Sebastian Despotovski celebrates his first goal for Perth Glory - Photo by Tom McCarthy

Welcome to footballwa.net! Here you will find all the latest football news from Western Australia, current tables for the state's top four Leagues, archived tables and results dating back to 1950, the Western Australian Club Directory which includes honour lists and divisional movements for each club and much, much more.

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7.12.2025

NPL-WA MEN’S NIGHT SERIES GROUPS HAVE BEEN RELEASED!

A new format will headline next month’s NPL-WA Men’s Night Series, with three groups of four teams. The group winners and the best runner-up will progress to the semi-finals.

Sorrento begin their title defence on Saturday 24 January at Percy Doyle Reserve against Balcatta Etna. It’s a tough group, with Olympic Kingsway and Stirling Macedonia rounding out the section.

Dianella White Eagles will feature in their first top-flight Night Series since 1998 when they face Perth Glory at Alfred Skeet Reserve on Friday 23 January. Western Knights and Perth Azzurri complete the group.

The final group includes Armadale, Fremantle City, Perth RedStar, and the 2025 NPL-WA Champions Bayswater City.

The Final is scheduled for Saturday 21 February at Macedonia Park.

For a full list of fixtures, vist here

7.12.2025

STATE LEAGUE NIGHT SERIES GROUPS ARE OUT!

There are some intriguing matchups ahead as the 2026 State League Night Series kicks off on Friday 30 January.

Group A features hosts Forrestfield United and Wembley Downs, with Division One sides UWA-Nedlands FC and Quinns FC completing the group.

Title holders Kingsley Westside will look to go back-to-back when they open their defence against fellow Division One outfit Gwelup Croatia on Sunday 1 February. Ashfield — who will host all matches in this group — and Gosnells City round out Group B.

Lark Hill will host Group C, which includes Rockingham City, Cockburn City, Murdoch University Melville, and Canning City. Group D consists of Subiaco AFC, Floreat Athena, Balga, and — for the first time in the State League Night Series — newly promoted North Beach. All fixtures in this group will be played at Players Place, home of Wanneroo City SC.

The final two groups look especially competitive. Curtin University will host Group E alongside Mandurah City, Kalamunda City, and, returning after a two-season absence, Morley-Windmills. Group F shapes as a tough section to escape, hosted by Inglewood United and featuring East Perth, Carramar Shamrock Rovers, and Joondalup City.

The Night Series Final will be staged at Inglewood United on Saturday 7 March.

For a full list of fixtures, vist here here

7.12.2025

NPL-WA WOMEN'S NIGHT SERIES GROUPS ARE OUT!

Balcatta Etna will begin their defence of the NPL-WA Women’s Night Series on Friday, 13 February, kicking off on home turf against UWA-Nedlands FC at 8:30pm. Earlier that evening, Subiaco AFC face Fremantle City at 6:30pm to officially open the 2026 Night Series.

The second group features Perth RedStar, Perth Azzurri, the Hyundai FW Academy, and newcomers Sorrento, with matches getting underway on Sunday, 15 February at Dorrien Gardens.

The group winners and runners-up will progress to the semi-finals, with the Final set for Saturday, 14 March at Percy Doyle Reserve.

For a full list of fixtures, vist vist here

6.12.2025

WILLAMS BACK IN THE GAME AT MACEDONIA PARK

After his retirement from the game this season due to injury, former Perth Glory striker David Willams is back in the local game, after being appointed as Stirling Macedonia new Technical Director of Football. The club announced his appointment on their social media. “Stirling Lions Soccer Club is proud to announce the appointment of David Williams as the club’s new Technical Director — a major and exciting milestone as we continue to strengthen our pathways, culture, and community focus ahead of the 2026 season and beyond.

“David is one of Australia’s most respected football professionals. A former Socceroo with an extensive career playing at elite levels both internationally and domestically, David most recently represented Perth Glory Football Club, where he was widely regarded as both a fan and player favourite. Known for his leadership, professionalism, and deep football knowledge, he brings a level of experience that will significantly elevate our standards across the board.

“In his role as Technical Director, David will drive a refreshed era at Stirling Lions — focusing strongly on player mindset, football culture, development pathways, and strengthening the values of inclusivity and community spirit within the club.” Club President Mr Luke Pavlos said the appointment of Williams is huge coup for the club. David’s appointment marks a significant step forward for Stirling Lions, he said. “His expertise and values align perfectly with our vision, and his presence will strengthen the foundations of our football program for years to come.”

Williams will oversee technical structures, coaching standards, and the implementation of player-centric development programs, helping shape a strong and sustainable football pathway for current and future generations. “I’m genuinely excited to join Stirling Lions and contribute to a club with such a proud history and passionate community,” he explained. “My focus is to help build a strong, positive football culture where players and coaches feel supported, challenged, and inspired to grow both on and off the pitch. I’m looking forward to working closely with the members, coaches, players, and families to create an environment that brings out the very best in everyone.”

It will be a reunion of sorts for Stirling Head Coach Ago Mujic, who worked with Williams at Glory in 2022–23 with Ruben Zadkovic and Chris Coyne, and he said it’s great to work with him again. “Dave was always a professional player and it was a pleasure coaching him for one season at Glory, and he was one of the best strikers in the A-League for sure,” Mujic said. “It’s such a shame the injury happened to him last year, but this new role has everyone excited at the club — especially the junior coaches, who will have a lot to learn from Dave. He will bring massive football knowledge to the club and junior setup.”

Junior President, Donna Giuffre, said Williams’ passion for the game is a huge asset for the club. “David joining Stirling Lions is an enormous moment for our club. His professionalism, his decorated playing career, and his genuine passion for developing players is exactly what we’ve been striving towards. He brings a fresh shift in mindset — one built on culture, accountability, and a commitment to growth. I’m excited for our players, coaches, and families to feel the positive impact he will bring across the club.”

6.12.2025

SON OF A GUN DESPOTOVSKI SEALS GLORY HAT-TRICK

10-man Perth Glory have made it three wins in a row for the first time in four-and-a-half years on Friday night as teenage striker Sebastian Despotovski’s first-ever Isuzu UTE A-League goal saw them beat Western Sydney Wanderers 1-0 at HBF Park in week seven. “It was a really strong performance in terms of mindset and grit, determination. Every single player was working hard, it was a beauty,” interim coach Adam Griffiths said post match.

“We’ve been working really hard for the last five weeks on our game model, then we’re also working on their minds — but without the players, you can’t do any of it. A win like that, you learn what your teammate has in every moment and when you have that, the bond starts to grow.”

Griffith was also proud of how the group collected themselves after half-time as they battened down the hatches and absorbed the Wanderers’ pressure.

“Whenever something like that happens, it’s easy to go into panic mode. Half-time was very relaxed, very chilled, spoke to the players about staying calm,” he said.

“We’ve been building for these moments. The boys have a lot of hunger at the moment within the group and within the group, the message was pretty simple from a mindset perspective: we stay calm, we stay focused. We gave them a game-plan to defend; get them on counter attacks as much as we could with speed and the boys did that.”

Buoyed by their impressive win over Macarthur Bulls last week, the home side had the better of the chances against the Wanderers in the first half; first, young forward Jaiden Kucharski fired wide of the target from the edge of the box before captain Adam Taggart then blazed high and wide from an out-swinging Tom Lawrence corner.

The home side did make the breakthrough though, and it was a moment to remember in the 30th minute for young attacker Despotovski. The son of Glory great Bobby Despotovski, the 20-year-old was in the right place and the right time to nod home his first Isuzu UTE A-League goal, flicking Kucharski’s wayward strike into the back of the net to make it 1-0 to the home side.

However, disaster then struck the hosts. Booked for bringing down Aidan Simmons outside the Glory box on the half hour, Perth defender Trent Ostler then received his marching orders five minutes before the break by referee Shane Skinner, shown a second yellow card for fouling Simmons once again, and Perth were reduced to ten-men.

Despite being down to ten, Glory thought they’d doubled their advantage shortly after the break, however Taggart’s close-range finish was ruled out after the ball was deemed to have previously gone out of play despite the best efforts of Brian Kaltak.The visitors started to ramp up the pressure, and Glory keeper Matt Sutton was forced into a reaction save in the hour to deny the Wanderers as Kosta Barbarouses’ glancing header deflected off Aydan Hammond and darted towards goal.

The Glory custodian then produced a stunning save in the 81st minute to keep the Wanderers at bay as he sprang into action on his line to tip Bozhidar Kraev’s close-range header over the bar.

New Zealand international Barbarouses then wasted a glorious chance, this time on 86 minutes, as he misjudged the flight of a ball into the box and somehow failed to test Sutton from close range as he lifted his volleyed effort harmlessly over the bar.

However, despite the late drama Glory held on to seal a memorable win, which sees them move up into fourth place on the ladder having won their third match in a row for the first time in four-and-a-half years. Meanwhile, the Wanderers head back to Western Sydney empty-handed and thoroughly disappointed after suffering their third loss of the season, a result which leaves them ninth on the ladder. Wanderers, and former Glory coach Alen Stajcic didn’t mince his words post match. “We were incredibly poor ... that’s probably the poorest half we’ve played in the last 15 months,” he said. “The first half-an-hour was a car crash. It seemed like we were still on the plane.

“We weren’t at the races at all ... maybe they were still celebrating from last week.”

Stajcic said “jet-lag” might also have been a problem, but wasn’t interested in excuses. “You can’t make excuses at this level. All those things are real, but they’re just excuses,” he said. “It just wasn’t a good enough performance. We got punished and we deserve to go back home with nothing.”

Perth Glory: GK Matt SUTTON, 2 Charbel SHAMOON, 4 Scott WOOTTON, 9 Jaiden KUCHARSKI (19 Josh RISDON 46'), 18 Rhys BOZINOVSKI, 20 Trent OSTLER , 22 Adam TAGGART, 25 Sebastian DESPOTOVSKI (7 Nicholas PENNINGTON 63'), 27 Will FRENEY (5 Riley FOXE 90'), 34 Tom LAWRENCE, 45 Brian KALTAK - Subs not used: RGK Ryan WARNER, 8 Callum TIMMINS, 16 Gabriel POPOVIC, 26 Khoa NGO - Red Cards: Ostler 40’

Western Sydney Wanderers: GK Lawrence THOMAS, 2 Gabriel CLEUR, 4 Alexander BONETIG, 8 Steven UGARKOVIC (21 Aydan HAMMOND 59'), 9 Kosta BARBAROUSES, 22 Anthony PANTAZOPOULOS, 23 Bozhidar KRAEV, 25 Joshua BRILLANTE (5 Dylan SCICLUNA 46') (6 Mohamed AL-TAAY 81'), 31 Aidan SIMMONS (19 Ruon TONGYIK 81'), 32 Angus THURGATE, 45 Alou KUOL (26 Brandon BORRELLO 68')- Subs not used: RGK Jordan HOLMES, 17 Jarrod CARLUCCIO - Referee: Shane Skinner - Attendance: 5590

5.12.2025

JONES DELIGHTED TO BE BACK IN DEFENCE

Gethin Jones has an early season injury behind him and is focusing on strengthening the MK Dons defence. The 30-year old Socceroo recently returned to action as a second-half sub at Tranmere Rovers some three months after picking up a hamstring injury at Newport County. “It was tough to begin with, knowing that I was going to be out for so long, but I've been working hard in the gym to get back in good shape,” Jones said.

“I was devastated, especially after the first five games. I felt like partnerships all over the pitch were starting to form. It takes time to get partnerships with new players and I was getting into my own groove. It is harder to watch than to be on the pitch. You always feel like you want to be on the pitch helping the team out. I’m back now for a crucial part of the season and I feel really happy to be back.”

