Perth Glory Susan Phonsongkham and Central Coast Mariners Lorena Baumann in action - Photo by Getty Images

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.

SPONSORS NEEDED FOR FOOTBALLWA

We are looking for more companies to sponsor our website for 2026. Footballwa.net is totally volunteer-driven - everyone who contributes is employed full-time in occupations outside football, and the amount of work, putting together the site weekly and maintaining the site does come at a cost, but we love this game and are prepared to give the sport we all love the publicity on the website and our social media platforms.

Over the years we have been able to establish a network of contributors who give their time each week to provide match details and club news for the website. It is only through these contributions that footballwa.net is able to provide you - the football community - with the latest information on the game.

If any companies or individuals would like to sponsor out site, you company logo will be on our website, with a link to your website, and it will also be displayed on all our graphics on social media – If you interested in coming on board to assist us – please contact jacobauf1976@hotmail.com for more details.

18.1.2026

PHONGSONGKHAM ON TARGET AS GLORY HOLD CHAMPIONS

Perth Glory have fought out an entertaining 1-1 draw with reigning Ninja A-League Champions Central Coast Mariners in the week 13 clash at polytec Stadium on Sunday afternoon. A suburb volley from Susan Phongsongkham gave Stephen Peters’ side the lead in the first half, her third goal of the season, but the hosts hit back to take a share of the spoils just after the hour with Petra Trimis scoring an Olimpico. Both sides had chances to win it, with Glory custodian Teresa Morrissey again making some telling saves, the point moving Glory into the top six.

Phonsongkham said it was nice to find the net, but they do need to improve in the final third, especially on the road. “I was hoping it would to my right foot, and get a good contact on it and it’s nice to see it in the back of the net,” she said post-match. “I thought it was one of our better performances away from home, so we’re pretty pleased with that, but we’re still looking for that perfect performance. We’ve been drilled to be clinical inside the penalty area, and it’s something we need to get better at. We did have plenty of opportunities in the second half, but unfortunately, we need to be more clinical, so we’re hoping to build on that and keep going.”

Peters made one change to the side that beat Western Sydney Wanderers last week, with Clancy Westaway replacing the injured Georgia Cassidy, while there was good news on the bench with striker Rola Badawiya returning from injury. The visitors were the first to go close, skipper Isobel Dalton’s long-range shot was straight at Mariners keeper Annalee Grove, but the hosts hit back and Morrissey stood tall to deny Annalise Rasmussen one-on-one, and moments later the Glory custodian thwarted the striker again, as the Mariners started to get on top.

There were chances at both ends, Sarah O’Donoghue’s curling effort flashed over the top for the visitors, before Morrissey, who has been in great form this season, denied Jynaya Dos Danos with a smart save. Then somewhat against the run of play on 34 minutes, Glory found the opener. Bronte Trew won possession off Lorena Baumann on the right, before crossing into the penalty area. The Mariners defence failed to deal with it, the ball falling to Phonsongkham, who volleyed home superbly.

The Mariners lifted after the break, with the Glory defending deep, and Morrissey had to be alert to push Trimis’ shot around the post on the hour. But two minutes later Trimis levelled for the host, her in-swinging corner found the net past Morrissey, who looked like she was impeded by Taren King, but the goal stood. The game was up for grabs, and Sarah O’Donoghue shot on the turn flashed wide moments later for Glory. Then the Mariners thought they had the lead, Rasmussen converting from close-range, but the flag was up for offside.

Rasmussen, who is the current leader in the Golden Boot race, wasted another opportunity late, as she couldn’t keep her effort down when well placed. Substitute Badawiya went close for the Glory as chances came and went, while Izabel Gomez failed the find the target at the other end. The result means the Mariners stay third on the ladder and move two points clear of fourth-placed Melbourne Victory. Meanwhile the draw for Glory, their first of the season, sees them move into sixth on the ladder ahead of back-to-back home games against Melbourne City and Sydney FC.

Central Coast Mariners: GK Annalee GROVE, 4 Baxter THEW (3 Elizabeth BARWICK-GREY 82'), 5 Annabel MARTIN, 6 Isabel GOMEZ, 7 Avaani PRAKASH (9 Millie FARROW 61'), 11 Annalise RASMUSSEN, 14 Greta KRASZULA, 17 Jynaya DOS SANTOS (10 Tamar LEVIN 61'), 18 Taren KING, 22 Peta TRIMIS, 23 Lorena BAUMANN - Subs not used: RGK Sophia VARLEY, 13 Kaiya BUCHANAN, 16 Tess QUILLIGAN

Perth Glory: GK Teresa MORRISSEY, 3 Emma TOVAR, 5 Grace JOHNSTON, 6 Tijan MCKENNA, 10 Susan PHONSONGKHAM (17 Rola BADAWIYA 63'), 12 Bronte TREW (25 Ella LINCOLN 86'), 19 Sarah O’DONOGHUE, 23 Isobel DALTON, 24 Julia SARDO (2 Mischa ANDERSON 90+2'), 28 Clancy WESTAWAY (27 Charli WAINWRIGHT 63'), 29 Onyinyechi ZOGG - Subs not used: RGK Jessica SKINNER, 4 Daisy MCALLISTER - Referee: Anna Marie Keighly

17.1.2026

SCAFETTA AT THE DOUBLE AS AZZURRI WIN COPPA ITALIA WA

Perth Azzurri are the 2026 Coppa Italia WA winners, after beating Balcatta Etna 3-1 in the final at Dorrien Gardens on Saturday evening, with a brace from Michael Scafetta and another Julian Kelly. “It was good to get a win and a trophy to start the season, especially coming into the night series,” Scafetta said. “We showed what we are about yesterday, with some really good build up for the goals and for the penalty, luckily, I was able to get on the end of two of them. We are building really strongly and we are all really confident for the season ahead as it gets closer.”

Kenny Lowe’s side were ahead after good work down the left by Ethan Banks, and his low cross was turned home by Scafetta. They added a second before the break, after Sam Pollard was brought down in the box, and Scafetta sent the keeper the wrong way from the resulting penalty. Balcatta were back in the game after the break with Jack Allen’s half volley beating Liam Driscoll. But the result was put beyond doubt with Azzurri substitute Kelly adding a third for the hosts.

In the third and fourth playoff game, Bayswater City beat Fremantle City 2-0 with goals from Borbor Sam and Declan Hughes. “It was another really good run out for the lads. Nice to come away with a clean sheet and a couple of goals, but more importantly it was our third game in 10 days and a great opportunity to get strong minutes into the group,” Bayswater coach Matthew Sparrow explained.

“At this stage of the season the results aren’t the focus, it’s all about the work we’re putting in and how we’re tracking physically and tactically. We’ve now got a good week to prepare properly and we’re looking forward to another good test against the same opponents in Fremantle. For me, it’s about getting fitter, sharper and more connected week by week, so we’re in a really good place heading into round one next month.”

17.1.2026

OLYROOS ASIAN CUP ENDS WITH LATE GOAL FROM KOREA REPUBLIC

Korea Republic have edged out Australia 2-1 to book their AFC U23 Asian Cup semi-final spot at the King Abdullah Sports City Hall Stadium on Saturday. The Olyroos had their chances but failed to take them at critical times in the game. Baek Ga-on gave Korea Republic the lead midway through the first half, but Luka Jovanovic levelled early in the second half. Both sides had chances to win it, but two minutes from time it was Shin Min-ha who broke the hearts of the Olyroos to seal the tie.

The hard-fought quarter-final victory means Korea Republic make a return to the last four stage after missing out in the previous two editions, with defending champions Japan awaiting them in Tuesday’s semi-final. “It’s a lot to take in to lose like that – it hurts,” Olyroos head coach Tony Vidmar said post-match. “The players were fantastic, the way they went out and played the game. They deserved so much better from it. Especially in the second half, there was only one team on the pitch. Maybe we didn’t create as many chances, but we didn’t deserve to lose, that is for sure.”

Vidmar made four changes to his final squad of the group stage, with Aidan Simmons, Jed Drew, Louis Agosti and Mathias Macallister coming into the starting XI. With Giuseppe Bovalina, Ethan Alagich, and former Perth Glory duo Jaylan Pearman and James Overy dropping to the bench. The Olyroos were out of the blocks early, and Drew had the first opportunity on four minutes, but his low shot was straight at keeper Hong Seong-min. But the 2020 Champions hit back, with Kang Seong-jin and Kang Min-jun going close, and they duly opened the scoring on 21 minutes.

The Olyroos were caught napping by Lee Hyun-Yong’s long ball into the box, which fell to Ga-on to finish with a fine volley into the net. Vidmar’s side almost hit back immediately, but Simmons’ effort flashed just wide of the target. Then seven minutes before half-time, Australia thought they had a penalty when referee Fu Ming spotted a handball and pointed to the spot, but it was overturned by VAR, and at the break the Olyroos had it all to do.

Australia began on the front foot after the break, and they were rewarded with the equaliser six minutes in. The lively Drew picking out Jovanovic, and the Adelaide United striker finished past Seong-min from the angle. Both sides had half chances, as the game opened up and the best chance fell to the Australian youngsters five minutes from time, Aydan Hammond was sent clear, but Seong-min stood tall to deny the Western Sydney Wanderers striker.

That miss came back to haunt them three minutes later, when Korea Republic won it. Kang Seong-jin's corner was powered home by Min-ha, which sparked wild celebrations, on and off the pitch. Australia pushed forward looking for the equaliser in stoppage time, the best chance fell to substitute Overy, but the Manchester United youngster couldn’t guide his near post header home. Vidmar highlighted the positives gained from the tournament - particularly for the younger players.

“The exposure and experience they gained, and the way the players performed throughout this campaign is really encouraging, there’s a lot of positives coming through. The way they approached it was unbelievable. It was a joy to work with all of them,’ he explained. “Unfortunately, one area that let us down was defending set-pieces. We conceded from them in every game, and that’s something we need to reflect on moving forward.”

Korea Republic: GK Hong Seong-min, 2 Kang Min-jun, 3 Bae Hyun-seo, 5 Lee Hyun-yong, 7 Kang Seong-jin (4 Jo Hyun-tae 90+4'), 8 Kim Dong-jin, 15 Baek Ga-on (18 Jeong Jae-sang 77'), 17 Kim Yong-hak (13 Kim Do-hyun 46'), 19 Lee Geon-hee, 22 Jang Seok-hwan, 23 Shin Min-ha - Subs not used: RGK Moon Hyun-ho, RGK Hwang Jae-yun, 6 Lee Chan-ouk, 9 Kim Tae-won, 11 Jung Ji-hun, 14 Jung Seung-bae, 16 Kim Han-seo, 20 Park Jun-seo

Australia: GK Steven Hall, 2 ?Aidan Simmons (21 James Overy 81'), 3 ?Joshua Rawlins, 6 Kaelan Majekodunmi, 7 ?Jed Drew (19 ?Marcus Younis 65'), 8 ?Jordi Valadon, 11 Yaya Dukuly, 15 Nathan Paull, 16 ?Luka Jovanovic (9 Nathanael Blair 81'), 20 Louis Agosti (17 Jaylan Pearman 74'), 23 Mathias Macallister (10 ?Aydan Hammond 73') - Subs not used: RGK Lachlan Allen, RGK Dylan Peraic-Cullen, 4 Kane Vidmar, 5 ?Giuseppe Bovalina, 13 ?Ariath Piol, 14 ?Ethan Alagich, 22 ?Marcus Humbert

16.1.2026

MARINERS SNAP UP FORMER GLORY YOUNGSTER

Central Coast Mariners have signed former Rockingham City and Perth Glory midfielder Chris Donnell for the remainder of the A-League season. The 21-year-old joins from NPLNSW club Sydney Olympic where the former Australian youth international featured most recently in Olympics’ inaugural Australian Championship campaign. Born in Glasgow, Donnell moved to Perth at a young age, and played his early football at Rocky, before joining the Perth Glory academy and making his Isuzu UTE A-League debut in 2022 against Wellington Phoenix.

He headed to the UK in 2023 with trials at a number of clubs, and he impressed at English Premier League side Fulham, who signed him. He was a standout in their academy, and was loaned out to Scottish Championship side, Airdrieonians, and while at the Cottagers, he was selected in the Young Socceroos squad, that played in 2023 Asian Cup in Uzbekistan. Donnell, who is the third mid-season signing for the club, along with Ali Auglah and Oli Lavale, is thrilled to be back in the A-League with the Mariners, and can’t wait to get started.

“This is a great opportunity for me to return to the A-League and I can’t wait to get started,” the defensive midfielder said. “The Club has a great history in not only developing the next generation of players but also success on the field and I’m looking forward to being a part of that environment. “I want to work hard with the coaching staff and the team to achieve everything we can this season.”

Mariners Head Coach, Warren Moon said Donnell will bolster the Mariners midfield for the tail end of the season. “We’re excited to have Chris sign for the Club for the remainder of the season,” he said. “Chris is a young, talented midfielder who has had a taste of football abroad and we think he has the potential to thrive in our environment on the Central Coast. We’ve seen what he’s been able to do at A-League level and most recently, in the Australian Championship and we’re looking forward to having Chris with the squad for the rest of the season.”

16.1.2026

GLORY LET IT SLIP AGAINST THE ROAR

Brisbane Roar have taken the points after a 2-1 win against Perth Glory in their week 13 Isuzu Ute A-League clash at HBF Park on Friday evening. Adam Taggart had given the hosts the lead early, and in doing so equalling Andy Keogh’s all-time club record of 59 goals, but Chris Long levelled from the spot, and the visitors won it with a looping header from Sam Klein early in the second half. Roared on by over 12,000 supporters, Glory pressed late looking for the equaliser, but they couldn’t find a way past a resolute Roar defence.

Glory head coach Adam Griffiths said he was left a bit frustrated, and is looking for a 90-minute performance from his side. “We weren’t at it ourselves after we conceded,” he said post-match. “We started brightly and then lost a lot of momentum from that goal and confidence, and then started to play a different brand of football that I’ve never seen before, which was the frustrating bit. It took us a while to wake up, and then when we did wake up, we started to create more, start to dominate and play the way we wanted — but we need to do that for 90 minutes.”

The coach named an unchanged side from the one that beat Central Coast Mariners last week, while on the bench there was a return for Seb Despotovski. The Roar arrived without head coach Michael Valkanis, who had to rush home to Greece for a family emergency, and it was a physical start to the game with both teams not taking a backwards step. A strong challenge from Gio De Abreu on Noah Maieroni set the tone, which saw the youngster booked, and in the melee that followed, Klein was also shown a yellow card.

The game settled down and on 20 minutes it was the home side who hit the front. Rhys Bozinovski headed forward to Trent Ostler, whose neat flick sent Taggart racing clear, the Roar defenders were looking for the offside flag, that never came, and the Glory striker finished with aplomb past Dean Bouzanis. The Roar hit back and Georgios Vrakas cut in from the left, and his long-range shot was saved at his near post by the alert Matt Sutton, but moments later the Roar levelled.

A corner from the left found Klein, whose shot hit Taggart, and the appeals for handball were waved away by referee Adam Kersey, but after a VAR call, he was sent over to the screen, and then awarded a penalty. It looked a little harsh, but the handball rule is as clear as mud these days, but Long didn’t care, converting the resulting spot kick. It seemed to rattle Glory who lost their impetus, and Sutton got down well to save Klein’s shot from the edge of the box moments later, but at the break it was all square.

The visitors went close to the lead just after half time, Klein’s clever chip from distance almost caught out Sutton, but the keeper got back to tip it over the top. Then on 50 minutes the Roar hit the front, a long throw by James McGarry wasn’t dealt with, the ball rebounding to Klein whose looping header found the net. The goal silenced the big crowd, and the visitors went close to a third moments later, when former Glory youth player Henry Hore fired just over the top. Glory hit back and Brian Kaltak’s shot whistled wide, before Tom Lawrence sent Taggart in on goal, but his shot from the angle was parried away by Bouzanis. The Glory supporters were right behind their side as they pressed for the equaliser, and Nicholas Pennington’s shot was straight at the Roar custodian.

The crowd were getting frustrated by the Roar’s time-wasting, but it was the visitors who were denied a third late, after Sutton produced another good save to deny Maieroni late in the game. Glory had their chances, but failed to take them and it was the Roar taking the points, and moving them up to third on the table, while the Glory stay ninth, but only two points out of the top six. They are back in action next Sunday, when they visit CommBank Stadium to take on Western Sydney Wanderers.

Perth Glory: GK Matt SUTTON, 2 Charbel SHAMOON, 3 Sam SUTTON (15 Zach LISOLAJSKI 56'), 4 Scott WOOTTON, 7 Nicholas PENNINGTON, 18 Rhys BOZINOVSKI (10 Luke AMOS 81'), 20 Trent OSTLER (25 Sebastian DESPOTOVSKI 56'), 22 Adam TAGGART, 34 Tom LAWRENCE, 39 Gio DE ABREU (16 Gabriel POPOVIC 90'), 45 Brian KALTAK - Subs not used: RGK Ryan WARNER, 17 Arion SULEMANI, 24 Andriano LEBIB

Brisbane Roar: GK Dean BOUZANIS, 2 Youstin SALAS, 3 Dimitri VALKANIS, 6 Austin LUDWIK, 8 Samuel KLEIN, 9 Christopher LONG (17 Justin VIDIC 72'), 10 Georgios VRAKAS (44 Jordan LAUTON 90+3'), 13 Henry HORE (41 Emmett SHAW 84'), 19 Michael RUHS (16 Matthew DENCH 72'), 23 James McGARRY, 31 Noah MAIERONI - Subs not used: RGK Macklin FREKE, 15 Hosine BILITY, 30 Quinn MACNICOL - Attendance: 12,594 - Referee: Adam KERSEY

16.1.2026

DE ABREU READY TO ROAR AGAINST BRISBANE

Perth Glory welcome Brisbane Roar to HBF Park on Friday evening in week 13 of the Isuzu Ute A-League, and they will look to build on last weeks emphatic 3-0 win against Central Coast Mariners, and continue their push up the table. (Kick off 6:45pm) It was a sparkling performance from Adam Griffiths’ side, with some of the younger players stepping up, which bodes well for the rest of the season. Glory sits ninth on the table, and the Roar arrive in fifth, but have lost back-to-back games, so with only two points separate the two sides a win will be massive in this one.

It was a huge occasion last week for former ECU Joondalup midfielder Giovanni De Abreu, who made his starting debut for the club, and he said it was special. “It was a big goal of mine, and a dream come true,” he said. “It all happened so fast as well, I wasn’t expecting it, but I went out there and enjoyed every moment. I enjoy playing for Griff (Adam Griffiths), and I feel like I resonate with what he says. I thought me and Boza (Rhys Bozinovski) played well together, and Griff said to me – ‘just do what you do’. He’s always hungry, and he’s never satisfied, what is a good quality to have as a coach, as there is always something to improve on with your game.”

The 18-year-old came through the ECU Joondalup Academy, and was selected in the FC Bayern U19 World Squad, and captained the side in some of the games on the recent tour, and in their final game beat the German giants under 19’s side. The midfielder said it was an amazing time and very grateful for the opportunity. “I learnt a lot from my time there, but it was crazy for me, as no one spoke English, so I had to adjust and learn,” he explained. “I thought I built a little bit of character development there, and my football has improved. It was very professional, and good to be around some quality players, and the facilities were insane.”

De Abreu came in for his debut in the win against the Mariners, replacing the injured Will Freney, another youngster who has impressed this season, but De Abreu said one win is good, but they are chasing more, starting on Friday night against Brisbane in front of their supporters. “We’re all feeling pretty good after the game, it was a good result for us, but we are focused on the next one,” the young midfielder said. “One win is good, but we need to do it again and again, so we’re all focused now. Obliviously there is a lot of work to do, but it’s a good start. It was awesome playing in front of our fans, and it was great after the match celebrating with the fans in the Shed End.”

Griffiths is looking for his side to stay on the front foot against the fifth placed Roar, and is expecting a physical game in Friday’s encounter, against a side who started the season well, but will be looking to bounce back from two straight defeats. “They [Brisbane] deserve to be where they are, they play a different style of football, but it’s an effective style of football and they’re good at it,” he explained. “We’ve got to match that and continue to improve on how we want to play and take that game to them.

“We’re going to embrace the challenge and we’re going to excel. We’ve been regrouping and re-setting and getting ourselves prepared for this game. We focus everything on ourselves, every game. We’ve been focused on what makes us and continuing to turn Perth Glory into a winning team. We do the 80-20 rule where we focus 80% on us and 20% on Brisbane.”

It’s Glory annual ‘Footballers Go Free’ game, in conjunction with Football West, and Griffiths said his side are looking forward to playing in front of big crowd, and continue their push up the table. “Perth Glory has been starved of success, so winning games will obviously increase crowds and get people talking,” he said. “We want to continue on that trajectory and we’re doing everything possible to make that happen. You have to have sustained success and that’s the objective. I think we’re improving as a collective and that’s something that we have to continue if we’re going to keep moving up the ladder.”

The last time Roar played in Perth, was in week 23 last season, when the Roar secured a 3-1 win at HBF Park. It started so well for the hosts with Luke Amos scoring a stunner to opener the scoring on seven minutes. Unfortunately, it went downhill after that, with Asumah Abubakar levelling eight minutes before the break, and a brace from Sam Klein sealed the points. Griffiths said a number of injured players are getting close to full fitness, and some could come into the squad this week. Attacking duo Jaiden Kucharski and Seb Despotovski are closing in on a return to full fitness, while Zach Lisolajski made a welcome return from injury last weekend, but Freney (hip), Callum Timmins and Brandon O’Neill (both calf) are expected to again be unavailable. “A couple of players are coming back to training,” Griffiths said, “and then we’ll make a decision as to whether they’re ready to step into the squad or not.”

16.1.2026

PETERS HOPES TO END AWAY DAY BLUES

After back-to-back home wins, Perth Glory will be looking to turn that form into points on the road, when they visit polytec Stadium on Sunday afternoon to take on current Champions Central Coast Mariners, in week 13 of the Ninja A-League. (2:00pm WA Time) It’s been a good five weeks for Stephen Peters’ team, winning four consecutive home games, their only defeat at Melbourne City just after Christmas.

That form has seen Glory move up to fifth on the ladder, this after last week’s 3-1 win against Western Sydney Wanderers, with goals from Emma Tovar, Susan Phonsongkham and Ella Lincoln saw Glory leap into the top six. They are two places and two points behind the Mariners, who also secured a big win last time out, with goals from Peta Trimis and Annalise Rasmussen giving them a 2-1 win against Newcastle Jets.

It’s tight at the top with only six points separating the top seven teams, Glory needs to get it right on the road, if they are to stay in in the finals race. Head Coach Stephen Peters said they need to take their home form on the road, and take the game to the hosts. “We’re trying not to think about the fact that we’ve won four out of the last five,” he said. “It’s fantastic that we achieved that, but it’s in the past, it’s done. We’ve now just got to concentrate on the next game.

“We’re not going to rest at winning four games out of five, we want to continue to win matches, we want to play Finals football and we want to compete. If we play the game we want to play [against Central Coast], I think we’ll be right in the contest. We’re not going to die wondering, we’re not going to sit back and wait for them, because that’s just not in our DNA. We want to get forward, get after them and be a nuisance.”

Kory Babington’s side are unbeaten at home this season, winning three and drawing one, and Peters knows it a tough assignment, but confidence is high in the camp going into the clash. “We’re quite pleased with where we’re sitting at the moment,” he said, “but if you start ladder watching, it’s not really going to get you anywhere. “There’s also the old adage that we’re not very good away from home, so that challenge is there for us as well.

“Central Coast are a very good side again this season, and I think everyone kind of forgets that they’re the Champions. They’ve got a good level of resilience, they seem like a together unit and they have some fantastic strike weapons. The likes of [Isabel] Gomez, [Peta]Trimis and [Annalise] Rasmussen are definitely players to look out for. But even though it’s a massive cliche, we are just looking at ourselves and how we can improve. We firmly believe that if we put together a performance of the quality that we are capable of producing, we can go toe-to-toe with anyone in the competition.”

The last time the sides met was in the league was in week 19 last season when they played out a six=goa; thriller at the Industree Group Stadium, the game ending 3-3. Jessika Nash gave the hosts the lead on 19 minutes, but goals either side of half time from Sarah O’Donoghue had Glory ahead. But the Mariners hit back with goals from Rasmussen and Tiana Fuller looked to have given them the three points. But Glory had other ideas and deep into stoppage time Tijan McKenna earned them a point.

Former Perth RedStar defender Mischa Anderson said the squad is working hard each week, and spot in the starting side is up for grabs, so training is intense. “We have a great depth to our squad, and everyone is fighting for a spot in the starting side week in and week out,” she said. “I was starting, but lost my spot, but I’m still pushing to get back into the team, like every player in the squad. I’m enjoying the game time at the moment and taking every game as it comes, and learning from every game that I get. I’m very grateful for the time that I got in the side, and it was brilliant to play for my home team and the home fans, who have been great at Sam Kerr this season.”

Glory will go in search of only their second win on the road this season, but Anderson said they are looking forward to the challenge. “We’re feeling confident, after our wins at home, and I think we’re ready for whatever comes to us,” the defender said. “We focus on ourselves and go out there and try our hardest to bring the points home. Our defensive line is doing pretty well, claiming clean sheets at home, and on the weekend, we were very clinical in front of goal, so we aim to continue that this week.”

Anderson played against a number of Mariners players in her time in the NPLNSW, and she knows it will be a tough game, but it’s one she is relishing. “Mariners are a great team, but we have to focus on ourselves, and control the uncontrollable, and I think we will do fine,” she said. “We not need to look at the ladder too much, we need to keep doing what we’ve been doing. I’ve played with Isobel Gomez and Greta Kraszula in the NPL in Sydney, so I know them, but on Sunday their no friendship when we get on the pitch.”

