Melbourne Victory FC facts for kids
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| Full name | Melbourne Victory Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Big V Boys in Blue Dark Blues Victory The Vuck |
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| Short name | MVFC | ||
| Founded | 28 October 2004 | ||
| Ground | AAMI Park | ||
| Capacity | 30,050 | ||
| Owner | Melbourne Victory Limited | ||
| Chairman | John Dovaston | ||
| Manager | Arthur Diles | ||
| League | A-League Men | ||
| 2022–23 | 11th of 12 | ||
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Melbourne Victory Football Club is a professional soccer club from Melbourne, Victoria. They play in Australia's top men's league, the A-League Men. Victory joined the league in its very first season in 2005–06. They were the only team from Victoria at that time.
Melbourne Victory is one of the most successful clubs in the league. They have won four A-League Championships and three A-League Premierships. They also won one Pre-Season Challenge Cup and two Australia Cups. This makes them the only club to win all four major domestic trophies in modern Australian soccer.
The club has also played in the AFC Champions League seven times. Their best results were reaching the Round of 16 in 2016 and 2020. In both cases, they were knocked out by the team that went on to win the tournament.
Victory's main home ground is Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, also known as AAMI Park. It's a stadium with 30,050 seats in Melbourne's city centre. The club has also played games at other stadiums like Olympic Park Stadium and Docklands Stadium.
Melbourne Victory has many fans across Melbourne and Victoria. They have strong rivalries with other teams. These include Melbourne City (the Melbourne Derby), Sydney (The Big Blue), Adelaide United (The Original Rivalry), and Western United (the Westgate Derby).
The club's top goal scorer ever is Archie Thompson, with 97 goals. Leigh Broxham has played the most matches for Victory, with 405 appearances.
Contents
Club History
How it Started (2004–2005)
After Australia's first national soccer league ended, Melbourne Victory was created. They were announced as Melbourne's team for the new A-League on November 1, 2004. The club was started by Geoff Lord and other business people from Melbourne.
Ernie Merrick became the first manager. He signed Kevin Muscat as the first captain and Archie Thompson as a star player. Both became club legends. Victory's first official game was a 1–1 draw against Newcastle Jets on July 22, 2005. Their first home win was 3–0 against Perth Glory on July 30, 2005.
Early Success (2005–2011)
The first A-League season (2005–06) was tough, but it showed what was possible. In the 2006–07 season, Victory won their first league premiership and championship. This also qualified them for their first AFC Champions League.
A famous moment was Archie Thompson scoring five goals in the 6–0 Grand Final win against Adelaide United in 2007. This game had a record crowd of 55,436 fans. This big win and an earlier argument between Kevin Muscat and Adelaide's manager started a big rivalry between the two clubs.
The 2007–08 season was harder, with injuries and playing in the Champions League for the first time. But new players like Carlos Hernández joined, making the team stronger.
In 2008–09, Victory had more success, winning their first "treble" (three trophies). They won the last A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup in 2008. They finished first in the league and won the championship again, beating Adelaide United in the Grand Final. This Grand Final had the second-largest crowd for an A-League final, with 53,273 fans.
In 2009–10, Victory almost won the league again but lost to Sydney FC in the Grand Final. This was the last Grand Final for manager Ernie Merrick and captain Kevin Muscat.
New Leaders and Rebuilding (2011–2013)
After the 2010–11 season, founding president Geoff Lord left the club. Anthony Di Pietro became the new president. The club also changed its chief executive officer and manager. Ernie Merrick was replaced by Mehmet Duraković, and later Jim Magilton.
Kevin Muscat retired as a player and became an assistant coach. The club made a huge signing, bringing in Australian soccer hero Harry Kewell. This was seen as one of the biggest signings in Australian sports history.
However, the 2011–12 season was disappointing, and Victory missed the finals. The team had many older players and a new coaching staff. Despite this, they signed future star players like Mark Milligan and Adama Traoré. They also signed Lawrence Thomas, who would later win many championships as a goalkeeper.
The club improved a lot in the 2012–13 season. They finished third after being eighth the year before. This was thanks to new coach Ange Postecoglou and many new players, including Gui Finkler.
Coaching Changes (2013–2014)
Coach Ange Postecoglou left the club early in the 2013–14 season. He was chosen to coach the Australian national team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. His last game for Victory was on October 25, 2013.
Muscat's Era of Glory (2013–2019)
Kevin Muscat became the head coach, starting a new successful period for the club. His first season (2013–14) had some tough losses, but new players like James Troisi joined.