Jones is now keen to see the Dons continue their recent improvement, starting with this Saturday’s FA Cup tie at home to Oldham Athletic. “They are a tough side to break down, they have had the most clean sheets and it will be a really difficult game,” he added. “If we can perform like we did last Saturday we can hopefully get past them and get into the third round. Our performances show we are gelling well ... the lads are sharper and playing really well together.”

4.12.2025

LAWRENCE PROMISES MORE TO COME AS HE BUILDS FITNESS

Welsh attacker Tom Lawrence has declared he is still building up a rhythm and finding full fitness, and that bodes well for his partnership with co-captain Adam Taggart. As Perth Glory target a third win in a row for just the first time since early 2021 when they host Western Sydney Wanderers on Friday night, Lawrence said there was plenty of improvement still to come.

The former Rangers forward and Derby County captain had a stop-start beginning to his Glory career after arriving late in pre-season, before a concussion prematurely ended his debut and ruled him out for a week. But after a goal and an assist across Glory’s back-to-back victories on the road over the past fortnight, Lawrence said he was settling into a groove.

“The last two games, my fitness is getting better and better. I wouldn’t say I’m quite there fully at the minute,” Lawrence said. “Having not had a pre-season, it’s always tough to try and get in a rhythm, but I feel like the training, it’s gone up a notch. I played longer this week, hopefully I can play longer again on Friday. Hopefully we get a big crowd in on Friday and put on a performance for them (the fans) because the previous home games haven’t been good enough.”

Part of Glory’s progress will hinge on the exploits of attackers Taggart and Lawrence, who have both had international caps call-ups in the past 12 months. Taggart was involved in the creation of both strikes in the teams’ 2-0 win over Macarthur, including playing in Lawrence to set-up Nicholas Pennington for the opener and the Welsh international tipped his chemistry with the Socceroos striker would only improve.

“In training we’ve been linking up really nicely. On the weekend, we both could have had a goal and, it’s just finding that partnership, that will come the more games that we have,” Lawrence said. “We’ve linked up already. With the goal in the weekend, he’s played me and I’ve run him behind, and then I’ve squared it to Penno. The relationship will get stronger and stronger the more games you play.”

1.12.2025

'OF COURSE I WANT IT': GRIFFITHS ON GLORY JOB

Adam Griffiths is going all-in for the head coaching role at Perth Glory, declaring the team is only just starting to tap into its potential despite two straight wins. Griffiths was thrust into the role of interim coach after David Zdrilic was sacked following the club's 4-0 loss to Melbourne City in round two.

The first two matches under Griffiths' watch were hard-fought losses, but a 2-1 win over Newcastle and Sunday's impressive 2-0 victory over Macarthur have catapulted Glory back into the finals mix. Both those wins were away from home - a rare feat for a side that has collected the past two wooden spoons.

Glory's hierarchy have stated their desire to appoint an experienced coach. But the case for Griffiths is building by the week, with his more attacking style a pleasing sight for Glory fans starved of goals in recent seasons. Glory now have three consecutive home games to come, against Western Sydney, Sydney FC and Adelaide United.

Griffiths left no doubt when asked if he wants the full-time Glory head coaching role. "Of course I want it. What the hell am I doing here on this planet except for coaching football?" Griffiths said. "It's the best job being a player, and it's even better as a coach."

2.12.2025

BALLAJURA AFC SEEKS COACH

Ballajura AFC is seeking a dedicated Reserves team coach for the 2026 season - someone with ambition to develop talent and potentially progress into the first team role in the future. Remuneration may be available for right candidate under the right circumstances. Join a passionate community club and help shape the future success of Ballajura AFC. Contact president@ballajuraafc.com

30.11.2025

MAKE THAT BACK-TO-BACK WINS FOR GLORY

Perth Glory have made it back-to-back wins for the first time since 2021, after a 2-0 victory against Macarthur FC at Campbelltown Sports Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Fresh off last week’s come from behind win against Newcastle Jets, second-half goals from Nicholas Pennington and Charbel Shamoon secured the win and moved Adam Griffiths’ side up to tenth on the Isuzu Ute A-League table. “It’s good, the players are very happy and so they should be,” Griffiths said post-match.

“It’s a big turnaround for us, and we wanted to start strong and I think we did that, dominated but without the goals. Macarthur are a very strong team, and have some dangerous players, so we tried to nullify them, and we really dominated the game.” When asked if he wanted the job full time, Griffiths was quick to answer. “Yes, what the hell am I doing here on this planet except for coaching football? It’s the best job being a player and it’s even better being a coach.” He explained. “But I’m only as good as the players, and they are executing and loving playing football at the moment and you can see that in their game, but we have a lot of growing to do.”

Griffiths made three changes from the team that beat the Jets, with Will Freney coming in for Callum Timmins, who dropped to the bench. Trent Ostler came in for Andriano Lebib, while Adam Taggart returned in place of the injured Lachlan Wales. With a vocal travelling support behind them, Glory opened brightly and went within inches of the lead on eight minutes, the lively Tom Lawrence racing into the box, his shot beat Filip Kurto, but the post came to the rescue of the Bulls custodian. The Welsh international was causing all sorts of problems, and his shot from the edge of the box flashed wide six minutes later.

The hosts had plenty of the ball, but it was the Glory who were creating the chances, Jaiden Kucharski the next to go close, his shot flashing wide. Brian Kaltak and Scott Wooton were both commanding at the back, as the Bulls started to lift, but clear chances were few and far between. Lawrence went close again before the break, his free kick was saved low by Kurto, but it was an impressive first half from the visitors, all that was missing was a goal.

The Bulls, who were coming off a win in the ACL group stage in midweek against Hong Kong club Tai Po, were on the front foot after the break, but Glory continued to take the game to the hosts, and they were rewarded on 65 minutes with the lead. Taggart’s ball sent Lawrence racing clear, and the striker unselfishly squared the ball to Pennington, who had only been on the pitch five minutes, to score past Kurto. The hosts best chance came five minutes from time, Callum Talbot’s deep cross from the right was fired over the top Harry Politidis at the back post.

But sixty seconds later Glory sealed the points with a second. Substitute Josh Risdon’s throw found Taggart, who raced into the middle of the park before finding Shamoon on the left, and the former Western United defender cut inside Dean Bosnjak and fired home from the edge of the box, for his first A-League goal. It capped off an impressive performance, and one to build on this Friday when they welcome former coach Alen Stajcic and the Western Sydney Wanderers to HBF Park in week seven.

Macarthur Bulls: GK Filip KURTO, 5 Matthew JURMAN (14 Kristian POPOVIC 80'), 6 Tomislav USKOK, 7 Sime GRZAN (11 BERNARDO 72'), 8 Luke VICKERY (24 Dean BOSNJAK 72'), 10 Anthony CACERES, 19 Harry POLITIDIS, 22 Liam ROSE (13 Rafael DURAN MARTINEZ 64'), 25 Callum TALBOT, 26 Luke BRATTAN, 28 Harrison SAWYER (33 Dong-won JI 64') - Subs not used: RGK Alex ROBINSON, 17 Oliver RANDAZZO

Perth Glory: GK Matt SUTTON, 2 Charbel SHAMOON, 4 Scott WOOTTON, 9 Jaiden KUCHARSKI (7 Nicholas PENNINGTON 61'), 18 Rhys BOZINOVSKI, 20 Trent OSTLER (19 Josh RISDON 78'), 22 Adam TAGGART, 25 Sebastian DESPOTOVSKI, 27 Will FRENEY (8 Callum TIMMINS 87'), 34 Tom LAWRENCE (26 Khoa NGO 78'), 45 Brian KALTAK – Subs not used: RGK Ryan WARNER, 5 Riley FOXE, 16 Gabriel POPOVIC - Referee: Jonathan Barreiro

30.11.2025

GLORY SLIP TO THE FOOT OF THE TABLE AFTER LOSS AGAINST VICTORY

Perth Glory have slipped to the bottom of the Ninja A-League table, after suffering their fourth straight defeat, going down 3-0 against Melbourne Victory at the Home of the Matildas - Victorian State Football Centre on Sunday afternoon. The hosts sealed the game before half time, with Kennedy White’s fifth goal of the season, and backed up by former Glory midfielder Sofia Sakalis’ first goal in Victory colours and a third of the campaign for Rhianna Pollicina put the game out of sight for Stephen Peters’ side, who only had one shot on target in the game.

Glory made two changes to the side beaten in Canberra last week, with Ella Lincoln coming for her first start of the season, along with Naomi Chinnama, with Bronte Trew dropping to the bench and Emma Tovar not selected. An electrical storm delayed kick-off, the third successive Glory away game to be impacted by the weather and once play did get underway, Victory wasted no time in taking control, knowing a win would take them back to the top of the table.

Rhianna Pollicina fired wide from distance early, before Holly Furphy’s cross was met by White, but her headed was saved by Alyssa Dall'Oste. But their good start was rewarded with the lead on 21 minutes, Zoe McMeeken cutting the ball back to White who made no mistake. Glory went close to the equaliser moments later, skipper Rola Badawiya pouncing after Victory keeper Courtney Newbon spilled the ball, but her effort hit the post, the rebound falling to Lincoln, who couldn’t turn the ball home.

But on 36 minutes it was 2-0, Furphy won possession off Tijan McKenna down the right and her low cross was turned home by Sakalis. Victory continued to press, and three minutes from the break it was 3-0. Sakalis cutting in from the left and finding the unmarked Pollicina, whose shot from just outside the box was deflected past Dall'Oste. The hosts were well in control, and Glory had it all to do after the break.

The Glory custodian made a smart save early in the second half, getting down well to deny Furphy, and Chinnama went close to reducing the margin on 56 minutes, but Newbon saved low. The Glory keeper was very busy, saving at full stretch to thwart Rachel Lowe just after the hour, and getting down well to deny White moments later. Glory continued to battle away, but couldn’t break down a well-marshalled Victory defence, and clear-cut chances were very few and far between, and it proved another tough away trip for Glory, and at the final whistle it was the hosts celebrating.

Melbourne Victory: GK Courtney NEWBON, 5 Sofia SAKALIS, 9 Holly FURPHY (7 Ella O’GRADY 77'), 10 Rhianna POLLICINA (41 Jessica YOUNG 85’), 16 Kennedy WHITE, 19 Zoe McMEEKEN, 18 Kayla MORRISON, 24 Laura PICKETT, 66 Alana JANCEVSKI, 81 Grace MAHER (6. Taylor RAY, 72'), 23 Rachel LOWE – Subs not used: RGK Payton WOODWARD, 27 Rosie CURTIS, 28 Sienna TECHERA.

Perth Glory: GK Alyssa DALL’OSTE, 5 Grace JOHNSTON, 6 Tijan MCKENNA (28 Clancy WESTAWAY 81'), 9 Gabrielle HOLLAR (12 Bronte TREW 58'), 10 Susan PHONSONGKHAM (22 Ischia BROOKING 81'), 13 Naomi THOMAS-CHINNAMA, 17 Rola BADAWIYA, 24 Julia SARDO, 25 Ella LINCOLN (2 Mischa ANDERSON 72'), 27 Charli WAINWRIGHT (8 Georgia CASSIDY 58'), 29 Onyinyechi ZOGG – Subs not used: RGK Jessica SKINNER - Referee: Mikayla Ryan

29.11.2025

GLORY COACH EXPECTING TOUGH TIME IN MELBOURNE

Perth Glory coach Stephen Peters has warned his side to be prepared for a backlash from Melbourne Victory as the A-League Women’s powerhouses look to bounce back from the previous week’s loss. It comes as Glory prepare to welcome back young midfielder Georgia Cassidy after a three month absence.

