The 2019/20 campaign saw Melbourne Victory finish in second place, but can they close the gap on their cross-town rivals this W-League season?
Last season:
W-League: 2nd
Finals: Semi-finalists
They’ll win the league because…
Victory will need to close the 11-point gap which separated them from Melbourne City last season. Albeit not an easy task, the upcoming season is the perfect time.
Re-signing eight players from the previous campaign ensured the team’s stability, which is bound to utilise the existing chemistry between the teammates.
City, on the other hand, lost a trio of key players – Steph Catley, Lydia Williams and Rebekah Stott – thus, putting Victory in a prime position to re-take the crown.
Having also finished top of the league in 2018/19 season, but failing to book a place in the grand final, this Victory team will be out to make amends for the last couple of seasons.
They’ll be cellar dwellers because…
The departure of Natasha Dowie to AC Milan sees the team lose a player who could almost be described as irreplaceable.
The 32-year old was Victory’s most important contributor last season, having scored seven goals and providing two assists in 12 regular season outings. Such impressive numbers saw Dowie tied as the highest goal-scorer and overall goal contributor in the entire league.
Losing a player who can win games on their own is enough to hurt any team and if Victory fail to find another source of goals, becoming cellar dwellers might not be out of realms of possibility.
Talk around the water cooler… look smart in front of your colleagues with this valuable piece of information
Over the last four seasons, Victory has never finished below the Western Sydney Wanderers. Therefore it is worth hoping the Wanderers finish in second place, if recent history is anything to go by.
The off-season brought
The departure of Dowie to AC Milan left Victory desperately looking for another powerhouse up front.
The search ended with the ultimate signing of Lisa De Vanna, who returns to Australia after spending a season with Fiorentina and scoring five goals.
Another notable move was the departure of the versatile Jenna McCormick to Real Betis. This allowed Victory to sign Brisbane Roar defender, Natalie Tathem, to shore up their defensive options.
Key player
De Vanna. With Dowie’s departure, she has big shoes to fill this season.
It will be expected the Matilda will be Victory’s main goalscorer, meaning the overall success of the team will largely depend on her ability to find the back of the net.
Having scored 11 goals in 25 games for the club across two earlier stints, fans will be hoping for more of the same.
Player to watch
Kyra Cooney-Cross. The 18-year-old attacking midfielder has been developing her game in leaps and bounds since her debut in the league three seasons ago.
Having spent her last campaign at the Wanderers, Cooney-Cross registered an impressive four goals and three assists in 13 appearances and will be looking to build on those statistics in the upcoming season.
With the mentorship of De Vanna, we can expect the upward trajectory of her game to continue in her second stint back at the club. Possibly even the creation of a lethal partnership in the front third between the pair.
INS: Claudia Bunge (Northern Lights), Catherine Zimmerman (Calder United), Kayla Morrison (Morön Bollklubb), Maja Markovski (Box Hill United), Lisa De Vanna (Fiorentina), Kyra Cooney-Cross (Western Sydney Wanderers), Natalie Martineau (South Melbourne), Natalie Tathem (Brisbane Roar), Gaby Garton (UAI Urquiza, Argentina),
OUTS: Jenna McCormick, Laura Brock, Natasha Dowie, Grace Maher, Rosie Sutton, Teigen Allen
Full squad list
Goalkeeper: Melissa Maizels, Gaby Garton
Defenders: Claudia Bunge, Angie Beard, Kayla Morrison, Natalie Tathem,
Midfielders: Amy Jackson, MelindaJ Barbieri, Annalie Longo, Natalie Martineau,
Attackers: Catherine Zimmerman, Lia Privitelli, Melina Ayres, Polly Doran, Maja Markovski, Lisa De Vanna, Kyra Cooney-Cross
Feature image credit: Ngau Kai Yan
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