As the 2024/25 A-League Men’s season finally arrives this weekend, it is time to try to predict what is unpredictable. With a lot of attention heading towards the likes of Sydney FC and the Western Sydney Wanderers following the big-name marquee signings of Douglas Costa and Juan Mata, Front Page Football has put together a season preview for the three Victorian clubs for the upcoming campaign: Melbourne City, Melbourne Victory, and Western United.
Aurelio Vidmar (Melbourne City), John Aloisi (Western United), and Patrick Kisnorbo (Melbourne Victory) are the three coaches of the A-League Men's Victorian teams for the 2024/25 season. (Images, from left to right: Harley Appezzato, Western United, and Melbourne Victory)
Melbourne City
Recording their lowest finish on the league table since the 2013/14 season in 2023/24—while still qualifying for the Finals Series—Melbourne City find themselves in an interesting position heading into 2024/25.
Failing to maintain the highs of three consecutive A-League Men's premierships, City has seen a raft of departures to key players over the off-season. Key figures in their defence over the past few years, such as Curtis Good, Nuno Reis, and Scott Galloway, all departed. Meanwhile, Marin Jakolis, Leo Natel, and Terry Antonis moved on after only one season with the club.
An expected but massive departure was that of captain and the league's record top goalscorer Jamie Maclaren, who left the club after five and a half seasons to join Indian Super League side Mohun Bagan. However, what soon followed shocked many, with Tolgay Arslan forcing a move away and reaching a mutual agreement with the club to terminate his contract, paving the way for a move to Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the J-League.
After losing their star striker, one of the most impactful players in the league, and a raft of key players, Director of Football Michael Petrillo and City's backroom staff were expected to commence a significant rebuild with big incomings, considering the vast resources at the club's disposal. However, City have opted for a seemingly more low-key approach.
First, looking at the defensive end, the club agreed on a one-year extension with Jamie Young - who has become the league's oldest player at 39 years old following the retirements of Milos Ninkovic and Danny Vukovic. As such, City could give their young goalkeepers a chance to succeed the veteran this season. This possible change was already seen in the Australia Cup, with 20-year-old James Nieuwenhuizen debuting in goals against Perth Glory. Patrick Beach (21) may be a strong contender to get an opportunity, starting regularly in pre-season friendlies, including this past weekend in a loss to Adelaide United behind closed doors. Beach has also impressed at the national youth team level.
In the backline, Aziz Behich's return from his mid-season loan at Al Nassr will be a crucial addition to the squad at left-back. At centre-back, the signings of Kai Trewin and Germán Ferreyra appear to be very astute from City in attempting to replace the departing qualities of Good and Reis. Trewin, in particular, is a player who could be in for a big season and potentially a move abroad after four seasons of consistent first-team minutes with Brisbane Roar at just 23 years old. City also announced the signing of Nathaniel Atkinson from Hearts after he fell out of favour with manager Steven Naismith.
While it may be disappointing to see the 25-year-old return to the A-League Men after leaving just two years ago, it is undoubtedly an excellent signing for City, with Callum Talbot as competition at right-back to push the Socceroo back to his best.
City has maintained a solid midfield pivot, holding on to the experienced Steven Ugarkovic and James Jeggo around 19-year-old Zane Schreiber, who appears to be a player who can push for more minutes this campaign after joining the club from Sydney FC's academy last season. He scored an excellent goal in City's Cup loss to Perth Glory and has continuously featured for the Young Socceroos. City also signed Austrian midfielder Andreas Kuen, a versatile player who most recently played in the Greek Super League after a long stint in the Austrian Bundesliga.
Moving into the final third, City have been surprisingly inactive considering their departures. Apart from the recruitment of versatile Israeli attacker Yonatan Cohen, City have not brought in any other new names.
However, what can be worth noting is the permanent signing of Marco Tilio and the re-signings of Mathew Leckie and Andrew Nabbout, three players who can act as 'new signings' if they can maintain fitness and health after interrupted 2023/24 campaigns.
At striker, City are appearing to put their faith in 19-year-old Max Caputo to lead the line this season, particularly after starting over Maclaren in the later stages of the 2023/24 regular season. Sadly for Caputo, a broken ankle during City's pre-season preparations will rule him out of action for the next few months. However, it offers the chance for highly regarded strikers Arion Sulemani (19) and Medin Memeti (17) to receive an opportunity at the professional level.
Due to their early Australia Cup exit, it is still unclear how City will look to play this season and if they can return to the heights from a few seasons ago. City have primarily stuck with what they know squad-wise, adding a few potentially shrewd signings in necessary areas. Should they keep their players fit and firing throughout this season, there would be no reason why City could not make the top six and even contend for silverware - however, it is quite a big if with the ageing and injury-prone nature of many of their key players.
Ladder prediction: 7th
A possible starting line-up and extensive depth chart for Melbourne City in 2024/25.