While Perth’s own form is worse than Victory’s ahead of Sunday’s match in Melbourne - the visitors have lost their past three - Peters said he was wary his opposite number Jeff Hopkins would have impressed upon his charges the importance of the clash.

“Running into a Victory team coming off a loss is never going to be a good thing for you. You’re going have to be ready to go to war essentially,” Peters said. “Jeff’s going to have them chewing glass, so to speak. We’ve got to be ready for it. If we are, we can really get into the tussle with them.”

The match will be Glory’s third in a row on the road and while Peters conceded the constant travel was having an impact, his side needed to adjust. “It’s extremely tough for the girls,” he said. “Last week, you could see physically we definitely weren’t the same side, which was disappointing.”

In a boost for Perth, Cassidy will play her first match of the season after the Young Matildas midfielder tore her hamstring towards the back end of the local National Premier Leagues season. “It was hard not doing pre-season with the girls, and I wasn’t expecting to be out for longer than four weeks, so it’s been hard getting back fit,” she said.

“It’s been hard to keep up with the girls, because they’re really fit but everyone’s been really supportive in getting around me. It’s just a confidence thing at the end of the day. Not playing the first four games, it’s pretty hard to go back into it and keep standards high.”

28.11.2025

MATILDAS PUT ON A FIVE-STAR SHOW AGAINST THE FOOTBALL FERNS

The Matildas have opened their two-game international friendly series against New Zealand with an emphatic 5-0 win at the Polytec Stadium, Gosford on Friday evening. In their penultimate game before hosting the Asian Cup in March, the Matildas dominated from the first whistle. Amy Sayer opened the scoring early, before Hayley Rasso doubled their lead before the break. The visitors pressed after half time, but couldn’t beat Mackenzie Arnold, and goals from Ellie Carpenter, a stunning long-range effort from Kyra Cooney-Cross and Katrina Gorry secured the comprehensive win.

Matildas boss Joe Montemurro while clearly happy with the performance, he believes there is still plenty of room for improvement. "We've set our standards very high because we know the expectations on this team are very, very high," the coach said. “I think tonight showed that even with the pressure of expectation we were able to do some good things. We still need to fix up some things - there's some things I'm not happy about, but all in all a dominant performance.

"New Zealand did give us a few problems with the wide players sort of catching us on the break. We came out to be a lot more aggressive and that's why we got caught a couple of times. You have to play that game...if you want to be a little bit more proactive, sometimes you leave yourself exposed. Two times in the first half and a couple times in the second half we did get exposed - we probably have to better with."

Montemurro made three changes to the team that we’re beaten by England last time out, with Courtney Nevin, Hayley Raso and Emily van Egmond came into the side. Sam Kerr and Clare Hunt moved to the bench, while Alanna Kennedy served a one-game suspension after her red card against the European champions. It was bright start from the hosts, in front of another big crowd, and they deservedly found the opener on 13 minutes.

A long ball by Cooney-Cross wasn’t dealt with and the ball fell to Gorry, who slid in Sayer on the left of the penalty area and she made no mistake past keeper Anna Leat. The Kiwi keeper then made a smart save to deny Emily Van Egmond on 23 minutes, but moments later the Matildas doubled their advantage. A under hit pass from Maya Hahn was pounced on by Raso, and the Eintracht Frankfurt striker curled home with aplomb from the edge of the box. It was almost three when sayer’s effort hit the base of the post, and Ellie Carpenter fired the rebound over the top. New Zealand’s best chance came late in the half, Indiah-Paige Riley shot on the run flashed over the top.

The visitors were on the front foot after the break, but couldn’t find the goal to get them back in the game, and the Matildas continued to create the better chances, and Caitlin Foord was denied by a good save from Leat. Then twenty minutes from time it was 3-0, former Perth Glory defender Liz Anton’s clearance only fell to Carpenter on the edge of the box, and the Chelsea defender fired home. But moments later we saw the goal of the game.

Van Egmond found Cooney-Cross in the middle of the park, and the Arsenal midfielder strode forward before seeing Leat off her line, and her superb long-range striker found the net via the crossbar. It was 5-0 in stoppage time, a move started and finished by Gorry. The West Ham United midfielder sent substitute Holly McNamara down the left, and she cut the ball back to Gorry, who made no mistake. It could have been six, when McNamara was brought down by Leat, but Steph Catley saw her penalty saved by the New Zealand custodian.

The visitors best chance of the game was the final action on the night. Gabi Rennie rounded Arnold, and her goal bound shot was cleared off the line by the alert Carpenter, to keep their clean sheet. "Tonight was a really great team performance," Carpenter said post-match. "We said at half time we wanted to convert a little bit more, be a little bit more clinical in the final third and I think we definitely did in the second half. I think you could see tonight it was a solid team performance and we're really understanding the style of play. That's a credit to the team implementing the style of play on the pitch...that's going to give us a lot of confidence."

Australia: GK Mackenzie Arnold, 2 Courtney Nevin (8 Kaitlyn Torpey 64'), 3 Winonah Heatley, 7 Steph Catley, 9 Caitlin Foord (26 Remy Siemsen 82'), 10 Emily Van Egmond (13 Tameka Yallop 76'), 16 Hayley Raso (25 Holly McNamara 64'), 17 Amy Sayer (32 Michelle Heyman 64'), 19 Katrina Gorry, 21 Ellie Carpenter, 23 Kyra Cooney-Cross (6 Clare Wheeler 76') – Subs not used: RGK Teagan Micah, RGK Chloe Lincoln, 4 Clare Hunt, 20 Sam Kerr, 24Charlize Rule, 27 Kahli Johnson

New Zealand: GK Anna Leat, 2 Kate Taylor, 4 CJ Bott, 10 Annalie Longo (33 Grace Wisnewski 58'), 19 Liz Anton (3 Claudia Bunge 74'), 20 Indiah-Paige Riley (12 Betsy Hassett 67'), 26 Maya Hahn (11 Olivia Chance 74'), 27 Michaela Foster, 29 Katie Kitching, 34 Kelli Brown (17 Gabi Rennie 58'), 38 Deven Jackson (9 Milly Clegg 58') – Subs not used: RGK Victoria Esson, RGK Alina Santos, 5 Meikayla Moore, 24 Ally Green, 28 Lara Wall, 32 Emma Pijnenburg

28.11.2025

GOSNELLS BUCK THE TREND TO RETAIN COACHES AFTER RELEGATION

It was a disappointing season for Gosnells City last term, the club finishing bottom of the State League Division One table ending their three years stay in the division, after winning the Division Two title in 2022. But the club have bucked the trend of many relegated clubs, by not changing coaches, and backed head coach Peter Allen and his assistant Alan Dunlop for 2026.

It will be a fourth season at the club for Allen, his third full season, and he is grateful for the backing the club has shown in him and Dunlop. “Yes, it’s great to have the clubs backing, both myself and Alan have been at the club a long time, and although last year was tough, we were always open with President Ozzie Pereira and the committee and feel we can turn things around,” Allen explained. “We had a plan at the start of last year to go with youth, getting the juniors and 18s going, and we were all on same page. And although we have hit a bump the long-term plan remains. That doesn’t happen at a lot of clubs, so we’re happy in that regard.”

A mid-season slump last season, condemned the club to relegation, but it also coincided with the departure of a number of players, and Allen or Rooney to his mates, said that’s something all clubs have to deal with. “It was very tough, but we’ve been fighting relegation for last few years, so we knew the challenge ahead of us. But losing a few in mid-season didn’t help, but money talks I guess for some players,” he said. “Add to that a few long-term injuries it doesn’t help, but it sounds like I’m making excuses, but that is far from what I’m about in football. You’ll have good and bad times unfortunately we copped a bad one, but apart from that last game we gave everything and was always competitive.”

But there were some good signs for the club, giving debuts to a number of their talented youngsters, and that was a real positive for Allen. “Like I said the long-term goal is to sort out a good line of youth from 15s up to 18s, and last season meant we had to fast track a few youngsters and although they were thrown in the deep end, they never let us down,” he said. “I’ve lots to mention, but our last goal in state league one was scored by 16-year-old Steven Grubber, and three other young lads were in squad that day, so it bodes well for the long-term future of the club.”

Allen is under no illusions its going to be tough to get out of Division Two, with a number of established clubs looking to get promoted this season, but he is looking forward to the challenge. “We all know Division Two will be tough, especially with so many big-name teams, who we fully know will be wanting to get back up to league one,” the coach said. “We’re under no illusions, but have already started work to be at our best, and both myself and Alan want to bring back happier times to the club. We will have a team ready to give anyone a game come start of season, we can’t wait to get going.”

28.11.2025

NORANDA AND EMERALD MERGER FOR 2026

We will have a new team in the Belt-Up Amateur Premier Division in 2026, after the merger between Noranda FC and Emerald FC. After winning the Premier Division in 2023, Emerald didn’t fit the criteria for promotion, and this move will help them in future. Noranda, who pulled out of the Amateur League after 2023, have metro and masters’ senior teams, but most importantly have a good junior set-up, which will help the club gain promotion, if they achieve it in 2026.

The clubs put out a joint statement on their social media, to announce the merger. “It is with great pride and enthusiasm that the formal committees of Noranda and Emerald Football Clubs announce the merger of our two respected organisations, heralding the beginning of the Noranda Emerald Football Club.

United by a shared vision for the future, we are committed to building a strong, sustainable football club that will endure for generations. Our foundations will be guided by clear principles, with a strong focus on developing our junior players, deepening their understanding of the game, and fostering a culture of excellence.

Building on our distinguished history within the Amateur Division, we are determined to reach new heights and elevate our club to even greater success. The Noranda Emerald Football Club is designed for both today and the future. - Further updates will follow—stay tuned for more exciting announcements.” Footballwa wish the club all the best and hope they have a successful season.

28.11.2025

JOONDALUP SNAP UP KRAL FOR NEXT SEASON

After just missing out on promotion to the NPL last season, Joondalup City have wasted no time in strengthening their squad for 2026, signing midfielder Reece Kral from Dianella White Eagles. Guy McDonald’s side were beaten in the play-off final by Fremantle City, but they have a strong squad and they will be looking to go one better next season. Kral said it was an easy decision to move north. “It’s always exciting starting with a new team especially with a club that’s ready to take it to the next level,” Kral said. “From speaking with the club, I knew it was a great move for me, as they’ve warmly welcomed me in already.”

Kral, who played for Gwelup Croatia, moved to Olympic Kingsway in the NPL last season, but joined Dianella in mid-season, and helped them to promotion. He said he is looking forward to the new challenge, and said it was an easy decision to head to Joondalup. “For me as a player it wasn’t a hard decision,” the 25-year-old midfielder said. “It would’ve been great to play in the NPL again however circumstances change and, in the end, you have to do what’s right for you as a player.

“The majority of the Joondalup squad has stayed the same from last year, so think the lads will know what needs to be done to get there again this year. Guy (McDonald) is a good coach, and has the experience from last season getting close and I think as a team we can achieve it. I’m really looking forward to the challenge, and hopefully bring goals, assists and energy to the team.”

