Melbourne Victory Football Club Youth is the youth system of Melbourne Victory based in Melbourne, Victoria. The team plays in the Victoria Premier League 1, the third level of the Australian soccer league system.
History
Beginnings of the youth team (2008–2014) The youth team was founded in 2008, as a Melbourne Victory representative team for the inaugural season of the National Youth League competition, along with six other youth squads, and finished a disappointing sixth. The development side has had three managers, Mehmet Durakovic, who was promoted to manager of the senior squad in 2011, and current managers Darren Davies and John Aloisi. Davies led the youth side to its first silverware victory in winning the premiership plate, finishing first on the National Youth League ladder in the 2012-13 season. It would be current club chairman Anthony Di Pietro's first silverware victory as well. On 7 November 2014, it was confirmed that the team would compete in the National Premier Leagues Victoria 1 competition for 2015 season onwards.
Victorian League systems (2015–2019) Victory managed promotion at their first attempt, placing second in the NPL1 East division, going on to beat Moreland Zebras FC in the qualification playoff and then North Geelong Warriors FC in the promotion playoff. For the club's first season in the top tier of football in Victorian state football, Matt Hennessey and Ryan Lambert were signed from Hume City FC and Richmond SC respectively. unfortunately Victory would finnish last place in their first time in the NPL Victoria. this would lead to its relegation back down to NPL Victoria 2, now in the western division of NPL Victoria division 2. Victory would stay in NPL Victoria 2 for the next two years avoiding relegation before placing ninth place in 2019 relegating them to NPL Victoria 3.
Post COVID years (2020–present) Victory wouldn't get to play NPL Victoria 3 football in 2020 or 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Melbourne Victory would finally compete in NPL Victoria 3 in 2022, where Victory would finnish fourth place and qualifying them a promotional play-off. Victory would play Kingston City on 28 August 2022 where they would fall short after Faisal Sakhizada scored a lone goal for Kingston meaning Victory would compete in the NPL Victoria 3 for another year. In 2023 Victory would place second in NPL Victoria 3 leading to the promotion of the club into the re-branded Victoria Premier League 1. In 2024 Victory would be promoted in back-to-back years as well as becoming Champions of the Victoria Premier League 1. Victory would be promoted into NPL Victoria. the top tier of Victorian Football. This was the first time Victory competed in the top tier of Victorian Football since 2016. Victory would enter the 2025 NPL Victoria season hoping to stay up. Victory would fight strong throughout the season with many instances where Victory would concede goals in the final minutes of the game, leading to Victory losing points throughout the season. One particular example of this was in February in a match against South Melbourne, when Victory had a goal lead in the 90+4th minute with only a minute left. In the 90+5th minute Victory would concede a goal to make the score 3-3 in a match that could've been major importance in Victory's Survival fight. Unfortunately Victory would finish 12th place leading to the club's relegation back down to the Victoria Premier League 1.
Youth/VPL current squad
Current staff Head Coaches: Besart Berisha 1st Grade Head Coach Rodrigo Vargas U21 Head Coach Andreas Papanicolaou U18 Head Coach Joaquín Moreno U16 Head Coach Matthew Sultana U15 Head Coach Rob Wielaert U14 Head Coach Tom Paton Pre Academy Head Coach Mark Topic Pre Academy Head Coach Isabella Santilli Pre Academy Head Coach Matt Fletcher Pre Academy Head Coach Brad Roberts Pre Academy Head Coach Reide Mulholland Pre Academy Head Coach
Staff: Joe Palatsides Head of Academy Coaching Andrew Kentepozidis Academy Operations Manager Jayden Anderson Academy Sports Science Lead Amelia Thomas Academy Medical Lead Sebastian Bechaud Head of Academy Goalkeeping Agim Sherifovski Academy Assistant Coach Piotr Rutkowski Academy Assistant Coach Mark Spiteri Pre Academy Head Goalkeeping Coach Ashley Wisneske Pre Academy Goalkeeping Coach Archie Thompson Academy Development Coach Fahid Ben Khalfallah Academy Development Coach Gaby Garton Academy Development Coach Joey Didulica Academy Development Coach Sasa Ognenovski Academy Development Coach
Honours Youth La Ionica Community Cup Winners (1): 2015
Victoria Premier Leagues 1 Premiership Champion (1): 2024
National Premier Leagues Victoria 2 Premiership Runners-up (1): 2015
National Premier Leagues Victoria 3 Premiership Runners-up (1): 2023
Under-23s Y-League Premiership Premiers (1): 2012–13
Academy National Premier Leagues Victoria U-20 Premiership Premiers (1): 2015
National Premier Leagues Victoria 2 U-20 Premiership Premiers (2): 2017, 2019 Runners-up (1): 2018
National Premier Leagues Victoria U-18 Premiership Premiers (1): 2019
Stadiums The team play their home matches at The Home of the Matildas in Melbourne's northern suburb of Bundoora. The stadium has a total capacity of 3,000, with a single grandstand of approximately 800 seats. Past venues used as a home ground by the club have been South Melbourne FC home ground Lakeside Stadium in Albert Park, Bentleigh Greens' Kingston Heath in Cheltenham, Northcote City's John Cain Memorial Park in Thornbury and Whittlesea Ranges' Epping Stadium in Epping. The team has also played competitive matches at Victory's senior team home venues, AAMI Park and Etihad Stadium.
