Melbourne Victory coaching update in advance of the 2026/27 Ninja A-League season.
The A-League’s longest-serving head Coach, Jeff Hopkins, will continue into his 11th season and will be joined by members of the Club’s successful NPLW coaching staff ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.
The new appointments come after the departures of coaches Johnathan Clemente to Brisbane Roar and Melissa Maizels, and the Club thanks them for their great service in recent seasons.
Incoming Senior Assistant Coach, Harley Hamdani, led the Club through the NPLW season after the departure of Santi Escudero, whilst Bella Santilli will also work closely with Hopkins and Hamdani after playing a leading role in the NPLW Under 20 Championship. The pair will be joined by former Championship-winning Assistant Coach, Gareth Turnbull, who reconnects with Hopkins having served as his deputy from 2019 to 2025.
Blerton Belica has been appointed as Goalkeeper Coach, arriving after spending three years in the A-League and most recently working with St Albans Saints in the NPL Victoria.
Significantly, the Club has also appointed Rebecca Berry to its registered coaching set-up, as the inaugural recipient of the Maria Berry AM Coaching Scholarship. Working in partnership with Women Onside, Rebecca will receive a season-long placement alongside Hopkins and all ALW staff.
Melbourne Victory Director of Football, John Didulica, commented:
“We are very pleased to have appointed full-time staff to roles across the A-League Women’s program to ensure we are setting the players, staff and Club up for success.
“We are building an exciting squad and believe we have surrounded the team on the pitch with a team of elite professionals off the pitch.”
“It’s also exciting that we have been able to use the NPLW pathways and our partnership with Women Onside to continue developing ALW coaches, something we will continue to build on year on year.”
The A-League Women’s Physical Performance Coach, Damien Kovacevic, and Physiotherapists, Andrew Shaw and Stephaine Grech, will all continue in their roles.