The 2014–15 season was a big success. Victory signed key players like Besart Berisha, Carl Valeri, and Mathieu Delpierre. They finished first in the league and then beat Sydney FC 3–0 in the 2015 Grand Final. This was their first championship win at AAMI Park.
The next two seasons had mixed results but the team stayed strong. In 2015–16, they won the 2015 FFA Cup and reached the Round of 16 in the Asian Champions League for the first time. Carl Valeri became the new captain. In 2016–17, they finished second in the A-League but lost to Sydney FC in the Grand Final.
The 2017–18 season ended with another championship win, despite challenges. Key players like Rhys Williams and Leroy George joined. Victory finished fourth but went on a great run in the finals. They beat Adelaide United and then famously beat Sydney FC 3–2 in extra time in the semi-final. Terry Antonis scored the winning goal.
In the 2018 Grand Final, Victory beat Newcastle Jets 1–0. This made Victory the club with the most A-League championships at the time. It was also the first time a team won the Grand Final after finishing fourth in the regular season.
For the 2018–19 season, Victory signed big international stars like Keisuke Honda and Ola Toivonen. They finished third but lost badly to Sydney FC in the semi-final. After this, Kevin Muscat resigned, ending his 14 years at the club as a player, captain, and coach.
After Muscat (2019–2021)
After Muscat left, Marco Kurz became the new coach in June 2019. However, he was dismissed in January 2020 after only six months. The team was struggling. Assistant coach Carlos Pérez Salvachúa took over, then Grant Brebner became caretaker manager.
Brebner's time as manager was difficult. Melbourne Victory had their worst results in club history, including big losses to Melbourne City. He was sacked in April 2021. Steve Kean became interim coach. Victory finished last in the 2020–21 A-League season, earning their first "wooden spoon" (last place).
Popovic Era (2021–2024)
On April 22, 2021, Tony Popovic was announced as the new manager for the 2021–22 season. On February 5, 2022, Victory won the 2021 FFA Cup by beating Central Coast Mariners 2–1. This was Popovic's first trophy with the club.
Before the 2022–23 season, the club signed famous former Manchester United and Portugal player Nani. He made his first appearance in a friendly match against Manchester United at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
A big event happened on December 17, 2022, during a Melbourne Derby match. Fans were upset about a decision to host future A-League Grand Finals in Sydney. During the game, some fans threw flares onto the pitch. The match was stopped, and the club faced serious penalties from Football Australia, including fines and restrictions on fan seating. The game was later finished on April 5, 2023, with Melbourne City winning 2–1.
The first half of the 2022–23 season was very tough for Victory. They were at the bottom of the league. They signed new players in January to try and improve. Victory finished 11th that season, avoiding the wooden spoon in the very last game.
The 2023–24 season was much better. Victory finished third in the league. They beat Melbourne City in the Elimination Finals and then Wellington Phoenix in the semi-finals. This led them to the Grand Final, where they lost 3–1 to the Central Coast Mariners, finishing as runners-up.
After the 2024 Grand Final, Tony Popovic left the club.
Kisnorbo Era (2024)
Patrick Kisnorbo was appointed as Melbourne Victory's head coach on June 25, 2024, signing a three-year deal. Many players left the club before he arrived, and new players like Josh Rawlins and Nikos Vergos were signed. Australian international goalkeeper Mitch Langerak was also signed to join in January 2025.
The Kisnorbo era started well, with the team going undefeated in pre-season matches and reaching the Australia Cup final. However, they lost the final 1–0 to Macarthur.
Kisnorbo's time as coach ended surprisingly on December 17, 2024, when he left to become an assistant coach for a Japanese club. This happened just before a big Melbourne Derby match, which upset many fans. Arthur Diles was appointed as the interim manager.
After Kisnorbo (2024–Present)
Arthur Diles took over as interim manager. His first game was a 1–1 draw against Melbourne City on December 21, 2024. Diles got his first win six games later, beating Sydney FC 2–0. After this win, he was announced as the head coach until the end of the 2025–26 season.
Victory finished the 2024–25 A-League Men regular season in fifth place, qualifying for the finals. They won their Elimination Final against Western Sydney Wanderers 2–1. This led them to the semi-finals against the league premiers, Auckland FC.
Victory lost the first leg of the semi-final 1–0 at home. In the second leg, they made a great comeback, winning 2–0 to reach the 2025 A-League Men Grand Final. The Grand Final was played against their rivals, Melbourne City, at AAMI Park. It was a record crowd of 29,902 fans. Melbourne City won the match 1–0, meaning Victory finished as runners-up for the second year in a row.