15.1.2026

LATE DRAMA SEES OLYROOS REACH KNOCK-OUT STAGE IN ASIAN CUP

Australia was on the verge of elimination from Group D of the AFC U23 Asian Cup at Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, going into stoppage time trailing 1-0 to Iraq after Ammori Faisal’s spot kick. But late goals from Adelaide United’s Yaya Dukuly and Sydney FC’s Matthias Macallister secured their qualification for the quarter finals, and the 2-1 win saw them top the group and will now take on Korea Republic. “We saw players who fought to the very end, and this is a big thing for us,” Head Coach Tony Vidmar said post-match.

“Their mindset was that of never stopping but to keep on going and this is a credit to them. Iraq like the game long and wide and it’s physically demanding, especially in the first half, where we didn't play as well as we should have. It’s cagey in a way and we know how dangerous they are and we had to take a different approach. But the belief the players have instilled in each other, they’re driven, played aggressively even when a goal down and fully deserved to win.”

Vidmar made three changes from the side that was narrowly defeated by China. Giuseppe Bovalina, Luka Jovanovic and former Perth Glory midfielder Jaylan Pearman coming into the starting eleven, replacing Aydan Hammond, Macallister and Nathaniel Blair, while Glory defender Kaelan Majekodunmi kept his spot at the heart of the defence. With so much on the line, it was a tight first half, with clear cut chances few and far between. The first opportunity fell to the Olyroos on 27 minutes, former Glory defender James Overy’ curling effort forced Layth Sajid into a fingertip save. Then in the shadows of half time Iraq hit back, and Hameed Ali weaved past his marker but fired his low drive straight at Australia keeper Steven Hall as the teams went into the break on level terms.

Australia began the second half brightly, and Dukuly was played in on goal by Jovanovic, but the striker hit the side netting. Iraq needed a win to move through to the knock out stage, and they lifted, Faisal firing wide, before Hall had to be alert to tip over Ayman Luay’s long-range effort. Then on 63 minutes Iraq found the opener, the Australian custodian bringing down Luay, and Faisal made no mistake from the resulting penalty. Australia pushed for the equaliser, and Jed Drew shot was comfortably collected by Sajid, while Jovanovic and Nathan Paull failed to trouble the Iraq custodian from inside the area.

Vidmar’s team thought they had been given a lifeline after the referee pointed to the spot in 17 minutes from time, following Adam Rasheed’s foul on Dukuly, but the decision was overturned after a VAR review. It looked like it wasn’t going to be their night, but that all changed in the third minute of stoppage time. Former Glory defender Josh Rawlins’ cross from the right picked out an unmarked Dukuly at the back post, who powered his header past Sajid.

Iraq pushed players forward looking for the equaliser late, but the Olyroos capitalised on the space left in behind. A slick team move saw Dukuly find Blair in behind, and clever work between the former Glory striker and Jovanovic, picked out Macallister who fired into an empty net to seal dramatic come-from-behind victory. The result means that Australia have qualified for the next stage of the AFC U23 Asian Cup as Group D winners, and will play Korea Republic, who finished runners up in Group C, on Saturday evening. The other teams to qualify are Japan, Jordan, Vietnam, UAE, Uzbekistan and China PR.

Australia: GK Steven Hall, 3 Joshua Rawlins, 5 Giuseppe Bovalina (2 Aidan Simmons?79'), 6 Kaelan Majekodunmi (9 Nathanael Blair 85'), 8 Jordi Valadon (20 Louis Agosti?64'), 11 Yaya Dukuly, 14 Ethan Alagich, 15 Nathan Paull, 16 Luka Jovanovic, 17 Jaylan Pearman (23 Mathias Macallister 79'), 21 James Overy (7 Jed Drew 64') - Subs not used: RGK Lachlan Allen, RGK Dylan Peraic-Cullen, 4 Kane Vidmar, 10 Aydan Hammond, 13 Ariath Piol, 19 Marcus Younis, 22 Marcus Humbert

Iraq: GK Layth Sajid, 2 Hamid Ali, 3 Josef Al Imam (13 Abbas Fadhil 69'), 4 Adam Rasheed, 5 Abdulrazzaq Qasim, 6 Hussein Fahem, 10 Amoori Faisal, 15 Ali Mokhalad, 17 Karrar Ali (20 Abbas Adnan 45'), 21 Layth Mahmood (8 Yasir Wisam 90'), 23 Aymen Luay (11 Mustafa Nawaf 90') - Subs not used: RGK Ridha Abdulaziz, 7 Mohammed Jameel, 14 Jaber Dhumad, 18 Ali Sadeq, 19 Sidad Haji

15.1.2026

AZZURRI AND ETNA MEET IN COPPA ITALIA WA CUP FINAL

The first piece of silverware is up for grabs on Saturday evening, with the Coppa Italia WA Cup Final taking place at Dorrien Gardens, as Perth Azzurri host Balcatta Etna (8:00pm) Both sides progressed to the final with big wins in the semi-final last week. First on Thursday evening, goals from Ethan Brooks, Josh Cala and Evans Moorehouse saw the Azzurri beat last season’s NPLWA champions Bayswater City 3-1 at Frank Drago Reserve.

Cala said it was good first hit out for the side. “I was impressed with our first proper hit out last Thursday against the reigning champions and thought we showed promising signs for the season ahead,” he explained. “I thought the result spoke for itself as we played quite well while still having key players out for the game. I look forward to the game against Balcatta this weekend, hopefully we can continue what we are working on as a group and that should help us get the win.”

Meanwhile on Saturday evening Balcatta secured a 3-0 win against Fremantle City at the Home Group Stadium, Grindleford Reserve. The hosts were ahead when Jarred Flavel picked out fellow new signing Charlie Betts Jnr, who made no mistake. Flavel added the second with a clinical finish, before another new signing Iljas Ahmadov rounded the keeper to finish off a good team move to add the third.

Coach Terry Nicolaou said it was a busy day, with his squad playing two games on the day. “Yes, your right it was a challenging day for the players, as we played RedStar away early, played well, and won 2-1, then we backed up in the Italia Cup at home to Fremantle,” he said. “I thought we played some decent football, and scored three creative goals. I was pleased how the new players fitted in, and it gives us confidence in the final on Saturday night against Azzurri.” In the early game Bayswater City take on Fremantle City in the third and fourth play-off.

14.1.2026

SUTTON SIGNS A THREE-YEAR CONTRACT AT GLORY

Perth Glory have secured the services of injury-replacement keeper Matt Sutton for a further three-years, after the 25-year-old signed a contract with the A-League club today. The keeper, who headed west from Western United, after injuries to Cameron Cook and Mark Birigetti, has been in outstanding form, and he has now made 12 appearances, keeping three clean sheets, and he’s over the moon to continue his stay at the club.

“Since moving over, in a real last-minute decision as an injury replacement, but ever since I’ve been here, I’ve loved expects of WA, on and off the pitch, and we’re building something really special her so it was too hard to say no,” the keeper explained. “We’ve been building towards some of the recent performances, and the connections I’ve been building with the back four, especially Brain and Scotty, the two twin towers at the back, and you can see we’ve made a real good connection and playing well together.”

The move came after his former club Western United went into receivership, and Sutton said it’s been a whirlwind for sure. “I’d just re-signed for United, which was unfortunate, but these things happen in football,” he said. “But I couldn’t be more excited for the next three years, and I’m stoked to be here at Perth Glory. The beach lifestyle in Perth, I really fit in, and I grow up on the beach on the east coast, but west is best. I love playing in front of our fans, it’s amazing.”

Glory Football Director Stan Lazaridis has been hugely impressed by Sutton both on and off the pitch. “We were very pleased to be able to bring Matt in when we lost both our keepers to injury just before the season started,” he said. “He has fitted in so well, providing a reassuring presence in goal and pulling off some outstanding saves.

“A no-nonsense, very likeable character, Matt has worked in well with our other goalkeepers and it’s clear that our members and fans have really taken to him. We’re thrilled that he’s agreed to sign this long-term deal which means that we now have an extremely strong and competitive goalkeeping unit at the club moving forward. Matt has a very bright future ahead of him and we look forward to seeing him fulfil his huge potential here at Perth Glory.”

14.1.2026

DALTON ASSERTS A-LEAGUE WOMEN MUST CAPITALISE ON ASIAN CUP

Perth Glory captain Isobel Dalton has urged the A-League to not waste the chance to capitalise on the looming Asian Cup after the league’s post-Women’s World Cup shine quickly wore off. The players’ union Professional Footballers Australia on Wednesday launched ‘Ready For Takeoff’, their official vision for the embattled league.

The report called for more thorough engagement with fans of the women’s game, pointing to the packed stadiums which accompany Matildas games. With the Women’s Asian Cup to kick off in Perth on March 1, Dalton said the league could not afford to let slip another golden opportunity to substantially grow the game.

“Part of that will come down to having good fan engagement around the Asian Cup, but then also having a plan in place as to how that can get implemented into the A-League Women,” Dalton said. “With the World Cup, there was a massive opportunity and it just didn’t take off. Having the Asian Cup here again is the last opportunity the A-League and Australian women’s football will actually get to make something out of our league.”

Dalton has had three stints in the A-League and while she acknowledged both the quality and quantity of games had improved, she felt there was no plan from the game’s custodians to guide the league’s off-field growth. “During the World Cup, there was so much that could have been leveraged off,” she said.

“I don’t think the league took the right steps to build on what the Matildas did and they could have used that as an opportunity to really grow this league even further,” she said. “You saw sold-out stadiums across the whole country and it trickled into the A-League a little bit, but there wasn’t enough fan engagement to get people to come out to games and support the local teams within their state.”

Among the reports’ recommendations is for a full-time professional league to be implemented by next season. Currently, players are only contracted for eight months and the league’s minimum salary is well below $30,000 and the five other major women’s sporting leagues in Australia.

“Even when you’re on a two-year contract, you’re still not paid for those four months,” Dalton commented. “For me, this last off-season was the hardest. I was very anxious about where the money was coming in from, what my career was going to look like, what my future looked like.”

“You almost have to live day-to-day hoping that everything works out. It takes a mental toll on players a lot more than what you probably see, living in the unknown for so long. Especially as a player, if you’re coming off-contract, going into the off-season, then you’ve really got no sense of direction or idea of where that money’s going to come from.”

Dalton recently completed a criminology degree and has worked multiple jobs during her time with Glory to supplement her income. But this season, something had to give. “I was working for Boom Logistics, one of our sponsors. I’ve only recently dropped it due to the mental side of it, how hard it actually was to balance it,” she said.

“I decided to give it up and just stick with the football, because I know that football can’t last forever, take that pay cut and and just hope things will work out for me. I do get stuck in two minds, because as much as I would like a lot more financial stability, you don’t want to give the game up. For me, it’s about sticking with it and hoping things will change.”

14.1.2026

GLORY SECURE GOALKEEPER SUTTON ON LONG-TERM DEAL

Perth Glory have converted goalkeeper Matt Sutton's short-term contract to a permanent deal. The 25-year old has put pen to paper on a three-year deal with Glory after starting every game this season despite arriving as an injury replacement for Mark Birighitti, who has been sidelined by a knee problem.

Sutton has provided assurance between the posts for Glory and bolstered the stability behind an improving back four. With Birighitti back from injury but not yet returned to the field and fellow shot-stopper Cameron Cook still out with a knee problem of his own, the move entrenches Sutton as the club's first choice 'keeper.

After three clean sheets this season, said Sutton had well and truly earned his extension.

"We were very pleased to be able to bring Matt in when we lost both Mark Birighitti and Cameron Cook to injury just before the season started," said Glory football director Stan Lazaridis. "He has fitted in so well, providing a reassuring presence in goal and pulling off some outstanding saves."

"We're thrilled that he's agreed to sign this long-term deal, which means that we now have an extremely strong and competitive goalkeeping unit at the club moving forward. Matt has a very bright future ahead of him, and we look forward to seeing him fulfil his huge potential here at Perth Glory."

13.1.2026

NEW BALANCE ON BOARD WITH FOOTBALL WEST

Football West have announced New Balance as its first exclusive naming rights partner of the National Premier Leagues WA competitions. It’s not the first time Football West have had sponsors for the Premier League, with Westnet in 2003 & 2024, 6PR in 2005, Vodafone in 2006 and APB in 2010 but this is the first in the NPL era. The naming rights partnership begins with the upcoming 2026 season and is for three years.

It will cover the following: NPL WA Men’s (plus U23s & U18s), NPL WA Men’s Nights Series, NPL WA Men’s Top Four Cup (plus U23s & U18s), NPL WA Women’s (plus U21s), NPL WA Women’s Nights Series, NPL WA Women’s Top Four Cup plus U21s), NPL WA Season Launch and NPL WA Awards. Football West CEO Jamie Harnwell said: “We are excited to welcome New Balance as the naming rights partner of our two premier competitions. This is the first time Football West has had its own partner for the NPL, and so to have a global sportswear leader in New Balance is a great endorsement of our highest leagues.”

New Balance, an independent brand since 1906, is renowned for empowering individuals through sport and craftsmanship, fostering positive change in communities around the world. The two top-flight leagues will officially be known as the New Balance NPL WA Men’s and New Balance NPL WA Women’s competitions. The NPL WA naming rights agreement is an expansion of Football West’s current Official Apparel Supplier partnership with New Balance and Belgravia Apparel.

Belgravia Apparel is the Australasian elite teamwear partner of New Balance, supplying both supporter and performance products for a broad range of professional and amateur sporting organisations across Australia and New Zealand. “New Balance is already a highly valued partner of Football West and a great supporter of grassroots football with whom we share the values of mutual respect, fair play and excellence,” Mr Harnwell said. “This investment will bring wider promotion and greater exposure for the New Balance NPL WA competitions and our clubs.”

New Balance Australia Regional General Manager Dean Howard said: “At New Balance, our job is to aid athletes in their pursuit of excellence, whether that means helping professional athletes win medals, or propelling the community to live a healthy and active lifestyle. We are proud to partner with Football West and look forward to seeing our naming rights partnership come to life over the next three years.”

13.1.2026

TOM LAWRENCE – SIGN HIM UP SAYS GLORY LEGEND

The form of Perth Glory striker Tom Lawrence has many supporters crying out for the club to sign the former Welsh international on a permanent deal, and former Sorrento head coach and Glory legend Steven McGarry is another who believes the 31-year-old should be signed sooner rather than later. The former Derby County and Rangers striker headed down under on a one-year contract, and after greeting match fit, he has starred under Adam Griffiths, and performed really well, and he is unlucky not to be nominated for the December Shark Player of the Month award.

Lawrence is not the only player out of contract at the end of the season, including Adam Taggart, which will be tough as the league braces for a league-wide salary cap reduction from $3.5m currently to a ‘hard’ cap of $3m next season, but that doesn’t include one marquee player. McGarry, who was part of the last Glory’s side that reached the A-League Grand Final against Brisbane Roar in 2012, told The West Australian newspaper, that Glory needed to do everything possible to retain Lawrence, who has helped steer Perth to within three points of third. “If I’m Perth Glory, looking at it in terms of recruitment for next year, he’s number one,” the Scotsman said. “I know you don’t want to look too far (ahead), but you have to — he’s out of contract end-of-season. He’s come in and done fantastic, and he’s a real influence on the team.”

His influence on the team, especially the young players, is there for all to see, he has also bagged five goals and he can play in a number of positions, and has the ability to drop deep from his attacking role to help overload the midfield and then use his strength and athleticism to drive forward, which was on full show against the Mariners. He has also been clinical in front of goal, which was best evidenced by his hat-trick against Melbourne City last month.

Lawrence spoke to Paramount + after the big win against the Mariners, and he said he was loving his time in Perth, and McGarry said he is also enjoying his football, which was why he joined the club. “He’s not going to love life just because Perth is a wonderful place; he’s enjoying life because he’s enjoying his football at the moment,” he said. “The team are improving over the course of the season, and he’s been a major part of it. He’s a wonderful footballer; he’s got great pedigree.”

McGarry said Lawrence’s more than 300 games of experience across England’s Championship and the Scottish Premiership were telling at the lower intensity of the A-League. But injuries curtailed his time at Scottish giants Rangers, but he’s over those injuries now, and he’s doing what he loves to do – play football. “The hustle and bustle of the British leagues, it’s 100 miles an hour, and it’s physical, but he’s a really technical footballer,” McGarry explained. “The A League’s a little bit slower, especially in Perth with the climate and the heat. It allows him to get on the ball and show his class and skill.”

12.1.2026

AUSTRALIA UNDER 23S EDGED OUT BY CHINA PR AT ASIAN CUP

Australia will need to win their final Group D game on Wednesday against Iraq to progress to the knock-out stage, after they were beaten 0-1 by China PR in their second AFC Asian Cup clash at Al Shabab FC Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Sunday evening. Coming off a hard-fought win against Thailand, a win would have seen Tony Vidmar’s side qualify for the knock out stage of the tournament, but a goal just before half time by Peng Xiao secured the win for China PR. The Olyroos thought they had levelled late, with Giuseppe Bovalina bundling the ball home, but after a VAR check it was disallowed for handball.

Australia’s fate is still in their own hands, a victory in the final group game will secure their progression into the Quarter finals. Head coach Tony Vidmar said his side were a little bit cautious on the night. “China PR weren’t under any sort of pressure in the first half and in the second, the only thing we wanted to do was score,” Vidmar said. “We knew we would control the majority of the ball with China PR sitting so deep and their mindset of not conceding, so we had to make things happen. This was a time when we had to be really aggressive but we were a little bit cautious.”

Vidmar made three changes from the opening game against Thailand, with Manchester United's James Overy, Perth Glory’s Kaelan Majekodunmi and former Glory striker Nathanael Blair, all making their first starts of the tournament, with Bovalina, Aidan Simmons and Luka Jovanovic dropping to the bench. Australia controlled the early possession but failed to turn their advantage into goals, with Ethan Alagich and Mathias Macallister, who had combined well against Thailand, having an off-day.

Alagich’s shot on 18 minutes failed to find the target, and efforts from Majekodunmi, Blair and Joshua Rawlins failed to trouble keeper Li Hao. But two minutes from half time China PR found the opener. A free kick from Wang Yudong was only cleared as far as Xiao, and his volley flew past Steven Hall and into the roof of the net, their first shot on target.

That goal boosted the Chinese and they went close to a second early in the second half, Wang Yudong’s free-kick across the goalmouth flashed wide, before Li Zhenquan fired into the side netting from close range. Vidmar’s side lifted and started to take control, and Hao saved well to deny Blair on the hour after good work by Overy on the right, and then he did even better to smother Yaya Dukuly’s shot from inside the six-yard box a minute later.

The Olyroos were pressing, and Jovanovic long range effort which was saved by the alert Hao, and then Bovalina couldn’t keep his effort down. Then with the final chance of the game it looked like their pressure was rewarded with the equaliser, Alagich’s cross from the right was bundled home by Bovalina at the back post, but his celebrations were cut short by the VAR review which spotted the handball. The Aussies now turn their attention to their final group stage game against Iraq on Wednesday night (7:30pm WA time).

Melbourne Victory defender Josh Rawlins said their fate is in their own hands, going into Wednesday game. “To win, simple, six points should get us through,” the WA-born Rawlins said post-match. “The belief is massive…the belief in this group is amazing, I think we can achieve great things this tournament. It is in our hands, and we just need to take our opportunities in the next game. But we know Iraq are not going to be an easy team either.”

Australia: GK Steven HALL, 3 Joshua RAWLINS, 6 Kaelan MAJEKODUNMI, 8 Jordi VALADON 7 Jed DREW 84’), 9 Nathanael BLAIR (16 Luka JOVANOVIC 77’), 10 Aydan HAMMOND (5 Giuseppe BOVALINA 58’), 11 Yaya DUKULY (13 Ariath PIOL 77’), 14 Ethan ALAGICH, 15 Nathan PAULL, 21 James OVERY, 23 Mathias MACALLISTER (17 Jaylan PEARMAN 58’) - Subs not used: RGK Lachlan ALLEN, RGK Dylan PERAIC-CULLEN, 2 Aidan SIMMONS, 15 Kane VIDMAR, 19 Marcus HUMBERT, 20 Louis AGOSTI, 21 Marcus YOUNIS

China PR: GK LI HAO, 2 Hu HETAO, 3 He YIRAN, 4 Umidjan YUSUP, (13 Wang BOHAO 81’), 6 Xu BIN, 8 Mutellip IMINGARI, (21. Bao SHENGXIN 70'), 9 Behram ABDUWELI, 10 Wang YUDONG, (14 Yang HAOYU 81'), 15 Peng XIOA, 20 Li ZHENQUAN (19 Zhang AIHUI 81'), 23 Yang Xi - Subs not used: RGK Luan YI, RGK Huo SHENPING, 5 Liu HAOFAN, 7 Xiang YUWANG, 11 Kuai JIWEN, 17 Bao SHIMENG, 18 Chen ZESHI, 22 Mao WEIJIE

11.1.2026

NIGHTMARE OVER FOR FORMER GLORY SKIPPER

After 12 months without a club, former Perth Glory captain and Socceroo midfielder Mustafa Amini has made his next move, joining Thai second-tier side Nakhonsi United. It has been a difficult year for Amini, who has eight caps for Australia and spent time at Borussia Dortmund, before stints in Denmark and Cyprus, as well as back home in the A-League. The 32-year-old had his contract terminated by Perth Glory last December and took the matter to court, with a settlement reached. Speaking on his move, Amini didn’t miss Glory on how he was treated at the club.

“Not just because of injury but because of how it was handled, I was made a scapegoat,” he wrote on Instagram. “Lies were told. They even blocked my surgery while a knee specialist confirmed surgery was needed. They had power over me the contract protected payment, not how a person is treated. No accountability. In that time, I got stronger. I built the best team around me, did all the proper planned rehab that was needed kept working when no one was watching, and that’s why I could step straight back in and play 90 minutes. They tried to write my ending, but they only fuelled the next chapter.

“I’m grateful to those who believed and supported me and to the ones who didn’t, thank you too. When there was no clear end goal, I kept working, session after session. Running alone and hours in the gym It wasn’t easy training without certainty, but I refused to stop. There were moments I thought it might be over but I love this game too much to let it go that easily. Grateful to everyone who helped me along the way, every message, every push, every bit of belief mattered more than you know.”

Amani made his debut for the club in their 0-0 draw against second placed Police Tero on Friday, the point leaving them in 13th place on the table. The midfielder becomes the latest Australian to join Nakhonsi United, where compatriot Tony Basha is football director and has begun bringing a string of his countrymen to the club. The midfielder joins Dylan Ruiz-Diaz, Ivan Khosho and Benjamin Bruckner in Thailand, “Playing in Asia has always been a goal of mine. Proud to sign with Nakhonsi United, excited and ready for Thailand,” Amini said. “Thank you to Tony Basha and Australasian Soccer Academy for the help and the chance. This is just the beginning.”

Basha said it’s great to have Mustafa at the club. “We are thrilled to announce the signing of former Socceroo and Borussia Dortmund star, Mustafa Amini. His extensive experience in European football, spanning over a decade, will be invaluable to our club,” Basha wrote on Instagram. “I am genuinely excited to work with Musti, who not only brings a wealth of talent but also embodies the spirit of a true clubman.

“Throughout my career, I have always believed in providing opportunities to players, and Musti comes with a distinguished pedigree that speaks volumes. I had the privilege of working with Musti when he was just 14 years old at the academy, and I look forward to reconnecting with him here at Nakhonsi. His contributions will undoubtedly help us achieve our long-term goals.”

10.1.2026

A DOMINANT GLORY THRASH MARINERS

Perth Glory have secured their second home win of the season, after a dominant 3-0 win against Central Coast Mariners in their week 12 Isuzu Ute A-League clash at HBF Park on Saturday evening. First half goals from Nicholas Pennington and the returning Adam Taggart set them on their way, while Tom Lawrence capped off another strong performance scoring straight from a corner after the break to complete a superb performance.

Head coach Adam Griffiths said the fans deserve the best and he hopes to give that to them, and he also praised the performance of Lawrence and youngster Gio De Abreu. “Defiantly an enjoyable performance first half, and when I came in, I know the real energy from these fans, and my and the team’s objective is to bring joy to them, so we’re going to push every week. Today was a good performance, but it’s not enough,” he said post-match. “I thought the start of the second half we came out a little bit flat, and we need to come out faster to keep the momentum moving forward.

“We’re really lucky to have Tom at the club, and we love him, but there are multiple players who are working together to push us forward and really stepping up. I thought Gio was exceptional tonight, he plays with so much hunger, you can tell he loves football, and that’s what we want here. We have players coming back, so competition will drive all of them to be the best version of themselves. Everyone wants to be part of the team, and I’m really excited to have these players back, but we need to keep pushing, and we’ll be back in tomorrow and prepare for the next game.”

Griffiths made two changes to the side that were edged out by Victory last week, with skipper Taggart returning with Arion Sulemani dropping to the bench, while former Perth RedStar midfielder De Abreu came in for his starting debut, in place of Will Freney who missed the game with a hip injury. Meanwhile on the bench Zach Lisoljski returned from injury, and youngster Tadiwanashe Kuzamba was in the squad for a first time.

The hosts dominated early, with Pennington denied by a smart save from Mariners ‘keeper Andrew Redmayne after only three minutes. De Abreu was next to go close, his volley looked destined for the top corner, but Redmayne produced a stunning save to deny the youngster. But Glory’s strong start was rewarded with the lead on 24 minutes. Rhys Bozinovski sent Trent Ostler down the right, he played Charbel Shamoon into the box, and his low cross picked out Pennington at the back post, whose first time shot beat Redmayne.

