Melbourne Victory’s run to the W-League Grand Final last season made many football fans sit up and take notice. Here was a largely homegrown team with a core of talented youngsters finally emerging from Victoria and sweeping all before them with swashbuckling intent that was hard to ignore. It was a bit of a surprise, in a way, for the previous few seasons had seen middling performances and lacklustre results in a state where interest in football was booming. No longer.
The wily Mike Mulvey’s introduction was fortuitous, as it coincided with the rise of a batch of exciting young stars to come out of the Victorian system. While the former Gold Coast caretaker had shown glimpses of his ability in the doomed A-League club’s last few games, so too had the trio of Brianna Davey, Stephanie Catley and Ashley Brown in the W-League. Mere teenagers all three of them, but football wunderkinds with the world at their feet.
It was all so much more than those three starlets though, as Mulvey’s contacts and an adventurous 3-4-3 system saw the Victory overturn the odds and secure a home Grand Final. The impish Welsh captain Jessica Fishlock brought with her a style and panache that had fans flocking to watch the team in droves, while the squad players stepped up admirably to fill in after the triple whammy of season-ending ACL injuries to Brown, Louisa Bisby and Jacqueline Vogt.
Unlike their male counterparts though, female footballers operate on one year semi-professional contracts. Coach Dave Edmondson’s first task was to hold on to his stars and if possible to build on the Grand Final team that had come so agonisingly close to the club’s first silverware. While champions Sydney FC endured much upheaval with important players moving to rival clubs, Victory have remained relatively unscathed.
But who will be the key cogs ahead of the 2013/14 W-League season? Nothing is for certain in football, but these five players might just have a huge say in Victory’s title aspirations this year.
The Iron Wall – Brianna Davey
It has been a splendid off-season for Victoria’s top goalkeeping prospect. While rivals for the No. 1 Matildas spot dropped like fleas, Brianna Davey’s own niggling injury problems seemed a thing of the past. Beating Mackenzie Arnold to emerge as Australia’s first choice custodian in Lydia Williams’ absence would have done plenty for the young goalkeeper’s confidence as she backed up her credentials with a string of fine performances in national colours.
While a move to Bay Area Breeze in the USA to reunite with former coach Vicki Linton and teammate Danielle Johnson failed to eventuate, the 18-year-old finally got her wish to play overseas granted in August. Linkopings FC had just lost their goalkeeper and a few phone calls later, Davey was on a plane to foreign shores for the first time in her fledgling football career. The experience in the Swedish Damallsvenskan will have done wonders for Davey and she will be expected to step up once again between the posts for Victory.
The goalkeeper’s reflexes and shot stopping ability have always been her strength, as many opponents discovered to their chagrin since she wrested Victory’s No. 1 spot away from Melissa Barbieri two seasons ago. If Davey can improve on her leap, especially from a standing position, there will not be many opposition players who can beat her from any range.
The Defensive Prodigy – Emma Checker
While Edmondson will likely revert to a flat back four this campaign, he finds himself having to build the defence from scratch all over again. The two most experienced defenders in the squad have moved on this season, as Maika Ruyter-Hooley and Danielle Johnson failed to return. Rebekah Stott’s status is still uncertain too, as she sorts out her contract situation with 2. Bundesliga club SC Sand.
That leaves Emma Checker, Alex Natoli and Jessica Humble as Victory’s three recognised centre backs and presents Edmondson with something of a selection headache. The coach will be all too aware of Checker’s qualities though, having nurtured her at his previous post in Adelaide. Replacing the hulking Ruyter-Hooley will be a massive task, but if there’s one person who’s up to it, you can look no further than Checker.
The 17-year-old South Australian prodigy joins a growing list of exciting youngsters at Victory, taking the next step after a character-building two seasons with wooden spooners Adelaide. Her performances with the Lady Reds saw her earn a national call up and if she can bring it to the next level in Melbourne, more Matildas caps will be in the offing.
Watch out for her strength on and off the ball as well as her keen sense of positioning, skills she’s honed after an off-season playing against the boys. Checker’s versatility will also prove a boon for the team, as Edmondson has an option of shifting her to the right if the need arises.
Leadership Material – Stephanie Catley
It’s easy to forget sometimes that Stephanie Catley is only 19. The wing back is now an established member of both the Melbourne Victory and Australian teams, and has been rewarded with extra responsibility as Victory’s new captain. It’s not the first time Catley will have put on the armband, as captaincy duties were shared last season, but her experience and leadership ability will be key with many older heads having moved on this season.
You can sometimes tell the fan favourite started her career as a winger, before Vicki Linton shifted her into the full back/wing back role she now occupies. There will be times during a game when Catley appears to be the most advanced player in the attacking third, as her adventurous nature leads her to bomb high up the pitch. It’s a devastating weapon to have in any side’s attacking arsenal, and many opposition teams have found themselves caught out by an overlapping Catley. They’ll definitely be watching out for her this season, but there’s only so much you can do against a quality determined wing back who wants to punch holes in your defence.
Catley’s attacking adventures do leave gaps behind in defence though, and that is something that the Victory defenders will have to learn to deal with. Teammates can help plug the gap and cover for her on such occasions, something that Stott did so much of last season.
Wing Wizardry – Ashley Brown
Watching Ashley Brown collapse in a heap in Round 2 last season would have been as painful experience for Victory fans as it was for the young starlet. The horrific season-ending ACL injury ruled Brown out for the next 12 months, and denied the team her skills out on the wing. One wonders how much of a difference a fully fit Brown would have made in the Grand Final, especially with Fishlock ineligible after her guest stint expired.
Fans will have to wait at least a few more weeks before seeing the ‘Brown Cow’ dance down the sideline once again, but it will definitely be something worth waiting for. Brown has that X Factor that can decide matches, and offers even more of an attacking threat than her good friend Catley. There will definitely be some rustiness to shake off after such a long time out, but the winger looks in good shape so far this preseason and could prove a vital weapon later on in the season.
An eagerness to get back on the pitch saw the youngster suffer a few setbacks in her road to recovery, but there will be no short cuts now the season is getting underway. Brown will be eager to make an impact on her return to W-League football as she looks to force her way back into the national reckoning, and will be making sure she is a 100% before taking to the field. Supporters can only drool in anticipation.
The Supercharged Maverick – Lisa De Vanna
Any women’s football fan in Australia will know Lisa De Vanna’s name. The forward is one of the most talented players in the Matildas squad, capable of deciding games at elite level in the blink of an eye. That makes her signing something of a coup for Melbourne Victory, as she completes an attacking lineup that already consists of local products Caitlin Friend and Laura Spiranovic.
One thing that has always held De Vanna back (and perhaps even goes hand in hand with her game changing qualities) is her fiery temperament and that is something coach Edmondson will have to deal with. The mercurial forward has had her fair share of run ins with the football authorities in years gone by and enforced suspensions will do the team no good at all.
De Vanna is a born winner though like so many other world class athletes, and her hunger to win will be second to none. If Victory keep winning, her temperament will be less of a problem as the team stays focused on title glory. Much will depend on the coach and how he handles the team and its superstar forward. The fans will be watching out for her outrageous tricks and flicks and hopefully a bundle of goals. De Vanna is an excitement machine, and well worth the ticket price on her own.