27.11.2025

GLORY READY TO RUN WITH THE BULLS

Perth Glory will look to build on last week’s first win of the season when they make the tough trip to Campbelltown Sports Stadium in Leumeah, NSW, to take on Macarthur FC in week six of the Isuzu Ute A-League on Sunday afternoon. (3:00pm WA Time) Goals from new recruit Tom Lawrence and Nicholas Pennington gave Glory the 2-1 win against Newcastle Jets, moving them off the foot of the table, and gave interim coach Adam Griffiths his first win his tenure, and he will be looking for more of the same on Sunday.

“We’ve been preparing well and all our focus is on this next game,” he said. “The last game has gone and this one’s the most important. The return flight from Newcastle was a much better trip, the energy has been good for the last three weeks, the focus has been there and the boys are enjoying themselves. This team needs to raise by around 20% and continue to push. We’re doing that every single day., and I feel this team has the potential to go on a little run and that’s the objective.”

Glory’s attacking options have been boosted by the return of both Lawrence and Adam Taggart, although Lachlan Wales will miss the trip due to a hamstring injury, and Griffiths feels that they have the potential to become a strong pairing. “The quality of both of those players is huge for the team,” he said. We saw in the games against Central Coast and Melbourne Victory that we probably lacked that real final edge. With those two back and working closely together in training, I’m expecting to see that combination being a nice one for Perth.”

Defender Brian Kaltak was outstanding last week, the Vanuatuan has taken time to settle in at the club, but he said the players have worked extremely hard to turn things around. “Yes. it takes time to settle into a new club, but now its game on,” he said. “The switch of mentality collectively has helped, especially with Griff (Adam Griffiths) pushing us on a training, and that’s been the trigger point for us, and you can see the outcome of it. We’re all pushing each other at training, day in and day out, and you see everyone is stepping up and trying to give the for the team.”

You could see the relief after the final whistle at Newcastle, and Kaltak said a change of formation has helped them, and they are looking to back it up on Sunday. “It has been a tough start for us, and last weeks win was a big relief for everyone. The first win will give us confidence, and we are now looking forward to this weekend,” the defender explained. “We have changed the formation from the start of the season to a back four and it was more comfortable for us, and helped us dictate the game. Sunday is another tough test, they are on a good run of form, and doing well in the Asian Champions League. They are always a hard team to face, with a lot of attacking threat, so for us it’s just about getting into the game and getting another win, and that would be nice.”

Glory will be looking for a better result to the last time they played the Bulls away, in the opening game last season, when the hosts won 6-1. It was disastrous start to David Zdrilic’s tenure, Macarthur racing to a 5-0 lead at half time, with goals from Jed Drew, Jake Hollman, Tomislav Uskok and a double from Marin Jakolis. Valčre Germain made it 6-0 on the hour, while Adam Bugarija scored a consolation goal for Glory. Despite the loss of Wales, there was some good news in team news, with Josh Risdon and Brandon O’Neill will both return to the squad this weekend, while Arion Sulemani has also been added to the squad. More good news with Sam Sutton and Luke Amos doing work on the grass, and will be back in full training within the next two weeks.

The Bulls sit seventh on the ladder, three points ahead of Glory, with two wins, two losses and a draw. They are also top of Group E in the AFC Champions League Two after a 2-1 win against Vietnamese side Cong An Ha Noi at the start of the month, and they are in action tonight (Thursday) when they host Hong Kong club Tai Po. Last time out in the A-League, they returned from New Zealand with all three points, after a late goal from substitute Harrison sawyer saw them run out 1-0 winners. Coached by former Glory striker Mile Sterjovski, their squad contains a number of ex-Glory players, in the form of Walter Scott and Kristian Popovic, another Chris Ikonomidis is out injured. They also have several seasoned A-League campaigners including midfielder Luke Brattan and Polish ‘keeper Filip Kurto and Anthony Caceres.

Macarthur Bulls squad: GK Filip KURTO, GK Alex ROBINSON, 5 Matthew JURMAN, 6 Tomislav USKOK, 7 Sime GRZAN, 8 Luke VICKERY, 10 Anthony CACERES, 11 BERNARDO, 13 Rafael DURAN MARTINEZ, 14 Kristian POPOVIC, 17 Oliver RANDAZZO, 18 Walter SCOTT, 19 Harry POLITIDIS, 22 Liam ROSE, 24 Dean BOSNJAK, 25 Callum TALBOT, 26 Luke BRATTAN, 28 Harrison SAWYER, 29 Zane HELWEH, 33 Dong-won JI - *Two to be omitted* - Ins: BOSNJAK (return from injury) - Unavailable: 3 Damien DA SILVA, 9 Chris IKONOMIDIS, 31 Sebastian KRSLOVIC (All Injured) 35 Henrique OLIVEIRA (U17 Joeys duty)

Perth Glory squad: GK Matt SUTTON, GK Ryan WARNER, 2 Charbel SHAMOON, 4 Scott WOOTTON, 5 Riley FOXE, 6 Brandon O’NEILL, 7 Nicholas PENNINGTON, 8 Callum TIMMINS, 9 Jaiden KUCHARSKI, 17 Arion SULEMANI, 18 Rhys BOZINOVSKI, 19 Josh RISDON, 20 Trent OSTLER, 21 Adam BUGARIJA, 22 Adam TAGGART, 24 Andriano LEBIB, 25 Sebastian DESPOTOVSKI, 27 Will FRENEY, 34 Tom LAWRENCE, 45 Brian KALTAK - *Two to be omitted* - Ins: O’NEILL, SULEMANI, RISDON - Unavailable: GK Mark BIRIGHITTI, GK Cameron COOK, 3 Sam SUTTON, 10 Luke AMOS, 11 Lachlan WALES, 15 Zach LISOLAJSKI, 31 Joel ANASMO (All Injured)

27.11.2025

GLORY EXPECTING A VICTORY BACKLASH ON SUNDAY

Perth Glory will look to turn around their four-game losing streak in the Ninja A-League when they take on Melbourne Victory in the only week five fixture at the Home of the Matildas - Victorian State Football Centre on Sunday afternoon. (1:00pm WA Time) There has been a lot of criticism on this round, with the Women’s International break coinciding with the fixtures, with many leagues around the world cancelling games. But Glory do not have any players in the Matildas squad, who take on New Zealand in two games, but Victory do have two players missing out, with Kiwi defender and vice-captain Claudia Bunge away, likewise Poppy O’Keefe, with the Junior Matildas. If they had another player missing the game would have been called off, but the game goes ahead.

Glory Head Coach Stephen Peters is expecting a tough game in the Victorian capital, and knows his chargers need a fighting performance, as the hosts will be smarting after a surprise defeat against Wellington Phoenix last week, which saw them drop to third. “I think running into a Victory team coming off a loss is never going to be a good thing for you, and you’re going to have to be ready to go to war essentially,” he said, “Victory Head Coach Jeff Hopkins is going to have them chewing glass and we’ve got to be ready for it. I think if we are, we can really get into the tussle.”

The loss against Canberra last time out was disappointing, and Peters didn’t mince his words when asked about the 3-0 defeat. “It’s probably a game that we just want to put behind us, that one,” he said. “Losing [Izzy] Dalton the day before we travelled was tough and I don’t think we adapted to that as well as we possibly could have. We also made quite a few changes and they obviously didn’t bear the fruit that we were looking for.

“With the exception of maybe ten minutes after the second goal they scored, I don’t think we showed our true character in that game and that was probably the disappointing part of it. We’ve conceded nine goals in four games now, so that’s the first area of concern and the manner in which we’re conceding them as well; we have to fix that. We’ve got to address each piece one at a time and hopefully that’ll have an impact on our competency in defending.”

In terms of early team news, Peters confirmed that Dalton’s knee injury will rule her out for at least another week, meanwhile former junior Matildas midfielder Clancy Westaway, who joined the club from FVA in Melbourne, has also been added to the travelling party. There is also a return to the squad for former Perth Azzurri midfielder Georgia Cassidy, who has recovered from a hamstring injury, when playing for her NPL club against Perth RedStar. But see has worked hard to get back to fitness and is hoping to help them turn their fortunes around.

“I’m feeling pretty positive, training has been very intense this week, and we’re hoping to come away from Melbourne with a win,” she said. “It’s been hard for me, not being able to do pre-season because of the injury, I didn’t think it would take this long to recover, and it’s been hard getting my fitness back, but everyone in the squad has been really supportive to me, and I’m ready to go now and hopefully I get selected.

“We have had a number of players who are injured at the moment, so doing my rehab with them has been good, and they are all so positive, so the vibes are really good. On Sunday, going away isn’t easy, but coming away with the win would mean so much for us, as it’s our third consecutive away trip. Training has been intense this week, and Stephen has told us we must win our battles. Every time we’ve played Victory, they have been on the front foot so we need to match that.”

The last time the teams met at the venue was in week 12 last season, when a single goal from Kayla Morrison on the half hour, was enough to give the hosts a 1-0 win. Victory has a few familiar faces in their squad, with former Glory trio Alana Jancevski, Sofia Sakalis and Courtney Newbon have started each of their games this term, while American import Kennedy White has certainly hit the ground running in her maiden ALW campaign, bagging four goals in as many appearances.

Melbourne Victory squad: GK Courtney NEWBON, GK Payton WOODWARD, 5 Sofia SAKALIS, 6 Taylor RAY 7 Ella O’GRADY, 9 Holly FURPHY, 10 Rhianna POLLICINA, 14 Fiorina, IARIA, 16 Kennedy WHITE, 18 Kayla MORRISON, 19 Zoe McMEEKEN, 20 Leyla, HUSSEIN, 23 Rachel LOWE, 24 Laura PICKETT, 27 Rosie CURTIS, 41 Jessica YOUNG, 66 Alana JANCEVSKI, 88 Grace MAHER - *One to be omitted* - Ins: RAY - Unavailable: 4 Chelsea BLISSETT (back), 8 Sienna SAVESKA (medical), 11 Nickoletta FLANNERY (leg), 3Claudia BUNGE (national team), 17 Poppy O’KEEFFE (national team)

Perth Glory squad: GK Alyssa DALL’OSTE, GK Jessica SKINNER, 3 Emma TOVAR, 5 Grace JOHNSTON, 6 Tijan MCKENNA, 8 Georgia CASSIDY, 9 Gabby HOLLAR, 10 Susan PHONSONGKHAM, 12 Bronte TREW, 13 Naomi CHINNAMA, 16 Olivia WOOD, 17 Rola BADAWIYA, 22 Ischia BROOKING, 24 Julia SARDO, 25 Ella LINCOLN, 26 Tanika LALA, 27 Charli WAINWRIGHT, 28 Clancy WESTAWAY, 29 Onyinyechi ZOGG - *Two to be omitted* - Ins: CASSIDY, WESTAWAY - Unavailable: GK Teresa MORRISSEY, 7 Megan WYNNE, 11 Natalie TATHEM, 20 Ella ABDUL MASSIH, 23 Isobel DALTON (All Injured)

27.11.2025

SOCCEROOS GIVEN A BOOST FOR WORLD CUP

The Socceroos have been placed in Pot 2 for the FIFA World Cup 2026, which is boost for Tony Popovic’s side. FIFA announced on Wednesday morning the pots for next week’s draw, with Australia just holding on to their 26th world ranking, after all qualifier teams were pushed into the lowest-ranked Pot 4. This will be their sixth consecutive appearance at the Finals and seventh overall following our maiden showing in 1974. This is the first time the FIFA World Cup has increased its participating teams since 1998 following a jump from 24 to 32 nations

Now in 2026, we will see 48 teams compete to be crowned world champions. The increase to the number of nations has therefore meant each confederation has seen an addition in their quota of nations that qualify. Asia (AFC): 8 (+4 compared to 2022) - Africa (CAF): 9 (+4) - North, Central America and Caribbean (Concacaf): 6 (+3) - Europe (UEFA): 16 (+3) - South America (CONMEBOL): 6 (+2) - Oceania (OFC): 1 (+1)

The pots are necessary to divide the 48 teams up, based on their world ranking, with the three hosts (Canada, Mexico and USA) plus the nine top-ranked nations in Pot 1 and so on. Thanks to Italy, Denmark and Turkiye failing to win their European qualifying groups, the Socceroos are the final team in Pot 2, which means they should only draw one higher-ranked nation in their group. With the top two teams in each group plus the eight best third-placers advancing into the knockout stage at the expanded 2026 World Cup, this will give the Socceroos a great chance of escaping their group for the second straight tournament.