Colours and Badge
Melbourne Victory's colours are navy blue, white, and silver. These are the traditional sports colours of Victoria. The home kit is usually all navy blue with a white "chevron" (V-shape) design. This "big V" is a symbol linked to the Victorian Australian rules football team. Away kits often reverse these colours, using white with a navy blue chevron.
Over the years, the kits have changed. For example, in 2011, Adidas became the kit manufacturer, and they introduced a bright yellow away shirt, which some fans didn't like. In 2013–14, the away kit was a lighter blue, which looked a bit too similar to their rivals, Sydney FC.
Kit Evolution
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Logos
| Regular logo | Reversed |
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| On white backgrounds, the positive, silver-keyline version must be used. | On coloured backgrounds, the reversed, white-keyline version must be used. |
| Simplified logo - white mono | Simplified logo - navy mono |
| On coloured backgrounds, a simplified logo can only be used when logo size needs to appear smaller than minimum size or when working with alternative finishes i.e. Foiling, embossing and embroidery. | On white backgrounds, a simplified logo can only be used when logo size needs to appear smaller than minimum size or when working with alternative finishes i.e. Foiling, embossing and embroidery. |
Sponsorship
Melbourne Victory has had many sponsors over the years. Samsung was their first major sponsor from 2005 to 2009. Later, Intralot and Adecco Group became main sponsors. Since 2011, Adidas has been the official kit manufacturer.
| Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor (front) | Shirt sponsor (back) |
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| 2005–09 | Reebok | Samsung | Samsung |
| 2009–11 | Intralot | La Ionica | |
| 2011–12 | Adidas | Adecco (home) EnergyWatch (away) |
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| 2012–14 | Adecco (home) Oliana Foods (away) |
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| 2014–16 | Community Training Initiatives (home) Oliana Foods (away) |
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| 2016–2017 | Optislim (home) Builders Academy (away) |
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| 2017–2018 | Optislim & Optivite (home) Freestyle Foods (away) |
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| 2018–2021 | Metricon | ||
| 2021–2022 | Macron | ||
| 2022–2024 | Bonza (regular season) AIA (finals) |
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| 2024–present | Dulux (Australia Cup)
Turkish Airlines (regular season) |
AFC Competition Sponsorship
| Year | Kit Manufacturer | Shirt Sponsor |
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| 2008 | Reebok | Samsung |
| 2010 | Care Park | |
| 2011 | ||
| 2014 | Adidas | Oliana Foods |
| 2016 | Greenwood Capital | |
| 2018 | Metricon | |
| 2019 | No sponsor (group stage matchweek 1 only) TCL |
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| 2020 | Daikin | |
| 2022 | Macron | Sanctum-X |
Club Songs
Melbourne Victory has several popular songs that fans sing.
- "Stand By Me" by Ben E. King is sung when the team enters the field.
- "Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes is chanted after a goal.
- "Victory The Brave" is played after every home win.
- "Freed from Desire" by Gala is also played after home wins, chosen by a fan poll in 2022.
Stadiums
Melbourne Victory currently plays most of its home games at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, known as AAMI Park.
Olympic Park Stadium
The club first played at Olympic Park Stadium in 2005–06. It had a capacity of 18,500. The great atmosphere there helped make the club popular. However, for bigger crowds, they moved to Docklands Stadium. Olympic Park Stadium closed in 2009.
Docklands Stadium
Melbourne Victory played their first game at Marvel Stadium (then Telstra Dome) in September 2006. A large crowd of 39,730 attended. Because of this success, the club moved most of its home games there. The 2007 and 2009 Grand Finals were held here, where Victory won championships. The club stopped playing home matches here in July 2021.
Melbourne Rectangular Stadium
Melbourne Victory planned to move to a new stadium, which became AAMI Park. It was built to hold 30,050 spectators. Today, AAMI Park is the club's main home ground and where their offices are.
Melbourne Victory holds the record for the highest attendance for a soccer match at AAMI Park. This record was set in the 2015 A-League Grand Final on May 17, 2015, with 29,843 fans. Victory won their third title there.
Kardinia Park
Melbourne Victory has also played some games at Kardinia Park in Geelong. Their first competitive match there was in August 2007. They have played one home game a year there since the 2014–15 season.
Support
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Melbourne Victory has a large and passionate fan base. In 2007, they had the most supporters in Australia. The "North End" is one of their biggest active fan groups.