The visitors were struggling in the final third, but their best chance came just past the half hour, Miguel Di Pizio shot flashed inches wide of the target. Glory continued to dictate terms and Lawrence was sent clear by Matt Sutton’s long clearance, and he out-muscled his marker James Donachie, his shot beat Redmayne, but crashed off the post and rebounded back on to the Mariners custodian and out for a corner. Then in the shadows of half time Glory doubled their advantage, Lawrence finding Taggart on the edge of the box, and striker fired through a crowded penalty area and the ball deflected into the net.

The visitors opened brightly after the break and Di Pizio tested Matt Sutton, which he saved comfortably. But against the run of play it was Glory who added a third on 54 minutes. Lawrence’s in swinging corner from the left beat everyone including Redmayne, the ball nestling in the top corner of the net for an Olimpico. It was the Welsh strikers fifth goal of the season, and he celebrated long and hard in front of the Shed. Redmayne then denied substitute Luke Amos’ curling effort as Glory pressed for another.

Griffiths cleared the bench late, with Kuzamba coming off the bench for his Glory debut, and at the final whistle they were celebrating the three points and a second clean sheet of the season. The biggest crowd of the season of nearly 8,000 went home delighted with the result and the performance, with Glory moving up to seventh on 16 points, and continuing the improvement under Griffiths, and I’m sure many will be back next week when they host Brisbane Roar on Friday evening at the same venue.

Perth Glory: GK Matt SUTTON, 2 Charbel SHAMOON, 3 Sam SUTTON (15 Zach LISOLAJSKI 74’), 4 Scott WOOTTON, 7 Nicholas PENNINGTON, 18 Rhys BOZINOVSKI (16 Gabriel POPOVIC 84’), 20 Trent OSTLER (10 Luke AMOS 70’), 22 Adam TAGGART (30 Tadiwanashe KUZAMBA 84’), 34 Tom LAWRENCE (17 Arion SULEMANI 70’), 39 Giovanni DE ABREU, 45 Brian KALTAK - Subs not used: GK Ryan WARNER, 5 Riley FOXE

Central Coast Mariners: GK Andrew REDMAYNE, 2 James DONACHIE, 5 Lucas MAURAGIS, 6 Haine EAMES (7 Christian THEOHAROUS 84'), 8 Alfie McCALMONT, 10 Miguel DI PIZIO, 11 Sabit NGOR (14 Nico DUARTE 87'), 15 Storm ROUX (20 Will KENNEDY 61'), 16 Harrison STEELE (24 Diesel HERRINGTON 61'), 26 Bradley TAPP, 37 Bailey BRANDTMAN (22 Arthur DE LIMA 61') – Subs not used: RGK Jai AJANOVIC, 9 Ryan EDMONDSON – Attendance: 7,912 - Referee: Ben ABRAHAM

10.1.2026

CASSIDY STILL BUILDING FITNESS AFTER INJURY

Coach Stephen Peters has admitted the fitness of Georgia Cassidy is a juggling act after the young midfielder was once again restricted during Perth Glory’s 3-1 win over Western Sydney Wanderers. The Young Matilda suffered a serious hamstring strain late in the National Premier Leagues season, curtailing her involvement in Glory’s preparation for the new A-League season.

20-year old Cassidy has managed 395 minutes across six games and is yet to play a full 90 minutes this season. On the weekend she was replaced at the mid-point of Glory’s fourth straight home win, with Peters saying the central midfielder’s conditioning was a work in progress.

“It’s a loading issue now, where we probably loaded her too much, not by design or anything. She’s not exactly in the best condition with her hamstrings,” he said. “It’s a week-by-week thing with her, and then just some of the load shifted to the other leg. We needed to just manage her - she actually didn’t train all week.”

But Peters declared himself satisfied with Cassidy’s performance and said her absence was felt in the 20 minutes after the restart when Western Sydney established more of a footing on the game. “It’s very hard when you take Cassidy out of the team, she brings so many other players into the game. Losing her, we lost a bit of fluency,” he said.

“We were a bit too rigid, and we rode our luck a little bit, they seemed to have their blinkers on there in the second half. It was a strange one. The more I tried to send a message to them, the less they listened to it — it may be a little bit of fatigue, I’m not sure.”

Tijan McKenna started the game at centre-back and swapped with Cassidy throughout the first half before moving into the midfield permanently after the break. McKenna’s on the ball presence helped settle Glory’s nerves and swing the game back in the hosts favour late in the piece.

“Tijan and G (Cassidy) have got a very good relationship. They’ve known each other for a long time, so they’re comfortable interchanging between each other, so that’s a massive plus for us,” Peters said. “Wherever you put her, she’s just a beast, we’re super happy with her. She was my player of the match, probably equal with (goalkeeper) Teresa Morrissey because she does so many different jobs for us and does them well.”

9.1.2026

TRIPLE TREAT FOR GLORY

Perth Glory have moved to fourth on the Ninja A-League table after securing a 3-1 win against Western Sydney Wanderers at Sam Kerr Football Centre on Friday evening. They raced to a two-goal lead at half time with goals from Emma Tovar and Susan Phonsongkham, and although the visitors pulled one back 15 minutes from time from substitute Yuan Cong, Glory sealed the points late with Ella Lincoln on target, much to the delight of another big crowd.

“I haven’t scored a goal in a while, and to do it in front of our supporters it feels amazing,” goalscorer Tovar said post-match. “I feel proud of myself and the team tonight, and I’ve been waiting to show of my celebrations, and I was able to tonight. Over the past couple of games, we’ve been working particularly hard defensively, but what we’ve been missing is the quality in the final third. We’ve work hard at training leading up to the game on finishing our chances when we get them, and we did that tonight.

Tovar added the form of keeper Teresa Morrissey has also been outstanding. “She is arguably the most important player on our team,” she said. “She is our goalkeeper and we’ve got to take care of her, and she takes care of us with her performances. We didn’t get a clean sheet tonight, but we’ve had three at home in a row, so we couldn’t be prouder of her honestly.”

Head Coach Stephen Peters kept the same side that beat Newcastle Jets last week, and both sides had early chances, the best falling to the hosts, with Isobel Dalton’s shot was straight at Wanderers ‘keeper Sham Khamis. Morrissey then got down well to save Holly Caspers shot, as the Wanderers lifted. But just before the half hour it was Glory who found the opener. A poor clearance was intercepted by Dalton who found Tovar on the edge of the box, and the American fired home into the corner of the net, her first goal for the club.

The visitors looked for a quick response, but they couldn’t find away past Morrissey, who denied Amy Harrison four minutes later. It looked like Glory would head into the sheds with a 1-0 lead, but two minutes from the break they found a second. Harrison brought down Sarah O’Donoghue just outside the penalty area and Phonsongkham stepped up and curled the resulting free kick past Khamis and into the top left corner of the net, to send them to half time with a two-goal buffer.

Glory was forced into a change at half time with Georgia Cassidy picking up an injury, and she was replaced by Mischa Anderson, and it seemed to unsettle the side and Wanderers lifted their tempo with Poppie Hooks heading Harrison’s corner wide of the target. Morrissey was called on again on 70 minutes, producing a smart save to deny Cong’s shot. Both sides went to the bench as the game lifted, with the visitors pressing, and Caspers firing wide, before Wang Ying fired over the top.

But their pressure was rewarded on 75 minutes, a ball from the right picked out Caspers, who controlled the ball well on the edge of the box and played in Ella Buchanan down the left channel, and her low cross was turned home at the back post by Cong. It was game on, but the hosts weren’t finished and Tijan McKenna’s shot from distance crashed off the crossbar on 83 minutes.

The hosts needed another goal to seal it, and it duly came sixty seconds later. Lincoln was found by McKenna on the right of the penalty area, and the substitute cut inside and raced past a number of Wanderers defenders before firing home from the edge of the box for a great individual goal, and her goal celebration was equally impressive. The Glory are back in action on January 18, when they visit Polytec stadium to take on fifth placed Central Coast Mariners.

Perth Glory: GK Teresa MORRISSEY, 3 Emma TOVAR, 5 Grace JOHNSTON, 6 Tijan MCKENNA, 8 Georgia CASSIDY (2 Mischa ANDERSON 46'), 10 Susan PHONSONGKHAM, 12 Bronte TREW (9 Gabby HOLLAR 71'), 19 Sarah O’DONOGHUE (28 Clancy WESTAWAY 76'), 23 Isobel DALTON (25 Ella LINCOLN 71'), 24 Julia SARDO (27 Charli WAINWRIGHT 88'), 29 Onyinyechi ZOGG - Subs not used: RGK Jessica SKINNER

Western Sydney Wanderers: GK Sham KHAMIS, 3 Wang YING, 4 Poppie HOOKS, 6 Amy CHESSARI (8 Olivia PRICE 71'), 7 Amy HARRISON, 11 Danika MATOS, 14 Ella BUCHANAN (5 Milly BENNETT 85'), 19 Talia YOUNIS (10 Yuan CONG 60'), 25 Holly CASPERS, 37 Ena HARADA, 66 Chloe BERRYHILL (9 Kim SOEUN 71') – Subs not used: RGK Brianna EDWARDS, 22 Alana CERNE - Referee: Rachael MITCHENSON

9.1.2026

OLYROOS START ASIAN CUP WITH A WIN

The Olyroos have started their Asian Cup campaign in style, coming from behind to beat a ten-man Thailand 2-1 in their opening AFC U23 Cup clash in Riyadh Saudi Arabia on Thursday evening. The Group D clash didn’t start well for Tony Vidmar’s side, with Sittha Boonlha's shot deflected off Nathan Paull to give Thailand the lead early. But they were reduced to ten-men moments later, with Phon-Ek Jensen given his marching orders. Skipper Ethan Alagich levelled from the spot on the half hour, and shortly after Mathias Macallister won it.

Australia head coach Tony Vidmar was happy with his side, but also gave credit to Thailand after the game. “We came to win and achieved our objective but credit to Thailand for their energy, the way they played and for making it difficult for us after they were down to 10 men,” he said. “But there were moments in the game when we turned the ball over unnecessarily and that nearly hurt us, and this is something we definitely do not want. We created some good chances, however, and did score, and we want to take this forward into our next match (against China PR).”

Perth Glory defender Kaelan Majekodunmi was on the bench for this one, but it was Thailand who started the brighter and opened the scoring on eight minutes. Boonlha picked up a loose ball from a corner and sent a low drive from the edge of the box that hit defender Nathan Paull before going past keeper Steven Hall. The joy for the Thai’s disappeared moments later, after a crude tackle by Maneekorn on Jordi Valadon. The referee initial showed him a yellow card, but after a VAR check, it was changed to a straight red. Australia pressed for the equaliser, but Thai keeper Chommaphat Boonloet saved to deny Macallister on 20 minutes.

But nine minutes later their pressure was rewarded. Adelaide United striker Yaya Dukuly was brought down by Pichitchai Sienkrathok, and his Reds teammate Ethan Alagich made no mistake with the resulting spot kick. They added a second moments later, Sydney FC striker Mathias Macallister collected the ball near the left edge of the area from Alagich, shrugged off multiple defenders and curled into the far corner, leaving the Thai goalkeeper with no chance.

The ten-man Thailand side went close to levelling before the break, Oussama Thiangkham hitting the woodwork from a narrow angle, and Chawanwit Saelao saw his effort slip just wide. Australia also had their chances, Boonloet kept Thailand in the game by saving Luka Jovanovic’s effort from outside the area and then blocking a thunderous shot from distance by Alagich, but at half time the Olyroos held a narrow lead.

The intensity of the game dropped after the break, but it was the Olyroos who went close to a third, with Alagich and Macallister denied by the busy Boonloet, and the Thai custodian reacted well on the hour to save Ayden Hammond’s effort. While Hall was rarely tested in open play, the U23s were unable to add a third goal and were forced to remain alert until the final whistle as Thailand pushed for an equaliser. The Aussies now turn their attention to a crucial Group stage clash with China, before concluding their group campaign against Iraq later in the week.

Australia: GK Steven HALL, 2. Giuseppe BOVALINA (17. James OVERY 46’), 3. Joshua RAWLINS, 4. Nathan PAULL, 5. Aidan SIMMONS, 8. Ethan ALAGICH (C), 10. Jordi VALADON, 7. Aydan HAMMOND (11. Ariath PIOL 80’), 16. Luka JOVANOVIC (9. Nathanael BLAIR 69’), 11. Yaya DUKULY (14. Jed DREW 69’), 23. Mathias MACALLISTER (6. Louis AGOSTI 85’) - Subs not used: RGK Lachlan ALLEN, RGK Dylan PERAIC-CULLEN, 13 Kaelan MAJEKODUNMI, 15 Kane VIDMAR, 19 Marcus HUMBERT, 20 Jaylan PEARMAN, 21 Marcus YOUNIS

Thailand: GK Chommaphat BOONLOET, 2 Saphon NOIWONG, 5 Nathan JAMES, 6 Sittha BOONLHA, 7 Thanawut PHOCHAI, 8 Chawanwit SAELAO, (9 Thiraphat PUETHONG 58’), 13 Wichan INARAM, 16 Pichitchai SIENKRATHOK, (17 Yotsakorn NATTHASIT 58’), 18 Iklas SANRON (22 Paripan WONGSA 87’), 19 Peeranan BUAKAI (4 Oussama THIANGKHAM 36’), 21 Phon-EK JENSEN - Subs not used: RGK Siraset AEKPRATHUMCHAI, RGK Narongsak NAENGWONGSA, 12 Parinya NUSONG, 10 Chinnagoen PHUTONYONG, 3 Pattarapon SUKSAKIT, 15 Pakawat TAENGOAKSON, 11 Siraphop WANDEE, 14 Jittiphat WASUNGNOEN

9.1.2026

COPPA ITALIA WA RETURNS THIS WEEK

The Coppa Italia WA is back in 2026, with Italian heritage NPLWA clubs Balcatta Etna, Bayswater City, Fremantle City and Perth Azzurri meeting, and it kicks off in Thursday evening, when NPL Champions Bayswater City host Perth Azzurri in the first Semi-Final at Frank Drago Reserve. (7:00pm) It will be the first time the tournament has been held in nearly 40 years. It all started in 1982, and was a weekend carnival style tournament contested by all Italian heritage clubs in the semi-professional and amateur leagues in WA. East Fremantle Tricolore were the first winners of the tournament and backed it up the following year. Bayswater Inter and Perth Azzurri have also won the trophy on two occasions.

Perth Azzurri won the last Coppa Italia competition in 1987, and in Thursday’s game it will be a new look Azzurri side, with a number of new signings, including former Armadale trio Pieter Jacobsz, Amir Ajan and Charlie Fleming, keeper Liam Driscoll from Green Gully in the Victorian NPL and Sam Pollard from Perth RedStar. Pollard said it’s a great opportunity for the new faces to gel. “The game on Wednesday will be a good chance for us to get some important minutes in the legs,” he said. “It will also be a great opportunity for us new players and the rest of the team gain a bit more familiarity with one another.”

The Champions had a great 2025, winning the league title and representing WA in the inaugural Australian Championship, and impressing. Head Coach Matthew Sparrow said it’s still early days for them but it’s a great way to start pre-season. “The boys have only just come back in for their first session and we still have a number of players unavailable,” he said. “Perth have been back for a couple of months, so we expect them to be well ahead of us in terms of sharpness and fitness. For us, tomorrow is simply about getting some minutes into the legs and easing the group back into match conditions. The result isn’t a priority at this stage — it’s just an opportunity to start the pre-season process and build towards what’s important for us later on.”

On Saturday Balcatta Etna host Fremantle City at the Home Group Stadium, Grindleford Reserve. (7:00pm) Both sides struggled last season, with Balcatta securing their survival in the final game at Floreat Athena, while Fremantle did likewise in the NPL-WA/State League First Division Promotion/Relegation Play-off against Joondalup City. Fremantle assistant coach Dale Wingell said it’s good to back into action, and Saturday will be an important step in their preparation for the new season. “Yes, it’s great to come back after the Xmas break and get some competitive games in,” he said. “Saturdays game gives us the opportunity to get some valuable game minutes into our entire squad, but the ultimate goal is to be ready for the season proper.” The winner of each game will play in the final at Dorrien Gardens next Saturday, with the losers to play in the third and fourth playoff on the same night.

Balcatta head coach Terry Nicolaou said they have had a good pre-season, and knows these games are important. “Our pre-season training Schedule has been designed to engage new squad members, and to ensure all players develop a style of football and fitness that will enable us to compete with the top teams,” he explained. “The playing group have been fully committed to the style we're trying to incorporate and have developed a strong understanding of the club culture.

“We have signed some talented young players, and combined with our experienced players should provide some entertaining football. The Coppa Italia is a great opportunity for myself and the players to experience a fantastic community footballing initiative, and I hope all supporters come and enjoy the fantastic Italian spirit.” The winner of each game will play in the final at Dorrien Gardens next Saturday, with the losers to play in the third and fourth playoff on the same night.

9.1.2026

BOZINOVSKI HOPING FOR HOME COMFORTS AGAINST THE MARINERS

Perth Glory entertain Central Coast Mariners in week 12 of the Isuzu Ute A-League on Saturday evening, their first of two consecutive home games at HBF Park. (6:45pm) Glory were edged out by Melbourne Victory in a five-goal thriller last week at AAMI Park, but the performances continue to improve. That defeat left them on 11 points in 13th place on the table, and they will be looking to secure their second home win of the season in front of their supporters. But they come up against a Mariners side fresh off a big win in Adelaide last week, which moved them off the bottom of the table, and are only two points behind Glory, so three points are massive for both sides.

Rhys Bozinovski joined the club late in pre-season, after the demise of Western United, signing a two-year deal, and he has fitted in well under new head coach Adam Griffiths, and he said the club have rallied under his guidance. “It was a weird couple of months for me at United, but once I moved to Perth I but my head down and worked hard, and I think I’ve found me feet now,” the 21-year-old explained. “Griff has come and changed things tactically, but it’s more of a mentality thing with him, and he’s established belief in the group. We’re all on board with him and we’ve taken that into games and it’s been unreal since he’s been here, and we all want to do well for him.”

Bozinovski said the road trip to Melbourne was pleasing, and they played well in both games, and he’s looking forward to the two up and coming homes games and continuing his good form. “Yes, we got the result in the first game against City, but obviously fell short in the second game against Victory, but that’s in the past, we’ve been back on the track this week, and worked hard, and hopefully we can get the three points this week,” he said. “It’s massive we have two home games, hopefully all our members and fans can get behind us.

“Griff speaks to us every day, individually and as a team, and we’ve had meetings and he talks about what we can do better. There are tactical changers, but we know in a 90-minute game there is going to be periods where the other teams on top, and of course last week Victory were a good team, so we expected that, so hopefully we can turn that around on Saturday.”

The talented midfielder, who missed out on a place in the Australia u23’s squad for the Asian Cup, said he’s focused on helping the Glory to push up the table. He also goes in search of a first goal for the club on Saturday, but he said it’s a strong squad and competition for places is intense, but he knows it’s all about three points. “Saturday is our first game in 2026, and we want to win. We don’t look at the ladder, we know the task ahead and we’ve got two tough games, starting with the Mariners this week, and Brisbane after. We know the importance of both games, and with the table as tight as it is, we need to win,” Bozinovski said.

“We’ve analysed them (Mariners) tactically and we know where we can exploit them, but every A-League game is tough, and anyone can beat anyone, so we need to make sure we’re at our best. It’s nice to get assists for goals, but I’m still searching for my first goal, hopefully it will come. We’ve got a lot of good midfielders, and good squad, so there is competition every day, so to come into training with those players around you make you better. My partnership with Will (Freney) in the midfielder has been amazing, we work well together, and let’s hope it continues.”

Head Coach Adam Griffiths said he wants clubs to fear coming to HBF Park, and with two consecutive homes, he’s looking to secure only their second win on home soil this season. “We want to make our home ground our fortress,” he said. “That’s going to be the focus moving forward now because we know if we can do that, then we know that we’re going to have more consistency in our performance and we can attack the rest of the season. When we step out onto the pitch at HBF, the mentality needs to be right and we have to be ready to attack the game.

“We’re looking at how we can improve how we want to play and we continue to focus on areas where we need to improve, while also doubling down on the areas we have improved in already and continuing to up our levels every single day. I feel like our performances have been strong… we do need to improve our home form and that’s going to be the focus. Once we can get that consistency, I think the players will really thrive on the home support, start to take that pressure off and really excel.”

The coach is well aware a win on Saturday will put them just outside the top six, and a good run of form can see them consolidate a spot in the finals. “The league is so tight at the moment… you get a couple of wins and you skyrocket right up into the [top] six,” Griffiths said. “Every single team is beating each other and the teams that get consistency are going to be the teams that move forward. That’s what we want to look for too, so every game for us is 100% focused on getting three points. If you perform well, eventually the consistency happens with results and points.”

It will be the second visit to Perth for Central Coast, they left with the points in week four, with Bailey Brandtman’s scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win. They arrive this time on the back of a huge 4-0 win on the road against Adelaide United, and Griffiths said it’s another challenge his team is relishing as they look to snap a five-game winless run against them. “Against Adelaide they stepped up and they pressed Adelaide and got some joy from that, so potentially they could do that, but in the previous game, it was more of a low block and we would have to try and break that down,” he said. “So, you never know what a team is going to bring and we’ll be prepared for anything. When we see tactical changes, we’ll make those changes in the game and the players are smart enough to adjust to those things.”

The news on the injury front is improving, with Jaiden Kucharski, Seb Despotovski and Lachie Wales all back on the grass, and on track to be back in action within the next couple of weeks. Skipper Adam Taggart is in contention to start having been used off the bench in the last two games, while Josh Risdon, Adam Bugarija and Gabriel Popovic have been added to the squad.

Meanwhile the Mariners have appointed Warren Moon as their permanent head coach on a deal until the end of the season. Previously acting in an interim capacity following the departure of former head coach Mark Jackson, Moon has now been handed a full-time contract until the end of the current campaign. Taking charge of 11 games so far this season, the former Brisbane Roar boss has guided the Mariners to three wins during his tenure.

Perth Glory Squad: GK Matt SUTTON, GK Ryan WARNER, 2 Charbel SHAMOON, 3 Sam SUTTON, 4 Scott WOOTTON, 5 Riley FOXE, 7 Nicholas PENNINGTON, 10 Luke AMOS, 16 Gabriel POPOVIC, 17 Arion SULEMANI, 18 Rhys BOZINOVSKI, 19 Josh RISDON, 20 Trent OSTLER, 21 Adam BUGARIJA, 22 Adam TAGGART, 24 Andriano LEBIB, 27 Will FRENEY, 34 Tom LAWRENCE, 39 Giovanni DE ABREU, 45 Brian KALTAK - *Two to be omitted* - Ins: POPOVIC, RISDON, BUGARIJA - Unavailable: GK Cameron COOK, 6 Brandon O’NEILL, 8 Callum TIMMINS, 9 Jaiden KUCHARSKI, 11 Lachlan WALES, 15 Zach LISOLAJSKI, 25 Sebastian DESPOTOVSKI, 31 Joel ANASMO (All Injured)

Central Coast Mariners squad: GK Andrew REDMAYNE, GK Jai AJANOVIC, 2 James DONACHIE, 5 Lucas MAURAGIS, 7 Christian THEOHAROUS, 6 Haine EAMES, 8 Alfie MCCALMONT, 9 Ryan EDMONDSON, 10 Miguel DI PIZIO, 11 Sabit NGOR, 14 Nico DUARTE, 15 Storm ROUX, 16 Harrison STEELE, 20 Will KENNEDY, 22 Arthur DE LIMA, 24 Diesel HERRINGTON, 26 Bradley TAPP, 37 Bailey BRANDTMAN, 41 Shumba MUTOKOYI, 42 Laurence TAYLOR - *Two to be omitted* - UNAVAILABLE: 3 Nathan PAULL (international duty), 4 Trent SAINSBURY (injured), 40 Dylan PERAIC-CULLEN (international duty)

9.1.2026

MORRISSEY HAS A CLEAN SHEET IN HER SIGHTS

Perth Glory will go in search of a fourth consecutive home win, when they entertain Western Sydney Wanderers in week 12 of the Ninja A-League on Friday evening. (7;00pm) Stephen Peters’ side moved into the top six after a 1-0 win against Newcastle Jet, with skipper Isobel Dalton scoring the only goal, while the Wanderers secured a 1-1 draw against league leaders Canberra United last week, so they arrive in good form, so it sets up a thrilling encounter.

Last week a strong performance from keeper Teresa Morrissey helped secure the win, and it has been a tough start to life at club for her, missing the start of the season with a back injury, but she has been in great form since her return. Glory brought in Alyssa Dall'Oste on a short-term contract to cover her injury, and she never let the club down, and Morrissey said she was a great team mate. But the former Young Matildas ‘keeper said it’s great to be back and working again with Stephen Peters. “It was heart breaking to miss the start of the season, but it’s not been my first injury. But my replacement was such a great team member, and a blessing in disguise,” Morrissey explained.

“It kept me focused, and I couldn’t take my spot for granted, so yes it sucked, but here we are. Stephen (Peters) and I have worked together before in NPL, and to have him here I’m very lucky. To have his faith in me is special, and without his help, I wouldn’t be in the position I am now. So, it’s my opportunity to not let him, or anyone in the club, and the team down, and we are aiming for finals here. Yes, it would suck if I lost my spot, but that’s part of football, you have to hold yourself accountable.”

Morrissey was previously on the books of Melbourne Victory, Central Coast Mariners and Friday’s opponents Western Sydney Wanderers, and was part of the Mariners squad that won last season’s Grand Final. She worked with Peters at NPLW NSW club Macarthur Rams, winning the Goalkeeper of the Year in the competition in 2024. The ‘keeper said they head into Friday’s game in a confident mood, and playing in front of their supporters is special but they need to be switch on.