While it’s generally a good thing the Socceroos are in Pot 2, it does now leave the European playoff teams as dangerous Pot 4 floaters, and they could be in the group. With 16 European teams in the tournament and 12 groups, every group must have at least one European team and four will have two of them. The draw will otherwise keep teams from the same confederation away from each other - ie, Australia can’t be in a group with fellow Asian nations like Japan.

The final draw will be drawn on Saturday, 6 December hosted at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC at 4:00am AEDT. The draw will be shown live on SBS and SBS On Demand. Here are the confirmed Pots. Pot 1: Canada, Mexico, USA, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany. Pot 2: Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria, Australia. Pot 3: Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa

Pot 4: Jordan, Cabo Verde, Ghana, Curacao, Haiti, New Zealand, UEFA Playoff Team 1 (Italy, Wales, Bosnia and Herzegovina or Northern Ireland), UEFA Playoff Team 2 (Denmark, Czechia, Ireland or North Macedonia), UEFA Playoff Team 3 (Turkiye, Slovakia, Kosovo or Romania), UEFA Playoff Team 4 (Ukraine, Poland, Albania or Sweden), IC Playoff Team 1 (DR Congo, New Caledonia or Jamaica), IC Playoff Team 2 (Iraq, Bolivia or Suriname) <

27.11.2025

KERR TO MAKE FINAL CALL ON MATILDAS MINUTES

Samantha Kerr will have final say on how heavily she features in the Matildas' final two games before the home AFC Asian Cup, following concerns over her knee issue. The Matildas captain has been operating on a restricted training load since arriving in Australia for two internationals against New Zealand, her first games on home soil in two years.

Kerr only returned from a 20-month anterior cruciate ligament injury lay-off in September and missed Chelsea's last two games before flying out as part of her continual recovery. "She's on a prevised plan that we need to just make sure we build her up onto that," Matildas coach Joe Montemurro said. "I haven't even thought about the starting XI ... we've got a few players that have just come off flights and are being managed. We'll put out two very good teams over the next two weeks."

"I always leave it up to the player. Every player in the team knows their body better than anyone else and knows where they want to be. It's all going well, everything's all going to plan, we just now need to make sure what's best for her in that sort of scenario - is it minutes tomorrow, is it minutes in the next game (on Tuesday)? We'll just wait and see."

27.11.2025

PETERS TARGETS DEFENSIVE IMPROVEMENT

Perth Glory coach Stephen Peters says defensive improvement must come swiftly as they prepare for an away trip to A-League Women powerhouse Melbourne Victory. It comes as Peters revealed captain Isobel Dalton is set to spend another week on the sidelines with a knee complaint after she missed last weekend’s 3-0 defeat at Canberra United, a result which has given Glory three losses on the bounce.

While Glory’s losses to Brisbane Roar and Sydney FC featured lengthy passages of play where they had the ascendancy, Peters’ team were out-gunned from the get-go against a previously winless Canberra. And the Glory coach said defensive improvements - both structurally and mentally - were at the forefront of their plans against Victory in Melbourne on Sunday.

“We’ve conceded nine goals in the four games so that’s the first area of concern that we have to address definitely, and the manner in which we’re conceding them as well, we have to fix that quickly,” Peters said. “How to address that, it’s tricky one. We’ve got to address each piece one at a time, and hopefully they start to have an impact on our competency in defending.”

With Dalton out on the weekend, Peters opted to drop Emma Tovar deeper to partner Onyinyechi Zogg in the heart of defence, with Noami Chinnama starting on the bench. But without Tovar and Dalton, Perth’s midfield struggled, which saw Peters push Tovar back into midfield in the second half as Chinnama pressed her claim for a start with a strong showing as a substitute.

“She (Dalton) is not going to be part of the plans this week. We’re hoping that she can be part of the Wellington game (in two weeks’ time),” Peter said. “Losing Dalton last week was really tricky for us, particularly a day before we traveled, so that was tough,” Peters said. “I don’t think we adapted to that as well as we possibly could have. We also made quite a few changes, and they didn’t bear the fruit that we were looking for.”

“If you look at the three games prior to that, there were really good elements in all of those and we showed a lot of our characteristics and the principles that we want to play with. But I feel like with the exception of maybe 10 minutes after the second goal they (Canberra) scored, I don’t think we showed our true character in that game, and that’s probably the disappointing part of it.”

26.11.2025

PROSPECT OF PLAYING IN PERTH DELIGHTS KERR

Samantha Kerr has revealed she was disappointed to not have the chance to play in her hometown during the 2023 Women’s World Cup, but the Australian captain is delighted her side will open next year’s Women’s Asian Cup in Perth. The Matildas were based on the east coast for the entirety of their barnstorming run through the World Cup, which saw them explode into the nation’s cultural consciousness.

The Matildas played all their pool and knock-out stage games on the eastern seaboard. But the side’s fans in the west have been given a golden opportunity to get behind them at the start of next year’s Women’s Asian Cup, which they will open with a blockbuster clash against 2022 semi-finalists the Philippines at Optus Stadium on March 1. Kerr said having the chance to start the tournament in Perth was “awesome”.

“I obviously had the privilege of being at the World Cup in 2023, but unfortunately we didn’t get a Perth game. I was pretty disappointed about that,” Kerr said. “But now that we have the home game at Optus - the opening game - what better way to open the Asian Cup? It’s kind of a little reward for Perth. I think a lot of Perth fans were disappointed about the World Cup, so now’s their chance to come out, support the girls, and set us up for a good tournament.”

After returning from a knee injury which had sidelined her for more than 18 months in September, Kerr has rounded into form of late, scoring with regularity for club side Chelsea. While being eased back into action in the Women’s Super League, Kerr notched a pair of goals in a 6-0 Women’s Champions League win over St Polten earlier this month in what was her first start since returning from the injury.

“Coming off such a long injury, it was kind of nice to just get the monkey off my back and just enjoy being back out there and not have the pressure of scoring,” she comented. “But now that I’ve scored a couple, I’ve got that drive back to want to score 20 goals a season and put the pressure right back on. I’m just loving being back out there and hopefully can score some more.”

Kerr will be in action on home soil for the first time since 2023 in the Matildas’ upcoming double-header against New Zealand, the first game of which will be played in Gosford on Friday. “With everyone playing all over the world now, it’s important that we make sure every session, every gym session, every moment counts,” Kerr said. “We’re in full prep mode at the moment. Of course, we have to prepare for New Zealand, but in the back of our minds is the Asian Cup.”

26.11.2025

GRIMSBY HAVE RIGHT CLUB CULTURE FOR ME: GILSENAN

Zak Gilsenan has spoken of his burning desire to play for Grimsby Town as he makes his return from injury. The 22-year old winger knew his time with Blackburn Rovers was coming to an end in the off-season, as a long list of injury issues stopped him from making a first team breakthrough at the Championship club after some promising early appearances.

Gilsenan’s focus quickly shifted to finding a new home where he could kickstart his professional career, believing in his ability enough to make a significant impact somewhere fresh. He revealed that, having already had the sell from Grimsby when being courted for a potential earlier move, he knew that was where he wanted to go this summer over other options at this level.

“I had other options in League Two in the summer,” revealed Gilsenan. “But I actually rang the gaffer (David Artell) to express my interest in coming here because I had almost joined on loan previously, so I know what the club was about. “Once I knew I was leaving Blackburn, I wanted to go somewhere with the right playing philosophy and club culture. I saw that in this club, so that is why it appealed to me over other potential options.”

A lot of recent Grimsby signings have spoken about the desire to play under Artell and the reputation he has built as a strong developer of players. Gilsenan felt that same allure when in the process of joining this season, and even through his recovery from a pre-season injury at the club, he has felt supported and has developed in more ways than one.

“He’s been great,” added Gilsenan of Artell. “I think he knows how much I want to play for this club and for him, so that has helped, and he saw how gutted I was when I was injured because I wanted to show what I can do. He has been really supportive, as have the rest of the staff who have been involved in this process of getting me back fit and able to play.”

Gilsenan has spoken already about what it meant to be back out on the pitch in a competitive fixture, and he took the next step in the last home game against Chesterfield when he came off the bench for his first league appearance for Grimsby. His recovery process with the Mariners has been all about rebuilding confidence in his mechanics and overcoming his fear of injury as he steps back onto the field and aims to showcase his true capabilities.

“I’ve always been strong mentally and believed in my own ability as a player,” explained the former Sorrento junior. “But there is a thing with being injured for so long, where you have some doubt in your body, and in my case, trusting in my quad again after the injuries and surgery. Eventually, after some weeks of training, you slowly start to forget about that and fly around again like nothing has happened. Being able to play my first league game in a while was a major relief for me and my family, who have been through all the highs and lows with me.”

23.11.2025

OXTOBY LANDS NEWCASTLE JOB

Newcastle United are delighted to confirm the appointment of Tanya Oxtoby as their women’s team manager. The 43-year old former Perth Glory captain joins the Magpies on a contract until June 2029, having recently been manager of the Northern Ireland women's national team, where she spent just over two years.

Oxtoby, who was born in the Pilbara town of Wickham, is looking forward to coaching in England’s second tier, the Women's Super League 2. "I am excited and honoured. It is an exciting project and it's my job to add to that, we are very ambitious, and it will be an amazing journey,” Oxtoby said.

"My job is to come in and develop players and take us to the next level. I want to help everyone reach their potential and take them on a journey that will be really successful. The ambition that the club shows and my own ambition, they align and we are wanting to be successful and that's the responsibility I carry."

Newcastle Director of Women's Football Grace Williams could not be happier about Oxtoby’s appointment. "We are delighted to welcome Tanya to the club. She brings with her a great amount of experience and it was clear throughout the process that she matches the drive and ambition that we have to take Newcastle United Women forward."

"Tanya knows our team and the quality that it has within it, and she is excited to work with and develop our players as we move into the next part of our journey. As a leadership team, we were all impressed with Tanya and believe she is the perfect fit to help us embed the long-term strategy that will allow us to thrive beyond this season."

Oxtoby led Northern Ireland during a period of transition, overseeing the development a younger squad which has established itself as a competitive side on the international stage. Prior to that, she spent two seasons as assistant coach at Chelsea, helping them win two Women's Super League titles and a trio of Women's FA Cups.

Oxtoby’s last club managerial role was a three-year stint at Bristol City Women, where she secured a record points total and a sixth-place finish in the Women's Super League in her first season. She also spent time in assistant coach roles at Scotland, Birmingham City, Australia Under-20s and Glory.

23.11.2025

GLORY TAKE THE POINTS IN NEWCASTLE

Perth Glory have made a winning start after the international break, securing their first win of the Isuzu Ute A-League season, coming from behind to beat Newcastle Jets 2-1 at McDonald James Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Xavier Bertoncello had given the hosts the lead early, and Glory rode their luck at times, but Tom Lawrence scored his first goal for the club before the break. Another tight second half saw both sides have chances, but it was Glory who won it, with a penalty from substitute Nicholas Pennington. It’s the first win under interim coach Adam Griffiths, and it moves them off the bottom of the table.

