2023–24 Melbourne Victory FC (women) season

Melbourne Victory (A-League Women)

2023–24 season
Owner	70% 777 Partners 30% Melbourne Victory Limited
Chairman	John Dovaston
Manager	Jeff Hopkins
Stadium	The Home of the Matildas AAMI Park
A-League Women	4th
A-League Women Finals	Elimination-finals
Top goalscorer	League: Rachel Lowe (12) All: Rachel Lowe (12)
Highest home attendance	4,522 vs. Sydney FC (26 January 2024) A-League Women
Lowest home attendance	818 vs. Western Sydney Wanderers (16 February 2024) A-League Women
Average home league attendance	2,193
Biggest win	4–0 vs. Newcastle Jets (H) (12 November 2023) A-League Women 4–0 vs. Western Sydney Wanderers (H) (16 February 2024) A-League Women 4–0 vs. Sydney FC (A) (31 March 2024) A-League Women
Biggest defeat	1–4 vs. Western United (H) (6 January 2024) A-League Women
Home colours Away colours

The 2023–24 season was the 16th in the history of Melbourne Victory Football Club (A-League Women).

Players

First-team squad

As of 12 January 2024

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

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  AUS Lydia Williams 2 DF  AUS Jamilla Rankin 3 DF  USA Tori Hansen (on loan from Orlando Pride) 4 MF  USA Sara D'Appolonia 5 DF  AUS Jessika Nash 6 MF  AUS Beattie Goad 7 FW  AUS Ella O'Grady 8 MF  AUS Alana Murphy 9 FW  AUS Emily Gielnik 10 FW  AUS Alex Chidiac 11 FW  USA McKenzie Weinert 13 FW  JPN Kurea Okino

No. Pos. Nation Player 15 DF  AUS Emma Checker 16 MF  AUS Paige Zois 18 DF  USA Kayla Morrison (captain) 19 FW  AUS Lia Privitelli 20 GK  AUS Miranda Templeman 21 DF  AUS Elise Kellond-Knight 22 MF  AUS Ava Briedis (scholarship) 23 MF  AUS Rachel Lowe 24 MF  AUS Laura Pickett 27 MF  AUS Rosie Curtis (scholarship) 50 GK  AUS Courtney Newbon (injury replacement) 66 GK  AUS Geo Candy (injury replacement)

Transfers

Transfers in

No.	Position	Player	Transferred from	Type/fee	Contract length	Date	Ref.
23	MF	Rachel Lowe	Sydney FC	Free transfer	1 year	21 August 2023	[1]
15	DF	Emma Checker	Melbourne City	Free transfer	1 year	22 August 2023	[2]
2	DF	Jamilla Rankin	Brisbane Roar	Free transfer	1 year	23 August 2023	[3]
13	FW	Kurea Okino	Boroondara Eagles	Free transfer	1 year	24 August 2023	[4]
7	FW	Ella O'Grady	QAS	Free transfer	1 year	25 August 2023	[5]
3	DF	Tori Hansen	Orlando Pride	Loan	1 year	13 September 2023	[6]
11	FW	McKenzie Weinert	OL Reign	Free transfer	1 year	15 September 2023	[7]
1	GK	Lydia Williams	Brighton & Hove Albion	Undisclosed	2 years	16 September 2023	[8]
9	FW	Emily Gielnik	Unattached	Free transfer	1 year	22 September 2023	[9]
24	MF	Laura Pickett	Unattached	Free transfer	1 year	13 October 2023	[10]
4	MF	Sara D'Appolonia	Peninsula Power	Free transfer	1 year	16 October 2023	[11]
10	MF	Alex Chidiac	Unattached	Free transfer	2.5 years	30 December 2023	[12]
50	GK	Courtney Newbon	Unattached	Injury replacement		6 January 2024	[13][14]
66	GK	Geo Candy	Unattached	Injury replacement		12 January 2024	[15]

