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Alex Chidiac in action for Melbourne Victory during the 2023/24 A-League Women season. Photo: Texi Smith

Each week during the A-League Women season, Round Ball Australia hands out a report card for the competition based on how the teams performed across the weekend’s fixtures.

Note: With Round Nine being a mid-week split round across several weeks, the grades for those games without a review of the match will be featured in the next Report Card to be written following those matches.

Western United vs Melbourne City (1-1)

Western United: C+

Minutes away from a much-needed three points, Western United were unable to shut down the devastating attack of Melbourne City to keep their lead.

The draw had Kat Smith’s side outside the top six before they faced Perth mid-week and gaining a win which put them back inside the six, showcasing just how tight things are on the ladder.

That being said, they need to start putting together a run of results to keep pace, something they have been unable to do this season, but the signs are there that they can.

Kahli Johnson looks like she will get a shot off nearly every time she goes forward. Sasha Grove appears to have recovered from her early season defensive mishaps as she settles into her new team. The midfield looks solid with the Taranto twins back together.

The result is still a valuable point, particularly when you consider the controversy of Johnson’s goal and whether or not it crossed the line. If only we had more, and better, camera angles. One can dream.

Melbourne City: C

Say her name and she appears, as Holly McNamara saved the day for Melbourne City with an 83rd minute equaliser to keep their hopes of an invincibles season alive.

Overall, this was a strong performance from City, but it is a fifth draw this season, as they again drop points and continue to have to come from behind in games to get a result, leaving space for Melbourne Victory to overtake them at the top of the table if they are not careful.

With Johnson’s goal, City could feel hard done by to not take all three points from this one, but it is the hand they have been dealt as they prepare to face the Western Sydney Wanderers in what could be a banana peel game for the league leaders.

Poletti

Canberra United vs Western Sydney Wanderers (1-0)

Canberra United: B

Despite walking away with a very crucial three points as Canberra stayed in and around the top six battle, overall it was a net negative weekend for the side.

They lost Michelle Heyman in the warm-up, who was named to start and replaced by Maja Markovski, with no update given as to why or the nature of the withdrawal.

United then lost Beth Gordon, who went down injured in the first 15 minutes, appearing to roll her ankle before being substituted off in the 33rd minute for Jynaya Dos Santos.

Canberra then found out on Monday that their mid-week Round 9 game against Sydney FC would not continue and the result would stand as 2-0 for the Sky Blues.

Besides the three points, another positive for Canberra was Sofia Christopherson creating the games only goal, which went down as a Sham Khamis own goal.

Being able to share the goal-scoring load around the front line will be crucial for United if they want to continue their case for a top six spot, and if Christopherson can begin to put goals and assists together consistently, it will go a long way to achieving their goals.

Western Sydney Wanderers: D

Now well and truly rooted to the bottom of the table, the Wanderers comprehensive victory against Western United seems like it was a lifetime ago.

Sophie Harding, who has not looked anywhere near reaching the highs she achieved last season, and Gemma Ferris, who was partially responsible for Brooke Nunn’s opening goal in Round 11, were both dropped from the starting side as Geoff Abrahams looked to shake things up to no avail.

A continued positive, despite conceding an own goal, is Sham Khamis, who continues to be the Wanderers best player this season and might miss out on being in the conversation for goalkeeper of the season because of how many goals the Wanderers have conceded, with Khamis conceding 19 of the 25.

It doesn’t get easier for the Red and Black, who welcome league leaders Melbourne City to Wanderers Football Park on Saturday night.

Poletti

Melbourne Victory vs Perth Glory (1-0)

Melbourne Victory: B

My neck, my back, my latest Dub centurion appearance maker.

Ok, it doesn’t quite have the same ring to it that Victory’s marketing campaign did when they signed Alex Chidiac to bring her back to the A-League Women, but Chids made her 100th appearance in the competition when she started on Saturday against Perth.

While Chidiac did not appear on the scoresheet in her milestone match, it was not unexpected as she is a player who quietly goes about her business in the Melbourne Victory system.

Someone who doesn’t go about her business quietly is defender and captain Kayla Morrison, who was left all alone inside the 18-yard box and allowed to get a shot off which rocketed the underside of the crossbar and bounced in for the games lone goal.

With Melbourne City dropping points, Victory closed the gap at the top of the table to two points, and could potentially go to the top should they pick up all three points against Sydney FC on Friday night and their cross-town rivals lose to the Wanderers.

Perth Glory: D

With only one win in eight games leading into this match, that extended to only one win in nine as the Glory fell to the Victory for the second time this season.

To cap it all off, Tijan McKenna picked up a second yellow card, which meant she missed Tuesday’s mid-week clash against Western United through suspension, a game Perth ultimately lost.

The signs are there for the side that it can all come together, but with a lengthy injury list and an inability to win games, the Glory are in must-win every game mode if they want to make finals.

For coach Stephen Peters, that might not be a high priority as the Glory enter the second half of the season, as he will likely be focused on ensuring he can get his best side on the pitch and building towards the 2025/26 season.

