Melbourne Victory host Central Coast Mariners in Round 3 of the Ninja A-League on Saturday, November 15, kick-off 5pm AEDT.
Fresh from back-to-back away matches to kickstart the 2025/26 season, Victory return to their home turf for a mouthwatering rematch of May’s dramatic Grand Final.
Jeff Hopkins’ side will enter with a spring in their step at the Home of the Matildas following the impressive 1-4 success over Western Sydney Wanderers – a result which banished the memory of the 3-2 reverse suffered at Brisbane Roar on the opening weekend.
The Girls in Blue
Melbourne Victory head into their home opener buoyed by the first of many and the 200th of many more after Kennedy White’s hat-trick powered the Women’s First Team to all three points on the day Jeff Hopkins became the first head coach to reach a double-century of games in the A-League Women’s.
White, having netted away to the Roar in Round 1, continued her seamless transition into the competition by scoring her treble across just 10 minutes of game time, picking up where she left off at her former club Győri ETO FC, where she struck on 32 occasions last term.
Unsurprisingly, the American striker was named in the Team of the Week, and she was joined in the XI by teammate Zoe McMeeken. The full-back was a force of nature, assisting the goal which completed White’s hat-trick, before heading in number four.
This match-winning treble ensured Hopkins’ 200th, which will be honoured post-match on Saturday, was celebrated in style, with the ALW’s most successful boss becoming just the fifth in A-Leagues history to reach the milestone.
And his legacy of winning, whilst developing the next generation of talent, was encapsulated with the introduction of Poppy O’Keeffe during the second half at Wanderers Football Park.
The 17-year-old became the first female player to progress through the entire Victory Academy pathway and record a First Team appearance.
Round 3 Squad: 1. Courtney NEWBON, 3. Claudia BUNGE, 5. Sofia SAKALIS, 7. Ella O’GRADY, 9. Holly FURPHY, 10. Rhianna POLLICINA, 14. Fiorina IARIA, 16. Kennedy WHITE, 17. Poppy O’KEEFFE, 18. Kayla MORRISON, 19. Zoe MCMEEKEN, 20. Leyla HUSSEIN, 23. Rachel LOWE, 24. Laura PICKETT, 27. Rosie CURTIS, 30. Payton WOODWARD, 41. Jessica YOUNG, 66. Alana JANCEVSKI, 81. Grace MAHER
Ins: N/A
Outs: N/A
Unavailable: 4. Chelsea BLISSETT (back). 6. Taylor RAY (foot) 8. Sienna SAVESKA (medical) 11. Nickoletta FLANNERY (leg)
Meet the Mariners
Despite winning the Championship, Central Coast Mariners watched many of their stars head elsewhere during the close season. Bianca Galic joined Sydney FC, former Victory defender Jessika Nash made an overseas move to US Sassuolo, Jade Pennock headed for the USL Super League, and Taylor Ray now wears Victory Colours.
But perhaps the biggest departure of all came in the dugout. Emily Husband switched the Central Coast gig for a prize role in the national team setup, joining the Matildas as an assistant coach to Joe Montemurro in early June.
The Championship-winning boss was replaced two-and-a-half months later by experienced coach Kory Babington, whose CV includes time spent in the NPL and working within the Future Matildas Program.
He faces the unenviable task of following in Husbands’ footsteps, but received a sizeable boost when star midfielder Isabel Gomez, who debuted for Australia this summer, was one of the nine players to re-sign for the current campaign.
The all-action midfielder, alongside fellow returnee Peta Trimis and new arrival from Sydney Jynaya Dos Santos, was on the scoresheet during their 3-0 Round 1 crushing of Adelaide United.
Gomez was, however, absent last weekend when the Mariners were given a taste of their own medicine. They conceded four without reply away to Melbourne City in a rude awakening for the defending Champions.
Run it back
There was no shortage of drama when the teams faced off in the 2025 Grand Final.
Central Coast snuck in front straight from the half-time restart through Isabel Gomez’s close-range finish before Melbourne Victory’s attacking onslaught was finally rewarded 10 minutes from time, when Claudia Bunge bravely headed in an equaliser from a corner.
Extra-time could not separate the two sides, and it was penalties, edged 4-5 by the Mariners, that determined who landed the silverware.
Last time out
Melbourne Victory came from behind to steamroll Western Sydney Wanderers last Sunday and claim a first win of 2025/26.
The visitors were facing a second defeat in as many games at the start of the campaign after Danika Matos put Wanderers in front early during the first-half.
But by the break, Victory were on course for the maximum return. Kennedy White levelled after 41 minutes and put the away side ahead in injury time, following up a composed left-footed finish under the goalkeeper with a clinical strike into the bottom corner.
Her hat-trick was completed courtesy of a tap-in shortly after the restart, before Zoe McMeeken, when a white header rebounded off the crossbar, nodded in number four during the closing stages.
Central Coast Mariners had an afternoon to forget at Casey Fields, losing 4-0 to Melbourne City on Saturday afternoon.
Matildas forward Holly McNamara and 17-year-old Shelby McMahon exchanged goals either side of half-time, with each grabbing a brace as the Premiers’ goal-rush wiped out the positive goal difference Central Coast had built up in Round 1.