Transfers out

No.	Position	Player	Transferred to	Type/fee	Date	Ref.
1	GK	Casey Dumont	Hawthorn (AFLW)		28 April 2023	[16][17][18][19]
23	DF	Emily Kos	Unattached	End of contract	16 May 2023	[20]
17	FW	Maja Markovski	Unattached	End of contract		[20]
7	DF	Gema Simon	Unattached	End of contract		[20]
9	FW	Catherine Zimmerman	Western United	Free transfer	26 July 2023	[21]
14	FW	Melina Ayres	Newcastle Jets	Free transfer	24 August 2023	[22]
3	DF	Claudia Bunge	HB Køge	Undisclosed	28 August 2023	[23][24]
11	DF	Natalie Tathem	Unattached	End of contract	8 September 2023	[25]
24	DF	Anna Liacopoulos	Unattached	End of contract		[25]
15	MF	Amy Jackson	Unattached	End of contract	1 October 2023	[26]
2	FW	Tiffany Eliadis	Atlético Ouriense	End of contract	9 October 2023	[27]
11	FW	McKenzie Weinert	Seattle Reign	Undisclosed	22 February 2024	[28]

Contract extensions

No.	Position	Player	Duration	Date	Ref.
18	Kayla Morrison	Defender	1 year	21 August 2023	[29]
19	Lia Privitelli	Forward	1 year	22 August 2023	[30]
8	Alana Murphy	Midfielder	1 year	23 August 2023	[31]
22	Ava Briedis	Midfielder	1 year	24 August 2023	[32]
16	Paige Zois	Midfielder	1 year		[33]
27	Rosie Curtis	Midfielder	1 year	25 August 2023	[34]
21	Elise Kellond-Knight	Defender	1 year		[35]

Pre-season and friendlies

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixtures

Melbourne Victory v Melbourne City

1 October 2023	Melbourne Victory	0–3	Melbourne City	Melbourne
11:30 AEDT		Report	Hansen 35' (o.g.) Wilkinson 54' Pollicina 79'	Stadium: The Home of the Matildas

Melbourne Victory v Western United

7 October 2023	Melbourne Victory	2–0	Western United	Melbourne
09:40 AEDT	Lowe 64' Okino 90'	Report		Stadium: The Home of the Matildas Attendance: 0 (behind closed doors)

Competitions

Overall record

Competition	First match	Last match	Starting round	Final position	Record
					Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Win %
A-League Women	15 October 2023	31 March 2024	Matchday 1	4th	21	9	6	6	40	29	+11	042.86
A-League Women Finals	14 April 2024		Elimination-finals	Elimination-finals	1	0	1	0	0	0	+0	000.00
Total					22	9	7	6	40	29	+11	040.91

Source: Soccerway

A-League Women

Main article: 2023–24 A-League Women

League table

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
2	Sydney FC (C)	22	11	6	5	31	20	+11	39	Qualification to Finals series
3	Western United	22	11	3	8	37	34	+3	36
4	Melbourne Victory	22	10	6	6	44	29	+15	36
5	Central Coast Mariners	22	10	5	7	31	24	+7	35
6	Newcastle Jets	22	10	3	9	43	36	+7	33

Source: A-Leagues
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) wins; 3) goal difference; 4) goals scored; 5) head-to-head results; 6) Fair Play points; 7) away head-to-head results; 8) home head-to-head results; 9) toss of a coin^[36]
(C) Champions

Results summary

Overall								Home						Away
Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD
21	10	5	6	43	28	+15	35	6	2	2	22	11	+11	4	3	4	21	17	+4

Source: KEEPUP

Results by round

Round	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22
Ground	H	A	H	H	A	H	A	H	A	A	H	N	A	H	A	A	H	H	A	H	A	A
Result	L	L	W	W	D	W	D	W	L	L	L	D	W	D	W	D	W	W	W	D	L	W
Position	8	11	8	5	4	4	4	3	4	4	7	8	6	8	5	5	4	4	4	5	7	4
Points	0	0	3	6	7	10	11	14	14	14	14	15	18	19	22	23	26	29	32	33	33	36

Source: KEEPUP
A = Away; H = Home; N = Neutral; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Matches

The final league fixtures were announced on 24 August 2023.^[37]