Melbourne Victory
On the losing end of an A-League Men's Grand Final and Australia Cup Final in a matter of months, Melbourne Victory has been teething on success but not quite able to grasp it. The end of now-Socceroos Head Coach Tony Popovic's tenure at the club has seen an expected significant squad turnover heading into 2024/25, with Patrick Kisnorbo taking charge.
While starting positively, Victory's Australia Cup campaign quickly soured following their defeat to Macarthur in the decider. Struggling to find the back of the net against A-League Men's opposition was a concern for Victory during the run, as they continue to adapt to a new style of play in possession under Kisnorbo.
Starting with their attack, Victory's depth in numbers and Kisnorbo's decisions on key players make this area seemingly unpredictable regarding how they will set up.
Firstly, Victory have significantly bolstered their striking depth after lacking a backup to an ageing Bruno Fornaroli last season. First, they signed young forward Jing Reec from Danish side Aarhus before Greek number nine Nikos Vergos arrived, which surprised many who wondered how he would fit into Kisnorbo's line-up. The proceeding answer has been dropping Fornaroli, the Uruguayan now seemingly fighting for minutes off the bench with Reec.
Regarding wingers, a raft of departures, including Ben Folami, Chris Ikonomidis, Salim Khelifi, and Eli Adams, have left Victory thinner in this area, potentially giving their existing options more opportunities.
Nishan Velupillay has certainly benefitted, with the 23-year-old enjoying an excellent Australia Cup campaign and since scoring on debut for the Socceroos following a recent call-up. In contrast, Daniel Arzani - also receiving a recent surprising Socceroos call-up - has seemingly fallen out of favour with Kisnorbo.
Infamously dropping the 25-year-old from Victory's squad for the Australia Cup Final, the new signings of Reno Piscopo from the Newcastle Jets and Brazilian winger Santos could threaten Arzani's minutes this season.
The signing of Piscopo also offers Victory cover at the number 10 position for star man Zinedine Machach, a smart move considering Jake Brimmer's departure to Auckland FC.
Victory's options in the midfield are surprisingly youthful, with Ryan Teague arguably the most experienced player at just 22. In only his first complete season of A-League Men's football, Teague immediately stepped into the heart of midfield and did not look out of place. He is a player who could be in for an even bigger season following some excellent performances during pre-season. Jordi Valadon appears the likely partner to Teague in the midfield pivot, enjoying a seemingly meteoric rise after notably scoring a late winner to send Victory through to the Australia Cup Final.
"The rise has been sort of sudden in a way, but not really because I've worked really hard over the past two years, and it's good to see it come to fruition," Valadon said following his goal against Adelaide United.
After showing positive signs last season under Popovic, Fabian Monge will undoubtedly push for opportunities. Meanwhile, 20-year-old Alex Menelaou could receive his professional debut after captaining Victory's youth team to promotion to the NPL Victoria. Luka Kolic is another of Victory's excellent young midfielders who could get a chance at the first-team level, having initially made a name for himself at Melbourne Knights.
To the defence, the departure of crucial centre-back Damien Da Silva, as well as experienced squad players - Leigh Broxham, Connor Chapman, and Stefan Nigro - has seen Victory opt to keep their defensive depth light, with youth expected to offer cover when needed.
Brendan Hamill returned to the club to partner captain Roderick Miranda at centre-back. Meanwhile, Olyroo Joshua Rawlins signed from Utrecht after a brief loan spell last season in the A-League Men with Perth Glory.
Rawlins' ability to cover across the backline makes him an ideal depth option for the Vuck, similar to Joshua Inserra, who has impressed with Victory's youth team and the Young Socceroos set-up.
Jason Geria appears to be a perfect fit for Kisnorbo as a third centre-back in possession. He is another player who received Popovic's call to the Socceroos (an arguably long overdue one based on his performances against China and Japan). As a result, Kisnorbo has given Kasey Bos on the opposing flank the confidence to start this season as an attacking full-back.
"Yeah, I don't mind it. I get higher up the pitch, creating some more chances, and obviously, you have to work back in that, but it's all good," Bos said when asked recently about how he finds his advanced role on the left wing.
While Bos will likely be the preferred starting option there, Adama Traore will also provide great experience and depth to help guide and mentor Bos to reach the very high ceiling he has already shown in his brief time with Victory's first team.
Finally, in goals, Paul Izzo's move to Randers—while deserved and excellent for his development—has no doubt devastated Victory fans after his heroics last season. Jack Duncan was signed to provide some experience between the sticks. Meanwhile, Mitch Langerak's long-awaited return in January could massively boost the side in the second half of the season.
Overall, while Kisnorbo's start has not gone perfectly to plan, particularly in winning over the Vuck faithful, his work at Melbourne City from 2020 to 2022 is too impressive to overlook. Kisnorbo can turn this Victory side into a truly dominant team that strikes fear into its opponents; the question will be whether this threat can be turned into reality.
Victory should be competing for the top spots this season; however, it will be challenging, with the league expected to be incredibly competitive.