Former players This is a list of former Melbourne Victory Youth players, who have played at least 20 A-League competitive matches for the first team.
NameNationalityPositionMelbourne careerAppearancesGoalsNick AnsellDefender2011–17, 2018–19, 2020–21Thomas DengDefender2015–2020Mate DugandzicForward2009–11Diogo FerreiraMidfielder2010–13Matthew FoschiniDefender2009–13Petar FranjicDefender2010–13Scott GallowayDefender2013–16Jason GeriaDefender2012–18, 2021–20251894James JeggoMidfielder2011–14Mitchell LangerakGoalkeeper2007–10Dylan MurnaneDefender2013–16Andrew NabboutForward2012–15Sebastian RyallDefender2007–09Connor PainForward2013–16Stefan NigroMidfielder2015–18, 2021–202469Lleyton BrooksMidfielder2020–2023313Nishan VelupillayForward2021–10615Kasey BosDefender2023–284 Bold denotes players still playing in Melbourne Victory Appearances only consist of competitive domestic league appearances
Season by season history Y League SeasonLeagueref2008-09National Youth League7N/A1861112036 -16206thDNQ2009-10National Youth League9N/A247893637 -1296thDNQ2010-11National Youth League9N/A1970122942 -13218thN/A2011-12National Youth League10N/A1843111534 -191510thN/A2012-13National Youth League10N/A1812155720 +37371stN/A2013-14National Youth League10N/A189455036 +1431 3rdN/A2014-15National Youth League10N/A188373433 +1275thN/A2015-16National Youth League10583051722 -594thDNQ2016-17National Youth League10581251323 -1055thDNQ2017-18National Youth League10584131725 -8132ndDNQ2018-19Y-League1058116822 -1445thDNQ2019-20Y-League10585121716 +1161stRunner up2020-21Y-LeagueTournament cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic2021-22A League Youth2022-23A League YouthNo tournament2023-24A League Youth2024-25A League Youth2025-26A League Youth
National Premier Leagues SeasonLeagueref2015NPL VIC 1 East2102817478744 +43552ndDNQ2016NPL Victoria1142631222468 -44414threlegatedDNQ2017NPL VIC 2 West2102885155556 -1299thn/aDNQ2018NPL VIC 2 West21028114134854 -6347thn/aDNQ2019NPL VIC 2 West2102867153648 -12259threlegatedDNQ2020NPL Victoria 33Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.2021NPL Victoria 33Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.2022NPL Victoria 33122211563827 +11384thn/aDNQ2023NPL Victoria 33122213364722 +25422nd PromotedDNQ2024VPL 12142615746639 +27521stPromotedDNQ2025NPL Victoria1142653183660 -241812threlegatedDNQ
Managerial history Dates Name Notes Honours 2008 – 12 March 2011 Mehmet Durakovic Inaugural manager First dual-nationality manager First manager to be directly promoted to manager of the senior squad 20 March 2011 – 30 May 2016 Darren Davies First official foreign manager First manager to earn honours2012–13 NYL Premiership 30 May 2016 – 22 February 2020 Gareth Naven 12 September 2025 – PresentBesart Beriahsa
See also Melbourne Victory FC Melbourne Victory FC (women) Melbourne Victory FC Youth (women)
Notes
References
External links Official website