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixtures

Melbourne Victory v Brisbane Roar

15 October 2023 1	Melbourne Victory	1–2	Brisbane Roar	Melbourne
16:00 AEDT	O'Grady 90+4'	Report	Kuilamu 49' McCormick 70'	Stadium: The Home of the Matildas Attendance: 2,588 Referee: Anna-Marie Keighley

Western United v Melbourne Victory

22 October 2023 2	Western United	2–1	Melbourne Victory	Melbourne
16:00 AEDT	M. Taranto 66' Hieda 90'	Report	Checker 15'	Stadium: City Vista Recreation Reserve Attendance: 2,200 Referee: Georgia Ghirardello

Melbourne Victory v Adelaide United

4 November 2023 3	Melbourne Victory	2–0	Adelaide United	Melbourne
17:00 AEDT	Weinert 31' Morrison 37'	Report		Stadium: AAMI Park Attendance: 4,102 Referee: Isabella Blaess

Melbourne Victory v Newcastle Jets

12 November 2023 4	Melbourne Victory	4–0	Newcastle Jets	Melbourne
15:00 AEDT	Lowe 2', 65' O'Grady 66' Burrows 88' (o.g.)	Report		Stadium: The Home of the Matildas Attendance: 1,796 Referee: Anna-Marie Keighley

Perth Glory v Melbourne Victory

18 November 2023 5	Perth Glory	2–2	Melbourne Victory	Perth
19:00 AWST	Lowry 24', 90+6'	Report	Lowe 79', 84'	Stadium: Macedonia Park Attendance: 1,533 Referee: Caitlin Williams

Melbourne Victory v Central Coast Mariners

26 November 2023 6	Melbourne Victory	2–1	Central Coast Mariners	Melbourne
14:00 AEDT	Okino 60' Weinert 90+1'	Report	Bryson 71'	Stadium: The Home of the Matildas Attendance: 1,056 Referee: Asaka Koizumi

Wellington Phoenix v Melbourne Victory

10 December 2023 7	Wellington Phoenix	2–2	Melbourne Victory	Porirua
16:00 NZDT	Taylor 17' Main 24'	Report	Morrison 15' Okino 37'	Stadium: Jerry Collins Stadium Attendance: 672 Referee: Anna-Marie Keighley

Melbourne Victory v Canberra United

16 December 2023 8	Melbourne Victory	2–0	Canberra United	Melbourne
17:00 AEDT	Weinert 28' Okino 57'	Report		Stadium: AAMI Park Attendance: 2,264 Referee: Georgia Ghirardello

Melbourne City v Melbourne Victory

23 December 2023 9	Melbourne City	1–0	Melbourne Victory	Melbourne
17:00 AEDT	Ekic 10'	Report		Stadium: AAMI Park Attendance: 6,286 Referee: Kate Jacewicz

Western Sydney Wanderers v Melbourne Victory

30 December 2023 10	Western Sydney Wanderers	2–0	Melbourne Victory	Sydney
18:00 AEDT	Harrison 38' Apostolakis 51'	Report		Stadium: Wanderers Football Park Attendance: 696 Referee: Isabella Libri

Melbourne Victory v Western United

6 January 2024 11	Melbourne Victory	1–4	Western United	Melbourne
18:00 AEDT	Lowe 78'	Report	Hieda 32' A. Taranto 34' Logarzo 60', 69'	Stadium: The Home of the Matildas Attendance: 1,686 Referee: Beth Rattray

Melbourne Victory v Perth Glory

12 January 2024 12	Melbourne Victory	1–1	Perth Glory	Sydney
17:00 AEDT	Lowe 28'	Report	Rankin 60' (o.g.)	Stadium: Leichhardt Oval Attendance: 1,130 Referee: Caitlin Williams
Note: Originally scheduled for 14 January 2024, was moved due to Unite Round.[38]

Canberra United v Melbourne Victory

20 January 2024 13	Canberra United	2–3	Melbourne Victory	Canberra
17:00 AEDT	Heyman 5', 70'	Report	Lowe 18' Chidiac 46' Gielnik 90+3'	Stadium: McKellar Park Attendance: 2,148 Referee: Isabella Mossin

