by Alyce Collett (17/5/26)
Above: Melbourne City celebrate after winning the 2025/26 A-League Women’s Grand Final. Photo: Tilly McDonald for Impetus.
There were plenty of smiling faces wearing light blue in the corridors of AAMI Park last night as the Melbourne City players celebrated winning an A-League Women’s Championship for the first time after defeating the Wellington Phoenix 3-1 in yesterday’s Grand Final.
When speaking to some of the stars of the team last night – including Holly McNamara, Leticia McKenna, Shelby McMahon and captain Rebekah Stott – they all reflected on the journey that the club has been over the past six years, and how much the team has transformed since that title win in 2020.
“Six years is a long time” Stott said.
“So to win this, to get the premiership as well was so special and I’m just really proud.”
McKenna shared similar sentiments about her own journey at the club, as one of the young players brought in as the club was transitioning from a squad full of big name internationals to the one it has now.
“It’s so special” she said.
“I think my first season or maybe two, I spent a lot of time on the bench, and for me that was obviously hard, but I think that’s what’s helped me now is just that personal development.
“The trainings were unbelievable, and I think it’s just helped me now get to a stage where I’m a bit older and a bit more experienced, and we’re always constantly learning and growing in different styles and everything.”
Even for the younger members of the squad like McMahon, having the experience of losing a Grand Final a few seasons ago and having been around the mark but never going all the way for a few seasons now adds to the emotion of this Grand Final win.
“It’s pretty amazing. I mean, the girls deserve it. It’s been three years now where we’ve been really, really close, obviously dominating all season, so I feel like it’s well deserved” McMahon said.
There were extra emotions for McNamara after the win, who could not partake in City’s last Grand Final appearance because of injury.
“I think this morning I actually realized it was my first Grand Final” McNamara explained.
“Obviously watching the last one was kind of heartbreaking.
“I remember shedding a few tears after that loss because you kind of feel helpless. So I think I just wanted to put my best foot forward today in probably one of our biggest games of the year.”
One name that was never far from the mind of the City players was Rado Vidošić, City’s former manager who took the team to its last title win in 2020 and unfortunately passed away earlier this year.
“ When Rado kind of brought us in, he nurtured us a lot” McNamara said.
“I’m reflecting a bit on that today. Bubs [Melissa Barbieri] and I had a little conversation about Rado and kind of everything that he did for us, and that was kind of for him today.”
“Rado was so special for this club, and for this team especially” Stott said.
“So to have his input and to have a lot of players who have been coached by him in the squad, I think he was a massive impact on us and we miss him a lot.”
McKenna agreed that he had had a “massive” influence on the group, saying that “when you had that first Zoom call with him, I can still remember parts of the conversation and just how excited I was to be under him and work with him.
“I’ve learnt so much, and still to this day, some of those things he would shout out to me still are in the back of my head, I’m like, ‘Oh, yep, got to get into the pocket kind of thing.’”
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