“We had a very good week at training, changing the mentality, and although the performance today wasn’t as good as it has been, the mentality shift is what I was impressed with,” Griffiths said post-match. “We changed a little tactically at half time, to make sure we weren’t getting hurt down the flanks, and I thought we did that. Winning builds confidence, and with confidence you can win more. Winning is all the fans, the board and the players care about So, we have to re-focus, we have a long way to go and continue to improve and more results will come.”

Griffiths sprang a few surprises in his team selection, making three changes to the side that were beaten by the Mariners last time out. In came Andriano Lebib, for his first start of the season, replacing Josh Risdon who wasn’t involved, while Tom Lawrence and Jaiden Kucharski returned after injury, to replace Adam Taggart and Will Freney who both dropped to the bench. Meanwhile on the bench Trent Ostler returned from injury, while Riley Foxe came into the squad for the first time.

Glory went in search of a first win in the Hunter Valley since December 2018, but they made the worse possible start, going behind on 15 minutes. Will Dobson and Alex Badolato combined to send Bertoncello down the right channel, and he finished with aplomb past Matt Sutton. The Jets went close to a second five minutes later, Dobson picking out Bertoncello, but Sutton get down well to deny him. It was one-way traffic, and the visitors were hanging on.

The Jets were in again on the half hour, Lachlan Rose was sent racing clear by the impressive Dobson, and he rounded Sutton, who had come racing out his box, but Brian Kaltak got back with a great block to deny him. The Vanuatu defender would come to the rescue again from the resulting corner, Max Cooper rising highest, his header was cleared off the line by the alert Kaltak. Glory had weathered the storm, and levelled on 38 minutes.

Glory pounced on an errant pass out of defence, and Rhys Bozinovski raced through the middle of the park, and slipped a slide-rule pass to Lawrence, who didn’t have to break stride, the former Welsh international finished clinically past Jame Delianov. Both sides had half chances before the break, Kucharski firing across the face of goal for Glory, before Dobson’s curling effort from distance flashed over the top, but at the break it was all-square.

Griffiths made a change at the break with Callum Timmins replaced by Freney, and things got a little testy early, with Lawrence and former Glory defender Aleks Susnjar having a real battle, and the Glory midfielder went into the book. Taggart replaced Lawrence shortly after, while Ostler came on for Lebib. The home side were first to threaten, Sutton making a smart save to thwart Dobson just before the hour, and he denied the same play shortly after saving at the second attempt. The game was up for grabs, and the next goal was going to be crucial, and it went the way of the Glory on 79 minutes.

Pennington’s deep cross from the left was headed down by Ostler, and it hit the arm of Daniel Wilmering, and referee Nathan Shakespear pointed straight to the spot. It looked a harsh decision, but after a VAR check it was upheld. Pennington, who had only been on the pitch for five minutes, took the responsibility, and sent Delianov the wrong way, with an emphatic penalty into the top corner of the net. Glory thought they had a third five minutes later, Taggart finding Pennington, who made no mistake, but the flag was up for offside on Taggart.

The Glory co-captain went close again moments later, the same pair combining, this time Taggart’s long-range shot smacked against the crossbar. The fourth official said seven minutes of stoppage time and the Jets throw everything at Glory in search of the equaliser. Wilmering heading over the top, before substitute Alex Nunes saw his effort flashed wide. It was defiantly, backs to the wall for the Glory defence, with Kaltak and Scott Wootton outstanding, but they managed to hold on, to give the small pocket of supporters a day to remember.

Newcastle Jets: GK James DELIANOV, 9 Lachlan ROSE (11 Ben GIBSON 67'), 14 Max BURGESS, 15 Aleksandar ŠUŠNJAR, 17 Kosta GROZOS, 19 Alex BADOLATO (8 Lachlan BAYLISS 83'), 22 Joel BERTOLISSIO (39 Thomas AQUILINA, 83'), 23 Daniel WILMERING, 28 Will DOBSON (24 Alex NUNES 82'), 42 Max COOPER, 43 Xavier BERTONCELLO (13 Clayton TAYLOR 54') – Subs not used: RGK Alex NASSIEP, 33 Mark NATTA

Perth Glory: GK Matt SUTTON, 2 Charbel SHAMOON, 4 Scott WOOTTON, 8 Callum TIMMINS (27 Will FRENEY 46’), 9 Jaiden KUCHARSKI (5 Riley FOXE 96’), 11 Lachlan WALES (7 Nicholas PENNINGTON 74’), 18 Rhys BOZINOVSKI, 24 Andriano LEBIB (20 Trent OSTLER 54’), 25 Sebastian DESPOTOVSKI, 34 Tom LAWRENCE (22 Adam TAGGART 54’), 45 Brian KALTAK – Subs not used: RGK Ryan WARNER, 21 Adam BUGARIJA – Referee: Nathan Shakespear

22.11.2025

LACKLUSTRE GLORY BEATEN IN CANBERRA

Canberra United proved too strong for Perth Glory in the nation’ capital, running out 3-0 winners at McKellar Park in week four of the Ninja A-League on Saturday afternoon, to continue their poor form at the venue. Glory never recovered from early goals from Matildas striker Michelle Heyman and Emma Robers, and that set the tone for the game. Glory searched for a way back into the game, but only had one shot on target and Bethany Gordon sealed the resounding win early in the second half, giving the hosts their first win of the season.

“They were the better team today, by far,” Glory coach Stephen Peters said post-match. “I don’t think we showed our true qualities, we were pretty poor. A lot of the principles we’ve been good at in the first few rounds, and that was clear in the scoreline today. We knew they were going to start hard, and they weren’t going to take it lightly being bottom of the table, and returning here we knew they would come firing out of the gates. Maybe if we had kept them to one, and taken one of the chances we created later in the first half, it might have been a little bit different.”

Peters made three changes to the side beaten at Sydney FC last week, skipper Izzy Dalton was out injured, Rola Badawiya taking the arm band, and Bronte Trew coming in for her starting debut for the club. Gabby Hollar came in for Sarah O’Donoghue, and Charli Wainwright also made her starting debut, replacing Naomi Chinnama, while on the bench for the first time was former Perth RedStar attacking midfielder Olivia Wood.

It was perfect start for the hosts, and they were ahead on three minutes. Tegan Bertolissio sent Josie Aulicino racing down the left, and she played the ball to the back post for Heyman, who got in front of her marker and finished low past Alyssa Dall’Oste, despite the keeper getting a hand to it. It went from bad to worse for Peters’ side, with Canberra added a second five minutes later. Gordon’s free kick from the left was met by Robers, and her looping header hit the underside of the bar and into the net.

Glory should have pulled one back moments later, Emma Tovar’s corner found the unmarked Wainwright, but the former Perth Azzurri midfielder failed to find the target with her close-range header. Canberra continued to threaten, their pace causing Glory all sorts of problems, and Dall’Oste got down well to deny Sienna Dale on her starting debut for the hosts. Skipper Badawiya had Glory’s first shot on target just after the half hour, turning well on the edge of the box, but it was straight at former Glory custodian Sally James, and Glory had it all to do after the break.

Peters made a double change at the break, with Chinnama and Ischia Brooking replacing Julia Sardo and Wainwright, and they began brightly. Grace Johnston’s teasing cross from the left found Badawiya, who stabbed the ball towards goal, but James was alert to save. But on 57 minutes the hosts sealed the points. Glory turned the ball over on the left of their penalty area and Josie Aulicino found Heyman on the edge of the box, whose first time pass found Gordon, whose shot on the run flew past Dall’Oste.

Glory continued to struggle in the final third, and Peters emptied his bench as they went in search of a consolation goal, handing a debut Wood in the process. But the hosts continued to hold them off, bagging their first three points of the season, and their first clean sheet. Glory will be back on the round next weekend, when they take on Melbourne Victory at the Home of the Matildas - Victorian State Football Centre in Bundoora on Sunday afternoon.

Canberra United: GK Sally JAMES, 3 Liz ANTON, 6 Josie AULICINO, 8 Sasha GROVE, 11 Emma ROBERS, 12 Hayley TAYLOR-YOUNG (5 Jazmin WARDLOW 68'), 19 Sienna DALE (7 Emma HAWKINS 54'), 23 Michelle HEYMAN (10 Mary STANIC-FLOODY 87'), 28 Tegan BERTOLISSIO (2 Alex MCKENZIE 68'), 32 Bethany GORDON, 33 Nanako SASAKI (25 Darcey MALONE 86') - Subs not used: RGK Coco MAJSTOROVIC

Perth Glory: GK Alyssa DALL’OSTE, 3 Emma TOVAR, 5 Grace JOHNSTON, 6 Tijan MCKENNA, 9 Gabby HOLLAR (25 Ella LINCOLN 66'), 10 Susan PHONSONGKHAM, 12 Bronte TREW (16 Olivia WOOD 66'), 17 Rola BADAWIYA (26 Tanika LALA 86'), 24 Julia SARDO (13 Naomi CHINNAMA 46'), 27 Charli WAINWRIGHT (22 Ischia BROOKING 46'), 29 Onyinyechi ZOGG – Subs not used: RGK Jessica SKINNER - Attendance: 845 - Referee: Rachel Mitchenson

22.11.2025

OXTOBY TAKES THE REINS AT NEWCASTLE UNITED

Former Perth Glory defender and assistant coach Tanya Oxtoby has been announced as the new head coach at English Women's Super League 2 club Newcastle United. Oxtoby joins the Magpies on a contract until June 2029, having recently been manager of the Northern Ireland Women's National Team, where she spent just over two years. The 43-year-old played for local club Northern RedBacks back in 2003, and signed for Perth Glory in 2008, playing 40 games, before heading over to the UK with Doncaster Rovers Belles in 2012.

"I am excited and honoured. It is an exciting project and it's my job to add to that, we are very ambitious, and it will be an amazing journey,” Oxtoby said. “My job is to come in and develop players and take us to the next level. I want to help everyone reach their potential and take them on a journey that will be really successful. The ambition that the club shows and my own ambition, they align and we are wanting to be successful and that's the responsibility I carry."

The Wickham-born Oxtoby has a great CV, having worked as Head coach at Nottingham Forest, Bristol City and most recently with the Northen Ireland national team. She has also been an assistant at Glory, Australia U20, Birmingham City, Scotland and Chelsea, working with Emma Hayes, helping them win two Barclays Women's Super League titles and three Adobe Women's FA Cup crowns. At the Blues, she coached and developed some of the world's best players including the likes of Sam Kerr, Lauren James and Pernille Harder.

Her last club managerial role saw her lead Bristol City for three years. Notably, she secured a record points total and a sixth-place finish in the WSL (Women's Super League) in her first season. During her time in charge of Northern Ireland she led a period of transition, overseeing the development and pathway of a younger squad which has established itself as a competitive side on the international stage.

A robust and detailed recruitment process led by Newcastle United’s Director of Women's Football Grace Williams, and involving CEO David Hopkinson, Sporting Director Ross Wilson, Head of Football Strategy Jack Ross and Director of Performance James Bunce, identified Oxtoby as the standout candidate to lead the team forward.

"We are delighted to welcome Tanya to the club. She brings with her a great amount of experience and it was clear throughout the process that she matches the drive and ambition that we have to take Newcastle United Women forward,” Williams said. "Tanya knows our team and the quality that it has within it, and she is excited to work with and develop our players as we move into the next part of our journey. As a leadership team, we were all impressed with Tanya and believe she is the perfect fit to help us embed the long-term strategy that will allow us to thrive beyond this season."