Melbourne Victory v Sydney FC

26 January 2024 14	Melbourne Victory	1–1	Sydney FC	Melbourne
17:00 AEDT	Lowe 21' (pen.)	Report	Caspers 7'	Stadium: AAMI Park Attendance: 4,522 Referee: Isabella Blaess

Brisbane Roar v Melbourne Victory

3 February 2024 15	Brisbane Roar	1–2	Melbourne Victory	Brisbane
17:00 AEST	Yallop 36'	Report	Checker 4' Lowe 77' (pen.)	Stadium: Perry Park Attendance: 2,175 Referee: Rebecca Durcau

Central Coast Mariners v Melbourne Victory

10 February 2024 16	Central Coast Mariners	1–1	Melbourne Victory	Gosford
17:00 AEDT	Trimis 6'	Report	Gielnik 66'	Stadium: Industree Group Stadium Attendance: 4,226 Referee: Caitlin Williams

Melbourne Victory v Western Sydney Wanderers

16 February 2024 17	Melbourne Victory	4–0	Western Sydney Wanderers	Melbourne
19:00 AEDT	Weinert 20', 63' Gielnik 60', 71'	Report		Stadium: The Home of the Matildas Attendance: 818 Referee: Molly Godsell

Melbourne Victory v Wellington Phoenix

3 March 2024 18	Melbourne Victory	5–3	Wellington Phoenix	Melbourne
14:00 AEDT	Goad 10', 35' Hansen 17' Foster 45' (o.g.) Lowe 64'	Report	Rankin 57' (o.g.) Robertson 90' Speckmaier 90+1'	Stadium: The Home of the Matildas Attendance: 1,087 Referee: Rebecca Durcau

Adelaide United v Melbourne Victory

10 March 2024 19	Adelaide United	1–4	Melbourne Victory	Adelaide
16:30 ACDT	Hodgson 72'	Report	Gielnik 9', 32', 67' Morrison 82'	Stadium: Coopers Stadium Attendance: 923 Referee: Isabella Libri
Note: Match originally scheduled for 9 March 2024, but postponed due to extreme heat forecast. It was rescheduled to 10 March 2024.[39]

Melbourne Victory v Melbourne City

17 March 2024 20	Melbourne Victory	0–0	Melbourne City	Melbourne
14:00 AEDT		Report		Stadium: The Home of the Matildas Attendance: 2,012 Referee: Casey Reibelt

Newcastle Jets v Melbourne Victory

23 March 2024 21	Newcastle Jets	3–2	Melbourne Victory	Newcastle
16:00 AEDT	Allan 40' Ayres 80', 87'	Report	Lowe 14' Hansen 53'	Stadium: Newcastle Number 2 Sports Ground Attendance: 2,892 Referee: Rebecca Durcau

Sydney FC v Melbourne Victory

31 March 2024 22	Sydney FC	0–4	Melbourne Victory	Sydney
16:00 AEDT		Report	Murphy 17' Lowe 38' (pen.) Gielnik 64' Chidiac 90+6'	Stadium: Leichhardt Oval Attendance: 4,576 Referee: Casey Reibelt

Finals series

Main article: 2024 A-League Women finals series

Melbourne Victory v Central Coast Mariners

14 April 2024 Elimination-finals	Melbourne Victory	0–0 (a.e.t.) (2–4 p)	Central Coast Mariners	Melbourne
16:00 AEST		Report		Stadium: The Home of the Matildas Attendance: 1,722 Referee: Rebecca Durcau
	Penalties
	Lowe Chidiac Murphy Zois		Dumont Bryson Wurigumula Galic

Statistics

Appearances and goals

Includes all competitions. Players with no appearances not included in the list.