There have been times when fans protested against police presence at games. In February 2011, fans organized a silent protest, leaving their section empty.
| Season | Members | Average H&A Attendance |
Total H&A Attendance |
Ref. |
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| 2005–06 | 14,908 | 14,167 | 141,668 | |
| 2006–07 | 19,235 | 27,728 | 305,011 | |
| 2007–08 | 22,611 | 26,064 | 260,642 | |
| 2008–09 | 21,908 | 24,516 | 269,671 | |
| 2009–10 | 22,526 | 20,750 | 290,503 | |
| 2010–11 | 17,642 | 15,058 | 225,875 | |
| 2011–12 | 18,047 | 19,208 | 268,916 | |
| 2012–13 | 18,432 | 21,885 | 306,396 | |
| 2013–14 | 22,021 | 21,808 | 283,507 | |
| 2014–15 | 24,200 | 25,388 | 355,436 | |
| 2015–16 | 27,436 | 23,112 | 300,452 | |
| 2016–17 | 26,253 | 22,008 | 308,115 | |
| 2017–18 | 26,120 | 17,489 | 262,334 | |
| 2018–19 | 26,306 | 20,298 | 304,463 | |
| 2019–20 | 23,633 | 17,366 | 173,362 | |
| 2020–21 | 19,100 | 5,823 | 69,873 | |
| 2021–22 | Not published | 9,893 | 138,504 | |
| 2022–23 | Not published | 10,124 | 131,608 | |
| 2023–24 | Not published | 12,227 | 158,947 | |
| 2024–25 | Not published | 12,778 | 166,109 |
Rivalries
- Melbourne City (Melbourne Derby): This is Victory's local rival. Melbourne City joined the league in 2010. Matches between these two teams are always exciting. The 40th Melbourne Derby in December 2022 was stopped due to fan behavior. Melbourne City won the 2025 Grand Final against Victory.
- Sydney FC (The Big Blue): Sydney FC is Victory's main rival from another state. This rivalry is strong because Melbourne and Sydney are Australia's two biggest cities. Games between them are often very competitive. They have played each other in many important finals.
- Adelaide United (The Original Derby / The Original Rivalry): This rivalry comes from the strong competition between Victoria and South Australia in all sports. An incident between Adelaide's manager and Victory's captain in 2006–07 helped start this rivalry. Victory beat Adelaide in both the 2007 and 2009 Grand Finals.
- Western United (The Westgate Derby / The Battle of the Bridge): Western United joined the league in 2019. Even though this rivalry is new, games between these teams have been full of drama and goals.
Players
First Team Squad
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Youth Players
These players have been part of the first-team squad for Melbourne Victory.
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Club Management
| Period | Chairman |
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| 2005–2011 |  Geoff Lord |
| 2011–2023 | Anthony Di Pietro |
| 2023– | John Dovaston |
Melbourne Victory Football Club is owned by 'Melbourne Victory Ltd'. Many people and companies own small parts of the club. The club is not run to make a profit for its owners.
When the A-League started, the club needed help to raise enough money to join. Football Australia helped them out. Since then, the club has become very successful. Its value has grown from $19.2 million in 2014 to $50 million recently.
Club Staff
Current Technical Staff
| Position | Staff |
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| Director of Football | John Didulica |
| Head Coach | Arthur Diles |
| Goalkeeping Coach |  Davide Del Giovine |
| Strength and Conditioning Coach | Scott Smith |
| Equipment Manager |  Guido Chayan |
| Football Analysis | Michael Mantikos |
| Sports Science | Wes Clarke |
| Doctor | Martin Strikker |
| Doctor | Krishant Naidu |
| Head of Physiotherapy | Nino La Scala |
| Physiotherapist | Rees Thomas |
| Head of Academy | Andrew Kentzepozidis |
| Senior NPL Coach & Senior Academy Technical Manager | Boris Seroshtan |
| Senior NPL Assistant Coach | Matthew Sultana |
| Senior Academy Goalkeeper Coach | Rob Graskoski |
| Senior Academy Strength and Conditioning Lead | Athanasios Kontagiannidis |
| Academy Human Performance Lead |  Josh Butcher |
| Academy Operations Manager | Damir Kulas |
| U23 Coach | Joaquin Griffiths Moreno |
Source:
Board Members
- Chairman: John Dovaston
- Managing Director: Caroline Carnegie
- Director: Donald Dransfield
- Director: Carl Valeri
- Director: Kerry Anne Smith
Manager History
| Manager | Tenure | P | W | D | L | Win % | Honours | Notes |
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 Ernie Merrick |
2004–2011 | 170 | 74 | 41 | 55 | 43.53 | 2 A-League Championships 2 A-League Premierships |
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| Mehmet Durakovic |
2011–2012 | 19 | 4 | 9 | 6 | 21.05 | ||
| Kevin Muscat |
2012 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 | Caretaker | |
 Jim Magilton |
2012 | 12 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 16.67 | ||
| Ange Postecoglou |
2012–2013 | 32 | 15 | 7 | 10 | 46.88 | ||
| Kevin Muscat |
2013–2019 | 214 | 105 | 45 | 64 | 49.07 | 2 A-League Championships 1 A-League Premiership 1 FFA Cup |
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 Marco Kurz |
2019–2020 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 26.67 | ||
 Carlos Pérez Salvachúa |
2020 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 33.33 | Caretaker | |
| Grant Brebner |
2020–2021 | 26 | 5 | 3 | 18 | 19.23 | Caretaker then Head Coach | |
| Steve Kean |
2021 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 20.00 | Caretaker | |
| Tony Popovic |
2021–2024 | 92 | 38 | 27 | 27 | 41.30 | 1 FFA Cup | |
| Patrick Kisnorbo |
2024 | 12 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 75.00 |
* Italic denotes caretaker head coach.