“The spirits are high within the team, and we hope to continue that run and see how far we can go, so the more wins and clean sheets the better,” the Glory custodian said. “The Wanderers did well against league leaders Canberra United last week, so we can’t be too complacent, in spite of how well we’ve been doing at home. They are coming here and will not want to fly home without a result, so we’ve got to be ready, and we are definitely not taking this game lightly at all.

“The fans at Sam Kerr are the best fans I’ve played in front of. It’s great to see so many kids there, and we’re grateful for their and their parents’ support. They are right behind us, when we save a goal and when we score a goal, so we hope we can maintain our form and hope the fans maintain their fantastic support they always give us, and we make it four straight wins at home.”

The last time Wanderers headed to Perth was in week 20 last season, when a goal in stoppage time by Isabella Foletta, gave the hosts a hard-fought 1-0 win. Glory also beat the Wanderers on the road in the opening week, and head coach Peters said Friday’s clash will be another stern test. “You’re obviously going to take some things out of that first game in terms of some of their players’ characteristics and what their dangers are,” he said. “But they’ve got a lot of new faces in the squad, so we’ve got to be prepared for that and they’ve also made some tactical changes from game to game, playing different formations against different opponents, so it’ll be interesting to see which one they play against us.

“We’ve got to be prepared for that. If you look at the three [positive] results, they’ve had, they won away at Brisbane with a clean sheet, they had a clean sheet against Sydney FC in a 0-0 draw and they had a 1-1 draw with Canberra who are top of the league. If you look at those [results] in isolation, they’re very capable and I know I’ve sounded like a bit of a broken record saying this of late, but every team in the competition is capable of taking points in any game, so you have to be up for it and you can’t take anything for granted.”

Peters went on to confirm leading scorer Rola Badawiya, who scored in the opening week win at Wanderers Football Park, will miss again with a quad problem, but no further injuries were picked up last week. The coach has been delighted with how squad has performed, and pleased with the character they have shown in or out of the starting side. “We have a good vibe, and there’s a resilience and a togetherness about them,” he explained. “I think they’re all on the same page in terms of what they’re wanting out of the game. The pleasing thing about that is that it doesn’t matter who is in or out of the team, they’re all bringing that to the table. It’s great that we’re getting that consistency from a larger part of the squad.

“The fluency is developing in attack and I think the last couple of games have showcased that, which is good, but it has always been there. I think we were quite good at the start of the season with the football, but obviously when you lose confidence, you tend to go into your shell and concentrate on being a bit sturdier, so it’s a bit of a balancing act. I think we’ve just got to stick to our principles off the ball and on the ball and if we do that for consistent periods in the game, we’re in every single match in this competition.”

Perth Glory Squad: GK Teresa MORRISSEY, GK Jessica SKINNER, 2 Mischa ANDERSON, 3 Emma TOVAR, 4 Daisy MCALLISTER, 5 Grace JOHNSTON, 6 Tijan MCKENNA, 8 Georgia CASSIDY, 9 Gabby HOLLAR, 10 Susan PHONSONGKHAM, 12 Bronte TREW, 16 Olivia WOOD, 19 Sarah O’DONOGHUE, 23 Isobel DALTON, 24 Julia SARDO, 25 Ella LINCOLN, 27 Charli WAINWRIGHT, 28 Clancy WESTAWAY, 29 Onyinyechi ZOGG - *Two to be omitted* - Ins: MCALLISTER, WOOD, SKINNER - Outs: GK Megan PHILLIPS - Unavailable: 7 Megan WYNNE, 11 Natalie TATHEM, 13 Naomi CHINNAMA, 17 Rola BADAWIYA, 20 Ella ABDUL MASSIH (All Injured)

Western Sydney Wanderers squad: GK Sham KHAMIS, GK Brianna EDWARDS, 2 Janae DEFAZIO, 3 Wang YING, 4 Poppie HOOKS, 5 Milly BENNETT, 6 Amy CHESSARI, 7 Amy HARRISON, 8 Olivia PRICE, 9 Kim SOEUN, 10 Yuan CONG, 11 Danika MATOS, 14 Ella BUCHANAN, 17 Allyssa NG SAAD, 19 Talia YOUNIS, 22 Alana CERNE, 25 Holly CASPERS, 37 Ena HARADA, 66 Chloe BERRYHILL - *Two to be omitted*

8.1.2026

RANGERS CONSIDERING LOAN MOVE FOR BENNIE

Queens Park Rangers winger Daniel Bennie has attracted loan interest from a host of League One clubs amid the January transfer window. It's been reported the Australia Under-20 international, a star performer for the R's Development Squad, could depart West London this month in favour of a loan move, with second tier Wycombe Wanderers a potential candidate.

Bennie, 19, has notched an impressive return of seven goals and three assists in nine appearances for the Development Squad this season. But first team opportunities have been limited to just a single outing in a 3-2 League Cup loss away at Plymouth Argyle back in August, when he put his team into a 1-0 lead.

7.1.2026

MCKENNA’S VERSATILITY A BLESSING

Stephen Peters admits he does not know what Tijan McKenna’s best position is, but the Perth Glory coach has hailed her selfless sacrifices for the team. 21-year old McKenna was lured back to the club from Melbourne City as a central midfielder, but excelled last season as a full-back and has filled in in the heart of defence this term.

McKenna has been an important part of Glory’s current three-game home winning streak with Peters saying he’s happy with how she has adapted to her new role. “I actually don’t know what her best position is. She’s good at all three and it’s what’s best for the team at that particular time,” Peters said.

“If Tijan gets the little mishaps out of her game and the moments where she maybe underestimates incidents in the game, she gets those mistakes out of her game and she’s a first-class player, first-class athlete. We’ve got a lot of respect for her in the team and she’s showing everyone what she’s about.”

McKenna has filled three different positions so far this season, something her coach concedes if far from ideal. “She’s not overly thrilled she gets chopped and changed every week. It’s a little bit frustrating for her, but she’s seeing the big picture, which is putting the team first and that’s a really good attribute she has,” Peters added.

“She’s got a good relationship with the WA girls in the squad. Playing in the centre-back position, she gets to link up with (midfielder) Georgia (Cassidy) more and (full-back) Grace Johnston at times as well. She’s enjoying those aspects.”

Peters said Glory’s improvement over the past month had been borne from the tight-knit squad fighting for one another and praised their depth for showing up when needed. “Resilience is probably the key one, but there’s also a togetherness about them. They’re all on the same page in terms of what they’re wanting out of the game, which is nice,” he commented.

“The pleasing thing about that is it doesn’t matter who’s in and out of the team, they’re all bringing that to the table. There’s been games where (Clancy) Westaway started and she’s brought that to the table, here’s been games where (Mischa) Anderson has started and brought that to the table. It’s really pleasing we’re getting that consistency from a larger part of the squad.” Bennie, 19, has notched an impressive return of seven goals and three assists in nine appearances for the Development Squad this season. But first team opportunities have been limited to just a single outing in a 3-2 League Cup loss away at Plymouth Argyle back in August, when he put his team into a 1-0 lead.

6.1.2026

GLORY DUO DEPART CLUB

Perth Glory’s transfer window has begun, with the club moving two players on, and a number of players being reported as coming on board to replace them. Khoa Ngo has joined Vietnamese League 1 club Cong An Ho Chi Minh City on loan, while Nathanial Blair has left the club to pursue opportunities elsewhere. After scoring his first Isuzu Ute A-League goal for Perth Glory last Friday evening against Melbourne Victory, Ngo has moved on to gain more first team experience.

The 19-year-old, who was born in Perth, with Vietnamese parents, and played his junior football at Joondalup United and Perth RedStar, before joining the Glory Academy. Ngo impressed and signed for the senior side, and went on to make 26 appearances since debuting for his hometown club in April 2024, six of which were starts, making his debut in the 4-3 defeat against Western United. He was the first player of Vietnamese heritage to feature in the A-League, and will remain with Cong An Ho Chi Minh City FC until the end of the current A-League campaign.

Glory Football Director Stan Lazaridis believes that the move will greatly accelerate Ngo’s development. “Khoa will receive more playing opportunities and gametime with Cong An Ho Chi Minh City FC and that is exactly what he needs at this stage of his career,” he said. “Khoa is an exceptional person and an extremely popular member of the playing group who has conducted himself superbly throughout his time at Glory. This is a wonderful opportunity for him at both a professional and personal level and he goes with our very best wishes.”

Meanwhile 21-year-old Blair has had his contract terminated by mutual consent to enable him to pursue an opportunity elsewhere. The striker who is currently away with the Australian U23s squad for the Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, has made 16 A-League appearances in purple after joining the club ahead of the 2024/25 season, having previously played for Western Sydney Wanderers. But he has struggled to make an impact, and Lazaridis believes that the move is the best outcome for both parties.

“Nathanael needs gametime and he hasn’t been getting that with us this season,” he said. “He’s looking to establish himself as a regular starter and feels that a fresh start elsewhere will give him the best chance of doing that. We would like to thank Nathanael for the contribution that he has made on and off the field during his time at Glory and wish him all the very best in the next stage of his career.”

5.1.2026

GALLOWAY SIGNS WITH MELBOURNE’S PRESTON

Former A-League defender Scott Galloway has signed with Victorian club Preston Lions for the coming National Premier League season. The 30-year old full-back left Auckland following an interrupted 2024/25 season in which he was struck by a calf injury after making just four appearances off the bench.

“With over a decade at the top level, championships to his name, and a reputation for professionalism and consistency, Scott adds enormous quality, leadership and experience to our squad,” the Lions said in a statement confirming Galloway’s recruitment.

Galloway played locally for Gosnells City and Cockburn City before entering the Australian Institute of Sport in 2012. He has subsequently made over 250 professional appearances for Melbourne Victory, Central Coast Mariners, Wellington Phoenix, Adelaide United, Melbourne City and Auckland.

5.1.2026

PETERS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS

Perth Glory coach Stephen Peters believes his team are continuing to trend in the right direction but says further improvements need to be forthcoming after yet another slender win. Isobel Dalton’s first-half strike gave Glory a 1-0 victory over Newcastle Jets on Saturday night, which was their third win by that scoreline in the past four matches.

Peters gave his players a lot of credit for turning things around after an earlier four-game winless run and was happy to see teh group take the right lessons from their battling 3-1 defeat to Melbourne City last week. But he felt Glory had chances to put Newcastle out of the game, which would have prevented them from having to withstand the visitor’s late pressure.

“Once we broke that first line of pressure, we created some good chances... I’m very proud of the girls, and a third clean sheet in a row at home is very satisfying,” Peters said. “We were making silly errors with the ball at times, a little bit too casual at times. When the passes were concise and with a bit of quality, we looked good.”

“At times we made some silly mistakes, but that’s football, we’re still learning. I asked them to put a mix of the performances of Wellington and Adelaide games and the football we played against City and there were some glimpses of that, so I think we’re on the right path.”

What was most pleasing for Peters was the effort of his players to preserve a third home clean sheet in a row after they leaked goals earlier this season. “They’re doing it for each other, which is the most pleasing thing. The substitutes as well, to come on and bring the energy and the tactical nous - I thought Ella Lincoln was terrific,” Peters said.

“Mischa (Anderson) took getting dropped out of the starting line-up with pure class; comes on, does the job, is vocal straight away, and the girls respect her highly. (Tijan) McKenna has played 100 positions for us this season, she keeps doing her work, I thought Emma Tovar was superb.”

3.1.2026

SKIPPER WINS IT FOR GLORY

Perth Glory returned to the top six of the Ninja A-League, after a hard fought 1-0 win in the week 11 clash against Newcastle Jets at Sam Kerr Football Centre on Saturday evening. Skipper Isobel Dalton scored the only goal of the game early in the encounter, and they had chances to put the game to bed, but failed to take them. The visitors piled on the pressure late, but keeper Teresa Morrissey produced some fine saves to keep them at bay, the win making it three consecutive victories for Glory at home. “It was a hard-fought win, and a must win for us tonight,” Dalton said post-match.

“There were big parts of the game we’re we really performed, so everyone is really happy. Like many games at Sam Kerr this season, it was a gritty performance, we had to dig deep, but we’ve got the character amongst the group, the players have come and they know that’s their job, and we stick together as a group in those moments. Stephen spoke at half time, and we knew it wasn’t going to be an easy second half. and the Jets were going to come out firing, and we probably needed a second goal to settle things down, but obviously it didn’t come.”

Peters made two changes to the side beaten by Melbourne City last week, with Sarah O’Donoghue and Onyinyechi Zogg coming into the side, with Rola Badawiya missing out with injury, while Mischa Anderson dropped to the bench. It was perfect start for the hosts, and the returning O’Donoghue, hitting the front on eight minutes. A poor clearance from Jets keeper Anna Leat was intercepted, and it fell to Susan Phonsongkham, who slipped O’Donoghue down the right channel, and she cut the ball back to Dalton, who made no mistake from the edge of the box.

Glory continued to dictate terms, and Leat made up for her error for the goal, punching clear Georgia Cassidy’s in-swinging corner from under her crossbar. The Jets settled, but couldn’t find a way past a tight Glory defence, lead by the returning Zogg and the impressive Tijan McKenna. They had a couple of half chances, with Sophe Hoban twice testing Morrissey, who saved comfortably. Glory looked dangerous and went close to another on the half hour, O’Donoghue picked the pocket of Natasha Prior and raced in on goal, but Leat stood tall to make the save, before Emma Tovar’s long-range shot flashed just wide.

It was more of the same after the break, and Glory went close to second eight minutes into the second half, great work down the right by Phonsongkham saw her get to the by-line and cross to O’Donoghue, whose first time shot whistled inches wide of the far post. Morrissey produced a smart save to deny Josie Allan’s shot from the edge of the box shortly after, as the Jets lifted their intensity. Both sides had chances, as the game opened up Melina Ayres for the visitors, before Leat saved to deny Ella Lincoln.

Harley Johnson again tested Morrissey ten minutes from time, but once again the Glory custodian saved. Johnson had another chance in the final minute, but her close-range header was saved by Morrissey. Glory went close to a second in stoppage time, another poor clearance by Leat was picked off by Clancy Westaway, who raced into goal, Leat stood tall to block her shot, and the keeper then produced a great save to deny Tovar from the rebound, but it was Glory celebrating three points at the final whistle.

As a result, Perth have leapt into the top six, level on points with fifth placed Wellington Phoenix, after the victory and will be looking to consolidate on their home form when they host cellar dwellers Western Sydney Wanderers next Friday night. Meanwhile, Newcastle sits eighth after eight matches, although Adelaide and Sydney can both jump the Jets with wins tomorrow, and they will welcome the third placed Central Coast Mariners next Saturday in the F3 Derby.

Perth Glory: GK Teresa MORRISSEY, 3 Emma TOVAR, 5 Grace JOHNSTON, 6 Tijan MCKENNA, 8 Georgia CASSIDY (27 Charli WAINWRIGHT 73’), 10 Susan PHONSONGKHAM (28 Clancy WESTAWAY 83’), 12 Bronte TREW (25 Ella LINCOLN 46’), 19 Sarah O’DONOGHUE (2 Mischa ANDERSON 63’), 23 Isobel DALTON (9 Gabby HOLLAR 63’), 24 Julia SARDO, 29 Onyinyechi ZOGG - Subs not used: RGK Meg PHILLIPS

Newcastle Jets: GK Anna LEAT, 2 Josie WILSON (15 Emma BATES 77'), 3 Claudia CICCO, 4 Natasha PRIOR, 6 Cassidy DAVIS (9 Haley JOHNSON 70'), 8 Emma DUNDAS, 13 Lauren ALLAN (10 Libby COPUS-BROWN 69'), 14 Melina AYRES (44 Kelli BROWN 69'), 18 Sophie HOBAN, 26 Josie ALLAN, 32 Claire ADAMS (7 India BREIER 77') - Subs not used: RGK Georgia RITCHIE - Attendance: 948 - Referee: Rebecca DURCAU

3.1.2026

RIAK SIGNS FOR ADELAIDE UNITED

Former Bayswater City, Stirling Macedonia, Olympic Kingsway and Inglewood United striker Ajak Riak has signed for Isuzu Ute A-League side Adelaide United for the rest of the season, with an option for a further season. The 25-year-old South Sudan international has signed from Uzbekistan Super League side AGMK, and the big striker will add to the Reds attacking options.

Born in Nairobi and raised in Australia, Riak developed his game in the NPLWA, before moving to Bentleigh Greens in Victoria, before joining South Melbourne, and then heading overseas. The striker is delighted to be back in Australia, and is looking forward to the season ahead. “United felt like the right fit for me at this point in my career. I’m excited to be part of the journey and family here at Coopers Stadium,” he explained.

“It’s an exciting opportunity to join United, and I can’t wait to contribute to the team’s success.” On his football journey he gained national attention during Bentleigh Greens’ 2022 Australia Cup run, scoring in the Round of 16 against Sydney FC, and followed that with a strong 2023 season at South Melbourne, netting 10 goals from 23 appearances.

His club form led to a senior international debut for South Sudan in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Congo in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification, and he has been plying his trade in Indonesia with PSS Sieman and in Moldova with Sheriff Tiraspol, where he featured in the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League, before heading to AGMK.

“We’re delighted to welcome Ajak to the Club. He adds a unique profile to the squad that we haven’t previously had, and we’re excited about the qualities he brings,” Adelaide United Football Business Manager Mitch van Gellekom said. “We look forward to working with him as he continues to develop over the coming years and seeing the impact he can make.” The striker has joined his new teammates and will be available once transfer paperwork is completed in the January window.

2.1.2026

JONES NOT ACCEPTING EXCUSES AFTER COLCHESTER LOSS

MK Dons defender Gethin Jones says his team have to start finding ways to win in difficult conditions after their stoppage time defeat cost them valuable points to Colchester. The game on New Year’s Day looked destined to finish goal-less in a low-quality encounter before Colchester stole victory with a stoppage time penalty conversion.

The condition of the pitch in Essex raised questions from both head coach Paul Warne and Jones after the game, but the Socceroo said there are no excuses for dropping points. "I know what League Two is about," Jones said. "You come to grounds like this where the pitches aren't the best, and it makes life hard for us to play the way we want to play."

"But you have to find a way, you have to play the conditions. We didn't do that today and we've come away with nothing. We're massively disappointed in the way we've lost the game. It wasn't a good game to play in. The conditions were difficult, we’ve all had a lot of games in quick succession and we've had some injuries too."

Discussing the penalty decision, which saw referee Stephen Parkinson take his time before pointing to the spot, Jones continued: "The ref didn't exactly know what to do himself, he's waited a few seconds before giving it. Through the whole game, there were decisions we questioned for both teams. But it was hugely disappointing to concede the penalty and to lose the game."

"There were a few chances for both teams, but I think 0-0 would have been the fair result. We've created a few more chances in the second-half than we did in the first, and we weren't happy with how we performed before half-time." After dropping points to Notts County in the final game of 2025, Thursday’s loss means Dons now sit sixth in League Two and eight behind leaders Bromley.

2.1.2026

GLORY EDGED OUT IN A FIVE GOAL THRILLER IN MELBOURNE

Perth Glory have ended their two-game road trip to Victoria with a narrow 2-3 defeat against Melbourne Victory in the week 11 Isuzu Ute A-League clash at AAMI Park on Friday evening. Coming off a superb win against the reigning Champions City last week, Glory lead early through Trent Ostler, but goals either side of half time from Louis D’Arrigo and Nishan Velupillay but the hosts in control. When Santos added a third for Victory it looked game over, but Khoe Ngo pulled one back ten minutes from time, and Glory pressed for the equaliser late, but the host hung on to take the points.

“The fight is defiantly there, but disappointing was the first goal we conceded with the last kick of the first half and that gave them a lot more momentum,” Glory Head Coach Adam Giffiths said post-match. “We then did things we don’t normally do, which allowed the game to get away from us a little. But the fight was there to try and get back into the game, but we got beaten by a better Victory team on the night. Obviously against a team like this you need to take your chances, and it would have springboarded the momentum, similar to the Melbourne City game, but we didn’t do that. When players come on, they made a difference and that’s important for the team, and we’re gaining depth, and before we didn’t have that.”

Griffiths selected the same side that beat City last week, but on the bench English midfielder Luke Amos returned from his long-term injury. Backed by another big away following, Glory made the perfect start and were ahead on 12 minutes. Charbel Shamoon’s ball down the right sent Rhys Bozinovski racing clear, and his cut back picked out Ostler, who finished well past Victory keeper Jack Duncan. The Glory faithful thought they had a second moments later Nicholas Pennington’s cross was turned home by Tom Lawrence, but their celebrations were cut short, with the linesman’s flag up for offside.

The hosts hit back and Socceroos striker Velupillay’s shot from the edge of the box almost beat Matt Sutton, but the Glory custodian did enough to turn it around the post. But Glory should have added a second shortly after, Lawrence sending Arion Sulemani one-on-one with Duncan, but the former Glory keeper stood tall and made a smart fingertip save to deny him. Victory ended the half the better, and a looping header from Denis Genreau smacked the crossbar.

Then Spanish midfielder Juan Mata fired over the top after being picked out at the back post by the lively Velupillay. The Glory defence were under the cosh, but it looked like they would survive till the break, but in the sixth minutes of stoppage time the hosts levelled. A shot from the edge of the box was deflected out to Adama Traore on the left, he sent the ball back into the mix and D’Arrigo fired through a crowded penalty area and beat Matt Sutton, to send the sides in level at the break.

The hosts were on the front foot after half time and Mata fired narrowly wide early on, and the former Manchester United star was involved again on 52 minutes when Victory hit the front. His corner picked out Velupillay, whose first time shot took a slight deflection off Shamoon and found the net. Glory went to the bench with Adam Taggart and Ngo replacing Ostler and Sulemani, and both sides had half chances. First Bozinovski’s shot from the edge of the box was too high, before Matt Sutton got down to deny Velupillay. But on 71 minutes it was Victory who added a third.

Genreau managing to elude two Glory defenders on the byline and slip the ball to Mata whose cut-back was turned home by Santos. But Glory were incensed, thinking the ball had gone out, but the goal stood, and Glory had it all to do. Griffiths went to the bench again bringing on Amos and Gio De Abreu, and moments later they were back in it. Amos picked the pocket of Genreau in the middle of the park and he sent Ngo in down the left channel and the youngster made no mistake, scoring his first A-League goal. Glory pressed late but couldn’t find the equaliser.

“Chances in the first half cost us, if we went in at half time 2-0 it would be a totally different game, and we can kick off from there, but that goal just before half time dampened the mood a bit,” goalscorer Trent Ostler said post-match. “We came out pretty good, but conceded a couple of soft goals, which probably let us down tonight. When Khoa scored that goal late we were back in the game, and anything can happen, but it wasn’t our night tonight.”

Not the result Glory were looking for, but from a performance perspective, it was another positive, and with players coming back from injury, it’s something to build on for Griffiths. The win, the fourth on the bounce for Arthur Diles’ side sees them jump to fifth on the ladder, while defeat sees Glory stay in eight, but only two points out of the top six. They are back in action on January 10, when they host Central Coast Mariners at HBF Park (6:45pm)

Melbourne Victory: GK Jack DUNCAN, 2 Jason DAVIDSON, 9 Nikolaos VERGOS, 10 Denis GENREAU (19 Jing REEC 85'), 11 SANTOS (29 Oliver DRAGICEVIC 85'), 15 Sebastian ESPOSITO, 16 Joshua INSERRA, 17 Nishan VELUPILLAY (23 Keegan JELACIC 77'), 21 Roderick MIRANDA (3 Adama TRAORE 17'), 27 Louis D’ARRIGO, 64 Juan MATA (14 Matthew GRIMALDI 77') - Subs not used: RGK Jack WARSHAWSKY, 28 Kayne RAZMOVSKI

Perth Glory: GK Matt SUTTON, 2 Charbel SHAMOON, 3 Sam SUTTON, 4 Scott WOOTTON, 7 Nicholas PENNINGTON (39 Giovanni DE ABREU 77'), 17 Arion SULEMANI (22 Adam TAGGART 54'), 18 Rhys BOZINOVSKI (10 Luke AMOS 77'), 20 Trent OSTLER (26 Khoa NGO 54'), 27 Will FRENEY, 34 Tom LAWRENCE, 45 Brian KALTAK – Subs not used: RGK Ryan WARNER, 5 Riley FOXE, 24 Andriano LEBIB - Referee: Casey Reibelt

1.1.2026

LORY'S ENGLISH MIDFIELDER RETURNS FOR VICTORY CLASH

Luke Amos will return to Perth Glory's squad, for Friday evenings Isuzu Ute A-League clash against Melbourne Victory. The former Tottenham Hotspur and Queens Park Rangers midfielder joined Glory last February, and the 28-year-old made an immediate impact, but injury has seen him miss all games this season. But his return will give the side a real boost, and give Head coach Adam Griffiths some selection headaches.