No.	Pos.	Nat.	Name	A-League Women				Total
				Regular season		Finals series
				Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
1	GK		Lydia Williams	11	0	0	0	11	0
2	DF		Jamilla Rankin	22	0	1	0	23	0
3	DF		Tori Hansen	17+2	2	1	0	20	2
4	MF		Sara D'Appolonia	13+8	0	0	0	21	0
5	DF		Jessika Nash	12+2	0	1	0	15	0
6	MF		Beattie Goad	12	2	1	0	13	2
7	FW		Ella O'Grady	0+7	2	0	0	7	2
8	MF		Alana Murphy	14+5	0	1	0	20	0
9	FW		Emily Gielnik	8+5	8	0	0	13	8
10	MF		Alex Chidiac	12+1	2	1	0	14	2
11	FW		McKenzie Weinert	17	5	0	0	17	5
13	FW		Kurea Okino	10+6	3	0+1	0	17	3
15	DF		Emma Checker	15+2	2	0	0	17	2
16	MF		Paige Zois	7+7	0	0+1	0	15	0
18	DF		Kayla Morrison	22	3	1	0	23	3
19	FW		Lia Privitelli	3+10	0	1	0	14	0
20	GK		Miranda Templeman	0+1	0	0	0	1	0
21	DF		Elise Kellond-Knight	14+2	0	1	0	17	0
22	MF		Ava Briedis	0+7	0	0	0	7	0
23	MF		Rachel Lowe	22	12	1	0	23	12
27	MF		Rosie Curtis	0+6	0	0	0	6	0
50	GK		Courtney Newbon	11+1	0	1	0	13	0

Disciplinary record

Includes all competitions. The list is sorted by squad number when total cards are equal. Players with no cards not included in the list.

Rank	No.	Pos.	Nat.	Name	A-League Women						Total
					Regular season			Finals series
1	19	FW		Lia Privitelli	3	0	0	1	0	0	4	0	0
	23	MF		Rachel Lowe	4	0	0	0	0	0	4	0	0
3	4	MF		Sarah D'Appolonia	3	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	0
	6	MF		Beattie Goad	3	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	0
	11	FW		McKenzie Weinert	3	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	0
6	2	DF		Jamilla Rankin	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0
	9	FW		Emily Gielnik	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0
	15	DF		Emma Checker	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0
	18	DF		Kayla Morrison	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0
	21	DF		Elise Kellond-Knight	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0
12	3	DF		Tori Hansen	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0
	10	MF		Alex Chidiac	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0
	13	FW		Kurea Okino	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0
	Total					28	0	0	1	0	0	29	0	0

Clean sheets

Includes all competitions. The list is sorted by squad number when total clean sheets are equal. Numbers in parentheses represent games where both goalkeepers participated and both kept a clean sheet; the number in parentheses is awarded to the goalkeeper who was substituted on, whilst a full clean sheet is awarded to the goalkeeper who was on the field at the start of play. Goalkeepers with no clean sheets not included in the list.

Rank	No.	Nat.	Goalkeeper	A-League Women		Total
				Regular season	Finals series
1	1		Lydia Williams	3	0	3
2	50		Courtney Newbon	2	1	3
Total				5	1	6

