It’s go time in the Ninja A-League, and there is so much to look forward to ahead of season 2024-25!
There are CommBank Matildas aplenty, young players looking to make their mark, big-name signings to familiarise yourself with and a new home for Perth Glory – and that’s just scratching the surface.
Ahead of Round 1, aleagues.com.au brings you 10 of the biggest storylines to follow through the 2024-25 Ninja A-League season.
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2024-25 ULTIMATE GUIDE: Fixtures, signings, kits & more
CommBank Matildas in action
The Ninja A-League is where CommBank Matildas are born – and in season 2024-25, there are international stars aplenty who have represented the Green and Gold and are ready to leave their mark in the Australian and New Zealand top-flight.
Fans at clubs around the league are bound to see some of their favourite Matildas stars in action this season, with more than 20 capped Matildas signed to Ninja A-League clubs.
At Adelaide United, there’s Emily Condon, Dylan Holmes and Matilda McNamara. Perth Glory have signed Casey Dumont, while Brisbane Roar have 2023 FIFA World Cup star Tameka Yallop on their books along with Jenna McCormick and Sharn Freier.
At Canberra United, there’s the one and only Michelle Heyman, while Taylor Ray and Jessika Nash are signed to Central Coast Mariners.
2024-25 ULTIMATE GUIDE: Fixtures, signings, kits & more
Princess Ibini is ready for another season at Sydney FC and she’s joined by Matildas veteran Kyah Simon in Sky Blue this season. Chloe Logarzo is at Western United and Amy Harrison at Western Sydney Wanderers – and then, there’s the two sides of the Melbourne Derby.
There’s an incredible cohort of Matildas signed to either Melbourne Victory or Melbourne City this season. At Melbourne Victory, there’s Alex Chidiac, Emily Gielnik, Beattie Goad, Rachel Lowe and Lydia Williams. At City, there’s Melissa Barbieri, Bryleeh Henry, Holly McNamara and Karly Roestbakken.
These Matildas, plus the internationals from countries around the world calling the Ninja A-League home this season, are set to bring genuine star power to the competition ahead of season 2024-25.
Sydney FC gunning for a threepeat
Not since Melbourne City’s 2016-2019 run has a team won three consecutive Ninja A-League Championships – but after three Grand Final defeats in a row between 2020-2022, Sydney FC are now capable of matching City’s accomplishment in 2024-25.
Ante Juric’s side have secured back-to-back Grand Final wins over Western United and Melbourne City and head into the new season as one of the favourites once again – however, if the Sky Blues are to go all the way for the third time in a row, they must do so without star winger Cortnee Vine.
The Matildas World Cup hero departed the Ninja A-League after the 2024 Grand Final, having signed for National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) club North Carolina Courage. Head coach Juric will hope star signings Millie Farrow and Kyah Simon can replace Vine’s goal threat while a big chance arises for teenage winger Caley Tallon-Henniker to make the right wing of Sydney’s attack her own.
Tallon-Henniker showed plenty of potential last season and despite having big boots to fill, the 18-year-old showed eagerness to seize any opportunity that presented through her debut campaign.
2024-25 ULTIMATE GUIDE: Fixtures, signings, kits & more
Big-name signings highlighted by Matildas’ NSW switch
There has been plenty of transfer activity in the off-season – and no move raised eyebrows more than Matildas legend Kyah Simon’s return to Sydney FC after one season at Central Coast Mariners.
The 111-time Australia international is back at Sydney FC for a third stint following seven years away from the Harbour City. Simon has won two Ninja A-League Championships and both came at the Sky Blues in 2009 and 2013. The 33-year-old returned to the club in 2014 for a three-year spell and is back once again to help the club pursue a third-consecutive Championship title.
Around the league, Portugal U23 international Carolina Vilão has joined Wellington Phoenix from Portuguese giants Benfica where she won eight trophies and played in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, Football Fern Claudia Bunge has returned to Melbourne Victory and Fiona Worts has returned to Adelaide United – the club where she won the Julie Dolan Medal in 2022.
Matildas midfielder Taylor Ray has left Sydney FC for Central Coast Mariners, former Canberra United star Nickoletta Flannery has joined Melbourne Victory and former Perth Glory stars Millie Farrow and Hana Lowry have both joined Sydney FC.