Poletti

Wellington Phoenix vs Newcastle Jets (3-2)

Wellington Phoenix: C

Allowing a Newcastle side that clearly isn’t cohesive to get to a runaway lead early and then capitalise on it and double their lead away from home confirms much of what we already thought about Wellington. A team with potential that should be a top six team but inconsistently delivers on that promise.

A messy first half wasn’t what we had come to expect from Wellington and it had the Porirua Park crowd almost silent in the opening stanza. 

Whatever Paul Temple said at half-time must have made an impact, as the ‘Nix were a different side in the second half. Temple’s half time substitutions clearly worked as Manaia Elliott scored inside five minutes of the second half and was then the player to score the stoppage time winner that snatched victory from what had looked the jaws of defeat.

If the ‘Nix are looking to put pressure on the league’s top sides consistently they cannot afford to make starts like this game, either on the road or most certainly on their home turf.

Newcastle Jets: D+

It looked like the return of key pieces had turned the tide in the first half and the Jets of 2023-24 were back. 

A goal in the opening exchanges to Sheridan Gallagher, who returned from a one game suspension, and Danielle Krzyzaniak making repeat scrambling saves was enough to warm the cockles of even the most dour Novocastrian’s heart. Add to that a completed brace by Gallagher in the shadows of half-time and Newcastle were daring to dream.

Unfortunately the 45 minute mark was where things appeared to turn, and the statistical dominance of Wellington was driven home on their home turf. I am sure though if you ask Ryan Campbell and his Newcastle coaching staff they will admit the first half score line was as much about some good fortune that the Jets haven’t had yet this season as all about match dominance.

Newcastle were clearly outclassed in the second half, and good fortune, good management or a mix of both, or more so the counter of all things good is no excuse to give up a two goal half-time lead and walk away with no points.

The Jets drastically need to pull apart this game and work out what went wrong here and how they departed the land of the long white cloud with nothing to show for their efforts despite a multiple goal lead at the break.

Sydney FC vs Central Coast Mariners (0-0)

Sydney FC: C+

Despite a 0-0 draw, this game could have gone either way for the Sky Blues, who have begun to find their rhythm as we near the halfway point of the season.

Sydney FC are now undefeated so far to start 2025, although Ante Juric would probably like that record to read three wins and one draw rather than the one win and three draws that it actually does.

Not having to play the remaining 35 minutes of the game against Canberra after the APL came to the decision to have the result stand as 2-0 to Sydney will be a huge positive for Juric’s side.

Unfortunately, their next two matches are an away Big Blue, and a home game against Adelaide United, both sides who are staking their case as title contenders. 

Time is running out for Sydney before they’re in a must-win situation every week, so the trip to face the Victory will be extra crucial.

Central Coast Mariners: C+

Despite the 0-0 draw, this game could have gone either way for the Mariners. Déjà vu much?

The visitors dominated the first half and were unlucky not to score, in part because of some wonderful keeping from Brianna Edwards for Sydney.

Emily Husband’s side did drop off a touch in the second half, but still performed incredibly well and were unlucky not to leave Leichhardt Oval with all three points.

The draw got the Mariners back into the top six, although Husband said after the game she is not looking at the table at the moment even though we’re at the halfway point of the season, pointing out that there is still a lot of football to be played. 

Poletti

Brisbane Roar vs Adelaide United (2-3)

Brisbane Roar: C-

In front of their largest ever standalone crowd of 3712, the Brisbane Roar gave the fans who turned up every reason to come back even in defeat.

Alicia Woods scored a banger to level the scoreline for Brisbane just before half-time, and despite going down 2-1 just after the break looked to still be in the contest, even after conceding a third as the hosts were thwarted by visiting keeper Claudia Jenkins.

A concern for the Roar would be the knock suffered by their Bulgarian striker, Eva Popadinova, although Alex Smith’s side appeared to look better in her absence when she was out with a hamstring injury earlier this season.

A trip to Perth awaits for Brisbane, where a win might be crucial for them to keep pace with the top of the table.

Adelaide United: B

If there were any doubts about Adelaide’s finals credentials, they put those to rest with an incredibly strong performance, playing spoiler for all the Brisbane fans who turned up in a top four clash.

Claudia Jenkins continued to impress in goals for Adelaide despite conceding two, while elsewhere the Reds took the clash to the Roar, with the returning Erin Healy finding the scoresheet between a brace for Chelsie Dawber.

One of the more encouraging signs for Adelaide in this game is that they did it without Fiona Worts, who was omitted from the match-day squad.

In the lead-up to the game, Adrian Stenta said that Isabel Hodgson is nearing return from a foot injury, with Dylan Holmes not too far behind. 

With those two to come back in at some point this season, it further solidifies just how strong this Adelaide side is, and whoever misses out each week will feel very hard done by.

Poletti

Round Nine: Sydney FC vs Canberra United (2-0)

Sydney FC: B

Canberra United: D 

Note: This fixture was called off early in the second half due to inclement weather, and Sydney FC were awarded a 2-0 victory based on the score at the time the match was halted.

Round Nine: Western United vs Perth Glory (4-1)

Western United: A

Perth Glory: D

Listen to the latest episode of The Dubcast, Round Ball Australia’s Women’s Football podcast on Spotify, Apple, or watch on YouTube, with new episodes every Wednesday.