Above: Kayla Morrison (right) at the 2025/26 Melbourne season launch for the A-Leagues. Photo: Alyce Collett for Impetus.
By Alyce Collett (9/10/2025)
Season 2024/25 may have brought the ultimate heartbreak for Melbourne Victory, but the excitement about the potential of the season ahead is strong at the Victory.
Speaking at the season launch for the league in Melbourne this afternoon, the excitement about the new season was clear in Victory skipper Kayla Morrison’s voice and body language.
“Once the season comes around, it always feels like a really long off season” Morrison said.
“So to have started already and we’re playing practice matches, feel like things are going well. So yeah, really looking forward to the first game.”
Last season was a case of so close yet so far for Victory, who fell agonisingly short of another title after losing the Grand Final to the Central Coast Mariners.
“Obviously it’s really upsetting to kind of think back to the grand final, knowing we were so close and probably favourite to win” Morrison explained.
She also noted that it felt “like it kind of got ripped out of our hands, so we’re going to try and do it in just the 90 minutes this year, and that’s what our focus will be on.”
It is going to be a very new look Victory side that takes to the pitch in Round 1, with a number of key players departing the club in the offseason for overseas opportunities.
One of Victory’s new faces that has drawn praise from Morrison is Zoe McMeeken, who crossed the ditch back to her home town from the Wellington Phoenix.
“I don’t know what happened there, but it was crazy that they let her go with how great she’s been doing in our preseason” Morrison exclaimed.
Another of Victory’s new faces is former Western United star Grace Maher, who has crossed to the dark blue side of town after the demise of United.
Despite plying her craft in defence for the last few seasons, Morrison hinted that Maher may have a different role this season.
“Jeff kind of has what type of defenders he likes – big, strong tackling people” Morrison explained.
“Grace is someone who wants to get on the ball and kind of get at it with her feet. So I think she’ll be more in a midfield role.”
One topic of conversation and intrigue amongst the women’s soccer fandom is the progress in Morrison’s change of FIFA international allegiance.
In unfortunate news for Matildas fans, Morrison confirmed that there has been no further progress in that department.
“I think it’s still kind of stuck with FIFA at the moment” Morrison explained.
“I know JD and Victory, they have been awesome helping. They’re in chats with the Matildas and I think they’re working with lawyers at the moment, so we’ll kind of see what happens.”
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