2024-25 ULTIMATE GUIDE: Fixtures, signings, kits & more
For all the transfer news from the Ninja A-League by clicking HERE to visit our Transfer Centre!
Meet the new coaches
There are three new head coaches in the Ninja A-League this season, and all three are taking on their very first senior role in the league.
Canberra United have appointed the club’s former assistant coach Antoni Jagarinec after the departure of Njegosh Popovich. Jagarinec has a deep connection to football in Canberra, understands the club and has well-established relationships with several players at the capital outfit, making his transition into the top job a relatively seamless one.
Young Matildas goalkeeper Sally James returned to the club due to Jagarinec’s appointment this season, crediting him for revitalising her love for the game when she considered walking away from football. Michelle Heyman, meanwhile, says Jagarinec is leading an “incredible, open and honest” group of staff into the new season. His appointment has led to positivity spreading and optimism around the club as Canberra look to launch up the table this season.
At Melbourne City, Dario Vidosic’s departure to Women’s Super League (WSL) club Brighton and Hove Albion led to Michael Matricciani’s appointment as head coach of the reigning Premiers.
A former player and assistant coach at Adelaide United, Matricciani took to the top job at City after seven years in South Australia’s NPLM SA, where held roles as both head coach and technical director at Adelaide City and Campbelltown City.
He also spent three years as head coach of Football SA NTC Girls team where he was named WNPL Coach of the Year in 2018, and led Campbelltown City to the Australia Cup Round of 32 and an NPLM SA Championship in 2024.
Another coach who has earned a head coach role in the Ninja A-League after impressing in the NPL is Stephen Peters, the new head coach of Perth Glory.
Peters won three consecutive Championships in the NPLW NSW with Macarthur Rams and was named the league’s Coach of the Year in 2023 prior to his appointment at Glory in place of Alex Epakis.
2024-25 ULTIMATE GUIDE: Fixtures, signings, kits & more
Young Matildas on the move
The Ninja A-League is a breeding ground for the next generation of Matildas talent – and this off-season has seen many Young Matildas move clubs as they attempt to further their careers and chances of turning international potential into their first senior Matildas caps.
Sally James left Perth Glory for Canberra United and has been joined in the nation’s Capital by former Sydney FC midfielder Jynaya Dos Santos. Both Alexia Apostolakis and Emilia Murray have joined Melbourne City, while Alana Jancevski and Sofia Sakalis have signed for City’s crosstown rivals Melbourne Victory.
Ex-City defender Naomi Chinnama has landed in Perth while Glory’s reigning MVP Hana Lowry has left the club for the Sky Blues.
Ex-Canberra full-back Sasha Grove left the club for Western United – as did Chloe Lincoln who, in the Matildas’ most recent international window, received the first senior call-up of her career to date, and sat on the bench for Australia’s draw with Switzerland and 2-1 win over Germany.
For these 10 Young Matildas, and all of their U23 international teammates returning to their clubs for another season, the 2024-25 campaign provides another chance for uncapped players with the potential to reach the senior Matildas squad to showcase the best of their abilities.
Western’s full season at the club’s new home
For the first time in Western United’s history, Ironbark Fields will serve as a permanent home ground for the club from Round 1 all the way through to the end of the season.
The club’s Ninja A-League team hosted the first A-Leagues game at the facility in March of this year. Western reached the Finals Series in 2023-24 and hosted Newcastle Jets at the venue in the knockouts.
But to mark the club’s first full season at the new home ground, Ironbark Fields is set to become the home of ‘Friday Night Lights’ in 2024-25.
Western will stage 11 games at Ironbark Fields and six of those are set to take place on a Friday night – including the very first game of the Ninja A-League Women campaign against Wellington Phoenix on Friday, November 1 (7pm AEDT kick-off).
The season begins for Western with back-to-back home Friday-night fixtures to get the club’s fans in the mood for what’s to come at home in the 2024-25 campaign.
2024-25 ULTIMATE GUIDE: Fixtures, signings, kits & more
City in Asia & a legend goes around AGAIN
Melbourne City have made history this season, taking part in the Asian Football Confederation’s first-ever edition of the AFC Women’s Champions League.