21.11.2025

SULLIVAN TO LEAD EAST PERTH IN 2026

Martin (Sully) Sullivan is the new head coach of East Perth, taking over from Colm Costello, who stood down at the end of last season due to work commitments. Sullivan is no stranger to everyone at Hudson Park, after working with Costello since 2022, helping the club gain promotion to the state league, and he hopes to continue the good work the former coach built. “Yes, I’m no stranger to the set up as I have been around the club a long time coaching them to promotion, and also helping club develop while Colm took the reins,” Sullivan explained.

“I jumped back in helping in our first season in state league, and we haven't looked back since. It has been great working with Colm again and he will be missed at the club. I’ve known him a long time through football with him giving me my first coaching role in 2017 (at Wembley Downs) and we still will be in contact throughout the season no doubt. Happy the club has put faith in me again and hopefully with squad we are building we can push ourselves to the next level.”

Sullivan has been pleased to retain a number of their squad from last season, and has added some quality in his coaching ranks, with Andy Keogh, Michael Yarker and Adam Capper joining his team. “The big thing for me was player retention, so with 80 percent re-signing and a few other in negotiations it a positive,” he said. “I’m delighted to bring Michael on board, although he has been involved with club for a good few years helping us get our junior program off the ground.

“His main focus is player development which will help the club in the future as we look to build every season. Adam has been involved with us from last year and has been a breath of fresh air, he loves football and has worked with some decent teams in UK. Having Andy as a Player/Coach can only help us and the club raise our standards. It’s amazing after a brilliant playing career to be able give back to the Irish community by helping us become more professional.”

It’s been so near, but so far for East Perth, since their promotion to the state league, missing out on promotion in the play-offs, and Sullivan is hoping to put that right this season. “Yes, we have knocked on the door twice so hopefully its third time lucky,” he said. “To be honest, we have always finished in top two or three since I came to the club, so we have always had the mentality to challenge before my time also. Our focus is to improve every season while also reflecting in our club’s core values, it a challenge I’m relishing.”

21.11.2025

SPARROW AND BAYSWATER DO WA PROUD

It was a heartbreaking end to the Australian Championship for NPLWA side Bayswater City, missing out on a quarter-final place on goal difference, after a loss against Wests APIA in their final Group D clash last weekend. But despite their exit, the Frank Drago Reserve club, made many memories along the way, winning all their three homes games, and really putting the club on the national map. Head Coach Matthew Sparrow said it was a massive effort form his players, but it stings to miss out on the knock out stage.

“It’s been an unbelievable ride and something everyone at the club can be proud of, to represent Bayswater City on the national stage for the first time and show what we’re about was really special. The players stepped up every single week, embraced the occasion, and proved we belong in that company, it’s been massive for the club,” Sparrow explained. “All three home wins were special in their own way, but the one that stands out is probably the first win. There was a real buzz around the place — new competition, big crowd, and the boys delivered.

“It set the tone for our whole campaign. You could feel the belief grow from that moment. Yeah, it stings a bit to go out on goal difference, especially in a group that close. But when the dust settles, you look back with real pride. We’ve given our supporters and the WA football community some moments they’ll remember for a long time. The lads showed real character, fought for every point, and represented the state superbly. That’s something we can hold our heads high about.”

Club President Oriano Colli said they belong on this stage, and planning will start for 2026 straight away to have another crack next season. “It was a fantastic campaign and one, the whole club is incredibly proud of. To go so close and miss a quarter-final spot only on goal difference having accumulated ten points shows just how competitive this group was at a national level,” Colli said. “Of course we’re disappointed to fall just short, but I think this goes to show the hunger and ambition we have as a club. The experience has only made us stronger and hungrier. We’ve shown we belong on this stage — and we’ll be back.”

Sparrow said his players will have a well-earned break over Christmas, but then it’s back into preparing for the NPL Night Series and season 2026 as they look to retain their NPLWA title. “Absolutely. The boys deserve a proper break — it’s been a long, emotional, and successful year,” the Coach said. “But once we switch back on, the focus goes straight to the Night Series and building for 2026. We’ve created real momentum this year, and the challenge now is to raise the bar again.”

21.11.2025

TIMMINS HEADS BACK TO THE JETS LOOKING FOR WIN

Perth Glory return to Isuzu Ute A-League action after the international break, when they take on Newcastle Jets in week five at the McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday afternoon. (2:00pm WA Time) Many thought a new coach would be in place for this fixture, almost a month after they sacked David Zdrilic, but their number one target Graham Arnold looks out of reach at the moment after leading Iraq to the World Cup play-off final after a win against UAE on Wednesday.

Interim coach Adam Griffiths continues the role for the trip to Newcastle, and said he hasn’t been interviewed for full-time role, but is keen to take the role permanently. “No, I haven’t interviewed. But at the moment, I don’t think the club is in a hurry to make a rash decision,” Griffiths said. “What I’m expecting, the same as any other coach, is performance and results. That’s all I care about. Performance is number one for anyone. If you get performance, most likely you get good results and then that becomes a consistent thing.”

Midfielder Callum Timmins returns to his former club on Sunday, and he said they are hungry for success, and Griffiths has worked them hard over the break. “Griff’s certainly lifted the intensity, and despite it being a break, he worked us hard,” Timmins said. “He is a coach who likes us on the ball and he is very honest with how he coaches with everyone. If there is something you need to improve on, he will tell you, and makes it pretty black and white. He’s there to help you, he goes into a lot of details and it’s been a really positive. The last two games we haven’t been ruthful in front of goal, we’ve had our chances, but we need to take those, especially when we are dominating the game.”

Timmins said he had an enjoyable time at the Jets, playing over 60 games for the club, but on Sunday it’s all about getting the three points for Glory. “There is a lot of great people at Newcastle, and I really enjoyed my time there, and I thought I grew as a player and a person and I meet some friends for life there,” the midfielder explained. “It will be good to catch up this them on Sunday, but not till after the game. the main thing, and most important thing is to go there and get the win and get our season going.”

Griffiths’ side will be boosted on Sunday with the return of Jaiden Kucharski and Tom Lawrence, but midfielder Brandon O’Neill will not travel as his wife is expecting the arrival of their second child. The coach said they have used the time in the international break to work on the new system he has implemented. “We came back in, high intensity, good workloads in terms of our increase, continue to implement some of the plan, model that we want to put onto the pitch,” he said. “Players are starting to get more familiar with what we want, and then obviously we’re trying to drive that winning mentality in everything we do.

“New players are starting to come back in that have been out for a couple of weeks, the players are starting to get more familiar with what we want and obviously we’re trying to drive that winning mentality in everything that we do. JK [Kucharski] should come back in and Tom Lawrence is back in which is a real help in the front third. Taggs [Adam Taggart] has had a little bit of a heel issue and missed a lot of training, but he will most likely be available, so those are the main additions who will make a big difference. Performance is the number one for anyone. If you get the performance, most likely you get good results and then that becomes a consistent thing. I’m fully aware that this club wants results and good performances and we have a strong squad, so that’s my objective.”

Glory do have a good record in the Hunter Valley, and in their last visit in week 16 last season, both sides shared the spoils in a 2-2 draw. Eli Adams gave the hosts the lead early, before Adam Taggart levelled from the spot. Clayton Taylor regained the lead for Newcastle 12 minutes from time, but six minutes later Lachlan Wales restored parity, to give both sides a point. The hosts will be desperate to bounce back from consecutive defeats against Sydney FC and Brisbane Roar and Griffiths is expecting a tough test. “They’re a technical group with a lot of fast players and dribblers,” he said. “They’re a very good team and a dangerous team that scores a lot of goals, but there’s also opportunity at the other end, which is good for us.”

Newcastle Jets squad: GK James DELIANOV, GK Alexx NASSIEP, 5 Joe SHAUGHNESSY, 8 Lachlan BAYLISS, 9 Lachlan ROSE, 11 Ben GIBSON, 13 Clayton TAYLOR, 14 Max BURGESS, 15 Aleksandar ŠUŠNJAR, 17 Kosta GROZOS, 19 Alex BADOLATO, 22 Joel BERTOLISSIO, 23 Daniel WILMERING, 24 Alex NUNES, 28 Will DOBSON, 33 Mark NATTA, 39 Thomas AQUILINA, 42 Max COOPER, 43 Xavier BERTONCELLO, 45 Christian BRACCO - *Two to be omitted* - Ins: NASSIEP, COOPER - Unavailable: 7 Eli ADAMS, 18 Kota MIZUNUMA, 20 Alex NASSIEP, 25 Oscar FRYER, 21 Noah JAMES, 40 Jordan BAYLIS

Perth Glory squad: GK Matt SUTTON, GK Ryan WARNER, 2 Charbel SHAMOON, 4 Scott WOOTTON, 6 Brandon O’NEILL, 7 Nicholas PENNINGTON, 8 Callum TIMMINS, 9 Jaiden KUCHARSKI, 11 Lachlan WALES, 17 Arion SULEMANI, 18 Rhys BOZINOVSKI, 19 Josh RISDON, 20 Trent OSTLER, 21 Adam BUGARIJA, 22 Adam TAGGART, 24 Andriano LEBIB, 25 Sebastian DESPOTOVSKI, 27 Will FRENEY, 34 Tom LAWRENCE, 45 Brian KALTAK - *Two to be omitted* - Ins: KUCHARSKI, OSTLER, LAWRENCE - Unavailable: GK Mark BIRIGHITTI, GK Cameron COOK, 3 Sam SUTTON, 10 Luke AMOS, 15 Zach LISOLAJSKI, 31 Joel ANASMO (All injured)

21.11.2025

GLORY TRAVEL TO CANBERRA IN WEEK FOUR

Perth Glory head east again this weekend in week four of the Ninja A-League, when they visit McKellar Park in the nation’s capital to take on Canberra United on Saturday afternoon. (1:00pm WA time) Back-to-back defeats against Brisbane Roar and Sydney FC has seen Glory slip to seventh on the ladder, and they take on a Canberra side still searching for their first win of the season.

Head Coach Stephen Peters is confident if they stay switched on, they can turn their season around. “The result against Sydney FC was disappointing, as were the lapses we’re having at the moment,” he said. “There was some concentration stuff, but the positives were that we had a good level of possession and there were good parts of the game that we controlled.

“We’ve just got to capitalise on what we’re doing well and manage those moments when we’re up against it better. We’ve just got to concentrate on ourselves, and there’s a lot of good stuff that we’re doing. We’ve won the possession stat in all three games so far, we’ve created good chances and scored five goals. So, we’ve got to be positive. I think we’re growing and hopefully that continues.”

Peters said despite a poor start to the season, Canberra are a good side, and they will certainly not be underestimating them. “I think with the exception of their first game, they’ve been quite sturdy,” he said. “In their first game, I thought they controlled possession quite well and I felt like they probably should have won it. They had a good result against Wellington and then last week they didn’t look themselves, but it was a trip to Adelaide off the back of a trip to Wellington, so I can empathise a little bit there. But they’re back at McKellar this week and we know exactly what they’re like at McKellar; they’re a very good team there and win a lot of matches, so we’re going to have to be on our game.”

