s definitely going to be this time.
“We finally got the respect we deserve as a team, especially when it comes to the attacking side of the game.
“We’re very dangerous and a lot of teams fear that. But there are things we need to work on still: like how to better press up front and defend as a unit.”