Ladder prediction: 1st
A possible starting line-up and extensive depth chart for Melbourne Victory in 2024/25.
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Western United
A-League Men champions just three seasons ago, Western United has struggled to return to the past levels that saw them shock the league. Narrowly missing out on the Finals Series in 2022/23 and placing second-last in 2023/24, a significant change appeared necessary for Western to become a real competitive force again.
This change has come in the form of Ironbark Fields, an excellent and crucial 'home base' for the club in establishing a solid fanbase in Melbourne's western suburbs that showed real signs in the later stages of last season. However, apart from this, Western has seemed to stick with a youth-focused approach to their squad building heading into the new campaign, with head coach John Aloisi still at the wheel.
While this is, of course, a more than reasonable direction for the club, developing young players in the hopes of selling the top talents overseas for sizeable transfer fees, it does ultimately mean that the short-term of establishing a side consistently capable of winning games appears unlikely, particularly when looking at their squad.
Western's goalkeeping department is unchanged from 2023/24. Tom Heward-Belle and Matt Sutton are relatively inexperienced yet talented custodians who will battle for the starting spot.
The departure of championship-winning captain Josh Risdon from the backline could prove a significant loss for the Green and Black, opting to sign Tate Russell from the Western Sydney Wanderers as his replacement at right-back.
At left-back, Ben Garuccio was chosen as captain for Western this season, a just reward for arguably the best performer during a disappointing period on the pitch for the club.
Tomoki Imai and James Donachie are two experienced heads in the heart of the defence, along with some very youthful depth who will be competing for minutes. Kane Vidmar (20) was impressive in his limited minutes last season, while youth internationals - Luka Coveny (18), Dylan Leonard (17), and even 15-year-old Besian Kutleshi - all signed scholarship contracts with the club.
Angus Thurgate and Sebastian Pasquali will likely be Western's midfield pivot this season, starting to build chemistry together throughout the previous campaign. Rhys Bozinovski will also be a player to watch in this area. The versatile 20-year-old midfielder impressed recently with the Olyroos and in substitute appearances in the A-League Men last season after returning from injury.
The departure of Daniel Penha is a real disappointment for Western United and fans across the league; a genuinely exceptional and entertaining footballer who could not be signed on a permanent basis. Western also lost their second-highest appearance maker, Lachlan Wales, who joined Gyeongnam FC in K League 2. While these are significant departures for the club, they present opportunities for some exceptional young talents to step up and thrive.
Matthew Grimaldi became a real breakout star for Western in the later stages of the season. The 20-year-old left winger, who enjoys operating inside in the half-spaces, scored five goals in 2023/24. Grimaldi also recently scored in the Olyroos' trip to Vanuatu, really starting to cement himself as one of the top talents in the country.
Abel Walatee joined Grimaldi and the aforementioned Bozinovski in Vanuatu with the Olyroos, an explosive 20-year-old with a wicked left foot that can play on either wing. Impressing off the bench late last season after an excellent campaign with Western United's youth team in VPL 1, Walatee looks more than ready to become a regular contributor for the first team.
Luke Vickery (18) is another young option who impressed in his first-team minutes last season. Meanwhile, Riku Danzaki and Ramy Najjarine are slightly more experienced options who have proven to be effective players if they can stay fit.
Once again, Western will have many options competing for their two starting spots up front. The departure of Nikita Rukavytsya seemingly presented the chance for Noah Botic, in particular, to be given the keys as Aloisi's starting striker. However, the arrival of towering forward Hiroshi Ibusuki indicates that the 33-year-old will be trusted as the primary striker after scoring 15 goals last season for Adelaide United.
As a forward with excellent hold-up ability and presence in and around the box, playing off of Ibusuki's lack of mobility will likely suit some younger attacking options who can operate as a 'second striker' alongside the Japanese target man.
While Botic could be an option, his profile as a poaching striker may not suit playing with Ibusuki compared to Michael Ruhs, for example, a physical and energetic striker that, despite lacking a consistent ability to score goals, offers a solid all-around game with the ability to dribble and create when afforded space.
Younger options include Jake Najdovski, a talented goalscorer who has been excellent for both Western and Australia's youth teams. At 19, Najdovski is a well-polished attacker who could play off Ibusuki and utilise his technical ability and eye for goal to become a real breakout star this season if provided the opportunity.
Oliver Lavale is yet another versatile attacker who could suit the second-striker profile. He came through Western's academy and scored the winner for his side off the bench against Perth Glory shortly after his 19th birthday last season.
While Western United should be a fun team to watch this season, full of Australia's top youth talents who will likely receive minutes, the lack of quality and professional senior experience makes Aloisi's side unlikely to be a contender to return to finals football.
However, it will be an important season of building for the club, letting their young squad grow alongside a fanbase that will continue to develop with a genuine home in Tarneit. While Western United may not set the world alight in 2024/25, it is a project to keep an eye on heading into the future.
Ladder prediction: 11th
A possible starting line-up and extensive depth chart for Western United in 2024/25.
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