Melbourne Victory squad: GK Jack DUNCAN, GK Jack WARSHAWSKY, 2 Jason DAVIDSON, 3 Adama TRAORE, 4 Lachlan JACKSON, 9 Nikolaos VERGOS, 10 Denis GENREAU, 11 Clerismario SANTOS RODRIGUES, 14 Matthew GRIMALDI, 15 Sebastian ESPOSITO, 16 Joshua INSERRA, 17 Nishan VELUPILLAY, 19 Jing REEC, 21 Roderick MIRANDA, 23 Keegan JELACIC, 24 Emre SAGLAM, 27 Louis D’ARRIGO, 28 Kayne RAZMOVSKI, 29 Oliver DRAGICEVIC, 64 Juan MATA - *Two to be omitted* - Ins: RAZMOVSKI, DRAGICEVIC - Unavailable: 5 Brendan HAMILL (injured), 7 Reno PISCOPO (injured), 8 Jordi VALADON (international duty), 22 Joshua RAWLINS (international duty)

Perth Glory Squad: GK Matt SUTTON, GK Ryan WARNER, 2 Charbel SHAMOON, 3 Sam SUTTON, 4 Scott WOOTTON, 5 Riley FOXE, 7 Nicholas PENNINGTON, 10 Luke AMOS, 16 Gabriel POPOVIC, 17 Arion SULEMANI, 18 Rhys BOZINOVSKI, 20 Trent OSTLER, 21 Adam BUGARIJA, 22 Adam TAGGART, 24 Andriano LEBIB, 26 Khoa NGO, 27 Will FRENEY, 34 Tom LAWRENCE, 39 Giovanni DE ABREU, 45 Brian KALTAK - *Two to be omitted* - Ins: AMOS, POPOVIC - Unavailable: GK Mark BIRIGHITTI, (Not Selected). GK Cameron COOK, 8 Callum TIMMINS, 9 Jaiden KUCHARSKI, 11 Lachlan WALES, 15 Zach LISOLAJSKI, 25 Sebastian DESPOTOVSKI, 31 Joel ANASMO (All Injured)

31.12.2025

GLORY LOOK TO BOUNCE BACK AGAINST THE JETS

Perth Glory will aim for three straight wins at Sam Kerr Football Centre on Saturday, and bounce back from their loss last week, when they entertain Newcastle Jets in week 11 of the Ninja A-League. (6:00pm WA Time). Hom wins against Wellington Phoenix and Adelaide United catapulted Glory into the top six, but last weeks loss against Melbourne City saw them slip back to ninth. This week’s opponents sit sixth, only one point ahead of Glory, but have slipped up in recent week, and are coming off back-to-back defeats against Melbourne Victory and Canberra United, so both teams will be looking to get back in the winner’s circle.

Glory’s performance was last week was good despite the loss, and striker Bronte Trew bagged her first goal for the club, and she said they will win more games than lose if they play like that each week. “Stephen (Peters) was quite impressed with our performance, and like I said post-match it was probably our best performance of the season despite the loss,” the striker said. “It’s a good stepping stone moving forward and if we play like that against other teams we will get points. They (Melbourne) are a good side, but we had our chances early, and if we had taken them, it would have been a different game.

“They took their chances on the day, but for long periods we matched them. Delighted to score last week, and it defiantly has boosted my confidence, but it was a good team goal and a good representation on how we want to play. We are gelling well as a team, but for me personally I’m hoping to score more goals. Stephen spoke about trusting the process and me running in behind and going one-on-one. At the start of the season, I was coming off the bench, but he had a plan for me and when I was ready, he put me in and it’s nice he trusts my ability.”

Trew headed to WA from Western Sydney Wanderers, and she is loving her time at the club and playing at Sam Kerr Football Centre, and she is looking forward to playing in front of their supporters again on Saturday. “Yes, it’s been a big move for me, but ever since I got here it’s been amazing, and the whole team have made me really welcome. I’ve learnt so much being here, so it was a good move for me for sure,” the striker said.

“The Jets have been getting some good results and playing some good football, so we need to match them and not get out worked. We need to take our chances when they arrive and if we do, we can take the three points. Playing at the Sam Kerr Football Centre is amazing, and getting the fans backing us, it’s awesome, it’s like the crowd is on top of us and it gives us all a boost.”

Glory Head Coach Stephen Peters said he will be looking for more of the same on Saturday, but they need to more clinical in front of goal. “I thought it was a great performance tactically, physically and mentally, but I think we fell short technically,” he said. “I think we did some really good things, but just didn’t execute at key moments and they did and that changed the game significantly. “I thought that game was a really good marker for us. A missed opportunity for points, definitely, but the performance in isolation was really good. I think we’ve now got to bring these things we feel good about from that game into Newcastle and I think if we can do that, perform well and get a result out of it, I think we’ll be in a really good space.”

The last time the Jets flew west, was in week two last season, when Glory prevailed 3-2 at HBF Park. It was perfect start for the hosts with Georgia Cassidy giving them the lead in the first minute, but the visitors levelled 12 minutes later with Josie Allan on target. But Glory took control after the break, Sarah O’Donoghue regaining the lead five minutes in, before Kelli Brown added a third just after the hour. Sheridan Gallagher scored a consolation goal for the Jets deep into stoppage time, but Glory took the points.

Peters will be looking for more of the same on Saturday, but he is well aware the quality Newcastle have. “We respect Newcastle and what they’ve achieved this season… but this game is really about us being consistent and putting some pride in our performance,” he said. “I’m expecting Newcastle to be tough, direct and uncompromising. They’ve got some good quality in the final third, like India Breier who’s good at whipping crosses in and has been a real find for them.

“Melina Ayres needs no introduction, Kelli Brown we know very well, Josie Allan is quite a handful and I think Sophie Hoban is a very good player. They’re a good team, a transitional team and they’ve taken some good scalps already this season, so we’ve got to make sure we don’t take them lightly. We’ll have to be on our guard.” In good news on the injury front, the coach said that the squad came through the Melbourne City game without any fresh injuries, the only players will be long-term absentees Megan Wynne, Natalie Tathem, Ella Abdul Massih and Naomi Chinnama.

31.12.2025

GRIFFITHS PUSHES FOR FULL RESET ON GLORY ROADTRIP

Perth Glory will not be revelling in their stunning victory over Melbourne City with coach Adam Griffiths keen take full advantage of their Melbourne sojourn. A Tom Lawrence hat-trick steered Glory to their first away win over the defending champions in nearly five years, in what was arguably their best performance of the season to date.

However, Glory has little time to rest on their laurels as they prepare to take on Melbourne Victory on Friday, with the squad electing to stay in the Victorian capital to reduce travel loads. Victory are coming off their own big win after thrashing Wellington Phoenix 5-1 and, while just one point separates them from Glory, Griffiths knows it will be another huge test for his squad.

“The plan will be for a complete reset; the previous moment has been removed, it no longer is something that actually happens,” Griffiths said. “Victory is an improved side as their form has indicated, but we’ve grown a lot. We have a lot of different attributes now, and we’re still building on those areas of our game. It’s two teams that are in different positions and different mental states.”

Griffiths suggested Adam Taggart and Rhys Bozinovski, who are both returning from injury, are unlikely to play a full 90 minutes against Victory. “We’ll see how they train this week. If their performances are good, they will be like anyone else and up for selection, and we’ll make decisions during the game over how we manage them,” he said.

Former Queens Park Rangers’ midfielder Luke Amos still has work to do to get into the squad, having yet to play this season due to a knee injury. “He’s fitter, he has to get much fitter again, it’s very competitive, the squad is competitive, and his performance at training will determine how close he gets to the squad and starting team,” Griffiths said.

30.12.2025

VICTOR GIUDICATTI NEW PRESIDENT AT SORRENTO FC

After consolidating their NPLWA status last season, Sorrento will have new men at the helm, both on and off the pitch in 2026. Andres Oliveira has taken over from Steven McGarry in the dug-out, while Victor Giudicatti takes over as President from Nico Hoyle, who spent three seasons at the Gulls. Both have big shoes to fill, but Giudicatti said his appointment is a huge privilege. “Sorrento FC has a proud history since bring formed in 1972, and I’m incredibly proud to take on the role of President and am acutely aware of the responsibilities that come with this,” he said. The Club is incredibly resilient as demonstrated by our record-breaking year in the State League Division One in 2024 and earning immediate promotion back to the NPL for 2025.

“We are capable of significantly improved results in 2026 and are firmly focused on performing at the best possible version of our capabilities. The First Team squad have been reshaped whilst retaining the great majority of our players. I believe the changes in playing personnel and the new coaching appointments will serve to freshen up our mindset and approach. From a whole of club perspective, we are incredibly well positioned in our Junior and Youth ranks to sustain improvement and achievement for years to come. We are really proud of the growing cohort of girls and women players and being promoted to the NPLW for the first time in 2026, and all this makes me very positive about the future at the club.”

Giudicatti has been involved with the sport for a number of years, and with a business background he is hoping to build Sorrento stronger on and off the park. “My football background has been totally grounded in an off-field capacity. I am a keen student and supporter of the game at all levels right across the world,” he said. “In Perth, my experience has been at NPL clubs and during the last eight years mainly at Sorrento FC in the men’s First Team area as team manager together with numerous mainstream Club volunteer roles and also more recently serving on the club’s Committee of Management. I have a business background in the private sector as a CFO and in senior management for the majority of my working life. In short, I am hoping to bring a combination of these experiences and skill sets to my role as President.”

The appointment of Oliveira as head coach is a huge plus. The former Inglewood United coach has been out of the game for a couple of years, and he is keen to get back into football, and Giudicatti said he is a perfect fit for the club. “Andres was appointed after an extensive and thorough search for our next Senior Men’s coach following the departure of Steven McGarry,” the President explained. “He has a first-class CV in football highlighted by his exceptional playing career over many years and also his well credentialed efforts in coaching. He is re-energised after two years out of the game and absolutely determined to build success at the Club. We are delighted to have Andres at the helm and are anticipating a really strong season in 2026, he is a perfect fit for us at this point.”

Off the pitch the club is thriving with some great sponsors and a hard-working committee and Giudicatti said it’s full swing for the season ahead. “We have been working extremely hard since the day the curtain was drawn for the 2025 season. This commitment has been selfless and immense from a number of senior committee members and transcends the whole spectrum of Club players and teams,” he explained. “We are fortunate to have a core group of people who have been involved at Sorrento for years.

“I am in awe of the seemingly limitless dedication and capacity for work they carry out. This gives us stability and the foundation to grow, adapt and move forward. We have recently announced the renewal of a further five-year renewal of our principal sponsor agreement with the John Hughes Group. This is highly appreciated but also supports our reputation as a significant Perth based football club with wide community reach and a value system which aligns with the John Hughes Group. This is encouraging and enviable.’

The club will have another NPL team next season, with the Women’s side winning promotion to the top flight last season. It was a nail-biting end to the Women’s League Division One, with the Gulls pipping Fremantle City and Mandurah City to the title, with doubles from Monique Prinsloo and Kasey Nicholas helping them to a 5-0 win in the final game against East Perth to seal promotion. “Our promotion to the NPLW is a watershed moment, and we become just the fourth NPL club to have both men and women teams competing in the NPL,” Giudicatti said.

“We are under no illusions about the huge task ahead and are looking ahead with a long-time frame in mind. For us, it is primarily about getting the initial settings right and building from strong foundations in a manner which affords long term growth and sustainability. Annie and Greg Farrell are excellent appointments and we are delighted to have them join the club in these exciting times as we begin our journey in NPLW. They are ready for the project and are the right people to guide our senior NPLW team in this formative period.”

30.12.2025

GLORY LOOKING FOR ANOTHER VICTORY IN MELBOURNE

Perth Glory will look for back-to-back away wins for only the second time since 2021, when they meet Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park in week 11 of the Isuzu Ute A-League on Friday evening. (4:35pm WST) Wins in week five and six this season against Newcastle Jets 2-1 and a 2-0 win against Macarthur was the last time they achieved it, while in 2021 Richard Garcia’s side beat Melbourne City 3-1 in week six, before a 2-1 win against Adelaide United the following week. It’s a short turnaround for both teams, but Glory head into the game full of confidence after their best performance of the season against Melbourne City.

Defender Sam Sutton started his second game for the season in the win against City, and he is delighted to be back, and playing in a slightly different position, but he is just happy to be back. “I’m feeling good, and hopefully that injury is in the past,” the New Zealand international defender said. “The physio team have done a really good job getting me back, and I’ve not thought about since my return, so that’s a positive sign. It was frustrating to get my knee injury late in pre-season, and it’s hard watching from the sidelines. But that’s in the past and I’m really enjoying my football at Perth, and hopefully I can crack on do some good things.

“Obviously they are slightly different positions (playing in a back three and four), but a lot are the same sort of habits. It depends on the game plan, we change the system week in and week out, but both positions are similar and I like playing both, and doing what I can to help the team win. Griff has spoken to me about getting forward and scoring goals and being an assisting full back, and that doesn’t change in a back four. I’ve got to do my defensive work, but there is plenty of opportunity for me to get forward.”

The win against the Champions has given the squad a huge confidence boost, but they have a quick turnaround to take on Victory on Friday, but having a week in the Victorian capital has been really helpful for the group. “I thought we played really well against City, we simplified the game, and we went out and were clinical on the day,” he said. “Griff spoke to us at the break and told us to stay focused for the whole ninety minutes, and especially away from home we had to defend for our lives at times, which isn’t the way we want to play. But we’ve all played in the A-League for a long time, you need to manage your body, and that what we’ve been doing.”

“They (Victory) are a very good side and always have been, and they will also be confident after a big win against Wellington Pheonix on Monday evening. They have a strong defence and attacking options, so we need to be on our game, and I think it will be a good match up. We have to have the focus and hunger, that is what Griff always talks about, and I think the quality will show if we’re mentally right. It’s good to have a week in Melbourne, good to have a trip away with the lads, and good to not have to trips across here, it really helps us.”

It will the third meeting of the two sides this season, with Victory winning all three games here in WA, but Head Coach Adam Griffiths said that’s all in the past, he’s only looking forward. “The plan will be for a complete reset, the previous moment has been removed,” he explained. “Victory has improved since the start of the season, as their form has indicated, but we’re a completely different side from those previous games. We’ve grown a lot, we have a lot of different attributes now and we’re still building on those areas of our game. It’s two teams that are now in different positions and mental states, so it’s going to be a very good game.”

The last time Glory played Victory in Melbourne was in week seven last season, when the hosts ran out 2-0 winners in front of 9,742 fans at AAMI Park. French midfielder Zinedine Machach gave Melbourne the lead after only seven minutes, and the Ivory Coast defender Adama Traore made sure of the three points on the hour. The hosts are coming off the big win against Wellington, and Griffiths knows the quality coach Arthur Diles has at his disposal. “They’re a very strong team that should be near the top because of the squad depth that they have, you only have to look at their bench and I don’t have to rattle off the exceptional players that they have,” he said. “Those players would most likely start in any other team. But any team can beat any team and we’re very excited about the challenge, and we’ll be giving everything to get the three points.”

Griffiths said the squad is getting stronger each week, with players coming back from injury, and he will have a few selection headaches, but that’s a good problem to have. “We’ll see how [Taggart and Bozinovski] train this week and if their performances are good in training, they’ll be like everyone else and up for selection,” he said. “Luke Amos is fitter, but he needs to get much fitter, the squad is very competitive. His performances in training will determine how close he gets to the squad and the starting team. Josh Risdon didn’t travel as we knew he would miss the first game due to suspension… and unless someone is significantly injured, he won’t feature on Friday.”

Victory have surged up the table in recent weeks, and sit one point and two places above Glory in sixth. They are unbeaten in their last four games, including three straight wins against Adelaide United, the Derby against City and the big win against Wellington Phoenix on Monday. Greek forward Nikos Vergos bagged a hat-trick on Monday, and shares the lead on the Golden Boot ladder, with five goals. They have a number of former Glory players in their ranks, in Keegan Jelacic, Jason Davdison, Josh Rawlins and keeper Jack Duncan. It will be another stern test for Griffiths side, but if they put in a performance like last week, they will be in with a good chance of moving back into the top six.

30.12.2025

GLORY DUO SELECTED FOR AFC UNDER 23 ASIAN CUP

Perth Glory duo Nathanael Blair and Kaelan Majekodunmi have been selected in the Australia U23s squad for the upcoming 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, which begins on Wednesday 7 January 2026. Both have struggled for game time this season at Glory, Blair playing just two games and Majekodunmi just the one, but both have been integral in Head Coach Tony Vidmar’s squad.

They are joined by former Glory players Jaylen Pearman who is at Queens Park Rangers in the English Championship, James Overy who is at Manchester United and Joshua Rawlins who plays in the A-League for Melbourne Victory. The tournament is a critical part of the national team pathway and an important opportunity for Australia’s best emerging players to represent their country on the international stage. Representing Australia provides long-term benefits for players, clubs, and the broader Australian football ecosystem.

Football Australia sincerely acknowledges and thanks the clubs that have released players for the AFC U23 Asian Cup™, particularly outside the FIFA international window. The other overseas players are Jed Drew (TSV Hartberg), Steven Hall (Brighton Hove & Albion FC), Louis Agosti (Dolomiti Bellunesi, Giuseppe Bovalina (Vancouver Whitecaps), Ariath Piol (Real Salt Lake) and Marcus Younis (Brondby IF). Also in the squad is a sprinkle of A-League talent like Adelaide United pair Ethan Alagich and Yaya Dukuly and Victory’s Jordi Valadon, while Vidmar’s son Kane has also been selected.

Vidmar said the depth of the 23-player squad is pleasing. “This is an important opportunity to compete in a major Asian tournament and test our players against the best teams and talent in the region,” Vidmar explained. “While many players were unavailable for selection, we have worked hard to build depth within the squad, and this tournament creates opportunities for players who have performed strongly over the past six months. Players who have recently participated in this tournament and gone on to represent the Socceroos include Joe Gauci, Jordy Bos, Patrick Yazbek, Kusini Yengi, Lewis Miller, Jacob Italiano, Nishan Velupillay, Ryan Teague, Patrick Beach, Mo Toure, and Kai Trewin.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how this group comes together and performs as we continue to win in Asia.” Australia have been drawn in Group D and will begin the tournament against Thailand on 8 January, before facing China and concluding the group stage against Iraq. The top two teams in each of the four groups will qualify for the quarter-finals. All matches of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup™ will be shown live and exclusive on Paramount+.

Australia Squad: GK Steven Hall (Brighton Hove & Albion), GK Lachlan Allen (Western Sydney Wanderers), GK Dylan Peraic-Cullen (Central Coast Mariners) – Defenders: Giuseppe Bovalina (Vancouver Whitecaps), Kaelan Majekodunmi (Perth Glory), James Overy (Manchester United), Nathan Paull (Central Coast Mariners), Joshua Rawlins (Melbourne Victory), Aidan Simmons (Western Sydney Wanderers), Kane Vidmar (West Torrens Birkalla)

Midfielders: Louis Agosti (Dolomiti Bellunesi), Ethan Alagich (Adelaide United), Aydan Hammond (Western Sydney Wanderers), Marcus Humbert (Heidelberg United), Jaylan Pearman (Queens Park Rangers), Jordi Valadon (Melbourne Victory) – Forwards: Nathanael Blair (Perth Glory), Jed Drew (TSV Hartberg), Yaya Dukuly (Adelaide United, Luka Jovanovic (Adelaide United), Mathias Macallister (Sydney FC), Ariath Piol (Real Salt Lake), Marcus Younis (Brondby IF)

Game One v Thailand - Date: Thursday, January 8, 2026 - Venue: Al Shabab FC Arena, Riyadh - Kick-off: 14:30 local/19:30 WA Time – Game Two v China - Date: Sunday, January 11, 2026 - Venue: Al Shabab FC Arena, Riyadh - Kick-off: 14:30 local/19:30 WA Time – Game Three v Iraq - Date: Wednesday, January 14, 2026 - Venue: Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium, Riyadh - Kick-off: 14:30 local/19:30 WA Time – All games on Paramount+

29.12.2025

GRIFFITHS SEES ROOM FOR GLORY TO GROW

Perth Glory coach Adam Griffiths believes his side still have the potential to improve in the front third after star Welsh attacker Tom Lawrence’s hat-trick guided them to a 3-1 win over Melbourne City on the weekend. The win was borne off the back of several strong showings from the likes of midfielder Will Freney and centre-back duo Scott Wootton and Brian Kaltak.

But it was elevated by the dead-eyed Lawrence in front of goal, who put Glory ahead 10 minutes then doubled the side’s lead with a superb finish twelve minutes later. Despite City’s advances following the break, Lawrence nabbed his third late in the piece when substitute Adam Taggart’s shot was parried into his path.

Griffiths hailed Lawrence’s performance as “exceptional” but did not want to put a ceiling on how good he can be. “I think he goes up on the wall now in Perth Glory headquarters. His performance was good,” Griffiths said of Lawrence. “You never know. You just don’t. He stays focused, keeps working. He’s a good human. He has a lot of talent, and the boys like him.”

“Tags makes an assist, Tags playing half, half to his potential, maybe even 30 per cent to his potential. He’s been injured for a while, playing with an injury... We’ve got a lot of firepower to come back into this squad. That excites me a lot and the link up between those two (Taggart and Lawrence) really excites me as well.”

Griffiths also admitted his frustrations with Glory’s second-half performance. Despite digging in defensively, the coach feels they sat too deep. “We wanted to come out faster. We knew City would come out hard. The energy levels dropped in key positions, and that’s when you need to make specific changes.

“We didn’t have those powerful players in the wide areas to come on and help us keep that pressure on. Because of the 2-0 lead we naturally fell back in. It wasn’t the intent; I hate sitting in a low block. We want to attack, we want to be on the front foot. We did that in the first 30, and it was a very powerful performance.”

28.12.2025

LAWRENCE HAT-TRICK SEES GLORY BEAT CHAMPIONS

Perth Glory have produced one of their best performances of the season, beating defending Isuzu Ute A-League champions Melbourne City 3-1 in their week ten clash at AAMI Park on Sunday afternoon. The Welsh striker Tom Lawrence was the hero, bagging a hat-trick to seal an impressive performance from Adam Griffiths’ side, and it ends the year on a high note. They didn’t manage a clean sheet with Andrew Nabbout scoring a consolation goal for the hosts in stoppage time, but the win moves them level with City on the table.

“I thought the lads were superb today,” Lawrence said post-match. “I thought we were unlucky in the last two games not to get a result, and I thought we showed what we are about today, and I’m happy for the lads and everybody at the club for that one. I’m not going to lie, I love it (Perth). It’s a great place to live and everyone has welcomed me really well, so hopefully I can stay a bit longer. It was a great turn out from our supporters today and just happy to send them home happy.”

Roared on by the large contingent of supporters in the away end, Glory were on from the first whistle, and midfielder Will Freney shot from the edge of the box was deflected wide after only five minutes. But five minutes later their good start was rewarded with the lead. Former City midfielder Sulemani was sent down the right by Trent Ostler, and he beat his marker and crossed to the front post to Ostler, who had continued his run, and he picked out Lawrence, and the Welsh striker finished clinically for his second goal of the season.

The hosts hit back and should have levelled on the quarter hour, Andrew Nabbout’s cross from the right was headed back across goal by Kavian Rahimani and Andreas Kuen first time shot was superbly saved by former City custodian Matt Sutton. Glory looked dangerous all the time going forward and Lawrence was denied a second by the alert Patrick Beach shortly after. But on 22 minutes there was nothing Beach could do when Lawrence grabbed his second. Glory carved open a Melbourne defence, who had only conceded seven goals so far this season, Sulemani was the provider again, sent down the right by Lawrence, before cutting inside his marker and picking out Lawrence, who swept the ball home.

It was almost 3-0 moments later, a determined run by Sam Sutton saw the New Zealander race into the box, and his shot from the angle crashed off the crossbar and away to safety. There was action at both ends in an entertaining encounter, first Freney got back with a well-timed last-ditch tackle to deny Max Caputo, before Beach made a smart save to thwart Ostler. It was the best half of football for the season for Glory, but they will be aware City will be on the front foot after the break.

The hosts, with coach Aurelio Vidmar’s half time address still ringing in their ears, were on the front foot early, and skipper Behich saw a curling effort flash narrowly wide. But with Brian Kaltak and skipper Scott Wooton outstanding at the heart of defence, Glory held firm. The visitors had a strong penalty appeal turned down by referee Casey Reibelt, after substitute Adam Taggart was bundled over by a combination of Behich and Samuel Souprayen, and VAR agreed with him.

City were pressing and it was backs to the wall for Griffiths’ side, and Sutton saved well with his feet to deny Behich, and Wootton scrambled the loose ball away to safety. The Glory custodian was the action again moments later, making a smart save at his near post to thwart Emin Durakovic. It only looked a matter of time before City breached the Glory defence, but it wasn’t to be and nine minutes from time Lawrence sealed the points.

A great ball from substitute Khoa Ngo found Larence racing clear, the former Derby County and Rangers striker laid the ball across to Taggart, whose shot was parried by Beach, and Lawrence buried the rebound, to complete his hat-trick. It was nearly 4-0, as Glory continued to push forward, and Beach produced a fine one-handed save at his near post to deny the impressive Freeney’s free kick. City did score a late consolation goal, with Nabbout seizing on an error from Matt Sutton, but it didn’t matter the points were already in the bag.

“We’re very appreciative of our supporters today, they sung the whole game and it defiantly helped and gave us a unique atmosphere here in Melbourne,” Glory Head Coach Adan Griffiths said of the big turnout of Glory supporters. “The team were very focused today, I felt like the last two games we played really well but just didn’t get the final product, but tonight we did. The players are buying into the plan at the moment, and there is a lot of belief in the squad, and a lot of hunger.” Griffiths said Lawrence is a special player, and they are lucky to have him at the club. “Yes, Tom is a quality player, and a quality human,” he added. “The boys love him, and we’re very lucky to have him at the club.”

