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Melbourne City Women Football Club, also known as the Melbourne City Women or simply as City, represents Melbourne City in the A-League Women, the top division soccer league in Australia. Founded in 2015, the club has its training and administration based at the City Football Academy in Melbourne and plays matches at the Frank Holohan Soccer Complex in Dandenong and at AAMI Park in the Melbourne city centre. The current manager of the team is Rado Vidošić.[1]

Melbourne City FC (A-League Women)

Full name	Melbourne City Women Football Club
Founded	2015; 7 years ago (2015)
Ground	Frank Holohan Soccer Complex AAMI Park
Capacity	2,000 30,035
Manager	Rado Vidosic
League	A-League Women
2021–22	2nd of 10
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours Third colours
Current season

Active departments of Melbourne City F.C.
Men's football Women's football Youth Esports

History

Following on from their purchase of and investment into Manchester City in England, City Football Group turned their eyes to investment into the women's game as well, funding a serious overhaul of the Manchester club's female affiliate.[2] Only months after their takeover of the men's team Melbourne City FC, they followed likewise on the women's side, contacting the FFA regarding entering a team into the W-League to be affiliated to the men's Melbourne side.[3]

After a year of negotiations, their involvement was sealed with an announcement that a women's team competing under the name Melbourne City FC would compete in the W-League as of the beginning of the 2015–16 season.[3]

Four championships and two premierships (2015–20)

Melbourne City CEO Scott Munn revealed that his club had been in consultation with Football Federation Australia (FFA) for over 12 months regarding the introduction of a new W-League side.[4] In July 2015, Melbourne City Women's FC made Matildas co-captain Lisa De Vanna their first-ever signing. She is widely regarded as one of the world's best women's strikers.[5] After De Vanna, the club's next foundation signings were Laura Alleway and Brianna Davey. In September 2015, Young Matildas Larissa Crummer, Alex Chidiac, Beattie Goad and former Adelaide United defender Monique Iannella joined the club.[6] Matilda Steph Catley also signed up in September. Regarded as a Matlidas' fan favourite, Catley created history when she was voted as the first female to appear on the cover of the video game FIFA 16.[7]

The club created history in its inaugural 2015–16 season, winning all 12 of its regular season games to become Premiers (regular-season winners) and becoming Champions by winning the 2016 W-League Grand Final, completing a perfect season.[8] In the following season, City suffered a six-match winless run during the middle part of the season before storming back into the finals series and claiming a second successive championship in the 2017 Grand Final. This achievement meant the club was equal with several other clubs for the greatest number of championships won in the league.[9] The club then eclipsed this record the following season when it defeated Sydney FC in the 2018 W-League Grand Final making it 3 championships[10] in a row.

City had an undefeated 2019/20 season, with 11 wins and one draw, and secured their second premiership. Under Head Coach Rado Vidošić, and with elite talent on the pitch such as the returning Steph Catley and new players Kyah Simon and Claire Emslie, the team went on to win the double following wins over Western Sydney Wanderers and Sydney FC in the 2020 Finals Series. Consequently, City became the first team in W-League history to secure four championships.[11]

Stadium

As of the 2020–21 W-League season, Melbourne City Women play most of their home matches at the Frank Holohan Soccer Complex[12] (2,000 capacity), home ground of Dandenong City SC. The club also typically plays one or two home matches and finals at AAMI Park (30,050 capacity) near the city centre, home stadium of the men's team.[13]

Between 2014 and 2019, the club split home games between CB Smith Reserve (2,500 capacity) in Fawkner and John Ilhan Memorial Reserve in Broadmeadows.

Players

First-team squad

As of 4 October 2022

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  AUS Sally James 3 MF  AUS Darcey Malone 4 DF  AUS Chelsea Blissett 5 DF  AUS Tori Tumeth 6 MF  AUS Leticia McKenna 8 DF  AUS Kaitlyn Torpey 9 FW  AUS Holly McNamara 10 MF  AUS Rhianna Pollicina 11 MF  AUS Isabella Accardo (scholarship) 12 GK  AUS Coco Majstorovic (injury replacement) 15 DF  AUS Emma Checker (captain)

No. Pos. Nation Player 17 FW  NZL Hannah Wilkinson 18 DF  AUS Leah Davidson 22 DF  AUS Naomi Thomas–Chinnama 23 GK  AUS Melissa Barbieri — MF  NZL Katie Bowen — FW  USA Emina Ekic (on loan from Racing Louisville) — MF  AUS Daniela Galic — MF  USA Julia Grosso — FW  AUS Bryleeh Henry — DF  AUS Karly Roestbakken

Notable former players

Below is a list of notable players for Melbourne City. Generally, this list includes former players that have played 50 or more first-class matches for the club, have at least one senior international cap, and/or have made significant contributions to the club's history. For a full list of current and former players see Category:Melbourne City FC (A-League Women) players.

Managers

Current technical staff

Position	Name
Head Coach	Rado Vidosic
Assistant Coach	Melissa Barbieri
Team Manager	Louisa Bisby

Managerial history

Name	Nationality	From	To
Joe Montemurro[14]	Australia	1 July 2015	4 January 2017
Jess Fishlock[15]	Wales	5 January 2017	31 March 2017
Patrick Kisnorbo[16]	Australia	1 July 2017	30 June 2018
Rado Vidošić[17]	Australia	1 July 2018	—

Honours

Domestic

• W-League/A-League Women Premiership:

Winners (2): 2015–16, 2019–20

• W-League/A-League Women Championship

Winners (4): 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020

See also

• List of top-division football clubs in AFC countries
• Women's football in Australia
• A-League Women records and statistics
• Australia women's national football team

References

External links

• Official website
• W-League official website
• Football Federation Australia official website

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