Jeff Hopkins believes Melbourne Victory’s off-season additions will help improve on last season’s Ninja A-League effort.
The Girls in Blue finished sixth on the ladder in 2025/26, and after beating Canberra United in the Elimination Final, were denied a place in the Grand Final by cross-town rivals Melbourne City.
Looking to rank higher this term, starting with the Matchweek 1 trip to Western Sydney Wanderers on Saturday, October 17, kick-off 3:00pm AEDT, Victory have added several players with experience of the competition to their ranks, including former Championship winner Angie Beard and 2024 Julie Dolan Medal winner Sophie Harding.
This couples with the retention of key players, including Captain, Kayla Morrison, and Vice-Captain, Claudia Bunge, who collectively have made 199 appearances for the Club.
Speaking during the pre-match press conference, Hopkins responded to questions about striker Harding and latest signing Anna Sutter.
“Her pace, her physicality, we’ve seen that before in the league, but also her ability to get into the box quickly, get on the end of things. It’s something we didn’t always have last year, so we’re hoping that she can come in and make a real difference.
“Anna can play anywhere across the back line, for her preferably in the full-back positions, but she can also play further up the field. She plays in those wide areas, and I think she’s even played as a nine at college. I think she’s up for playing wherever we put her.”
Also up for media duties was Bunge, who recently returned from a trip to Panama with New Zealand, where a 7.7 magnitude earthquake cancelled the Football Ferns’ two-match series.
The Kiwi defender, set to become an ALW centurion this season, believes the group can achieve something special together.
“I’m not too fussed if people talk about us or not. I think we know what we bring. The training environment here is unreal; it’s super competitive, and people are always competing and putting their best foot forward.
“My hope is that it translates on the field and helps us get three points every week. We don’t really take much notice of what other people are saying. We know what we’re good at – we have belief in ourselves.”