Club Captains
| Dates | Name | Notes | Honours (as captain) |
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| 5 May 2005 – 16 February 2011 | Kevin Muscat |
First club captain, and first captain to win a premiership and championship as both a player, captain, and manager at the same club in A-League history |
2006–07 A-League Premiership 2008–09 A-League Premiership 2009–10 A-League Premiership Runner-up 2006–07 A-League Championship 2008–09 A-League Championship 2009–10 A-League Championship Runner-up 2008 A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup |
| 16 February 2011 – 17 September 2013 | Adrian Leijer |
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| 17 September 2013 – 23 June 2015 | Mark Milligan |
First club captain as Australian marquee | 2014–15 A-League Premiership 2014–15 A-League Championship 2015 Joe Marston Medal |
| 23 June 2015 – 22 May 2019 | Carl Valeri |
2015 FFA Cup 2016–17 A-League Premiership Runner-up 2016–17 A-League Championship Runner-up 2017–18 A-League Championship |
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| 1 October 2019 – 31 May 2020 |  Ola Toivonen |
First foreign club captain | |
| 31 May 2020 – 7 Nov 2021 | Leigh Broxham |
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| 7 November 2021 – 9 July 2023 | Josh Brillante |
2021 FFA Cup | |
| 11 October 2023 - Current |  Roderick Miranda |
2024 Australia Cup Runner-up 2023-24 A-League Championship Runner-up 2024-25 A-League Championship Runner-up |
Honours
Domestic Trophies
A-League
- A-League Men Championship
- Winners (4): 2007, 2009, 2015, 2018
- Runners-up (4): 2010, 2017, 2024, 2025
- A-League Men Premiership
- Winners (3): 2006–07, 2008–09, 2014–15
- Runners-up (3): 2009–10, 2016–17, 2021–22
Cups
- Australia Cup
- Winners (2): 2015, 2021
- Runners-up (1): 2024
- A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup
- Winners (1): 2008
Doubles and Trebles
- Doubles
- A-League Premiership and A-League Championship (3): 2006–07, 2008–09, 2014–15
Team of the Decade
Images for kids
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Inaugural captain Kevin Muscat in 2007 with the A-League championship trophy, who would lead Melbourne to success as a captain and later manager.
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Melbourne celebrating their first championship victory in the 2007 final.
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Longest-standing president Anthony Di Pietro speaking at a Victory in Business Luncheon at the Crown Palladium ballroom.
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Anthony Di Pietro alongside Kevin Muscat at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium in October 2013
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Melbourne Victory supporters protest against the Australian Professional Leagues' A-League Grand Final hosting rights decision during the 40th Melbourne Derby
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2007 A-League Grand Final at Telstra Dome (now Marvel Stadium)
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2015 A-League Grand Final at AAMI Park
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Melbourne Victory versus Central Coast Mariners, January 2016
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Melbourne Victory supporters at the 2007 A-League Grand Final
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Flares thrown onto pitch during the 40th Melbourne Derby
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In 2015, Kevin Muscat became the first manager in the history of the A-League to win both a premiership and championship as a player and manager for the same club during his time at Melbourne Victory, and achieved this feat again in 2018.
See also
In Spanish: Melbourne Victory Football Club para niños