Melbourne City: GK Patrick BEACH, 4 Liam BONETIG (34 Medin MEMETI 46’), 10 Takeshi KANAMORI (39 Emin DURAKOVIC 61’), 13 Nathaniel ATKINSON, 15 Andrew NABBOUT, 16 Aziz BEHICH, 17 Max CAPUTO (26 Samuel SOUPRAYEN 46’), 22 German FERREYRA, 27 Kai TREWIN, 30 Andreas KUEN (38 Beckham BAKER 76’), 47 Kavian RAHMANI – Subs not used: RGK Dakota OCHSENHAM, 19 Zane SCHREIBER, 37 Peter ANTONIOU

Perth Glory: GK Matt SUTTON, 2 Charbel SHAMOON, 3 Sam SUTTON (24 Andriano LEBIB 84’), 4 Scott WOOTTON, 7 Nicholas PENNINGTON, 17 Arion SULEMANI (9 Adam TAGGART 61’) 18 Rhys BOZINOVSKI (39 Giovanni DE ABREU 55’), 20 Trent OSTLER (26 Khoa NGO 61’), 27 Will FRENEY, 34 Tom LAWRENCE (5 Riley FOXE 84’), 45 Brian KALTAK – Subs not used: RGK Ryan WARNER, 21 Adam BUGARIJA – Referee: Casey REIBELT

28.12.2025

MCNAMARA HAT-TRICK SINKS GLORY

Perth Glory’s two-game winning streak has come to an end, after a 3-1 defeat against reigning Ninja A-League champions Melbourne City in week nine at AAMI Park on Saturday afternoon. A hat-trick from striker Holly McNamara and a hat-trick of assists from fellow Matildas player Leah Davidson was enough for the hosts, although Bronte Trew’s first goal Glory did bring it back to 2-1, but City rallied to take all three points. “We have a lot of positives to take out of the game, even though it was 3-1 defeat,” goalscorer Trew said post-match.

“On an individual level scoring my first goal for Perth Glory, and I definitely needed that, and it’s great when things we’ve worked at training comes to fruition. Looking back at the game honestly, I thought we played some good football in comparison of the past couple of weeks. Yes, we won in the last couple of weeks, so we’re frustrated with the result, but in terms of our football it was much better, which is a positive to take from the game.”

Glory made two changes to the side that beat Adelaide United last time out, with Susan Phonsongkham and Emma Tovar coming into the side, with Gabby Hollar and Clancy Westaway dropping to the bench. The host were unchanged from the side that beat Victory in midweek, but it was the visitors who were out of the blocks early, and went close to the opener on four minutes. Rola Badawiya picking out Trew, but the striker couldn’t keep her shot down.

They were in again four minutes later, Trew the provider this time, her cross from right finding Phonsongkham, but lively winger fired wide of the target. But on 23 minutes, and against the run of play, the hosts hit the front, Davidson sending McNamara clear and she fired past Teresa Morrissey. They went close to a second ten minutes later, but Morrissey was out bravely to smoother Alexia Apostolakis’ effort.

Glory needed to lift, to get back into the game, but in the shadows of half time City doubled their advantage. Glory copped the ball up playing out of the back, and Chinaza Uchendu picked the pocket of Tijan McKenna in who flicked the ball on to Davidson, who again played in McNamara, who finished low past Morrissey for her second of the match, and it was all to do for the visitors after the break.

Glory made a change at the break with Zogg coming on for Mischa Anderson, and they started brightly, and four minutes in pulled one back. A long ball over the top from Georgia Cassidy found Grace Johnston down the right, the former NTC midfielder cut it back from the byline to find Trew at the back post for a tap-in. It was game on. City hit back and should have added a third on the hour, McNamara teeing up Danella Butrus, but she fired straight at Morrissey.

Glory head coach Stephen Peters made a triple change eight minutes later, with Westaway, Hollar and Ella Lincoln coming on for Cassidy, Badawiya and Phonsongkham, as they chased the game. But it was the hosts who added a third on 71 minutes. Davidson found herself in acres of space in middle of the park, and played an inch-perfect pass, through Perth’s defence, and McNamara’s first touch took it away from two Glory defenders before cooly chipped Morrissey to complete her hat-trick.

The visitors continued to push forward looking to get back into the game, and Lincoln’s shot from the angle flashed over the top, before Hollar’s shot from the edge of the box was too high. The win saw City rise to third on the table with 13 points from just six matches, and McNamara move into top spot in the race for the Golden Boot with seven goals. While Glory slip to seventh on nine points, and will look to bounce back when they host Newcastle Jets at Sam Kerr Football Centre on January 3. (6:00pm)

Melbourne City: GK Malena MIERES, 3 Danielle TURNER, 5 Taylor OTTO, 6 Leticia MCKENNA, 7 Danella BUTRUS (16 Karly ROESTBAKKEN 68’), 8 Alexia APOSTOLAKIS, 9 Holly MCNAMARA (2 Ellie WILSON 85’), 13 Rebekah STOTT, 15 Chinaza UCHENDU (11 Deven JACKSON 78’), 18 Leah DAVIDSON, 21 Aideen KEANE – Subs not used: RGK Melissa BARBIERI, 10 Izabella RAKO, 17 Kaya JUGOVIC

Perth Glory: GK Teresa MORRISSEY, 2 Mischa ANDERSON (29 Onyinyechi ZOGG 46’), 3 Emma TOVAR, 5 Grace JOHNSTON, 6 Tijan MCKENNA, 8 Georgia CASSIDY (28 Clancy WESTAWAY 69’), 10 Susan PHONSONGKHAM (25 Ella LINCOLN 68’), 12 Bronte TREW, 17 Rola BADAWIYA (9 Gabby HOLLAR 68’), 23 Isobel DALTON (19 Sarah O’DONOGHUE 79’), 24 Julia SARDO - Subs not used: RGK Meg PHILLIPS - Referee: Bec MACKIE

28.12.2025

CIRCATI MAKES A SUCCESSFUL RETURN FOR PARMA

Former Perth Azzurri and Perth Glory defender Alessandro Circati has made successful return from injury on Sunday, not just featuring in Serie A for Parma, but also captaining the club for the first time in a 1-0 win over Fiorentina. After missing five matches and nearly two months of football with an ankle injury, the 22-year-old was selected back into the starting XI and showed his quality, and was one of the best players on the pitch, in a win that move them five points clear of the relegation zone.

Circati played the whole game, which is an important boost for the Socceroos just six months out from the World Cup, with the young gun set to be a key player for Tony Popovic at the tournament. The winner came from midfielder Oliver Sorensen just after the break, but it’s the return to action of the defender which everyone was taking about, with him also becoming the first Australian to captain the club since Socceroos great Vince Grella did so in the 2006-07 season. It comes months after he became Australia’s youngest captain in 44 years, being entrusted with the armband against New Zealand in September.

To be handed formal leadership roles by both club and country at such a young age speaks to just how highly rated Circati already is. “We have to continue down this path,” Circati said post-match. “Confidence is a fundamental aspect, both individually and as a team. Today we played well, especially in the opening phase. We can certainly improve some aspects, like dropping too deep towards the end.

“Today’s win is important from a mental point of view: after the defeat against Lazio, we had to react, and we did. It helps us build continuity and pick up points. Personally, I’m feeling good, and wearing the captain’s armband was a great source of pride. The table? The season is still long and we have to think game by game. We’re a very united team, made up of great people, and we have to keep going like this because the level in Serie A is high.”

23.12.2025

FRENEY RELISHING TRIP TO CHAMPIONS

Perth Glory will head to Melbourne on Sunday to take on reigning Isuzu Ute A-League Champions Melbourne City in week ten at AAMI Park (4:00pm) It’s a second game against City this season, the first was a 4-0 defeat in week two, which saw David Zdrilic sacked as head coach. They will be looking for a better result this week, under new coach Adam Griffiths, and it will the first leg of their Victoria double-header, with them taking on Victory on January 2.

Glory midfielder Will Freney wasn’t a part of the heavy defeat against City last time out, but he has been a vital member in the club’s upturning fortunes, and he is relishing the trip and coming home with the three points. “The last five or six weeks, as a team we’ve been improving day by day, and although we’ve lost the last two games, the boys are still confident they can go to Melbourne and get three points,” the midfielder said. “They are great with the ball and they are a great pressing team, but I feel if we match that we can come home with a win.”

Freney, who came through the Academy at Western Sydney Wanderers, before heading to Macarthur, joined Glory in 2024, and was a standout in the NPL. He said he has learnt so much from the experienced players in the side, and his family have done so much for him. “My family have been very important for me, my mum, dad and brother have always been there for me. Taking me to training and bringing me back, so for them to see me playing in the A-League is a real special moment for me,” he said.

“It’s been enjoyable this season, and I try to take in as much information as I can, from the strikers and defenders, and try and bloke the passing lanes. The first three or four games I’ve played on the left, but I’m more comfortable playing a six, a position I’ve grown up playing and in the last few games it’s shown and I’m really feeling comfortable in the side. The experienced players have really helped me, and it’s so important. Just small things like left shoulder, right shoulder, the small details are important, it helps me and the rest of the team.”

Glory Coach Adam Griffiths said his side need to improve from the last two weeks, and although the performances were good, he knows a win will keep them in touch of a finals spot. “Every single game in the A-League at the moment is so competitive and tight, and if you string a couple of wins together, you can bounce right back up into that top six,” he explained. “That’s the focus and the challenge for these next two games; to go away to Melbourne and pick up points. We know, away from home in Melbourne will be a big test for this playing group.

“But every team in the A-League is beatable, for one and every team has different challenges. They’re a very powerful team, they’ve got good players in the pockets and they’ve got good speed, so they will be a challenge and it’s something that we have to navigate well. Every game and every moment, is going to be different, so we have to regroup, look at all the positive things we’ve done in terms of dominating ball possession, dominating final third entries and things like that and then we have to step up and improve. That’s on me and the coaching staff to make sure that the players are improving in that area and that’s the focus this week.”

It’s the first part of a double-header in Victoria for Griffiths’ side, and he said they have worked hard on a few things, and also hopes to get a few players back this week, with striker Adam Taggart and midfielder Rhys Bozinvski back on the grass. “One of the things we will be addressing is that we approach the game in the right mindset, and that we tighten up in areas where we’ve been weaker,” he said. “There are still vulnerabilities in our team, so we have to improve in those areas and double down on the areas that we started working on last week but haven’t had the time previously to work on.

“A few of the players have got niggles, but the majority of the group is looking good. We’re looking to get them [Bozinovski and Taggart] back into full training by Thursday and then we’ll see how they progress from there. Hopefully we’ll have one or two players back which makes us more dynamic and more powerful.” The result in round two was a disappointment. Young striker Max Caputo gave City a 2-0 lead at the break, and late goals from Zane Schreiber and Kavian Rahmani sealed a comprehensive win. City sit fourth on the table, but are only two points above Glory having won only one of their last four games, but this will be a tough test for Griffiths’ sides.

23.12.2025

GLORY LOOKING FOR A HAT-TRICK OF WINS IN MELBOURNE

Perth Glory sits sixth on the Ninja A-League ladder, after back-to-back wins, and will be looking to make it three wins on the bounce, when they visit AAMI Park on Sunday in week nine, to take on Melbourne City in a double-header with the men’s side (1:15pm) After 1-0 wins against Wellington Phoenix and Adelaide United, Stephen Peters’ side moved off the bottom, and are now in the top six, and the coach said those tight wins will stand his side in good stead as they prepare to take on a side that has been a dominant force in the league in recent years.

“They [Melbourne City] are an incredible challenge, and we’re going to have to be very, very good both with and without the ball and pay attention to their strengths, but also highlight ours,” Peters explained. “It’s an extremely good challenge for us and I’m just really proud of the players that have put us in the position of taking this challenge on in a good mindset. City are a team we respect highly, but obviously we can’t respect them too much.

“We’ve got to be really good with our high press. It’s something we’ve got to bring to the table and we’ve got to be confident once we win the football. We’ve got no problem winning the football off teams, it’s just what we do with it from there and I think it’s a little bit of a confidence thing. Once we see some tangible outcomes, I think we’ll grow from that. I’m extremely proud of the [defensive] application… and it’s a good platform for us, but we can’t get too excited because there are lots of things we need to improve in and obviously there’s a lot of football in front of us.”

The last time Glory took on City in Melbourne, was in week one last season, when the hosts came from behind to secure a 5-2 win. Kelli Brown gave Glory the lead early, and Miku Sunaga doubled their advantage six minutes into the second half. I looked like an upset was on the cards, but City hit back with doubles from Rhianna Pollicina and Kathryn Harvey, before Laura Hughes sealed the game in stoppage time. Peters hopes key defender Onyinyechi Zogg could return to the side, and he said other players are being monitored.

“It was a precaution to keep her [Zogg] out of that game because she was feeling her quad a little bit, so hopefully the scan comes back good and she’s available to play,” he said. “With Izzy (Dalton), it’s an ongoing one and we’re just going to have to keep looking after her. She doesn’t know how to tune it down; she’s always 100 miles per hour and we love that about her. Emma we’re hoping has pulled up well… she has said that she’s feeling pretty good and hopefully we can begin to progress her a bit more. If we can get her and Dalton on the pitch at the same time, that’s a pretty good thing for us.”

Glory sits on nine points in sixth, while City are ninth, only two points behind them. But Michael Matricciani’s side have only played four games, largely due to their AFC Women’s Champions League commitments and have wins against Central Coast and Wellington, both at home. Holly McNamara and Shelby McMahon are top scorers, and other players to look out for include New Zealand international defender Rebekah Stott, former Glory midfielder Leticia McKenna who is poised to go head-to-head with sister Tijan and another ex-Glory representative, livewire winger Aideen Keane.

23.12.2025

MILAN V COMO GAME OFF

In a blow to football fans in Western Australia, the much-anticipated Serie A game between AC Milan and Como will not go ahead in Perth next year. The match had been pencilled in for February 8, with the game moving to Perth due to AC Milan being unable to play at the San Siro Stadium while the Winter Olympics were on. The game had been billed as a chance for WA to make "international football history", as it would have been the first time a major European league game for points was played outside its national borders.

In a joint statement between the WA government and Serie A, the sides said they had "exhausted every viable option" to bring the historic game to WA, but ultimately, it was decided the cost would be excessive. "The onerous conditions from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to sanction the fixture could not be implemented without financial risks to the State Government and Serie A that could not be mitigated," the statement read.

WA Sport and Recreation Minister Rita Saffioti said the AFC's conditions included the removal of any Serie A branding from the game, and that it only used AFC-accredited referees. "On top of that, [the AFC] said that if any of these conditions aren't met then Football Australia would be liable, which could include financial penalties, or even penalties against our national teams," she said. "We just found it impossible to negotiate. For example, if mistakenly, someone had put 'Serie A' in relation to the name of the game, there'd be an opportunity for AFC to pursue Football Australia, who asked us to indemnify."

In the statement, Ms Saffioti said it was a tough decision but ultimately the right one. "It's disappointing, but it's the right call — we were not willing to expose Western Australia to an unacceptable level of risk," she said. "This project has been many months in the making, and we did everything we could to get it across the line, but football politics, legal issues and bureaucracy have got in the way."

Serie A president Ezio Simonelli said in the joint statement, "an escalation of further unacceptable demands" by the AFC had made playing the game in Perth "impossible". "While expressing disappointment at the outcome of this project, we remain firmly convinced that this conclusion is a missed opportunity in the growth of Italian football at an international level," he said. “It also deprives the many Serie A fans abroad of the dream of attending a match of their favourite team in person.”

21.12.2025

BADAWIYA GIVES GLORY BACK-TO-BACK WINS

Perth Glory have made it back-to-back Ninja A-League wins for the first time this season after a 1–0 victory against Adelaide United in their Round Seven clash at Sam Kerr Football Centre on Sunday afternoon. Coming off last week’s win against Wellington Phoenix, Rola Badawiya’s goal six minutes before half-time proved enough for Stephen Peters’ side, with the win moving them up to sixth on the ladder.

“Yes, it’s huge for us. Having the momentum of being at home is always good, we always get a good crowd out here, and everyone knows it’s tough to come to Perth, so it’s great to get back-to-back wins,” Glory skipper Isobel Dalton said post-match. “We’ve had a few issues with our formation, but over the past few weeks you can see we’ve gone back to a back four, and the personnel has changed over that time. We’ve really solidified in that area. We’ve got our confidence back, something we struggled with recently, and going into the Christmas break it’s nice to get another win.”

Glory made one change to the side that beat the Phoenix last week, with Onyinyechi Zogg missing due to a quad injury and replaced by Julia Sardo. It was the visitors who had the first opportunity, with Adriana Taranto firing inches wide early, before the hosts hit back through Gabby Hollar, who headed straight at Reds’ Kiwi goalkeeper Claudia Jenkins. Adelaide were on top, but couldn’t break down a Glory defence well marshalled by Mischa Anderson and Tijan McKenna.

However, on 39 minutes it was Glory who broke the deadlock. Clancy Westaway sent Sardo down the left, and her cross to the back post was knocked down by Bronte Trew. American striker Badawiya was in the right place at the right time to rifle home from close range for her third goal of the season. Adelaide went close to levelling moments later when the lively Erin Healy was sent racing into the box, but her shot on the run was well saved with her leg by the alert Teresa Morrissey.

The hosts looked to add a second soon after the restart and saw a great chance go begging when Trew raced through on goal and opted to shoot from a wide angle rather than square the ball to the unmarked Badawiya inside the box. Healy continued to be a real handful for the Glory defence and went close again just after the hour mark. The Irish international turned her marker on the edge of the box but dragged her shot wide of the far post when through on goal.

Glory emptied the bench as they looked to hold onto their lead, but the visitors weren’t finished. Taranto’s shot from just outside the box was saved by Morrissey. Glory went close to a second six minutes from time when Ella Lincoln sent fellow substitute Susan Phonsongkham racing down the right. She cut inside her marker, but her curling effort flashed just wide. Adelaide had one final roll of the dice when they were awarded a free kick on the edge of the box deep into stoppage time; however, Paige Zois fired the set-piece over the bar.

“We’re creating chances, but in front of goal we’re not taking them,” Adelaide’s Emily Condon said post-match. “We seem to be taking too long on the ball and would rather pass than shoot, so we’ve got to break that mindset and take more shots. When you bring in a new coach and new players into a club, it’s going to be a process and it’s going to take time, of course. But we’ve got to stick to the plan and believe in the system we’re trying to play. We’re a few games into the season now and we need to start winning games.”

Perth Glory: GK Teresa MORRISSEY, 2 Mischa ANDERSON, 5 Grace JOHNSTON, 6 Tijan MCKENNA, 8 Georgia CASSIDY (27 Charli WAINWRIGHT 78’), 9 Gabby HOLLAR (25 Ella LINCOLN 72'), 12Bronte TREW (10 Susan PHONSONGKHAM 58’), 17 Rola BADAWIYA, 23 Isobel DALTON (3 Emma TOVAR 58'), 24 Julia SARDO, 28 Clancy WESTAWAY (19 Sarah O’DONOGHUE 72’) - Subs not used: RGK Jessica SKINNER

Adelaide United: GK JENKINS, 2 Emily HODGSON, 3 Matilda MCNAMARA, 6 Melissa TARANTO, 8 Emily CONDON, 9 Page ZOIS, 10 Chelsie DAWBER, 13 Ella TONKIN, 15 Adrina TARANTO, 17 Zoe TOLLARD, 22 Erin HEALY – Subs not Used: RGK Ilona MELEGH, 4 Holly MURRAY, 12 Carina ROSSI, 19 Katie BOWLER, 25 Lara GOOCH, 27 Sian DEWEY - Attendance: 825 - Referee: Sophie Allum

20.12.2025

GLORY FIRE BLANKS AGAIN TO LOSE TO REDS

Perth Glory again failed to find the target and were beaten 1-0 by Adelaide United in week nine of the Isuzu Ute A-League at HBF Park on Saturday evening. The only goal of the game came from Socceroo winger Craig Goodwin early, and he should have added a second, but saw his spot kick saved by Matt Sutton just before the break. Glory pressed after the break, and had their chances, especially after substitute Panashe Madanha was shown a straight red for a high lunge on Charbel Shamoon, but the Reds held firm to take home the points.

“Déjà vu,” Glory coach Adam Griffiths said about the game post-match. “I defiantly believe we had enough chances to get something out of the game, and I felt if we got one, we would get momentum and win it, but it’s not happening for us in the final third. So, we have to re-group, look how we can improve and keep pushing in that area. We had our chances, Brian (Kaltak) at the back post, if we had got that it means they have to come out a little bit more and the pressure mounts. But at the moment it’s not falling for us we need to improve in the final third, and with quality coming back into the squad it will.”

Glory went into the game without three attacking weapons, with Adam Taggart (groin), Jaiden Kucharski (hamstring) and Seb Despotovski (calf) all unavailable. Initially Griffiths made three changes to the side beaten by Sydney last week, with Arion Sulemani, for his first start, Trent Ostler and Sam Sutton coming in, and out went the injured Taggart, Kucharski, while Josh Risdon dropped to the bench. There was drama before kick off with Rhys Bozinovski pulling up sore in the warm up, and Callum Timmins was promoted, with youngster Gio De Abreu added to the bench.

Prior to kick off, the players, officials and the crowd stood for a minute’s silence to remember the tragic happenings of last week on Bondi Beach. When the game kicked off it was the visitors on the front foot, with Dylan Pieiras and Goodwin firing wide of the target. But they were rewarded with the lead on 12 minutes, Yaya Dukuly played the ball to Goodwin on the left, and the Glory defenders gave him acres of space to run into and he unleashed a low shot that curved back slightly to sneak past Matt Sutton’s outstretched hand.

Glory looked for a quick response, and almost found it moments later, Tom Lawrence’s cross was diverted goalward by Ryan Kitto, but Adeliade custodian Joshua Smits made a smart save. Lawarence went close himself just after the half hour, found by Shamoon just outside the box, his shot flashed inches wide of the post. The hosts then had a penalty appeal turned down after Sulemani looked to have been impeded in the penalty area, and it looked like a handball as well on Adelaide defender Panagiotis Kikianis.

But to rub salt into the wounds, seven minutes later Adelaide broke and Dukuly’s pace took him clear and as he rounded keeper Sutton, he was brought down and referee Sam Kelly had no hesitation in pointing to the spot, and booking the Glory custodian. VAR upheld the decision, and Goodwin stepped up and fired down the middle of the goal, but Sutton made a spectacular save with his outstretched boot to earn Glory a much-needed reprieve going into the break.

That save lifted the hosts and they came out all guns blazing after half time, and Lawrence was leading from the front, and he went close to levelling eight minutes in. The former Welsh international cut in from the left and unleashed a powerful shot, which stung the palms of Smits. De Abreu came on for his A-League debut on the hour, replacing Timmins, and he was straight into the action with a strong, but fair tackle on Pierias, which saw the Adelaide man taken off on stretcher.

The hosts were pressing, and Samoon fired over the top from the angle, before Dukuly went close to a spectacular own-goal, after he volleyed Sam Sutton cross just over the bar. The game took another twist nine minutes from time, after a poor high tackle from Madanha on Samoon saw him receive a straight red card from the referee. Glory pressed for the equaliser, substitutes Adam Bugarija and De Abreu both sent efforts wide, but the best chance came four minutes from time.

Lawrence was again the architect, his cross to the back post was headed back across goal by Nicholas Pennington to Kaltak, the big defender only need a touch to send it home, but with the goal at his mercy he guided the ball wide. Glory kept pressing and roared on by the Shed they had one last chance in the final minute of stoppage time, De Abreu, who had impressed on his debut fired a ball into the box and defender Scott Wooton’s effort flashed over the top. The win lifted Adelaide to 12 points, leapfrogging Glory and into fifth spot, with four wins and five losses from their nine matches this season, while Glory has ten points, and with wins to Macarthur, Newcastle and Victory, they slip to Ninth on the ladder, following their second consecutive home 0-1 defeat.

“It’s good to beat back on the winning road again, it’s been a while since we got a result, especially away from home,” Adelaide coach Airton Andrioli said post-match. “The message this week, was it didn’t exactly how we did it, obviously if we could do it playing good football, like we did in the first half which was excellent, but if it didn’t work this way we had to grind in together to get the result, and from that view I’m extremely proud of the effort from the boys tonight.”

Perth Glory: GK Matt SUTTON, 2 Charbel SHAMOON, 3 Sam SUTTON (19 Josh RISDON 84'), 4 Scott WOOTTON, 7 Nicholas PENNINGTON, 8 Callum TIMMINS (39 Giovanni DE ABREU 60'), 17 Arion SULEMANI (21 Adam BUGARIJA 74'), 20 Trent OSTLER (26 Khoa NGO 59'), 27 Will FRENEY (16 Gabriel POPOVIC 84'), 34 Tom LAWRENCE, 45 Brian KALTAK – Subs not used: RGK Ryan WARNER, 5 Riley FOXE

Adelaide United: GK Joshua SMITS, 4 Panagiotis KIKIANIS, 7 Ryan KITTO, 9 Luka JOVANOVIC (74 Amlani TATU 73') (62 Fabian TALLADIRA 90+2'), 11 Craig GOODWIN (36 Panashe MADANHA 73'), 14 Jay BARNETT, 19 Yaya DUKULY, 20 Dylan PIEIRAS (71 Vinko STANISIC 64'), 44 Ryan WHITE, 55 Ethan ALAGICH, 87 Anselmo DE MORAES (23 Luke DUZEL 46') – Subs not used: RGK Ethan COX, 10 Juan MUÑIZ - Red Cards: Madanha 80’ - Attendance: 6,678 - Referee: Sam Kelly

19.12.2025

SERIE A PRESIDENT SAYS MILAN-COMO GAME WILL GO AHEAD

The boss of Italy’s Serie A has claimed the match between sporting giant AC Milan and Como will go ahead in Perth as planned. The game - which is set to be a historic first league fixture played outside of Italy - appeared dead in the water last week when talks between Serie A and the world governing body FIFA stalled.

Speaking before AC Milan faced Napoli in a cup game in Saudi Arabia overnight, Serie A president Ezio Simonelli said the game would go ahead because the league had softened its stance on some of the conditions placed around the match. Italian officials met with FIFA president Gianni Infantino in Doha last week in a last-ditch attempt to save the match.

“Milan-Como will be played in Perth on February 8 as planned,” Simonelli said. “We met Infantino in Doha, it was a very cordial meeting as always. We had a series of doubts over some of the conditions that had been set, which we considered impractical, for example, being asked to use Asian Federation referees, as we have great faith in our Italian referees.”