City earned a spot in the 12-team tournament by winning the 2023-24 Ninja A-league Championship and a perfect record through the knockout stage has led City directly to the knockout phase of the tournament.
Wins over Bam Khatoon, BG College of Asian Scholars and Kaya FC-Iloilo earned City a place in the quarter-finals which will take place between March 22 and 23. Should City progress all the way to the Final and win the inaugural edition of the tournament, the A-Leagues side will take home at least USD $1.3 million (roughly AUD $1.95 million) in prize money.
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A player set to play a key part in City’s 2024-25 campaign, both at home and abroad, is 86-cap Matildas legend Melissa Barbieri who is back for an historic 28th season of her professional career.
The 44-year-old has re-signed for City and her tournament experience could prove pivotal to City’s hopes of progressing deep in the AFC Women’s Champions League; Barbieri has featured in several Olympic and World Cup campaigns as a Matilda, and won the Women’s Asian Cup title with Australia in 2010.
SPECIAL FEATURE: Why Australia’s oldest pro footballer is still playing at 44… and has no plans to stop
Young players to watch
One of the best aspects of every Ninja A-League season is the emergence of young players at clubs around the competition.
The 2024-25 campaign will be no different, with a strong cohort of emerging youngsters ready to make their mark.
There’s plenty of excitement surrounding Brisbane Roar recruit Danelle Tan who, at the age of 19, has already spent five years as a senior international for Singapore.
At 14, Tan became the youngest goalscorer for the Indonesian national team. Formerly of Borussia Dortmund in Germany, Tan has arrived in Brisbane with a burgeoning reputation and it will be exciting to watch her progress in her debut Ninja A-League campaign.
Central Coast Mariners’ teenager Peta Trimis is another exciting prospect, and having earned a nomination for the Ninja A-League Young Footballer of the Year Award last season, the 18-year-old will be a hot favourite to win the award outright in 2024-25 as she continues her development under Mariners head coach Emily Husband.
Young Matildas forward Emilia Murray has joined Melbourne City from Adelaide United and has the potential to become a bona fide star of the league if she manages to overcome an injury-impacted period of her early career.
Western United’s Avaani Prakash is touted as a player capable of breaking out this season, as is 15-year-old Talia Younis at Western Sydney Wanderers. Alyssa Whinham has showed immense potential in bursts at Wellington Phoenix, while 21-year-old Hana Lowry – who joined Sydney FC from Perth Glory – is at a club with a reputation for releasing the full potential of young, talented players.
The list goes on; click here for aleagues.com.au’s comprehensive list of young players to watch in the 2024-25 season!
A new home for Perth Glory
There’s something romantic about Perth Glory’s move to the state-of-the-art Sam Kerr Football Centre for season 2024-25.
Arguably the best footballer, male or female, to have ever been produced in Western Australia, Matildas legend Sam Kerr played some of the best football of her early career at Perth Glory and now, the club is set to play all of its home games at the state’s glistening new venue named in her honour.
2024-25 ULTIMATE GUIDE: Fixtures, signings, kits & more
The Sam Kerr Football Centre opened in 2023 and after functioning as a training base for multiple nations during the FIFA Women’s World Cup, will now serve as Glory’s Ninja A-League home ground.
Glory spent two seasons playing home games at Macedonia Park but now comes the dawn of an era for the club, with the excitement of the new home ground matched by the club’s announcement of a new administration and training facility that the club will call home from 2025.
Canberra legend’s chance to make scoring record unreachable
Last season, Michelle Heyman became the very first player to score 100 league goals in Ninja A-League history.
The Canberra United and Matildas legend is showing no sign of slowing down, and after taking her career tally to 106 Ninja A-League goals, the 36-year-old is looking to pull even further out of sight on the all-time leaderboard following a Golden Boot-winning season in which she struck 17 times for Canberra.
Heyman is now 34 goals ahead of Sam Kerr who sits second on the all-time list of Ninja A-League goalscorers with 72.
HEYMAN FEATURE: Legend’s longevity fuelled by childhood memory & club ‘I’d do anything for’
2024-25 ULTIMATE GUIDE: Fixtures, signings, kits & more
