Victory look to line record-setting season in silver
Jeff Hopkins is immensely proud of Melbourne Victory's record-setting efforts this A-League Women season. But he also knows that the best, most enduring way to secure a legacy is through silverware.
After setting new records for wins, points, and games without defeat, Jeff Hopkins says the place of Melbourne Victory’s current A-League Women’s side in the club’s pantheon speaks for itself. But sitting second with just two weeks remaining on the season, with the premiership still up for grabs and finals still to come, he also knows nothing cements a legacy like silverware.
Making the trek to Gosford to face the Central Coast Mariners on Friday evening, the task facing down Hopkins and his side is a simple one. If they want to retain any realistic hopes of stealing the premiership off bitter foes Melbourne City, they have to win. They need City to stumble in the coming weeks, too, be it in their penultimate game against Newcastle earlier on Friday evening or the following week away to Perth Glory, but they can’t capitalise on that unless they hold up their end of the bargain.
Working in Victory’s favour here is that they’ve become rather good at winning games as of late, rattling off six in succession across the past couple of months. That’s a club record. Further, this has all been part of an eleven-game unbeaten run, with their last defeat coming against what was then a red-hot Brisbane Roar back on January 8. That’s another club record.
In no small part thanks to the A-League Women now, finally, playing a home and away season, Hopkins’ side will add to their legacy by setting new records for total wins and points this season. But records are one thing and trophies are another. Kayla Morrison and Lia Privitelli didn’t lift a placard talking about records in 2022, they held aloft an A-League Women's title.
Thus, while Hopkins is immensely proud of what his side has accomplished this season, regardless of what comes next, he also acknowledges there’s plenty of work to do.
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“In terms of points gained and games won then, yes, they are [the best in Victory history],” said Hopkins. “But they've still got something to prove, I think.
“There's a lot of work still to do this year. If they want to be seen as the best team, they've got to go out there and win things as well.”
Regardless of what happens in the coming fortnight, Victory’s 1-0 win over Western Sydney during the international break – the game rescheduled after being postponed due to heat – will finish the season in the top two and benefit from a week off in the first week of the finals.
But with a berth in the Asian Champions League now associated with winning the premiership, finishing atop the table at the end of the season has taken on a greater level of importance in the Australian women’s top flight this season, both because of the platform it provides and the potentially lucrative rewards it offers clubs and players alike.
Thus, plenty is riding on Friday’s game with a traditionally tough-to-beat Mariners outfit. Aside from the long-term injured Lydia Williams, Hopkins said he had a full contingent in training this week, with midfielder Paige Zois in contention to come back into the squad after missing all of the season to this point with a leg injury. Lia Privitelli is unlikely to feature but shapes as a possible addition to the squad that will face Brisbane next week.
“Last week was a must-win,” said Hopkins. “The week before was a must-win. The way that City are going, you've got to be matching them every week. So far, we've done that and that's all we're again, thinking of doing.
“If we want to, we'll know how they've got on before we go out and play -- they're playing a little bit before us. But it doesn't really interest me until we win. We must win the game. That's all we're focused on. The other game doesn't really matter until we've won our game.”
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[The Mariners have] given us some of our most difficult games over the last couple of seasons. They're always very tight affairs. They're well organized. They're a very flexible side. They can jump in and out of different formations quite fluidly.
“For us this week, we've been able to just concentrate on things that we've done really well. I thought against Western Sydney, it was the best I've seen our midfield; that first half -- some of the football we played and built up from our back through the midfield -- was amazing. Our front three were very, very dangerous. Getting balls in behind.
“So we'll be looking at being very, very positive. Looking to get forward -- looking to score goals and create chances.”