As the Liberty A-League Finals Series begins, we use Opta Data to compare the squads and examine who has the edge when it comes to experience.
The 2023-24 Liberty A-League Finals Series gets underway this weekend, with Western United facing Newcastle Jets and Melbourne Victory taking on Central Coast Mariners in two huge Elimination Finals.
Melbourne City and Sydney FC await the winners of those ties in the Semi Finals, with the series’ expansion from four teams to six promising more action and more room for drama.
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Sydney were denied their fourth straight Premiership on the final day of the regular season, a 4-0 defeat to Melbourne Victory allowing City to snatch top spot.
Can the Sky Blues – a fixture in the Finals since they were founded in 2008 – put that disappointment aside and draw on their big-game know-how to defend their crown?
Experience may not be a guarantee of success, but in the big moments, it can certainly go a long way.
With the business end of the campaign upon us, we use Opta data to delve into the contenders’ squad profiles. Will experience, or youthful exuberance, win the day?
Melbourne City
Having reached the Finals in six of their eight seasons since first joining the Liberty A-League in 2016, winning two championships, City are no strangers to playing on the big stage.
Boss Dario Vidosic can draw on the nous of New Zealand greats Hannah Wilkinson and Rebekah Stott, with the former earning 122 caps for her country and the latter amassing 100.
Wilkinson, who will turn 32 in May, has nine A-League goals for the season, more than any of her City teammates and a tally only bettered by eight players overall. She has accumulated a league-high figure of 13.72 expected goals (xG) this term, but she has also underperformed those underlying statistics by a greater margin (-4.72) than any other player.
At the other end of the age spectrum is Daniela Galic, with the 17-year-old recording 11 goal involvements (six goals, five assists) in the A-League this term. That is a team-high tally, despite Galic only starting 16 of City’s 22 regular-season games.
Sydney FC
Given their status as a true A-League powerhouse, it is perhaps something of a surprise that Sydney rank fourth among the six finalists for the average number of career A-League appearances made by each member of their squad, with 42.3.
Coach Ante Juric has shown great faith in youth this season. Of the 16 Sydney players to make at least 10 league appearances in 2023-24, 13 are below the age of 25, with 27-year-old forward Shea Connors the oldest to reach double figures.
23-year-old Mackenzie Hawkesby has played a key role for the Sky Blues, creating a league-high 66 chances and attempting 46 shots at goal. That latter figure is the second most of any player aged 23 or under.
| Team | Average Games per player | Average Goals per player |
| Melbourne Victory | 52.8 | 6.3 |
| Newcastle Jets | 42.7 | 4.2 |
| Melbourne City | 42.7 | 5.0 |
| Sydney FC | 42.3 | 5.4 |
| Central Coast Mariners | 37.8 | 3.7 |
| Western United | 36.4 | 4.6 |
Western United
Western United are making their second Finals appearance in their second A-League campaign, looking to go one better following their 4-0 defeat to Sydney in last year’s Grand Final.
Their average of 36.4 A-League appearances per squad member is the lowest of the six Finals contenders, though the likes of Jaclyn Sawicki and Hannah Keane boast plenty of overseas experience.
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American forward Keane scored 10 goals in 20 regular-season appearances this campaign, making her one of just two players aged 30 or older to reach double figures alongside the A-League’s all-time leading scorer Michelle Heyman, who netted 17 times in 22 outings for Canberra United. However, she will miss with the Finals through injury.
Typically deployed as one of three centre-backs, co-captain Grace Maher also has plenty of experience under her belt despite not turning 25 until next week, with her 110 career A-League games more than any other current Western United player.
She won possession 215 times throughout the regular season, a tally only bettered by Central Coast Mariners midfielder Isabel Gomez (217).
Melbourne Victory
At the other end of the scale, Melbourne Victory boast – in terms of A-League appearances – the most experienced squad in the Finals.
Their squad averages 52.8 career games in the competition, over 10 more than Newcastle Jets and Melbourne City, who rank joint-second with 42.7.
The likes of Emma Checker (149 A-League appearances), Lydia Williams (131) and Emily Gielnik (122) boost that figure, with the latter of that trio boasting more career goals in the competition (54) than any other player to reach this year’s Finals.
Eight of her goals have arrived this season, a tally only bettered by former Melbourne City forward Rachel Lowe among her Victory teammates. Lowe’s 12 goals were at least twice as many as any other player aged 23 or under managed throughout the regular season.
Central Coast Mariners
Making their return to the league after a 13-year absence, Central Coast Mariners secured their place in the Finals with two games to spare, and Emily Husband’s relatively inexperienced side will face the Victory for a semi-final place on Sunday.
Casey Dumont (145) and Kyah Simon (117) are the only Mariners players with more than 80 A-League matches under their belts, while their average of just 3.7 A-League goals per squad member is the lowest among the six teams to reach the Finals.
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It’s no surprise, then, to see the Mariners rely on a solid defence. Only Sydney have conceded fewer goals (20 to 24) or allowed opponents fewer expected goals against (21.96 xGA to 26.23) than Husband’s side this term.
Tenacious 21-year-old midfielder Gomez has played a key role in protecting the Mariners’ backline, attempting (89) and winning (64) more tackles than any other player in the A-League.
Newcastle Jets
Newcastle Jets ended their five-year Finals exile in resounding fashion on the final day of the regular season, routing Adelaide United 8-0 to clinch sixth place.
Gema Simon (151) and Cassidy Davis (150) rank first and second for total A-League appearances among all players to reach this season’s Finals, but two relative novices have put defences on alert in Newcastle colours this term.
In just her second A-League campaign, Philippines star Sarina Bolden has scored 12 goals and added nine assists in just 17 appearances, with only Heyman (24) bettering her overall tally of 21 goal involvements.
19-year-old Lara Gooch, meanwhile, has attempted more shots than any other teenager in the competition this term (30), and she warmed up for the Finals by netting her third and fourth goals of the season against Adelaide.
