The 2022-23 Liberty A-League season is done and dusted – and as that dust settles, it’s time to review how each club fared through a memorable campaign.
It was the longest A-League Women season on record, with 11th club Western United joining the fray to extend the competition to 20 rounds. And it was the newcomers who wrote so many headlines this season, finishing second and venturing all the way to the Grand Final.
But when that title decider came around on April 30, it was the dominant Premiers Sydney FC who finally broke their Grand Final hoodoo to end the season with two pieces of silverware.
On this week’s episode of The Official Liberty A-League Podcast, host Campbell Johnson was joined by former A-League Women stars Grace Gill and Catherine Cannuli to dissect the season that was.
Listen below, or via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you consume your podcasts
KEEPUP’S LIBERTY A-LEAGUE GRAND FINAL COVERAGE
CURSE BROKEN: Sydney FC crowned Liberty A-League champions after 4-0 demolition of Western United
SYDNEY ELATION: Sydney FC’s star eyes a World Cup hat-trick
KEY TO SUCCESS: Sydney FC took four minutes to find answer to question they couldn’t escape
JURIC: ‘There was no chance they were going to win’
WESTERN: Coach’s beautiful answer sums up what this season’s best story means for Aussie football
VINE: The impact of an unseen sprint one hour after full-time will leave you with a massive smile
TEAM RATINGS
Gill and Canulli joined Johnson in mid-season to provide a rating out of 10 for each team at the halfway mark. They reconvened after Sunday’s Grand Final to review their mid-season thoughts, and to provide each side with a new rating at the season’s end.
Wellington Phoenix
Gill’s rating: 2/10
Mid-season rating: 3.5/10
This is a tough one – it always is with Wellington, because they’re a team that came in with such promise into their second season. Halfway through the year I scored them a 3.5, but at the end of the season I thought they would get off the foot of the table – they failed to do so.
Cannuli’s rating: 3.5/10
Mid-season rating: 2/10
I think the second half of the season they did improve a lot. They did get a couple of wins on the board, and you could see the team was coming together quite well. It was off the back of that international break where they all came back and really started the backend of the season on a high. Even though I did score them quite low at the start of the season I think this time there is a bit of improvement there. I’ve got to say well down to Nat Lawrence there.
VISIT: ISUZU UTE A-LEAGUE FINALS TICKETS HUB
Newcastle Jets
Gill’s rating: 3/10
Mid-season rating: 4/10
They failed to hit their straps… early in the season they had some really bright moments with the likes of Murphy Agnew and Sarah Griffith. But they tailed off and finished right toward the bottom of the table.
Cannuli’s rating: 4/10
Mid-season rating: 4/10
They could have done a lot better with the squad they had. There was a little bit of disruption at the backend with the change of coaches as well. I think Newcastle is a team that always could be a lot more successful than what they are. They’ve got a great core of young local talent and I think the club really needs to look to in this next season, to look into that and a longer-term plan in the future, and what they can do to bring in the next generation of players.
Brisbane Roar
Gill’s rating: 5/10
Mid-season rating: 6/10
The talent, the quality they’ve got in the side. There were some positive movements toward the end of the season – I thought Shea Connors really picked up – but without Katrina Gorry, the moment she was gone the team looked a little bereft of ideas… they definitely underperformed given the quality they had in the team.
Cannuli’s rating: 4.5/10
Mid-season rating: 5.5/10
I thought they should have done a lot better with the squad they had. You could see in glimpses they could do really, really well in games. I think the problem for Brisbane Roar this season was the consistency; they could never get consistency across their season. It was a really tough one, and to see a team like Brisbane Roar finish ninth, I think it’s disappointing for such a big reason and has produced so many Matildas across the years of the league. It’s a disappointing season to see them finish outside of the top four.
Adelaide United
Gill’s rating: 4.5/10
Mid-season rating: 6/10
I had the highest of hopes for Adelaide this season. We’ve talked about it all year, and they definitely underperformed in expectations and the quality of players they had on the pitch.
Cannuli’s rating: 4.5/10
Mid-season rating: 6.5/10
It was disappointing to see how they ended the season. I was one of the ones who tipped them to go on at the start. They had such a successful previous season, and I just think overall they didn’t come together and click as a team. When there were moments where a lot of their players had to step up and go the extra mile… I feel like Adelaide didn’t have that this season. It’s back to the drawing board for that club and team to see where they’re at next season.
Western Sydney Wanderers
Gill’s rating: 5.5/10
Mid-season rating: 5.5/10
There were some bright points through the year for them. When Sarina Bolden came in she really changed the momentum. It looked as though they were going to tear on, because they did have some really big results. In terms of retention for next year, that’s going to be the biggest point for Western Sydney Wanderers.
Cannuli’s rating: 5/10
Mid-season rating: 5/10
I think they did well. At the start it was a bit shaky in there and they weren’t getting the wins, and the mentality around that squad is a team that’s not used to winning. It’s a tough one coming into the season because your expectations are always high, and you’re pumped and buzzing to go. But for the team to finish seventh, they got a couple of big wins this season against some tough teams which is a positive sign as well. I’m hoping they can hold the core of this team together so they can build on from that.
