Melbourne Victory 24/25 season preview: Can a ‘confident’ Hopkins deliver silverware?
Christian Montegan 
Melbourne Victory 2024/25 A-League Women's season preview. Photo: Texi Smith. Design: Round Ball Australia.
Once again, Melbourne Victory will enter a brand new season with the same old expectation: winning silverware. But is that expectation still realistic?
A familiar face denied the three-time winners from progressing to the semi-finals last season as former Victory goalkeeper Casey Dumont was the hero in the shoot-out to dish out a cruel blow.
Not a lot of activity in the transfer window from both ends in the off-season has eventuated, which could act as a slight advantage given they should already be settled and understand their surroundings.
They have the resources. They always have. It’s why they continue to be one of the most feared squads in the league, with their new home ground at La Trobe University another welcomed addition last season.
But the rest of the competition is slowly catching up, most notably producing the next crop of talented juniors who are emerging onto the scene.
Do the Victory have the right balance, or will it be one step too far for Hopkins to achieve further success?
The Manager: Jeff Hopkins
Ready to tackle his ninth season in charge of the Victory, Jeff Hopkins is the glue holding the club together with his experience and know-how when it comes to winning.
“We’ve retained the core of the squad that we feel as a coaching group will be able to push any team in the league and perform consistently, week-in, week-out,” Hopkins said during pre-season.
“With this group and some further exciting additions and returning players we expect to have coming into the club in the lead-up to the season, we’re confident we’ll be able to have a team that will be balanced, well-rounded and hungry for success this season.”
Winning two championships under his reign, the 60-year-old understands the environment around him and what it takes to go all the way no matter what squad he has at his disposal.
As far as tactical versatility is concerned, rarely will Hopkins revert to another formation other than a 4-3-3 from the first whistle, but he isn’t afraid of making adjustments such as overloading the midfield or adding something extra up top.
His setup relies heavily on the wingers tracking back and providing help for the fullbacks defensively, while also emphasising the importance of maintaining meaningful possession in transition.
A recurring theme played out again last season as Victory started the campaign sluggish with two defeats in the opening two rounds, but Hopkins is arguably the best man-manager in the competition and well-equipped to steady the ship.
The Squad
The two main departures include Emma Checker and Elise Kellond-Knight, both to retirement and leaving behind a gaping void of experience that will be challenging to fill.
Promising Young Matildas full-back Jessika Nash has joined the Central Coast Mariners, which will pose another slight headache for Hopkins to replace.
Up front, Victory has poached two quality additions, with the first being former Adelaide United and Perth Glory forward Alana Jancevski. The 21-year-old scored once in 22 matches for a struggling Reds side last season, but expect her to flourish in a more expansive and free-flowing system.
Nikki Flannery arrives from Canberra United who can make a real impact out wide, contributing five goals and seven assists last campaign.
New Zealand international Claudia Bunge will offer valuable experience and versatility. She can either play centrally or at right-back, having previously plied her trade for Danish club Kvindeligaen in the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
Alana Murphy, Alex Chidiac, Rachel Lowe and Emily Gielnik will be the core of the group given their quality, but do not forget about captain Kayla Morrison.
The 28-year-old centre-back won the Victory Medal last season for the club’s best player, producing outstanding performances consistently – with calls growing for a Matildas cap as she recently acquired Australian citizenship.
Former men’s coach Tony Popovic was full of praise for Morrison last season.
“She epitomises everything that this club is about,” he said. “The values, the respect, the hard work. She leads by example [and] she’s a credit to herself.
“I use her as an example to a lot of the players [in the men’s squad] because she’s had an ACL injury; they don’t get paid anything like the [men] do, and I’m witnessing her here for several months day in day out working in the gym.”
Keep an eye out for Beattie Goad, an electric and dynamic winger who perhaps didn’t receive the plaudits she deserved last season, but the coming months could be her break-out season.
The Off-field: Victory continues to be a go-to destination
As mentioned, there were very few departures, but 15 players have been confirmed to continue their journey under Hopkins which is massive news for stability.
Melbourne Victory Director of Football, John Didulica, shared his excitement at the club’s player retention.
“We’re thrilled to be able to welcome back 15 players at this stage for the 2024/25 season as we look to build towards a successful A-League Women’s season,” Didulica said.
“Last season, we announced the full-time signings of Lydia Williams and Alex Chidiac with the latter’s contract being one of the most significant in A-League Women’s history and we’re looking to continue to build further with a strong player retention and acquisition campaign.
“The core group has tasted success at the highest level and we believe with the additions we have planned for the squad, the team will be there at the pointy end of the season competing for the Premiership and Championship.”
Expectations
For a club who have reached six consecutive finals series, the bare minimum requirement should be replicating another finals berth, especially with the expanded format.
Taking into account their rivals, Sydney FC and the two other Melbourne teams will pose the biggest threats to a potential Championship.
However, there is enough talent and experience in this squad to at least make the semi-finals, but the goal should be silverware and qualifying for Asia.