By Kieran Yap 29/1/25
Above: Holly Furphy celebrates her goal against Sydney FC. Photo: A-Leagues
When Melbourne Victory defeated Sydney FC in Round 13 all the talk was about the two goal scorers. Alana Jancevski earned goal of the week for her thunderous free-kick, and Holly Furphy, the new signing who made an immediate impression.
Furphy entered the game in the 68th minute. Nine minutes later she had her first goal in the A-League Women. The unfamiliar number nine stayed onside, ran onto Rachel Lowe’s perfectly weighted ball, and rounded Brianna Edwards to effectively seal the win.
Furphy’s skill and composure in scoring would have been admirable in a 100 game veteran, for a first gamer it was extraordinary. But although she burst onto the scene this week, this moment has been a long time coming, and that that’s part of what makes it so exciting. This was no fluke, it is something the 22 year old has been building towards for years.
Furphy’s first introduction to football was at the age of 10 after trying out for the Yarra Jets. After trying other sports as a child, she found her calling. It was not long before the ambitious youngster was trying out for state representative teams, and although she was not accepted immediately, often facing rejection at the final hurdle, she eventually earned a place in the Victorian NTC at the age of 13.
In 2016, she was in the Victorian state squad that won the championship, and finished as top goal scorer in the state for her age group.
The Emerging Matildas side in the NPLW Victoria was the next step, and Furphy was part of what is now a near mythical squad. The 2021 team featured the likes of Naomi Chinnama, Caitlin Karic, Alana Murphy, Claudia Mihocic, Rosie Curtis, Leia Varley, Sarah Cain, Francesca Iermano, Lucy Richards and Jessica Young, and were famous for a dominant 5-0 win over South Melbourne in a sadly cancelled season.
Furphy scored in that game, putting the ball past Matildas and A-League Women legend Melissa Barbieri, and while most of her teammates made their professional debut’s in the years since, Furphy took a different path, one that was more challenging but ultimately an opportunity of a lifetime.
The highly rated striker joined Santa Clara University in the U.S College System, the move is always a risky one for young Australian prospects. As we have seen with Tegan Micah, Beattie Goad and Amy Sayer, the pressure cooker environment and professional setting can create excellent footballers, but it means players are out of the view of Young Matildas selectors. It is a risk.
Santa Clara turned out to be a good fit for Furphy as a player and under the tutelage of assistant coach, the World Cup legend Brandi Chastain, she found her feet. Her Freshman year was off to a promising start after four starts in five games, but it was sadly cut short by injury. Furphy’s Sophomore year saw her play 18 times and score twice while registering an assist.
Upon returning to Australia, Furphy earned an opportunity with the club she was once a train on player with. Injuries to fan favourites Paige Zois and Lia Privitelli opened up some roster space, and Jeff Hopkins welcomed back a player he placed under the tutelage of Natasha Dowie four years earlier.
“She’s always thinking about where can I go get the ball and be a threat,” said Hopkins of the then trainee in 2020.
“She has a lot of the characteristics of a good striker.”
Furphy is tall, fast and has quick feet. She is athletic, physical and as we saw on the weekend, has an eye for goal. Although she played out wide against Sydney FC, she is comfortable in the number nine role, and along with Ella O’Grady adds depth and goal threat to Victory’s squad.
Furphy is also known for her defensive pressure, something she always displayed in the NPLW and youth teams but was likely enhanced in the physically demanding college system. She can turn with the ball under pressure and is explosive when in space
The attacker looked fearless running at the sometimes-ruthless Sydney FC defenders, the likes of Tori Tumeth and Nat Tobin can intimidate even stars of this league, but Furphy showed no signs of apprehension and her first professional touch was a delightful one to skip clear of a lunging challenge perhaps intended to “welcome” her to The Dub.
Victory’s team is deep, but still finding their best football and lineup and this is another exciting development in a promising season. Furphy’s football journey began a long time ago, but Saturday might still be the start of something special.
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