Poletti 
Sydney FC 2024/25 A-League Women's season preview. Photo: Texi Smith. Design: Round Ball Australia.
One of the most dominant sides in the history of the A-League Women, Sydney FC enter the 2024/25 season as the back-to-back champions, although their dominance of the competition is not necessarily reflected with the amount of silverware they have.
The last time Sydney FC finished outside the top three was in the 2014 season, and since Ante Juric took control ahead of the 2017-18 season, they have three Premierships and three Championships.
The Sky Blues dominance has been tested, with Grand Final losses to Melbourne City and Melbourne Victory, and close Premiership races lost to City, one could question just how dominant they have been, which would be fair.
But you can not deny the level of consistency which the side has put out, which always sees them competing for silverware.
The Manager: Ante Juric
There was a question hanging over Juric’s head for a while as to whether he could guide this team to Championship success,
Having made the Grand Final every year since being appointed coach, he had only one win to show for it prior to the 2023 decider, which was a 4-0 victory over Western United, before following it up with a 1-0 win against Melbourne City in 2024.
Perhaps the most impressive part of his entire reign as coach, is the squad turnover he has had to deal with from season to season, finding replacement seemingly out of nowhere, having players in key positions unavailable due to injury, and still found success.
It is a testament to his managerial ability to find replacements and be able to slot them in where needed to do a serviceable job.
Having considered walking away from Sydney FC previously, he is signed until the end of the 2025-26 season, choosing to leave his job at Sydney Olympic to focus on Sydney FC, as well as his job as Director of Sports at Matraville Sports High School.
There are two big things which could impact Juric’s ability to get the best out of his squad this season and continue on the path of silverware and getting Sydney back into continental competition.
The first is the squad turnover, which will be explained in depth below.
The second, however, is both a known and an unknown. When Juric coached Sydney Olympic, the seasons were far shorter and not the current full home and away season the competition has become in recent years.
Why is that a factor?
For the 2025 season, Juric has signed with Sydney United to be the manager of the first team, although it is still unknown which competition that side will be playing in with the future of the National Second Tier still up in the air for its originally slated 2025 launch.
With the NPL NSW Men’s season usually beginning in February, plus trials and pre-season, Juric will be doing a lot of work during the course of the A-League Women season, including the back end of the season when competition for trophies will be tight.
Fans would be right to ask if he can fully commit to both roles and deliver success for Sydney FC, with silverware almost expected at the club, however this move probably does not happen if the club does not give its blessing, so they obviously believe he can manage both roles.
The Squad
Even though Juric has had to deal with squad turnover in recent years, this might be his biggest test yet.
The list of those having departed the club include the likes of Cortnee Vine, Charlotte McLean, Taylor Ray, Zara Kruger, Aideen Keane, Jynaya Dos Santos, and Jada Whyman, all of whom played integral roles in Sydney FC’s success last season.
Coming in are the likes of Faye Bryson, Kyah Simon, Brianna Edwards, Hana Lowry, Millie Farrow, and NPL Women’s NSW young guns Rubi Sullivan from NWS Spirit, and the 2024 Golden Boot winner Amber Luchtmeijer, who scored 23 goals in her 23 appearances for Bulls FC Academy.
They have also re-signed the likes of Mackenzie Hawkesby, Kirsty Fenton, Jordan Thompson, Shea Connors, and Caley Tallon-Henniker, who burst onto the scene late last season in the Dub and has been rewarded with a contract following her performances for Sydney, and a strong NPL Women’s NSW season for Football NSW Institute.
While a lot of this squad will pick itself, there are some positions which could be a mystery until Round 1 and what formation Juric decides to play.
Abbey Lemon played a lot of last season as a defender due to injury, but can also play as a midfielder and a forward.
Lowry was probably recruited with a promise of game-time, so where does that leave Shae Hollman, Lucy Johnson, and Maddie Caspers fighting for one starting spot with the expectation Hawkesby will start.
A front three would likely see Princess Ibini keep her left-wing spot, so who joins her? All of the attackers available are great options, and everyone would feel hard done by missing out.
Regardless of who is selected, and in what formation, Juric will not have trouble changing it up in order to get the best out of the squad.
The Off-field: Will success catch-up to the Sky Blues?
When a side is as successful and as dominant as Sydney FC, it almost seems inevitable that it can not be sustained forever.
Players depart, fan expectations become loftier, crowds and marketing opportunities increase, and the spotlight becomes amplified, which could be a distraction.
An experienced manager like Juric, who has been so good at managing his squad, from formation to tactics, to playing time, to squad personnel, should be able to manage his playing squad to avoid the off-field distractions, but as mentioned earlier, what happens if the manager becomes distracted?
How does the squad continue if the coach, who has been so successful at Sydney FC, is wanted elsewhere?
The nature of the current make-up within Australian football means that jobs in the A-League Women are not full-time endeavours, bar Adrian Stenta at Adelaide United, nor are they full-time in the NPL competitions.
Although the expectation, should the NST launch in March 2025 as planned, that competition would be full-time, and then what happens?
Does Juric’s success become Sydney’s downfall? Does the club receive offers to good to be refused for its star players and have to let them go during a tight title race?
Or could the success just continue to bring more success, and this becomes a last-hurrah of sorts before the Ante Juric era ends at Sydney FC?
Expectations
Win silverware. There is absolutely no other marker of success for the club or fans.
Sydney are expected to compete every single season, and this year will be no different, especially after missing out on continental competition to Melbourne City by only two points.
With a different looking squad, it might be difficult to replicate their past success again, but with Juric’s eye for talent and ability to get this squad to gel regardless of the challenges thrown his way, whether it be injuries, transfers, or red cards.