Season six of the Westfield W-League saw a first-time champion, as Melbourne Victory made up for the heartbreak of the previous year to clinch the title.
Shock upsets in the semi-finals the previous weekend meant it was third-placed Victory who hosted fourth-placed Brisbane Roar at Melbourne’s Lakeside Stadium.
Victory had to buck a worrying trend to win the championship, having gone 11 Westfield W-League matches without a win against Brisbane.
But they made the stronger start in the decider, taking a deserved lead seven minutes before the break.
Victory playmaker Jess Fishlock – the standout performer in the match – set-up the opener, sliding a short pass to Westfield Matildas striker Lisa De Vanna who slotted it past Roar keeper Nadine Angerer.
And Victory’s dominance was rewarded again just three minutes later.
American import Lauren Barnes pounced on a loose ball just outside the box, unleashing a powerful strike past a helpless Angerer.
Roar did their best to try and get back into the contest, with Hayley Raso going closest to halving the deficit.
Her rasping drive look destined for the back of the net, only to be denied when keeper Brianna Davey tipped the effort around the post.
Despite Fishlock squandering another chance late-on when Angerer pulled off a courageous save, Victory weren’t to be denied as they secured the title with a 2-0 win.