Glory’s Onyinyechi Zogg, who goes into her second season at the club, after spells at Swiss sides Young Boys Frauen, FC Zürich Frauen and Servette FC in Europe, said back-to-back defeats was disappointing, but is confident they can turn things around. “It’s still early days, we just need to keep going,” the Swiss born defender said. “It’s only been three games, and we’re getting used to the new system, so we just have to keep working hard. I was delighted to extend my co tract here, it’s like a second home to me. I love Australia, it’s beautiful here, and that’s the reason I choose to come here. It’s a physical league and that suits my playing style which I’m known for in Europe.”

The Nigerian international defender will come up against one of the best strikers in the A-League, when they take on Canberra on Saturday, but she is looking forward to the challenge. “Michelle Heyman is a world class striker, and it’s really cool to play against her,” Zogg said. “I watched their game last week, and she is still pretty good, we need to mark her tight, and do not give her any room. They (Canberra) are a really physical team, and they defend and attack on the front foot, so we have to prepare for that.”

Glory’s Head Coach is also aware the threat Heyman will bring, but he is well aware of the other threats in their side. “Heyman is quality and you’ve got to pay credit to her for playing at that level for as long as she has consistently,” he said. “It’s great that she’s back in the Matildas fold and staying there. We’ve obviously got to be on high alert for her, but they have other players who can hurt you, like [Mary] Stanic-Floody, [Bethany] Gordon and [Kiara] De Domizio who scored a nice goal last week. You definitely have to be on guard as they are not just a one-player team. Michelle takes a lot of attention which can free up other players and we’ve got to be ready for them across the park.”

Peters will again be without Megan Wynne, Natalie Tathem and Ella Abdul Massih with injury, but there was some good news with Georgia Cassidy returning to the squad. The last time Glory played Canberra at the venue was in week 14 last season, when a late goal from former Glory defender Elizabeth Anton gave the hosts a 1-0 win.

Canberra United squad: GK Sally JAMES, GK Coco MAJSTOROVIC, 2 Alex MCKENZIE, 5 Jazmin WARDLOW, 6 Josie AULICINO, 7 Emma HAWKINS, 8 Sasha GROVE, 9 Kiara DE DOMIZIO, 10 Mary STANIC-FLOODY, 11 Emma ROBERS, 12 Hayley TAYLOR-YOUNG, 16 Keira BOBBIN, 19 Sienna DALE, 23 Michelle HEYMAN, 25 Darcey MALONE, 28 Tegan BERTOLISSIO, 32 Bethany GORDON, 33 Nanako SASAKI, 44 Ava BRIEDIS - *Two to be omitted* - Ins: WARDLOW, GORDON - Unavailable: Nil

Perth Glory squad: GK Jessica SKINNER, GK Alyssa DALL’OSTE, 2 Mischa ANDERSON, 3 Emma TOVAR, 5 Grace JOHNSTON, 6 Tijan MCKENNA, 8 Georgia CASSIDY, 9 Gabby HOLLAR, 10 Susan PHONSONGKHAM, 12 Bronte TREW, 13 Naomi CHINNAMA, 17 Rola BADAWIYA, 19 Sarah O’DONOGHUE, 22 Ischia BROOKING, 23 Isobel DALTON, 24 Julia SARDO, 25 Ella LINCOLN, 27 Charli WAINWRIGHT, 29 Onyinyechi ZOGG - *Two to be omitted* - Ins: CASSIDY, BROOKING - Unavailable: GK Teresa MORRISSEY, 7 Megan WYNNE, 11 Natalie TATHEM, 20 Ella ABDUL MASSIH (All injured)

20.11.2025

PETERS PUTS DEFENSIVE ISSUES DOWN TO CONCENTRATION

Coach Stephen Peters says his team needs to quickly break their habit of concentration lapses following the resumption in play after opponents have managed vital time periods better. Glory have impressed in the opening three games of the A-League Women’s season, but have just three points to their name after back-to-back defeats to Brisbane Roar and Sydney FC. Of the six goals conceded so far this season, four of them have come in the 10 minutes after half-time.

Ahead of Saturday's visit to Canberra United, Peters said he was unable to pinpoint a precise reason for their lapses. “It’s a tough one. It’s not exactly tangible,” Peters said. “I’m talking to some of the leaders in the group, and we’re trying to come up with reasons as to why we think that might be happening. To out it simply, essentially it’s just concentration, a bit of a lapse. That can be easily fixed by a little bit more communication, maybe a little bit more accountability on those areas.”

Glory have had the misfortune of two consecutive away games being delayed by lightning and Peters said they needed to view every moment as a learning opportunity. “If you get into a finals situation, you might have to go through something of that similar nature. There’s always moments where games can be delayed for whatever particular reason,” he said. “We’ve had two bites of the cherry now. I feel like one, we managed very well, and one, we were a little bit flat.”

Young Matildas midfielder Georgia Cassidy is nearing a return from a hamstring injury and could be involved against Canberra on the weekend. Gabby Hollar and Susan Phonsongkham have both spent time partnering Rola Badawiya up front and Peters said the pair were both being managed, to an extent, after having last season disrupted by serious injuries.

“I’ve been quite happy, and we’re blessed where we have some options. So essentially, that rotation of the players has just been around managing their loads a little bit, given the travel schedule that we have,” he said. “Susan spent a lot of time out of football last season, so she hasn’t played a lot of 90-minute games and Gabby was out with the blood clots, so we’re just managing them back to their peak fitness.”

20.11.2025

GRIFFITHS YET TO BE INTERVIEWED FOR FULL-TIME ROLE

Interim Perth Glory coach Adam Griffiths has revealed he is yet to interview for the full-time job, despite the club having sacked predecessor David Zdrilic almost a month ago. It comes after the club had previously set a tentative deadline of this week to have a new coach in place after abruptly parting ways with Zdrilic two matches into the season.

Griffiths has made no secret of his desire to take the role permanently, but has remained steadfast in his belief wins and improved performances are necessary to take the reins full-time. The assistant-turned-temporary head coach said he had not been given an indicative timeline of when the club would make a decision.

“No, I haven’t interviewed. But at the moment, I don’t think the club is in a hurry to make a rash decision,” Griffiths said. “What I’m expecting, the same as any other coach, is performance and results. That’s all I care about. Performance is number one for anyone. If you get performance, most likely you get good results and then that becomes a consistent thing.”

The international break has come and gone and the now-perennial A-League cellar-dwellers’ coaching search could drag on another week. John Aloisi quickly knocked Glory back, and the club’s reluctance to allow any incoming coach to bring in their own support staff has seen interest cool from the likes of Nick Montgomery and Patrick Kisnorbo.

19.11.2025

SOCCEROOS BEATEN BY COLOMBIA

The Socceroos’ November international window games in America, has ended with back-to-back defeats, going down 3-0 to Colombia at Citi Field in New York, the home of the New York Mets baseball team. Following the disappointing 1-0 loss against Venezuela on Saturday, this final game of 2025 was a chance for players to impress coach Tony Popovic and force their way into World Cup squad recognition, but it was wasn’t be. A dubious second half penalty converted by the impressive James Rodriguez set them on their way, before late goals from Luis Díaz and Jefferson Lerma sealed the win. However, Popovic praised his players’ resilience in battling illness to play the game.

“They didn’t train on Sunday (Monday AEDT) – the whole group was sick in bed,” Popovic said. “We kept that quiet because the players wanted to, so it’s a credit to them. We had a virus through the whole squad, including the staff. We put up a really good, brave performance, and I’m actually surprised at how well they did because physically they were clearly nowhere near it. For 75 (minutes) we did very well … (but) the result blows out a little bit with two soft goals in the last minutes. It was a shame for the players because I thought they were very good.”

Popovic made five changes to the team that started against Venezuela, with keeper Matt Izzo, defenders Cameron Burgess and Kye Rowles, and midfielders Jackson Irvine and Riley McGree coming into the starting side, with keeper Patrick Beach, Craig Goodwin, Paul Okon-Engstler and Nestory Irankunda dropped to the bench, while Jason Geria was out injured. For Irvine, who wore the captain’s armband, and McGree, it was long-awaited returns to Australia’s starting team after both made their international comebacks from injuries off the bench against Venezuela.

The poor surface at the venue looked like a Sunday league pitch, not the standard for international football, but it was the same for both teams. It was an even start to the game, the first real chance fell to the Cafeteros on 19 minutes, Rodriguez finding Yaser Asprilla, but his shot was straight at Izzo. The Socceroos custodian had to be alert again four minutes later, Asprilla picking out Díaz, but the Bayern Munich striker saw his shot from the edge of the box palmed away by Izzo.

The Socceroos went close themselves ten minutes later. Irvine was brought down, and the resulting McGree’s free kick flew wide. Colombia hit back and the dangerous Diaz cutting across the edge of the box, but his powerful shot flashed inches wide of the target. Then in stoppage time Australia had their best chance. Lewis Miller was brought down on the edge of the box, and McGree’s free kick was heading for the corner of the net, but Colombian keeper Camilo Vargas made a smart save to deny him, so at the break it was all-square.

Mohamed Toure went close early in the second half, his overhead kick failed to find the target, from Miller’s long throw. Popovic went to the bench on the hour, with Max Balard and Callum Elder coming on for Irvine and Kye Rowles, but the Columbians continued to create good chances, and Izzo was again alert to tip over Johan Mojica’s fierce drive. But on 74 minutes Colombia was awarded a penalty, after Rodriguez chip found Santiago Arias, who fell dramatically after minimal contact from Elder, and the Deby County defender couldn’t believe it when the referee pointed to the spot.

It did look harsh, but Rodriguez stepped up and sent Izzo the wrong way from the resulting penalty. It meant the Socceroos would have to push more players forward, and Popovic brought on attacking threats Irankunda, Martin Boyle and Okon-Engstler for Aiden O'Neill, Connor Metcalfe and McGree. But they couldn’t find away past a tight defensive unit, and Colombia sealed the game in the final minute with a second.

A long clearance from Vargas wasn’t dealt with by Izzo, who raced out of his box, the ball deflected into the path of Diaz, and the former Liverpool striker made no mistake. The Socceroos were out on their feet, and Colombia added a third in stoppage time. Rodriguez’s corner was headed goalward by substitute Jefferson Lerma, Izzo blocked his initial effort, but the Crystal Palace midfielder fired home the rebound.

Colombia: GK Camilo Vargas, 3 Jhon Lucumi, 4 Santiago Arias, 6 Richard Rios (14 Gustavo Puerta 70'), 7 Luis Diaz, 10 James Rodriguez, 15 Juan Camilo Portilla (8 Jorge Carrascal 81'), 17 Johan Mojica, 20 Luis Suarez (19 Rafael Santos Borre 70'), 22 Yaser Asprilla (16 Jefferson Lerma 81'), 23 Davinson Sanchez - Subs not used: RGK David Ospina, RGK Alvaro Montero, 5. Kevin Castano, 9 Jhon Cordoba, 11 Jhon Arias, 13 Yerry Mina, 18 Johan Carbonero, 21 Carlos Cuesta, 24 Alvaro Angulo, 26 Andres Gomez

Australia: GK Paul Izzo, 2 Milos Degenek, 3 Lewis Miller, 4 Kye Rowles (5 Callum Elder 60'), 8 Connor Metcalfe (6 Martin Boyle 78'), 9 Mohamed Toure, 13 Aiden O’Neill (20 Paul Okon-Engstler 78'), 14 Riley McGree (7 Nestory Irankunda 78'), 15 Kai Trewin, 21 Cameron Burgess, 22 Jackson Irvine (16 Max Balard 60') - Subs not used: RGK Matty Ryan, RGK Patrick Beach, 11 Al Hassan Toure, 17 Cameron Devlin, 23 Craig Goodwin, 24 James Overy, 25 Jack Iredale – Referee: Tori Penso (USA)