There's no place like home for Kayla Morrison, and that means there's no place like Melbourne Victory
Kayla Morrison feels like she's 'found her place and her people' at Melbourne Victory. So when it came time for her to re-sign, she didn't want other clubs to even think about reaching out.
When it came time for Kayla Morrison to renew her contract with Melbourne Victory, she was under no illusions about what she wanted to happen. Or, perhaps more accurately, what she didn’t. At AAMI Park, she felt valued and seen, she’d ‘found her place and people,’ and she didn’t want any rival clubs to think for one second she was a viable target.
Victory confirmed on Thursday that Morrison had inked a two-year extension that will take her through to, at least, the end of the 2026/27 A-League Women campaign. As with Alex Chidiac’s recent deal, the new agreement will see the 28-year-old contract year-round by the club, ensuring that she won’t need to consider looking overseas or to the NPLW during the offseason to supplement her footballing career.
“I actually said to JD [Victory director of football John Didulica], before my contract had originally even finished, I don't even want people to think that I am tangible for them to reach out to,” said Morrison. “I want other clubs to know that I'm Victory through and through.
“I feel like it would discredit me as a player and as the captain of Victory if people did think they could reach out to me. So I was happy to get the deal done before any of that even happened.”
After graduating from the University of Kansas, where she was named Big XII defensive player of the year as a senior, California-born Morrison first arrived in Australia in 2018; signing with NPLW Victoria side FC Bulleen Lions. A dominant two-year run at the Veneto Club followed, one in which she was named media player of the year two years running – sharing the award the second time around with Catherine Zimmerman – and won a Victorian title. A-League Women clubs generally preferring to use their foreign slots on ‘proven’ performers from the NWSL or Scandinavian leagues, she served as a train-on player with Melbourne City during this period but ultimately couldn’t latch on in the top flight, spending some time with Swedish side Morön BK when COVID cancelled the 2020 NPLW season.
But when Australian borders shut due to the pandemic and foreign players became hard to come by, Victory boss Jeff Hopkins gave her an opportunity for the 2020-21 season and she never looked back; playing every minute of every game and winning a Victory Medal as the club one a title in her first season. Named captain in her second campaign, an ACL injury forced her to the sidelines as Victory went on to win another title (Lia Privitelli insisted a tearful Morrison join her on the dias for the trophy lift) but she bounced back in subsequent years — re-establishing herself as one of the league’s consistent defenders and winning another Victory medal in 2024.
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“I'm loyal to a fault, that is just ingrained in my DNA. However, I just feel like Victory has done so much for me. I've played my best soccer at Victory,” Morrison detailed.
“I've learned so much under Jeff at Victory. I was finally taught how to be a defender, not just big and tall -- so go back there. And when I was injured, Victory did everything for me to get me back. I feel like I'll never be able to repay them. So they have my loyalty. As long as I'm in Australia, I'm sure I'll be at Victory.”
Funnily enough, though, a lot of this thinking crystalised in Morrison’s mind not at Victory but, instead, back in the United States, where she was signed as a short-term national team replacement player by NWSL side the Portland Thorns during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Featuring as an unused substitute in just two games in the Pacific Northwest, it wasn’t the most fruitful of trips abroad for the defender. And it was this time away from a place she had come to call home that made her reflect on what she’d found and built in Melbourne.
“When I was over there, I was thinking to myself I'm really lucky to be at Victory,” said Morrison. “And I really feel like I've found my place and my people, and it's not something that should be overlooked.
“I'm definitely the most comfortable I've been. When I went to Portland, I struggled not feeling valued there and valued by the coach and I think it gave me a new perspective on football. I love being at a club where I do feel valued and I feel seen by the coach.
“Having Bungee [Claudia Bunge] back, it just feels like everything's really comfortable, and I feel confident. I feel like people are backing me and that gives you a lot of confidence going into games, and it lets you kind of lead, and feel like people trust you. And it's just a lot of good feelings while I'm playing, so I'm having fun, and it just all feels really positive and optimistic, even when things are going wrong, I know that they can still go right.”
Morrison officially became an Australian citizen in November of 2023 and, immediately, talk began of her potentially representing the Matildas.
Undoubtedly, the defender’s consistent form has proven capable enough of at least meriting a look in camp and interim coach Tom Sermanni has flagged that she is a player he would like to bring in. After observing her dedication and work ethic as she looked to return from her ACL injury while he was coaching Victory’s men, current Socceroos boss Tony Popovic is a fan, too, revealing that he used her as an example with his players during his time at AAMI Park.
But the recent Matildas squad for two games against South Korea, again, was sans Morrison. As while she’s now a citizen and has maintained a sustained, unbroken and emotive desire to represent Australia for several years, FIFA has still yet to approve her switch in eligibility from the United States to Australia.
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“There's been lots of talk between JD and the club and FIFA,” she said.
“I think there's been some blockages but they keep trying to go back and again. That’s another reason why I would sign for Victory – they're doing everything they can to help me in this situation. I trust them to just give me the updates, because I know that they're doing whatever they can to kind of help push this through.
“I am just as confused as everyone else is. I think when I talk to JD about it, I can see that it's upsetting [for him]. So I think that there are probably some little things there that feel unfair about why it's being blocked.
“But I feel like the best I can do is just play as good as I can and maybe if I just play so spectacularly, they'll pull any strings.”
Header Image: Melbourne Victory