By Kieran Yap 23/9/2026
Above: Avondale FC celebrating their win. Photo: Allyce Collett for Impetus.
Avondale FC are the 2026 NPLW Champions after defeating Box Hill 2-1 in an absorbing contest at the Home of The Matildas. Goals to Sloane Young and Aideen Keane claimed the Grand Final win after the clubs first season in the top flight and marks a significant achievement for the ambitious club who now hold the men’s and women’s titles.
After 26 games of the home and away season and two weeks of finals, it all came down to this. The defending champions, and current premiers Box Hill United Pythagoras against the fast rising superpower Avondale FC.
Box Hill went into this game as marginal favourites. They have been the best team of 2026 and been the pacesetters from early in the season. a convincing win over Bulleen Lions in the preliminary final did nothing to dampen expectations. Watchers of this competition may have become accustomed to them winning, but that did not make their run to a second decider any less impressive.
Kogulan Sabaratnam named a strong lineup, even without Holly Murray who had begun pre-season with Adelaide United.
Kiara Bercelli came into this game with 18 assists and 11 goals after a season that should see her in contention for Gold Medal status. Erin Keyt joined in in attack with 13 goals and four assists, with club icons and A-League stars Sofia Sakalis and Rhianna Pollicina pulling the strings in midfield.
At the back, they had Keeley Sevagvic. The goalkeeper has been one of the best signings of the season, and considering the stats of Bercelli and Keyt, that feels like a huge statement, but her performances in goal for Box Hill also make it an easy one to make.
Box Hill had a week’s rest after the Round 26 and looked fresh against Bulleen in the preliminary final. It was not an easy win. Box Hill had to survive Bulleen’s early onslaught and a valiant comeback attempt from the Lions, but it was a ruthlessly professional win by a side still operating at the level that won them the Grand Final last year.
Co-Captained by Pollicina and 20 year old Sofia Palywoda, Box Hill’s season has been even more impressive than last year. They arrived at The Home of The Matildas looking to add a third trophy to the cabinet in two years and underline their status as the state’s benchmark club.
Avondale FC held no fear of recent history. Why should they, when they are in the middle of a purple patch of form.
The newly promoted club has invested heavily in their women’s side. They had a slightly stuttering start to the season. Some early wins preceded some surprising losses. Despite the significant star power ate the club. Del Donnelly’s challenge was turning an all-star squad into a consistent team and they peaked when it mattered most.
Avondale played some sparkling football in the first half of the season, but the additions of Taylor Ray, Ellie Wilson and Aideen Keane helped them to another level. The foundation’s were solid. At the back they had the defensive duo of Isabella Accardo and Gulcan Genitsaris.
In midfield, Asuka Miyata has been outstanding from Round one. standing out in a midfield that boasts Ray and Matildas legend Elise Kellond-Knight.
Up front, Sloane Young has been a star. The American winger scored 21 goals and had seven assists. Her close control and powerful finishing have made her almost impossible for any side to contain.
There were key matchups all over the field, and stars in every position. The quality on both sides of the team sheets made it feel like goals could come from anywhere, but the manner of the first one was still a surprise.
Box Hill earned a corner on the right of their attack. Maho Murakami stepped up and delivered an excellent ball into the goalmouth that evaded everybody and ended up in the back of the net. Olimpico’s are always special and always crowd-pleasers. This was a spectacular way for the game to begin.
If there was a downside to it, it is that Box Hill had taken a half chance and spun it into gold, but they are known for dominating games, and after Murakami scored, they were unable to do that as easily as they have this season.
Avondale began to push forward, Kellond-Knight moved higher up the pitch and began to link with Kellond-Knight. A crunching, but perfectly timed tackle by Genitsaris left Keane momentarily hobbling, but she recovered to set up a dangerous chance for Hannah Wilkinson that the striker’s lunging leg just missed.
Box Hill appeared to sit back after scoring, but Avondale were increasingly gaining control of the tempo. Their defensive line pushed up near halfway, almost daring Box Hill to hit them on the counter with Accardo starting to initiate play from the back.
Bercelli took advantage of this high line and almost doubled the lead after skipping past her marker and bringing a great save out of Brooke Bennett.
Erin Keyt was next to find an opening in Box Hill’s attack. Her clever turn made room for the shot, but it went over the bar from 10 yards out.
A perfectly timed intervention from Taylor Ray at the edge of the penalty box denied Box Hill another chance and typified a game of fine margins and split second decisions.
Avondale were not affected by conceding early, and looked to be playing the game on their terms, but still could not find an equaliser, despite Keane and Sloane’s influence beginning to grow. Another missed chance by Wilkinson felt fateful at the time, but in hindsight, Avondale were just going to keep trying until one went in.
That happened midway through the second half. Keane’s surging run down the right ended with a cutback to Kellond-Knight. The midfielder was faced with a wall of Box Hill defenders but prodded the ball wide to Young who swept the ball into the net to level the scores.
Avondale had started the half stronger, and it had increasingly felt like Box Hill were holding on. At 1-1 it was still anybody’s game, but Taylor Ray in particular had tilted the scales in midfield and was having a huge say in proceedings.
Ray was instrumental in keeping the ball moving for Avondale, and breaking up Box Hill’s attacks. Her positioning off the ball is if the highest quality, her Grand Final pedigree well established and her intelligence was on full display as she effected how both teams played.