Perth Glory
Gill’s rating: 6/10
Mid-season rating: 5/10
A little inconsistent across the year. There was some really great football we saw from Alex Epakis’ side throughout the season, and that was promising to see. THey made a little run for it at the end, but just couldn’t scrape into the top four.
Cannuli’s rating: 5.5/10
Mid-season rating: 4.5/10
On the backend they really got going. They just had such a slow start, it really hurt them… they just left it a little bit too late at the end and again, it will be interesting to see what Perth are looking to achieve next season, and whether they can keep the core of that team seeing that a lot of those girls do come out of the NSW NPL as well.
Canberra United
Gill’s rating: 7.5/10
Mid-season rating: 7/10
Their response to those two 5-0 losses was pretty incredible, really. To ship 10 goals in two games, then come back and go eight unbeaten toward the end of the season was a really, really impressive response. It’s a much-improved position on seasons gone by so if Canberra can continue a bit of that momentum and retain the players they want to hold onto next season, that should hold them in good stead.
Cannuli’s rating: 7.5/10
Mid-season rating: 6.5/10
It was such an exciting backend to the season for them. I thought all the girls really did super, super well. You could see the camaraderie in that team, not having to chop and change and have a consistent starting XI week in, week out.
It was important Canberra got back to those winning ways, because they’re such a powerhouse team in the Liberty A-League. To see them just miss out on finals was devastating, but a couple of losses where they probably should have won really hurt them at the end.
Melbourne Victory
Gill’s rating: 8.5/10
Mid-season rating: 7.5/10
It felt there for a while that they were going to do it again. It had that real air and energy about it. Some spectatular performances in their finals run with Melina Ayres and Casey Dumont. They did fall short and weren’t able to make it the whole way through, but given the disrupted season they had in the way of players coming and going through injuries, Alex Chidiac left, KK tore her Achilles, Cath Zimmerman was out for a while, they had such a tumultuous season in the way of key personnel in and out.
Cannuli’s rating: 8/10
Mid-season rating: 7/10
Jeff Hopkins has done a phenomenal job with that team, juggling injuries and key players in and out of the squad. It’s not easy to try to keep the team together. It was just unfortunate, a couple of little mistakes got the better of them in the end… but I thought the players that stepped in, whether it was Amy Jackson, Tiffany Eliadis, Lia Privitelli, they came on when they needed to and played their part in that Victory squad. It’s massive credit to Jeff Hopkins and these players who have been around.
Melbourne City
Gill’s rating: 8.5/10
Mid-season rating: 8/10
It’s an interesting season I found for City, it started in the fashion it did with Cote Rojas in flying form. I think when she left the squad it disrupted things in a way that they never fully adjusted to when she returned back to the team – and that’s not on her by any means – but it just felt like they went out of kilter when she left.
For a while (City head coach Dario Vidosic) had so many good players, and wanted to play them all at once. So he started Wilkinson, he started Rojas, to try and retrofit the best players into the starting XI, but it didn’t quite work… had he perhaps had the team for the entirety of the season and less disruption in the way of coming and going, we might have seen a bit more continuity and consistency from this team. We did see some spectacular performances, and then some that fell a bit short from the City we know.
Cannuli’s rating: 8.5/10
Mid-season rating: 8.5/10
I thought Dario was fantastic. It was nice to see him take over from his father… you could see after the first couple of weeks he didn’t change too much, but you could see the style of football and you could see he was putting his style on the girls and getting comfortable in his role. For me, Melbourne City played the best football in the competition, the way they build up, the football they played for me was really, really beautiful to watch… if (they) can keep this team together, I think they’re a team that can win many Grand Finals in the years to come.
Western United
Gill’s rating: 9.5/10
Mid-season rating: 9/10
The only thing stopping them from taking it the whole way home was that final step, that final leap, the trophy at the end. We’ve spoken about them at length, their quality and what they’ve done this season.
Cannuli’s rating: 9.5/10
Mid-season rating: 9/10
They’ve been great this season. To come in their first year and achieve what they’ve achieved, you can’t fault anything from their performances… from day one to the Grand Final, a 9.5 is a fair score for them. Just missing out on that 0.5 for not being the winner (in the Grand Final). But again, a phenomenal effort from everybody at Western United.
Sydney FC
Gill’s rating: 10/10
Mid-season rating: 8/10
10/10 for Sydney FC. What a season. What a year for them. In Australia we put a lot of onus on the Championship, and for a team that’s been consistent for so many years… it was a dark cloud hanging over them to not be able to clinch the Championship. So to go this year, top of the table, get the Premiers Plate, best defensive record in the season, only lost four games, conceded 15 goals, and then to also show up and win the Championship, you can’t fault them.
Cannuli’s rating: 10/10
Mid-season rating: 8/10
To be in another Grand Final is fantastic – and to win the double is another great achievement from that whole squad. Sydney FC has been a powerhouse in this competition for many, many years, from day one to now 15 years on. They’re always up there at the pointy end of the season… to see what Ante has continued on, and the legacy that has been built there at Sydney FC is fantastic.