Asked about the prospect of the event being revived on Friday, Rita Saffioti said she was waiting on a formal green light. “I don’t have any formal updates,” the Sport and Recreation minister said. “I’ve seen some of the coverage overnight. We understand that FIFA has been approached, so we stand ready to receive any formal communication.”

18.12.2025

NEW MAN AT THE HELM AT OLYPMIC KINGSWAY

After nine years, Olympic Kingsway will have a new coach in the dugout in 2026, with Richard Turvill taking over from Jason Stern. Turvill, who was assistant to Stern for the last four years is relishing the opportunity and the challenge. “I’m really excited to carry on the amateur program at Kingsway. The club has been a big part of my life from playing senior football here, my son playing here, coaching him in the juniors, coaching the Reserves, and now firsts it means a lot,” he said.

“It’s a privilege to continue all of the hard work that a lot of different coaches, players and the club have put into the program over the years to get us from Division Four to Premier. Jason, Ian (Reserves Coach), Pete (Reserves Assistant) and Dev (Manager) are all moving onto new challenges so transition is definitely the word to describe the season ahead. There are only 12 Amateur Premier Jobs so to be given the chance to coach the first team and trusted to lead our playing group and the amateurs is one I couldn’t turn down.”

The club announced the appointment, and his assistant Phillip Huson on their social media. “We are thrilled to confirm Richard Turvill as Kingsway Soccer Club’s new Amateur Head Coach for the upcoming season,” Club President Steve Nelkovski said. “Richard has been a vital part of the Kingsway setup for the past seven years, beginning his journey as our Reserves Coach, where he guided the team to a league title in 2021. This success saw him step into the role of First Team Assistant Coach.

“A position he has proudly held for the last four seasons, contributing to the growth, culture, and competitiveness of our senior squad. Richard’s passion, commitment, and deep understanding of the club make him the perfect fit to lead our Amateur side into an exciting new chapter. Joining him as First Team Assistant is former teammate Philip Hudson who is looking forward to sinking his teeth into senior coaching and becoming part of the Green Machine next season! Welcome to the club Phil - We are very excited for Season 2026.”

Turvill said he has big boots to fill, but he’s learnt a great deal from the former coach. “When you think of Kingsway Amateurs you think of Sterny so being able to assist him with the first team the past four seasons has been some experience and I’ve learnt a lot,” he explained. “I’m sure I’ll be chatting to him during the season for some advice and they are definitely some big shoes to fill but I’m looking forward to bringing some of my own ideas to the group. Getting Phil’s ideas and fresh perspective on things too before getting stuck into what will no doubt be a tough season in the Prem, there’s never an easy game in this league.”

The new coach has played most of his football at Kingsway. He played senior football in the reserves and first team, for coaches such as Sean Lynch, Dima, Gordon McCulloch and Stuey Robertson before moving over to Heathridge and starting their Amateur Football Journey which saw them evolve into Joondalup City. When his age was creeping up and the body wasn’t moving too freely, he finished off playing socials for Currambine FC. Then after a few years away from the game Stern asked if he was keen to get back involved with Kingsway and coach the reserves in Div 4.

He’s had some great memories at the club, but said there were two that stood out for him which he couldn’t separate. “Winning the league with the Reserves in 2021 from 11 points back was magic and that group of lads were brilliant to coach and getting the double with the firsts winning the league too made it a historic day for the club,” Turvill said. “Equally as satisfying was getting promotion to the Amateur Prem in 2024. Keeping the lads motivated after a few seasons of near misses was important and getting to the top amateur league meant a lot to our group and the club as a lot had started the amateur journey back in Div 4.”

The ‘Green Machine’ has been on a role in recent seasons, the NPL side winning the title, but success has also come from other teams. Turvill said there are some great people involved at the club, and they are headed by the hard-working President. “Yes, there’s a lot of people who are working hard behind the scenes that help get everything ready for the season coming not only for our amateurs but the NPL, Juniors, Women’s and Masters teams plus everything else involved with running a successful club,” he said. “Steve has been very supportive since the appointment and checking in regularly. The board and particularly our Sunday football reps have been doing a lot to help us get ready for the season and changing some things we’ve done before, which is helping me focus more on the football. Naturally with the success of the NPL side and those Australia Cup nights we’ve had recently the club benefits at all levels and hopefully we can replicate some of that success on Sundays too.”

His first job is to strengthen the squad for next season with a couple of experienced players hanging up the boots. “Bushy (Scott Bushby) and Flash (David Gordon) are club legends for us and a host of other clubs they’ve played for too. It’s credit to the both of them having a big part to play in all our success on and off the pitch as well as helping some of the younger lads too,” the coach explained. “Naturally every season, players retire and move onto new challenges but that then means there’s an opportunity for other lads to step into their positions and make their own stamp on our squad and team. It seems to be a season with lots of movement between clubs for players and coaches alike so no doubt there will be some fresh faces for us too who are eager to make their mark. We pride ourselves on the culture we have built in our setup and fortunately the success on the park has matched.”

18.12.2025

NEW ADVENTURE AND NEW COACH AT NORANDA-EMERALD FC

We will have a new team in the Belt-Up Amateur Division next season, well in name only, after Emerald merged with Noranda to form Noranda-Emerald FC, and the club announced the new coaching panel for 2026 on their social media. “We’re delighted to announce the new management team leading our First Team into an exciting new chapter at Noranda Emerald FC,” new President Jimmy Bartlett said. “Ger Gaughan steps up as First Team Manager, becoming the figurehead of our Amateur setup. A true club stalwart, Ger has represented Emerald across multiple teams over the years. After guiding the Reserves to an unbeaten league and cup double in 2024, he followed it up in 2025 with a fourth Reserve Cup title and a strong second-place league finish.

“The club is thrilled to have Ger at the helm as we begin this new adventure. Joining him as First Team Coach is former First Team Manager Shane Dineen. Shane has been a cornerstone of the club for several seasons, and securing his continued involvement is a massive coup for the year ahead. His leadership, experience and commitment to the badge speak for themselves. Supporting the lads once again will be our backroom team, including former club captain Paul Curran, he is continuing his vital role behind the scenes, while James Craig, also returns to the pitch in 2026 after a long injury layoff.”

Gaughan, who has been at Emerald since arriving in WA in 2019, and he said to have Dineen remain at the club is fantastic, and he is looking forward to working with him. “Yes, I’m delighted to take on this role, and with Shane staying involved as first-team coach, I think it’s a great move for us. We know the players very well, and keeping it in-house for this year is exciting. I enjoyed the two years with our reserves and feel like it’s the move that makes sense,” he said.

“I’ve been with Emerald since moving from Sydney in 2019, playing for both squads in the amateur setup, so this is a club I genuinely care about. When the opportunity to take on the first team came up, I felt it was something I really wanted to accept. It’s going to be a huge challenge, alright, but one I think we as a group are well capable of, I’m really looking forward to it.”

It’s been tough for the club to move forward into the State League with the lack of junior teams, and winning the league in 2023 and not gaining promotion, and a playoff loss in 2024, must have hurt everyone at the club, but the merger with Noranda will change that. “Yes, for sure, the playoff against Swan in 2024 was a tough one to take, and we felt the strength in our panel last year was enough to get us to the next level,” Gaughan explained. “Obviously, with our facilities and lack of juniors, we weren’t able to move up last year, but the merger gives us all the tools needed for this season, and it’s up to us to get it right on the pitch.”

Gaughan arrived in Australia over ten years ago, and headed to Perth in 2019, and football is a huge part of his life. “Yes, football has given me everything. I’ve played all my life at various levels, from underage right up to senior. I’ve been in Australia for over ten years and played with a club in Sydney before coming over here in 2019,” he explained. “From then, it’s been all Emerald. As I said earlier, I care about this club, and the transition from playing to reserves manager was an easy one. I know there is a lot more at stake for the first team this season, but I truly believe we have the players and the management team to achieve our targets. Everyone is absolutely buzzing about our new grounds and facilities. We are looking forward to getting in a good pre-season and having a right at crack at this.”

The club were in Division Five in 2015, but have been on the up ever since, and to pip East Perth to the title in 2023 was a great feeling for all involved. Gaughan said the hard work of President Damien Stack has been tremendous, and he is looking forward to working with the new President. “That was a great day for the club, to beat Jags to secure the title, and pip our biggest rivals, East Perth, by more goals scored was something else,” he said

“The work that Damien does behind the scenes for Emerald is unbelievable. It really goes unnoticed, and it’s a credit to him and a few others that the club is where we are today. Jimmy (Bartlett), the new club president, is definitely the same. He’s passionate about growing Noranda Emerald FC and providing kids with a pathway to play at the highest level they can in Perth. There’s a great buzz around the place, and everyone is very excited for the season.”

18.12.2025

GLORY HOPING TO BOUNCE BACK AGAINST ADELAIDE

Perth Glory will be looking to bounce back from last week’s narrow defeat against Isuzu Ute A-League leaders Sydney FC, when they host Adelaide United in their week nine clash at HBF Park on Saturday evening. (6:45pm) It will be Adam Griffiths’ first game as the clubs new Head Coach, and performances have been much improved, with Glory sitting fifth, and despite the loss to the Sky Blues last week, they dominated, but couldn’t find the equaliser late. Adelaide arrives one point behind Glory in sixth spot, but have lost their last three games, the latest a 2-1 loss against Melbourne Victory last week.

Griffiths is confident his side can bounce back, and said they have prepared well. “Adelaide are a talented team, good rotation and movement, so it will be a difficult game, but one the boys are excited about,” he explained. “Each game is different, and a new challenge. With players missing this week, the message this week to the group is who wants to step up and take the opportunity and show us what they’ve got.

“We want to play a brand of football that helps us win and in terms of my position and the team’s position, our mindset is that nothing is going to hold us back and we keep pushing forward. Every team is different, but we’ll take learnings on our own performance, such as how we can improve in the final third. We had a lot of box entries, now we have to increase our quality in those actions and then if we can increase our quality in those actions, we not only dominate, we destroy teams.”

Griffiths will be without strikers Adam Taggart and Jaiden Kucharski for the clash, and Seb Despotovski will also miss again, but he knows it’s part of football. “Taggs looks like he’s probably going to be out for another week… and JK is probably two to three weeks,” he said. “We don’t really have any choice but to replace them, so someone has to step up and take that opportunity. Every team has injuries… and we’re in the same position as most teams. We will look at ourselves and see how we can improve.”

The last time the Reds headed west, was in round 26 last season, when Glory produced their best performance of a disappointing season, winning 4-1 at HBF Park. The hosts were 2-0 up after only 20 minutes, with Taggart and Trent Ostler on target. Ben Folami pulled one back for the visitors before the break, but a brace from Jaylan Pearman in his final home game for the club sealed the victory. For Saturday’s game Glory have added three players to their squad, with Gabriel Popovic, Ostler, Adam Bugarija and Andriano Lebib. EBIB

Defender Charbel Shamoon, who came off the bench in the round two defeat against Melbourne City for his debut for the club, and made his starting appearance in the home loss against Victory in round three, has been a surprise package this season, the 21-year-old has been in scintillating form and has started every game since, bagging his first goal in the 2-0 win against Macarther FC.

Shamoon said since the change of coach the team has gelled well, and the performance s have shown that. “Ever since Griff took over, he’s given all the players belief, changed the way we played, and you can see the results turned quickly, and we’re all excited to play under him,” he said. He’s brought in a togetherness to the squad, and you can see when we score, we all celebrate and you can see we’re enjoying our football when we play.”

After the A-League suspension of Western United, Shamoon headed West, and he said he loving every minute of it, and with players returning to the squad, spots are up for grabs as they look to rebound from last week’s defeat against Sydney FC. “It was tough what happened to Western United, but I’ve absolutely loved my time in Perth so far, the city is great and the club is unbelievable, and I couldn’t be happier where I am know, and really grateful to have re-located here,” he said.

“Yes, there is competition for spots in the side, and players coming back from injury, and we have a big squad, but Griff says who trains the best plays, so that pushes yourself and keeps you on your toes. We thought we deserved more from the game, but it happens the boys are in high spirits and looking forward to the Adelaide game on Saturday. We’ve trained hard and have prepared well. They (Adelaide) are a tough team to play against, but we’ve worked on things to break them down. We’ve done that for each game and it’s worked well, so we are focusing on ourselves, and hopefully get the three points.”

Perth Glory Squad: GK Matt SUTTON, GK Ryan WARNER, 2 Charbel SHAMOON, 3 Sam SUTTON, 4 Scott WOOTTON, 5 Riley FOXE, 6 Brandon O’NEILL, 7 Nicholas PENNINGTON, 8 Callum TIMMINS, 16 Gabriel POPOVIC, 17 Arion SULEMANI, 18 Rhys BOZINOVSKI, 19 Josh RISDON, 20 Trent OSTLER, 21 Adam BUGARIJA, 24 Andriano LEBIB, 26 Khoa NGO, 27 Will FRENEY, 34 Tom LAWRENCE, 45 Brian KALTAK - *Two to be omitted* - Ins: POPOVIC, OSTLER, BUGARIJA, LEBIB - Unavailable: GK Cameron COOK, 9 Jaiden KUCHARSKI, 10 Luke AMOS, 11 Lachlan WALES, 15 Zach LISOLAJSKI, 22 Adam TAGGART, 25 Sebastian DESPOTOVSKI, 31 Joel ANASMO (All Injured)

Adelaide United squad: GK Joshua SMITS, GK Ethan COX, 4 Panagiotis KIKIANIS, 7 Ryan KITTO, 9 Luka JOVANOVIC, 10 Juan MUÑIZ, 11 Craig GOODWIN, 14 Jay BARNETT, 19 Yaya DUKULY, 20 Dylan PIEIRAS, 23 Luke DUZEL, 36 Panashe MADANHA, 44 Ryan WHITE, 52 Sotiri PHILLIS, 55 Ethan ALAGICH, 62 Fabian TALLADIRA, 65 Joey GARUCCIO, 71 Vinko STANISIC, 74 Amlani TATU, 87 Anselmo DE MORAES - In: PHILLIS, STANISIC, TATU (All Promoted) - Out: 3 Bart VRIENDS (Injury), 12 Jonny YULL (Omitted), 17 Ben FOLAMI (Omitted)

18.12.2025

REDS NEXT IN LINE FOR GLORY

Perth Glory will be aiming to continuing their winning form when they entertain Adeliade United in week eight of the Ninja A-League at Sam Kerr Football Centre on Sunday afternoon. (5:00pm) Stephen Peters’ side broke a four-game losing streak with a 1-0 win against Wellington Phoenix last week, with Susan Phonsongkham’s goal taking them off the bottom of the table. The coach is looking for his side to continue to improve, at both ends of the park, and he is confident they can. “We’ve got to find that consistency,” he said. “It’s something we’re yearning for and something that’s important to us.

“Now we’ve got the feeling of what we can produce with that kind of effort, hopefully everyone feels that they’re compelled to do that. That’s what we’re looking for and we believe that if we do that, we put ourselves in any contest against any opponent. With the ball, we’ve got to settle and play the kind of football we’re capable of producing. There have been some moments this season when we’ve played some good stuff and we just have to trust that in the attacking phase. I think it’s a confidence thing and I feel we just need to find that performance that brings it out of a couple of key personnel and then I think the confidence will build off the back of that.”

The club’s injury list is on the improve, and Peters was delighted they didn’t pick up anymore against Wellington. The nine-day break has helped players like Izzy Dalton, Emma Tovar and Georgia Cassidy build back up to full match fitness, which will give the coach a boost at the selection table. “We’ve had an opportunity to de-load a few people, and look after the ones we need to look after and turn up the heat on a couple of others,” he said. “It’s also been good to have back-to-back home games; it’s a tremendous help… it gives us an opportunity to get people closer to where they need to be and hopefully at some stage, we’ll be 100% fully fit.”

Peters is well aware the challenge they face on Sunday, and he knows despite their lowly position on the ladder, Adelaide will be tough. “As far as I’m concerned, Adelaide have always been a very physical team, and I think they’ve got a memory of their game here last year [a 3-1 defeat] and they’ll definitely have that on their minds,” he said. “I think their game against Melbourne Victory on the weekend [a 1-0 defeat] was a much-improved performance and I think they’ll be a lot happier with that defensively.

“They’re going to be coming here ready to compete for three points and we’ve got to be ready for that. We can’t be complacent because we’ve won one game and just think that the next opponents are going to be easy-beats, because it definitely doesn’t work like that in this league. Everyone is competitive. From last to first, anyone can beat anyone on their day and we just have to make sure that we’re having more good days than bad.”

The last time Adelaide played in WA, was in round six last season, when Glory prevailed 3-1 at Sam Kerr Football Centre. Naomi Chinnama gave the hosts the lead on 24 minutes, but Chelsie Dawber levelled 20 minutes from time. American striker Gabby Hollar regained the hosts lead from the spot five minutes later, and she added a third to seal the win in stoppage time.

Skipper Dalton has been restricted with a knee injury, but she is looking for more game time on Sunday. “My knee is feeling good, it’s a long term one, but they have been managing me really well,” she said. “Hopefully I can get some more game time, but at the minute I’m taking it week by week. Obviously, it frustrating, but I’ve had this issue for a while, and I want to play more minutes, but the side played well last week and at the end of the day a win is all that matters weather I’m on the pitch or not.”

The win last week was a great confidence boost for the team, and Dalton said they needed it. “Last week’s win against Wellington was huge, and we needed it. The mentality going into the match was we needed to get the win, and it’s given us some confidence to keep pushing on,” she explained. “When you look at the opening games of the season, you could see the amount of possession we had, and it shows we can play football. But at times you have to dig deep, against Wellington it was a defensive game, and we have to find the right balance.”

Sunday’s opponents have struggled this season, but the midfielder said they are up for it, and when she is not on the park, they have a number of leaders out there, but she does have her say. “Yes, I put my two cents in off the pitch when I can, but luckily, we have a lot of leaders in the group anyway, so I don’t have to take as much of the load and allow them to do it,’ Dalton said. “Adelaide has a lot of players from Western United, and are good side. They haven’t found their form as yet this season, but last season they were a great team, so it’s going to be a tough challenge, but like any game I think we will be up for it and need to put our best foot forward.”

Perth Glory Squad: GK Teresa MORRISSEY, GK Jessica SKINNER, 2 Mischa ANDERSON, 3 Emma TOVAR, 5 Grace JOHNSTON, 6 Tijan MCKENNA, 8 Georgia CASSIDY, 9 Gabby HOLLAR, 10 Susan PHONSONGKHAM, 12 Bronte TREW, 17 Rola BADAWIYA, 19 Sarah O’DONOGHUE, 22 Ischia BROOKING, 23 Isobel DALTON, 24 Julia SARDO, 25 Ella LINCOLN, 27 Charli WAINWRIGHT, 28 Clancy WESTAWAY, 29 Onyinyechi ZOGG - *Two to be omitted* - Ins: BROOKING, WAINWRIGHT - Unavailable: 7 Megan WYNNE, 11 Natalie TATHEM, 13 Naomi CHINNAMA, 20 Ella ABDUL MASSIH (ALL Injured)

Adelaide United squad: GK Ilona MELEGH, GK Claudia JENKINS 2 Emily HODGSON, 3 Matilda MCNAMARA, 4 Holly MURRAY, 5 Sarah MORGAN, 6 Melissa TARANTO, 7 Emilia MAKRIS, 8 Emily CONDON, 9 Paige ZOIS, 10 Chelsie DAWBER, 11 Isabel HODGSON, 12 Carina ROSSI, 13 Ella TONKIN, 15 Adriana TARANTO, 17 Zoe TOLLAND, 22 Erin HEALY, 25 Lara GOOCH, 27 Sian DEWEY - In: MORGAN, DEWEY (Both Promoted) - Unavailable: 16 Dylan HOLMES (Fracture), 19 Katie BOWLER (Quad), 23 Fiona WORTS (Family Commitment)

18.12.2025

GLORY CAPTAIN DALTON STILL TROUBLED BY KNEE COMPLAINT

Perth Glory captain Isobel Dalton believes she can still contribute to a midfield she ranks among the best in the league despite continuing to manage a knee issue. The talented 28-year old made her return to the starting eleven after two games out in last weekend’s home win over Wellington Phoenix, which snapped Glory’s four-game winless run.

Dalton started and played 45 minutes in her first game back before being taken off at half-time in a planned move. The reigning women’s Most Glorious Player said the injury was a long-term issue which required a careful approach. “Both training and games at the minute are being managed,” she explained.

“Hopefully I can get to a point where I’m in fully but at the minute, I’m taking it week by week. It’s frustrating. I’ve had this issue for years and obviously I want to play more minutes, but we’re taking what we can at the minute, and the team did well. “At the end of the day, a win is all that matters, whether I’m on the pitch or not.”

Glory’s midfield mix with Dalton out was complicated by import Emma Tovar also battling an injury and Australian youth international Georgia Cassidy returning from her own serious hamstring issue. But Dalton was confident once the trio were up and running, it would give Glory a huge point of difference.

“Me and Em managed to find some chemistry in those opening few matches, and unfortunately, we both seemed to get hurt at the same time,” Dalton said. “As the season goes on, when me, G (Cassidy) and Emma are all fit, it’ll be really exciting. We have the potential to be one of the best midfield midfield groups in the league.”

Dalton said Glory took an enormous amount of confidence from their win over Wellington. “We knew that we needed it, and mentality going into the match was that we needed that win, but it’s given us a lot of confidence to keep pushing on and show we’re capable of winning, even though it probably didn’t look as if we were going to win,” she said.

“When you look at the opening matches, you saw how much possession we had, so it shows that we can play football. Against Wellington, they were on the front foot for a lot of it, but we dug deep and had the right mentality to not concede and we’ve got to find the balance of having that, but also having some possession.”

18.12.2025

KERR STEERS CHELSEA INTO CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LAST EIGHT

Matildas captain Samantha Kerr is back to her big-game best after scoring the winner in Chelsea's 2-1 come-from-behind win over Wolfsburg in the Women's Champions League. Kerr became the first Australian to notch 20 Champions League goals with her wonderful looping header last night, secureing the Blues place in the quarter-finals of the competition.

It comes after Kerr notched an assist in Chelsea's 3-0 win over Brighton on the weekend , was involved without scoring in a 6-0 thrashing of AS Roma and notched a brace in a 6-0 win over St Poelten last month. "It's been good," said Kerr after bagging her first goal in a month. "It's been obviously a little bit tricky. Every player wants to play all the time and I've had to be managed a little bit which has been difficult."

"But I felt good now - the last couple of weeks especially I've felt more like myself and obviously still have to be patient with myself. But I've felt much better and enjoying being back out there and just playing football rather than thinking about making sure I'm staying fit. I feel like I can just focus on playing football and competing."

17.12.2025

COLLI TO REMAIN WITH TULSA

United Soccer League Championship outfit FC Tulsa have announced Giordano Colli will return to the club for the 2026 season. The 25-year old attacking midfielder is the fifth returning player from the club’s 2025 Western Conference-winning roster, joining defender Lamar Batista, midfielders Boubacar Diallo and Jamie Webber and forward Taylor Calheira.

"We are excited to have Gio back in the middle for us next season. His work rate is incredible and his ability to turn in consistent performances will be important for us in 2026," said Caleb Sewell, Tulsa's Sporting Director and General Manager. "We look forward to him having a big preseason and continuing on from where he left off this season."

Colli featured in 33 games and scored twice for Tulsa across the 2025 season, his first in the United States. The midfielder started out locally with Bayswater City and in 2020 joined Perth Glory, where he shared the Gold Medal with Dean Evans (Floreat Athena) in his debut season. He went on to play 58 games for Glory's A-League team.

16.12.2025

WA KEEPER IN LIMBO IN THE UK

After being on the verge of signing his first professional contract at English Championship side Wrexham AFC, it has been heartbreak for the former Balga, Joondalup City, Perth Glory Academy, Perth Azzurri and Armadale custodian Sam Hocking, with the Welsh club pulling out of the deal after a number of his former clubs in Perth demanded a development compensation fee. The 18-year-old said he has worked extremely hard, with a lot of good people in WA, to get in a position for a first pro-contract, and this has hit him really hard.

“It’s devastating, honestly,” he said. “To have a contract with a club like Wrexham sitting there ready to sign, only to be blocked by compensation rules, is a hard pill to swallow. I understand that my former clubs want to be compensated, but the current system feels like it’s punishing me for having the ambition to go overseas. I’ve worked my whole life for an opportunity like this. I’m just hoping common sense prevails and we can find a solution that allows me to take the next step in my career, rather than leaving me in limbo.”

Hocking, whose agent is former Socceroos defender Craig Moore, said a number of clubs have shown interested in his services, but with the compensation fee in place, it looks like his dream might be over. “I’m staying in the UK to be ready for the next opportunity,” the keeper said. “But as you can imagine Craig is obviously frustrated, because he knows the deal was there to be done. He is working hard to find a solution that respects the training clubs but ensures this doesn't keep blocking my career. He has been clear that the current system is outdated if it stops players from earning a living.”

The keeper enjoyed his stint at The Red Dragons, and can’t fall back on the support of the PFA in the UK, as he hasn’t signed a contract, but he knows the PFA in Australia are vocal on this situation. “My time at Wrexham was incredible. I was training with the first team the whole time, which was an unreal experience. It is a special club with a great culture, and I felt at home there immediately. To be in that environment and feel like I was ready to contribute makes it even harder that the move has fallen through,” Hocking explained. “As for the PFA, I haven't joined the UK union yet as I technically haven't signed a contract. I know the PFA back home in Australia has been very vocal about this issue in the past. It’s a known problem for young Aussie players trying to head overseas and something that clearly needs to change.”