See also

• 2023–24 Melbourne Victory FC season

References

1. "Melbourne Victory signs Rachel Lowe". Melbourne Victory. 21 August 2023.
2. "Melbourne Victory Signs Emma Checker". Melbourne Victory. 22 August 2023.
3. "Melbourne Victory signs Jamilla Rankin". Melbourne Victory. 23 August 2023.
4. "Melbourne Victory signs Kurea Okino". Melbourne Victory. 24 August 2023.
5. "Melbourne Victory signs Ella O'Grady". Melbourne Victory. 25 August 2023.
6. "Melbourne Victory signs Tori Hansen". Melbourne Victory. 13 September 2023.
7. "Melbourne Victory signs McKenzie Weinert". Melbourne Victory. 15 September 2023.
8. "Melbourne Victory signs Lydia Williams". Melbourne Victory. 16 September 2023.
9. "Melbourne Victory signs Emily Gielnik". Melbourne Victory. 22 September 2023.
10. Melbourne Victory [@gomvfc] (13 October 2023). "Tying a bow on the squad ahead of Round 1! 🎀 We're pleased to announce the signing of Laura Pickett for the 2023/24 @aleaguewomen season. Welcome, Laura! 👏" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
11. Melbourne Victory [@gomvfc] (16 October 2023). "Deadline day on Sunday saw us complete the signing of American, Sara D'Appolonia, for the 2023/24 @aleaguewomen season, making her debut off the bench against Brisbane" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
12. "Melbourne Victory signs Alex Chidiac". Melbourne Victory. 30 December 2023.
13. Melbourne Victory [@gomvfc] (6 January 2024). "Courtney Newbon has been signed as a replacement for the injured Miranda Templeman" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
14. "Women's Match Report | Victory Fall Against Western United". Melbourne Victory. 6 January 2024. Unfortunately, injury concerns persisted, leading to another change at halftime. Courtney Newbon stepped in for Lydia Williams, making her debut for the Club.
15. Melbourne Victory [@gomvfc] (12 January 2024). "Williams and Nash both miss out from injuries picked up last week. Courtney Newbon makes her first Victory start while Geo Candy joins the Club as an injury replacement goalkeeper" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
16. "Victory goalkeeper Dumont joins Hawks' AFLW team". ESPN. 28 April 2023.
17. Snape, Jack (19 August 2023). "'It's huge': code-hopping Matilda says football must close professionalism gap". The Guardian.
18. Casey Dumont [@CaseyDumont] (13 September 2023). ""The end of these chapters is only the beginning of a whole new volume." Goodbye and Thanks👋 Seasons: 17/18, 18/19, 19/20, 21/22, 22/23" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
19. Melbourne Victory [@gomvfc] (16 September 2023). "After furthering her commitment to AFLW, goalkeeper Casey Dumont will not return to the Club for the 2023/24 Liberty A-League season" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
20. "Melbourne Victory A-League Women's Player Update". Melbourne Victory. 16 May 2023.
21. Hughes, Nick (26 July 2023). "Catherine Zimmerman brings firepower up front for Western United". Western United.
22. "Newcastle Jets sign Melina Ayres". Newcastle Jets. 24 August 2023.
23. "Claudia Bunge Departs Melbourne Victory". Melbourne Victory. 28 August 2023.
24. "Welcome Claudia". HB Køge (in Danish). 28 August 2023.
25. "Tathem, Liacopoulos depart Melbourne Victory". Melbourne Victory. 8 September 2023.
26. "A. Jackson". Soccerway. Retrieved 15 July 2024. Melbourne Victory (19/09/2022 - 01/10/2023)
27. Melbourne Victory [@gomvfc] (9 October 2023). "After 64 appearances, spanning five seasons, dual Championship-winner Tiff Eliadis will not return to the squad for the 2023/24 Liberty A-League season, signing for Portuguese Club, Atletico Ouriense" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
28. "McKenzie Weinert returns to Seattle Reign". Melbourne Victory. 22 February 2024.
29. "Melbourne Victory re-signs Kayla Morrison". Melbourne Victory. 21 August 2023.
30. "Melbourne Victory re-signs Lia Privitelli". Melbourne Victory. 22 August 2023.
31. "Melbourne Victory re-signs Alana Murphy". Melbourne Victory. 23 August 2023.
32. "Melbourne Victory re-signs Ava Briedis". Melbourne Victory. 24 August 2023.
33. "Melbourne Victory re-signs Paige Zois". Melbourne Victory. 24 August 2023.
34. "Melbourne Victory re-signs Rosie Curtis". Melbourne Victory. 25 August 2023.
35. "Melbourne Victory re-signs Elise Kellond-Knight". Melbourne Victory. 25 August 2023.
36. "Competitions Rules". A-Leagues. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
37. "Full A-Leagues fixtures released: What you need to know & key talking points". keepup.com.au. 24 August 2023.
38. "What is Unite Round?". aleagues.com.au. 18 October 2023.
39. "A-Leagues fixture updates due to extreme heat forecast in Melbourne and Adelaide: Details". A-Leagues. Australian Professional Leagues. 7 March 2024.

External links

• Melbourne Victory official website