Rado Vidosic has been named 2019/20 Westfield W-League Coach of the Year after his Melbourne City side went unbeaten from start to finish in an invincible campaign.
At the helm of a club with the highest of standards on the field, Vidosic was tasked with swiftly returning City to the top of the women’s game in Australia after their shock omission from the 2018/19 Westfield W-League Finals Series.
After winning Championships in the three previous Westfield W-League campaigns – the first three season’s of the club’s Westfield W-League history – losing was not something that came easy to the club, nor was it to be expected.
But it’s safe to say that under Vidosic in the 2019/20 campaign City turned it all around, and in some style.
14 games, 13 wins, one draw, nine clean sheets, five goals conceded and a Premiership/Championship double made this City outfit arguably the best the Westfield W-League has ever seen.
In pre-season Vidosic filled his squad with Westfield W-League superstars Ellie Carpenter, Emma Checker, Emily van Egmond, Aivi Luik, Steph Catley, Kyah Simon and Lydia Williams – add Serbian midfield machine Milica Mijatovic and Scottish sharp-shooter Claire Emslie to the mix, and Vidosic had a squad at his disposal ready to fight for the title from the get-go.
And fight they did; victories were of slender margin in the early stages of the campaign and a 1-1 draw with Newcastle in Round 1 put Vidosic’s side on alert, but as the season progressed City’s star-studded unit clicked into gear and romped to 13 consecutive wins on their way to clinching the Premiership and Championship, defeating Sydney FC 1-0 in the Grand Final.
In taking the pain and frustration of a disappointing 2018/19 campaign, reshaping the squad and launching a brutal attack to reclaim the Westfield W-League throne, Vidosic exhibited a coaching masterclass throughout the 2019/20 season worthy of all the accolades it receives.
