Melbourne Victory captain Kayla Morrison says she can hardly believe the club managed to lure defender Zoe McMeeken away from Wellington Phoenix, such as been the New Zealander’s impact this off-season.
McMeeken, 21, joined Victory after making 55 Ninja A-League appearances for Wellington. The New Zealand youth international is one of 12 new arrivals as head coach Jeff Hopkins looks to guide his side back to the Ninja A-League Grand Final after tasting defeat in the 2025 title decider against Central Coast Mariners.
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Speaking at the Melbourne A-Leagues season launch on Thursday, Morrison labelled McMeeken her “favourite” new arrival of the off-season, and questioned why the Phoenix were willing to let her go.
“I think there (has been) a lot of great recruitment in the off-season,” Morrison said.
“Probably my favourite would be Zoe McMeeken from Wellington. I don’t know what happened there, but crazy that they let her go with how great she’s been doing in our pre-season.”
McMeeken is one of several experienced Ninja A-League campaigners to have landed at Victory this off-season; midfielder Taylor Ray, who won the Championship with Central Coast Mariners last term, is a headline signing among the dozen, as is former Canberra and Western United star Grace Maher, who returns for a second stint at Victory, and ex-Melbourne City star Rhianna Pollicina.
Every Victory signing: Taylor Ray, Kennedy White, Sienna Saveska, Chelsea Blissett, Jessica Young, Sienna Techera, Fiorina Iaria, Payton Woodward, Chloe McKenzie, Rhianna Pollicina, Zoe McMeeken, Grace Maher
Morrison says the new arrivals will quickly learn of Victory’s high expectations for the 2025-26 campaign, which begins on October 1, following the heartbreak of losing to the Mariners in the Grand Final via a penalty shootout.
“It’s really upsetting to think back to the Grand Final, knowing we were so close and probably favoured to win, it feels like it kind of got ripped out of our hands,” Morrison said.
“So we’re going to try and do it in just the 90 minutes this year, and that’s what our focus will be on.
“There has been quite a big turnover on our team, but I think the girls who have been there, (Grand Final defeat) is something that still drives us, and it’s something that’s in the back of our head.
“And the girls who have joined us, maybe some of them haven’t even been in this situation before, so knowing that they’re at a team that does like to get to finals and push for the win, I think that’s the hunger for them.”
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Another team out for atonement in 2025-26 is Melbourne City, last season’s Premiers who didn’t lose a game until the second leg of their Semi-Final bout with Central Coast Mariners, which resulted in the Gosford side bundling Michael Matricciani’s side out of the Finals Series in a major upset.
Having secured the Premiership, City were eyeing a Ninja A-League trophy double – as well as a potential third piece of silverware, having sealed a place in the AFC Women’s Champions League Final.
City ended the campaign with just one trophy to their name following their Semi-Final loss to the Mariners and defeat to Wuhan Jiangda in the final of the continental tournament.
Captain Rebekah Stott says heartbreak has turned to hunger ahead of the new campaign.
“It sucked last year, but I think we’ll come back hungrier,” Stott said.
“We want to be successful,” she added. “And I think at the end of the day, getting into the Grand Final and being successful in that game is success. That’s definitely what we’re striving for.”
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City’s squad has been bolstered by several impressive signings, including former Everton captain Danielle Turner, Australia Under-23 international Aideen Keane and English defender Ellie Wilson, who joins the club from crosstown rivals Victory.
But there’s one City player exciting Stott above all others heading into the Ninja A-League 2025-26 campaign – and that’s 17-year-old rising star Shelby McMahon.
“I can’t go past Shelby,” Stott said.
“I think she’s an unbelievable talent and I think she’ll really have a breakout year.”
Melbourne City begin the Ninja A-League 2025-26 season away to Sydney FC at Leichhardt Oval on Saturday, November 1.
Melbourne Victory, meanwhile, are also on the road, travelling to face Brisbane Roar at Imperial Corp Stadium on the same day.