Keane was the driving force behind the goal, Young finished it, but Ray was making life impossible for Box Hill, just as she had In the 2024/25 A-League Grand Final against Melbourne Victory.
Ray was not alone. Asuka Miyata was busy and creative. The Japanese midfielder is hard to track across the field when she is in this kind of form. She looked to be everywhere, knitting together play between midfield and attack. She is tough as nails too and drew fouls as much as she snapped into challenges.
Wilkinson had been wasteful in the first half, but she is an experienced striker who started in a home World Cup. Her head was not going to be bowed and she found a way to help win the game.
Wilkinson drifted out wide, dragging a marker with her. At first Box Hill would have been happy with that sight. That is where you want her ideally, out wide and far away from the penalty box.
But Keane had made an explosive overlapping run through the middle and Wilkinson weighted the pass perfectly. Keane’s finish beyond the rushing Segavcic delicately directed the ball into the bottom corner. It was 2-1 to Avondale with 14 minutes left to play.
Box Hill looked re-energised by going behind, and Pollicina moved to the point of the attack. The idea was to get her closer to goal and take advantage of her renowned finishing, but she was rightly marked and Box Hill were forced into more hopeful balls wide to Bercelli and substitute Gabrielle Simpson.
Avondale FC held on and were crowed Champions in an historic first season in the NPLW. They had beaten the reigning champions and current premiers in an epic encounter. There was little to separate these teams in the end, a moment of quality and determination was the difference for the winning goal and Box Hill had their chances, but from repeat viewing, this was a clearly deserved victory over a mighty opponent.
There are stories across the squad for Avondale. Genitsaris announced her retirement from the league after a long career in the game including 60 games with Melbourne Victory and international caps for Türkiye.
Keane and Ray are the new benchmark for mid-season signings. Their impact since joining Avondale and in particular for this finals series has been incredible.
Accardo made the switch from Bulleen Lions in pre-season and played every game for her new club, anchoring them in defence and using her composure on the ball to start attacks.
Beattie Goad made a triumphant return to football after retirement in late 2024. The capped Matilda and long time NPLW star was a delight to watch, and it was a privilege to watch Kellond-Knight play up close again. KK is simply one of the best midfielders Australia has ever produced and was influential when it mattered most.
Miyata was one of the best midfielders in the league over the season and Sloane Young was electric from Round One.
It is a testament to the quality of this competition that even with this stacked team, Avondale were made to earn this championship. They had a lot of quality, incomparable experience but no easy wins. When it came down to it, they were able to find a way against an opponent that could best be described as a winning machine over the last 12 months of football. It is to the credit of the coaching staff that Avondale were able to peak at exactly the right time of the year.
Aideen Keane was named player of the match. Box Hill had no answer for her, but they are not alone in that. Few A-League teams did last season either, nor did Lucy Bronze. She is a huge talent, dynamic, combative and creative. Able to turn games in a moment of explosive confidence.
Keane will return to Melbourne City and if she continues to improve at the current rate, she could easily be in Matildas contention by mid-season. She was a delight to watch and frighteningly is still approaching her peak. Keane made this finals series her own, and it feels fitting that she scored the winning goal.
As for Box Hill, they can hold their heads up high after this season. It is one of the fun quirks of Australian Football that finishing on top of the ladder is both a massive achievement and the hardest thing to accomplish, but also no the pinnacle of the season.
Box Hill were incredible in 2026, even better than they were last year. Only Essendon Royals were able to convincingly beat them and they played some of the most eye catching team football in the league.
They will be disappointed with how the final day ended for them, but history will still record Champions in 2025 and Premiers in 2026. They remain a benchmark club in the Victorian NPLW.
In Appreciation of everyone who read this season
This was one of the most enjoyable seasons of the Victorian NPLW. From Round One it has been thrilling to watch and recap in this column. For a peek at how the sausage is made. I usually watch at four games in full each round, and the highlights of the remaining matches. Time does not allow for much else.
It can be tiring, but it is not a chore. I look forward to writing about this league more than any other football competition. It is a fun, passionate, community based and skilful league and it is nice to be in a football environment that exists almost purely because people love it.
I have written match reports covering the A-League Women, Matildas and NPLW back-to-back-to-back every week since 2020, and I am now looking forward to an “off-season” in terms of writing (it’s truly superhuman that players manage to do this on the pitch)
I won’t be doing weekly match reports for The A-League women in 2026/27 with the intent of being recharged for the next 2027 NPLW season.
I greatly appreciate everybody who has taken the time to read these article this season. I try not to check the numbers, but love getting messages, even and often especially those that disagree with me or want to point out something I should focus on more. Talking about the game, the players and the league is the best way to help it grow and I think it is the whole point of watching sport.
I hope people have enjoyed this season, and my tiny contribution to it. Thankyou for reading.
To finish things off, here is the objective, definitive official Top 3 Hot Chips ranking for 2026:
Photo by Isabelle Campbell
1: Lakeside Stadium, South Melbourne. The right level of crunchiness and fluffiness with the best seasoning I the league
2: Home of The Matildas. Excellent but could probably be a bit larger in the serving size
3: Cross- Keys Reserve: pretty basic chips, the price is good, the bucket is handy to hold at a ground that is better to stand at, and I appreciate them getting so many made in a small one-person canteen.
Seeya at a cold ground with hot chips next year.
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