The development fee has its critic’s but clubs are entitled to it, for the time they have put into his training. But the teenager, like many other players, have paid fees to each of the clubs they have been involved with, and that’s not cheap these days. A number of players are in the same boat, and it’s a real mess at the moment, but how do we fix it? It’s happened so many times, but we’re playing with the careers of these young players, and something has to be done to rectify it.

16.12.2025

GRIFFITHS APPOINTED AS PERTH GLORY HEAD COACH

The worst kept secret in football in WA, was confirmed on Tuesday morning, with Adam Griffiths being appointed as Perth Glory’s new Head Coach for the remainder of the 2025/26 Isuzu UTE A-League season, with an option for an extension. The 46-year-old arrived at the club earlier this year as assistant to David Zdrilic, but after stepping in as interim coach after his departure, Griffiths has impressed, and stamped his foot-print on the side, that were struggling at the bottom of the table, but three straight wis against Newcastle Jets, Macarthur FC and Western Sydney Wanderers, has seen the jump into the top six.

In his tenure, the team are playing some good football, and seem to be heading in the right direction, and his humour at press conferences has given him a likeable persona amongst supporters and journalists alike. He knows he has a little more pressure on his shoulders, but he is ready for that, starting against Adelaide United on Saturday evening at HBF Park. “The reality of it is, I put more pressure on myself than anyone else, so my objective is not just to be part of the league, it’s to be successful in the league,” said. “If that means we finish in the top two, top four, top six, then at least that’s a good progression from where we’ve come, as the club hasn’t finished above ninth for quite a while. I understand the challenge. It’s a very difficult league with a lot of good teams, but I’m looking forward to that challenge, and I would be disappointed if we didn’t finish in the top six.”

Griffiths comes in with a good CV as a player and coach. In his 17-year professional playing career, the defensive midfielder won an A-League Championship with Newcastle Jets in 2008, and has plied his trade in Belgium with K.V. Oostende, Brentford and AFC Bournemouth in England, Al Shabab Club in Saudi Arabia, Zhejiang FC in China and Selangor F.C and Kedah Darul Aman in Malaysia and was capped twice by the Socceroos. In his coaching career, prior to joining Glory, he was named 2022 NPL NSW Coach of the Year having guided Manly United to the Grand Final and then further enhanced his growing reputation during stints as an Assistant Coach at both Western Sydney Wanderers and Wellington Phoenix.

Glory owner Ross Pelligra has been very impressed by the way Griffiths has conducted himself throughout his tenure in the top job. “Being the Head Coach of Perth Glory is an honoured position and the board and I are confident that Adam has shown all the right attributes to successfully lead our proud football club forward,” he said. “This is a decision we have not taken lightly and one that we have deliberately taken our time with, keeping all our options open and canvassing many highly-qualified applicants.

“Adam, however, has proven himself to be an outstanding candidate with undoubted talent and potential and someone that we want to back in 100%, results are very important, but culture is more so. We feel very confident that Adam has the ability to build a strong club culture with players and staff of good character that will ultimately deliver the club sustained success. The recent performances have shown what our squad is capable of achieving and we look forward to seeing Adam continuing this great work and leading us down a path of further success, giving our members and fans and all Western Australians the Glory they deserve.”

Glory CEO Anthony Radich echoed the owner’s thoughts, and added the playing group have fully embraced Griffiths philosophy. “In a short period of time Adam has been able to get the collective buy-in and earn the respect of the playing group and the football staff and most importantly, this has been reflected in the team’s performance and the delivery of results,” he said. “Adam has impressed with his strong leadership and the professional manner in which he has conducted himself throughout this period. “He demonstrates strong conviction in his coaching abilities and provides a calm and composed coaching presence, both in training and on match-days, that our players have fully embraced.”

13.12.2025

GLORY EDGED OUT BY LEAGUE LEADERS

Perth Glory’s run of three consecutive wins has come to an end after being edged out 1-0 by Isuzu Ute A-leaders Sydney FC in their week eight clash at HBF Park on Saturday evening. The hosts continued their recent good form, and dominated the game, but an early goal from Australian Youth international winger Abel Walatee gave the Sky Blues all three points. To make matters worse for Adam Griffiths’ side, they lost Adam Taggart and Jaiden Kucharski with injury, but despite pressing until the final whistle they couldn’t break down a tight Sydney defence.

“They (Sydney FC) are top for a reason, but I thought we ran over the top of them, and the boys showed a lot of character, but we didn’t take our chances,” Glory interim coach Adam Griffiths said post-match. “It was very hot out there, but the boys never stopped working, but you have to score goals to win football matches. But I’ll take a lot of positives from tonight, the fight, the energy and the desire, I can’t fault them, although I’m frustrated. We need to go away and work on how to create clear-cut goal scoring opportunities. It does affect your team when your two strikers (Taggart and Kucharski) are forced off with injury, we will have to wait on scans to see how they are.”

The hosts were forced into two changers to the side that beat Western Sydney Wanderers last week, with defender Josh Risdon coming in for the suspended Trent Ostler, and Nicholas Pennington replaced the injured Seb Despotovski, while Sky Blues arrived without influential midfielder Joe Lolly. It was a warm night in Perth, and the hosts went looking for a fourth consecutive win, but they found themselves behind after only five minutes. Al-Hassan Toure drove into a box on the left, and crossed to Tiago Quintal, whose shot was deflected right to the feet of a grateful Walatee, who fired home from close-range for his first goal on his first start for the club.

Glory hit back and Tom Lawrence found Kucharski on the edge of the box, and the former Sky Blues deflected shot beat Harrison Devenish-Meares, but the crossbar came to the rescue of the Sydney custodian. Ufuk Talay’s side went close to a second on the quarter hour mark, Quintal’s shot was well saved by the alert Matt Sutton. The hosts had the ball in the net four minutes later, Pennington’s ball over the top found Kucharski, who out-muscled Ben Garuccio, and fired past Devenish-Meares, but referee Lachlan Keevers deemed the challenge a foul, it looked a little harsh.

The Sky Blues were hanging on, as Glory pressed for the equaliser, and they should have found it on 24 minutes. Lawrence’s corner was only cleared as far as Charbel Sharmoon, just outside the penalty area, who hooked the ball back into the box to an unmarked Kaltak, and with the goal at his mercy, the defender could only find the side netting. Glory lost striker Taggart five minutes before the break, and almost conceded a second in stoppage time, but Toure’s snap shot whistled inches past the post.

Glory continued to dictate terms after the break and two minutes in many in the crowd thought they had found the equaliser, Kucharski’s thunder bolt from distance looked like it had found the top corner, but it rustled the side netting. Glory made a double change shortly after with Kucharski limping off to be replaced by Khoa Ngo, while Risdon made way for Sam Sutton, his first A-League appearance for the club after injury. Both sides had half chances, Lawrence heading straight at Devenish-Meares, while the lively Toure saw his shot flash wide. Ngo then saw his goal bound shot blocked, as Glory struggled to breakdown a resolute Sky Blues defence, marshalled well by former Glory defender Alex Grant.

The hosts were knocking on the door, and it was all one-way traffic, Lawrence’s shot was cleared away, before Pennington volleyed inches wide, after Lawrence’s initial shot had been charged down by a desperate block from Marcel Tisserand. The crowd was becoming frustrated with the time-wasting tactics of the visitors, and skipper Rhyan Grant and keeper Devenish-Meares were shown yellow cards late. With Glory pushing men forward they almost conceded a second in the seventh minute of stoppage time, Toure sending former Glory striker Patrick wood racing clear, but Sutton stood tall to deny him.

A disappointing result for Glory, but the performance was encouraging, and they move on to next week, when they host Adelaide United at HBF Park on Saturday evening (6:45pm) Sky Blues coach Ufuk Talay was pleased with the win, especially without talisman Lolly. “Joe, I think is the best player in the competition and is a massive miss for us, he is an outlet going forward,” he said post-match. “The boys worked very hard under extreme heat, we didn’t end up playing the way we wanted to play in the second half… so we played a little more compact and we took the three points.”

Perth Glory: GK Matt SUTTON, 2 Charbel SHAMOON, 4 Scott WOOTTON, 7 Nicholas PENNINGTON, 9 Jaiden KUCHARSKI (26 Khoa NGO 51'), 18 Rhys BOZINOVSKI (5 Riley FOXE 90+6'), 19 Josh RISDON (3 Sam SUTTON 51'), 22 Adam TAGGART (17 Arion SULEMANI 40'), 27 Will FRENEY, 34 Tom LAWRENCE, 45 Brian KALTAK – Subs not used: RGK Ryan WARNER, 6 Brandon O’NEILL, 8 Callum TIMMINS

Sydney FC: GK Harrison DEVENISH-MEARES, 5 Alex GRANT, 7 Piero QUISPE (41 Alexandar POPOVIC 83'), 9 Victor CAMPUZANO (8 Wataru KAMIJO, 71'), 11 Abel WALATEE (16 Joel KING 82'), 17 Ben GARUCCIO, 20 Tiago QUINTAL (13 Pat WOOD 65'), 23 Rhyan GRANT, 32 Marcel TISSERAND, 35 Al Hassan TOURE, 36 Rhys YOULLEY – Subs not used: RGK Gus HOEFSLOOT, 22 Mathias MACALLISTER, 26 Nikolas ALFARO - Attendance: 6,689 - Referee: Lachlan Keevers

13.12.2025

GLORY BACK IN THE WINNERS CIRCLE AGAINST PHOENIX

Perth Glory have ended a four-game losing streak and won their first Ninja A-League home game of the season after a hard fought 1-0 win against Wellington Phoenix, in the ‘Distance Derby’ at the Sam Kerr Football Centre on Friday evening. It was a tight encounter, with both sides searching for a second win of the season, and it went the way of Stephen Peters’ side, with an in-swinging corner from substitute Susan Phonsongkham helped home by Bronte Trew 15 minutes from time, while keeper Teresa Morrissey kept a clean sheet on her debut for the club to secure the vital three points.

“I’m really happy the players followed the game plan, the desire, togetherness, and I’d love to see some of the stats, the likes of Brontie Trew who ran herself into the ground, so fantastic, I’m very proud of them all it was a good team performance,” Head Coach Stephen Peters explained post-match. “It was a difficult to juggle the side, with players only able to play so many minutes, and we gave debuts to Mischa (Anderson) and Clancy (Westaway) who were both exceptional, and it was a great to see Teresa (Morrissey) hard work also rewarded, and she showed what she has in her locker tonight.”

Glory made six changers to the side well beaten by Melbourne Victory last time out, giving debuts Anderson, Westaway and Morrissey, while Trew, Isobel Dalton and Georgia Cassidy were the other changers. Phonsongkham, Ella Lincoln and Juila Sardo dropped to the bench, with Alyssa Dall’Oste, Charli Wainwright and Naomi Chinnama not selected. It was a barmy night in Perth, and there was a big crowd on hand at kick off, with the large Nepalese contingent in the crowd supporting Phoenix striker Sabitra Bhandari.

The visitors were on the front foot early with Bhandari a constant threat, and she fired over the top on the quarter-hour, while former Glory striker Grace Jale was also handful, but Glory held firm. Phoenix, who arrived in WA on Monday to prepare for the game, continued to dominate and the woodwork came to the rescue of the hosts eight minutes later, with Marisa Van Der Meer’s header hitting the post. Glory’s best chance of the half fell to Gabby Hollar, but her header flashed over the top.

It was more of the same after the break, Glory thankful to Morrissey who made smart saves to deny Lara Wall, and Bhandari. Phoenix had dominated possession, but Onyinyechi Zogg and Anderson were outstanding at the heart of the Glory defence. The next to go close was Manaia Eliot, but her shot flew wide of the target. It looked just a matter of time before the visitors found the opener, but on 75 minutes it was Glory who found it. Phonsongkham’s in-swinging corner was heading into the net, eluded Phoenix keeper Victoria Esson, but Trew helped it into the net to make sure.

The goal set off wild celebrations on the pitch and in the 1,069 crowd, and they went close to a second two minutes later, substitute Emma Tovar shot from the edge of the box was saved by Esson. The hosts were determined not to be beaten, with Daisy Brazendale having the visitors final chance late, but she couldn’t keep her effort down. The win moves Glory above Wellington on the table, into eight, and next week they welcome Adelaide United to same venue on Sunday afternoon.

The defeat left Phoenix head coach Bev Priestman with a feeling of déjà vu after an identical result and a near identical performance in Melbourne last week. “It’s been the story of our away trip, two set play goals in the last 15 minutes of the game,” Priestman said post-match. “Statistically it was a winning performance, but all credit to Perth. It’s tough going back-to-back-to-back losses and I thought they were hungry tonight and did everything to make it difficult for us. I’m very, very frustrated. It feels like a kick in the guts. I know the players put a huge shift in but at the end of the day you’ve got to put the ball in the back of the net and we didn’t.”

Perth Glory: GK Teresa MORRISSEY, 2 Mischa ANDERSON, 5 Grace JOHNSTON, 6 Tijan MCKENNA, 8 Georgia CASSIDY (19 Sarah O’DONOGHUE 65'), 9 Gabby HOLLAR (10 Susan PHONSONGKHAM 60'), 12 Bronte TREW, 17 Rola BADAWIYA (25 Ella LINCOLN 84'), 23 Isobel DALTON (3 Emma TOVAR 46'), 28 Clancy WESTAWAY (24 Julia SARDO 83'), 29 Onyinyechi ZOGG – Subs not used: RGK Jessica SKINNER

Wellington Phoenix: GK Victoria ESSON, 2 CJ BOTT, 4 Mackenzie BARRY, 5 Ellie WALKER, 7 Grace JALE, 9 Sabitra BHANDARI, 11 Manaia ELLIOTT, 14 Lucía LEÓN (24 Pia VLOK 46'), 16 Marisa VAN DER MEER, 21 Lara WALL (15 Daisy BRAZENDALE 80'), 23 Brooke NUNN (20 Emma MAIN 62') – Subs not used: RGK Aimee DANIELI, 27 Zoe BENSON, 28 Grace BARTLETT - Attendance: 1,069 - Referee: Mikayla Ryan

12.12.2025

GRIFFITHS AND KUCHARSKI DETERMINED TO KEEP WINNING RUN GOING AGAINST SKY BLUES

Perth Glory will look to maintain their unbeaten run in the Isuzu Ute A-League on Saturday evening, when they host league leaders Sydney FC at HBF Park. (6;45pm) Under interim coach Adam Griffiths, and the return from injury of striker Jaiden Kucharski, Glory have won their last three games, which has seen then leap from bottom of the table to sit inside the top six, but the visit of Ufuk Talay’s side is a stern test, but Griffiths and Kucharski are determined to keep the winning run going.

Griffiths, who has done a fantastic job as interim coach, and the talk is he will be appointed as Head Coach soon, but he focused on a huge task on hand, and he is relishing the clubs biggest challenge of the season so far. The 46-year-old, played a season for the Sky Blues in 2012-13, but he knows his chargers need to lift their levels again to get a result on Saturday evening. “The team are hungry, they’re ready and they’ve been really training well, so I’m expecting a solid performance,” he said. “There’s a lot of intensity, a lot of focus and competition and the boys are enjoying themselves, hopefully that reflects in the performance.

“The teams in a good place and we’re moving in the right direction, but this is the next big challenge. The belief is growing… but the most important thing from a team perspective is that we forget about the past. The past is the past and we move forward. What happened in the past does not matter anymore, it’s what happens in the future is the only thing we care about. They [Sydney FC] are well organised and have good combinations and this will be our biggest challenge.”

Griffiths said they look forward to playing in front of their home supporters, but knows the quality they face, but he is hoping for more of the scenes we saw last week in the backs to the wall win with ten men against the Wanderers. “Every game at home is special for our players and that’s the type of culture we want to try and build in the group,” he said. “Add in some excitement and some belief and hopefully it continues to grow.

“But Sydney is a good team, Joe Lolley’s an exceptional player, everyone knows that, but with him missing the game due to injury, they’ve also got a lot of other strengths. Their foreigners are linking up well in the final third and they’ve got a really experienced centre-back, so there’s a lot of good players in this Sydney FC side and it’s a challenge. Defensively they’re sound, much better than they were in previous seasons and they’ve brought in really good foreigners.”

Kucharski was injured in the 4-0 loss at Melbourne City in round two, the game that saw the axing of David Zdrilic. He returned to the starting line up in the 2-1 win against Newcastle Jets, the game that started the hat-trick of wins, and he said it’s good to win matches. “The mood in the camp has been great, and coming off the international break, and winning three games, Griff and all the coaching staff around the club have installed a new behaviour and a new playing style, and everyone has brought in to it,” the former Sydney FC striker explained. “We want to make a big statement on Saturday, we’ve won more than we did last season at this stage, and to make it four is what everyone is pushing for four, and keep pushing up the ladder.”

The striker had a little grin when asked if the head coach had taken his foot off the gas in recent weeks. “No never,” he said. “Every day Griff wants us to be better, he believes we’re only 60% of our capabilities at the moment. Every training session, gym sessions and leading up to game day he wants improvement and for us to drive each other and the standards to make sure we get better.”

Kucharski joined the Sky Blues Academy as a 12-year-old, and went on to play 60 games in the A-League for the club. But he left at the end of last season, joining Western United to continue his development, but due the United losing their A-League license Glory nipped in to secure his services. I’m sure he has some good memories from the club, but that will all be forgotten on Saturday evening. “It’s just another game for me, I’m not looking as if I’m playing Sydney FC, I’m looking at we’re playing the team at the top of the table,” he said. “It’s a big clash for both teams, and we want to make it four straight wins and climb up the table.”

The last time Sydney headed to Perth, was in round 20 last season when the pair fought out a 0-0 draw, in front of nearly 7,000 at HBF Park. Despite the scoreline there were chances a plenty, with Glory custodian Oli Sail and Sky Blues keeper Harrison Devenish-Meares making a number of fine saves. In team news for Saturday’s blockbuster, Trent Ostler is suspended after his red card last week, but New Zealand defender Sam Sutton is back in the squad after recovering from injury in pre-season.

Also added to the squad is Brandon O’Neil and Arion Sulemani. Other good news on the injury front, English midfielder Luke Amos back on the grass after his injury. For Sydney Joe Lolly will miss with a hamstring, while Socceroos midfielder Paul Okon-Engstler is also out injured. They have added three to the travelling party, with Young Socceroos trio Corey Hollman, Alex Popovic and Mathias Macallister all promoted. There will be a few familiar faces as well, with Pat Wood, who was on loan at Glory last year, and Alex Grant, who played over 80 games for Glory in a five-year spell.

Perth Glory Squad: GK Matt SUTTON, GK Ryan WARNER, 2 Charbel SHAMOON, 3 Sam SUTTON, 4 Scott WOOTTON, 5 Riley FOXE, 6 Brandon O’NEILL, 7 Nicholas PENNINGTON, 8 Callum TIMMINS, 9 Jaiden KUCHARSKI, 16 Gabriel POPOVIC, 17 Arion SULEMANI, 18 Rhys BOZINOVSKI, 19 Josh RISDON, 22 Adam TAGGART, 25 Sebastian DESPOTOVSKI, 26 Khoa NGO, 27 Will FRENEY, 34 Tom LAWRENCE, 45 Brian KALTAK - *Two to be omitted* - Ins: SUTTON, O’NEILL, SULEMANI - Unavailable: GK Cameron COOK, 10 Luke AMOS, 11 Lachlan WALES, 15 Zach LISOLAJSKI (injured), 31 Joel ANASMO (All Injured), 20.Trent OSTLER (suspended)

Sydney FC squad: GK Harrison DEVENISH-MEARES, GK Gus HOEFSLOOT, 4 Jordan COURTNEY-PERKINS, 5 Alex GRANT, 6 Corey HOLLMAN, 7 Piero QUISPE, 8 Wataru KAMIJO, 9 Victor CAMPUZANO, 11 Abel WALATEE, 13 Pat WOOD, 16 Joel KING, 17 Ben GARUCCIO, 20 Tiago QUINTAL, 22 Mathias MACALLISTER, 23 Rhyan GRANT 26 Nikolas ALFARO, 32 Marcel TISSERAND, 35 Al Hassan TOURE, 36 Rhys YOULLEY, 41 Alexandar POPOVIC - *Two to be omitted* - Ins: HOLLMAN (promoted), MACALLISTER (promoted), POPOVIC (promoted) - Unavailable: 10 Joe LOLLEY (hamstring), 24 Paul OKON JR (quad)

12.12.2025

GLORY HOPING FOR HOME COMFORTS ON FRIDAY

Perth Glory will play only their second home game of the season on Friday evening, when they welcome Wellington Phoenix to the Sam Kerr Football Centre in the ‘Distance Derby’ in week seven of the Ninja A-League. (7:00pm) It will be the first time they have played at the venue this season, their only other home game was against the Roar at HBF Park in week two. Glory slipped to the foot of the table after four straight defeats, while the Phoenix sit in eighth, two points ahead of Stephen Peters’ side, so three points will be massive for Glory.

Peters said it’s great to be back on home soil and he believes that if they remain fully focused, they are well capable of securing a second win of the campaign. “It was very nice to come back home and rest a few bodies up,” he said. “Three away games in a row took their toll physically and mentally. I think last week was a good opportunity for us to perform a bit of a reset, look at what we’ve done well and what we haven’t done well and get back to the drawing board with a few things. I think it’s a mentality and a discipline thing. I don’t think it’s a technique or a tactical thing and I think physically we’re good, it’s all mentality. There are positives out of the four performances, but we need to be more consistent and make sure that our mindset is right on the money. We can’t afford to have any lapses in concentration.”

Wellington have also secured just the one win this season, but Peters has been impressed by what he’s seen from them since former Canada national team Head Coach Bev Priestman took charge. “Wellington are a very good team with a very good coach, you can clearly see that,” he said. “They’re quite a physical team and they came to Perth on Monday. I think it’s a great thing for their club to be putting them in that position to acclimatise and they’re going to be a very difficult opponent. I think she [Priestman] has been a bit of a trailblazer and I’m pretty excited to come up against her and to meet her. I think she’s doing a great job with the team and hopefully we’re up to the task.”

In terms of team news for Friday’s encounter, Peters was tight lipped on his selection, but keeper Alyssa Dall’Oste will miss the game, replacing by Teresa Morrissey, but he hopes to get back the experienced duo Izzy Dalton and Emma Tovar, in front of the Glory home faithful. “They’re our 12th man, they really get behind us,” he said. “It’s a funny old place [Sam Kerr Football Centre] which just seems to produce a bit of magic, so hopefully there’ll be a bit of that for us on Friday. On selection, we’ve got a few that are in the window to be selected, but I don’t really want to talk about who they are or where they are until we name the team sheet. The nature of them is that it’s going to go right up to the wire.”

The last time Wellington headed over the ditch, was in round 16 last season at the same venue, when Glory took out the three points, after a hard fought 2-1 win. Dalton gave the hosts the lead on the half hour, before English striker Olivia Fergusson levelled in first half stoppage time for the Phoenix. The game was up for grabs, but 19 minutes from time Glory won it. Megan Wynne’s cross was diverted into her own net by the unfortunate Phoenix defender Tiana Jaber.

Glory striker Ella Lincoln said they have refreshed and are looking forward to being back home after three weeks on the road. “Yes, the training has been really intense this week, and having the week off has worked in our favour, and everybody has come back fresh and sharp, and really hungry for Wellington this Friday,” the striker explained. “We’re really excited to be back at home at Sam Kerr Football Centre, the atmosphere we get down there is unbelievable, so were all super excited to play in front of them again on Friday.”

Lincoln, who goes into her second season at the club after signing from Perth Azzurri, said the travel is hard, but it’s part of the job, but it’s nice to be back home. “Yes, it’s physically demanding, but we’re not trying to make it an excuse, and we’re looking forward to turning things around this week in front of our supporters,” she said. “Stephen’s message this week as been pretty clear, not let the opposition out work us. This league is very tight, and the teams that come away with the three points, is the team that has put in the biggest shift. Any team is capable of running you into the ground if you’re not up for the fight.

“Stephen has given me some pointers, that I’ve been working on, but he said just keep on doing what I’m doing and more opportunities will come, and it has made me hungrier for more goals, especially after my goal against Brisbane earlier in the season. So, if I do start and score, or score the winner, watch out for an exciting celebration. Wellington have done well this season, and they were unlucky last week against Melbourne City, conceding right at the end, but the week before they beat Victory, so we know they are a very good side, and we’re prepared for that on Friday.”

Perth Glory Squad: GK Jessica SKINNER, GK Teresa MORRISSEY, 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, 22 Ischia BROOKING, 23 Isobel DALTON, 24 Julia SARDO, 25 Ella LINCOLN, 27 Charli WAINWRIGHT, 28 Clancy WESTAWAY, 29 Onyinyechi ZOGG - *Two to be omitted* - Ins: MORRISSEY, TOVAR, DALTON SARDO - Outs: GK Alyssa DALL’OSTE - Unavailable: 7 Megan WYNNE, 11 Natalie TATHEM, 20 Ella ABDUL MASSIH (All Injured)

Wellington Phoenix women’s squad: GK Victoria ESSON, GK Brooke NEARY, GK Aimee DANIELI, 2 CJ BOTT, 3 Tiana JABER, 4 Mackenzie BARRY, 5 Ellie WALKER, 7 Grace JALE, 9 Sabitra BHANDARI, 11 Manaia ELLIOTT, 14 Lucía LEÓN, 15 Daisy BRAZENDALE, 16 Marisa VAN DER MEER, 20 Emma MAIN, 21 Lara WALL, 23 Brooke NUNN, 24 Pia VLOK, 27 Zoe BENSON, 28 Grace BARTLETT - *Two to be omitted* - Unavailable: 6 Tessel MIDDAG (injured), 8 Macey FRASER (personal reasons), 10 Alyssa WHINHAM (injured), 18 Ella MCCANN (injured)