Melbourne Victory would like to express our deep sadness at the passing of long-standing member and Australian football advocate Maria Berry.
Maria’s contribution to the game was outstanding, with over four decades of service to football and sports governance.
An ardent Melbourne Victory member, Maria had a long-term involvement with the Club, as a fan of both our Men’s and Women’s professional teams, as well as our Academy teams and pathway programs. She brought a unique perspective to all aspects of the Club and was second to none in carefully considering the nuances of each of the men’s and women’s games, and what they both needed to grow and develop.
With experience in both coaching and administration across a range of football stakeholders, Maria was also a player, the Matildas’ team manager, coach and board member of women’s football clubs (among other things) and worked for Football Victoria in government relations and facilities development over her footballing journey. In each of those roles, Maria developed a great network in the football community, and she will be sadly missed.
As the Melbourne Victory representative for the APL Fan Representative Group (FRG), for the past two seasons and a member of the Melbourne Victory Member Working Group over that same period, Maria’s passion and dedication for the game and her role as a champion for the importance of clubs engaging with their fans and members was second to none.
The Melbourne Victory family would like to offer our sincere condolences to Maria’s family and the football community on Maria’s passing.
