A look at the numbers that matter ahead of Sunday’s Westfield W-League 2016 Grand Final between Melbourne City and Sydney FC.
The big match at AAMI Park will be the eighth edition of the Grand Final, with the season decider enjoying a rapidly developing history.
The two competing clubs boast very different histories with Melbourne City in its maiden season, while Sydney FC are one of the traditional Westfield W-League big guns.
4 – Sydney FC will be competing in their fourth Grand Final, having won two of their three previous matches. The Sky Blues will have positive memories of AAMI Park being the venue for their most recent win in 2013. Melbourne City, of course, are featuring in their maiden season decider. Brisbane Roar hold the record with five Grand Final appearances.
37 – There is little difference when it comes to experience of the big day with Sydney FC’s squad enjoying a cumulative total of 19 Grand Final appearances between them. Melbourne City, for their part, have 18 with midfielder Aivi Luik boasting four previous appearances in contrast to Sydney FC’s Leena Khamis and Kyah Simon with three apiece.
3 – Only three players across the two squads – City’s Lisa De Vanna (2011 and 2014) and Sydney FC’s Nicola Bolger and Kyah Simon (2013) – have previously scored in a Grand Final. Brisbane Roar’s Tameka Butt holds the record with four goals across five matches.
3 – Sydney FC are aiming to become the first club to win three Westfield W-League championships.
4,554 – The record crowd for a stand-alone (non double-header) Westfield W-League match. The figure was set in the maiden championship decider in 2009 at Brisbane’s Ballymore as the Roar defeated Canberra United.
5 – Five members of the City squad featured when a Melbourne side claimed its only previous Westfield W-League win. Brianna Davey, Steph Catley, Jess Fishlock, Beattie Goad and Lisa De Vanna all lined up as Melbourne Victory won the 2014 decider at Lakeside Stadium.
