The A-League witnessed a couple of Sydney FC stars notch up impressive double centuries over the weekend.

Rhyan Grant, (not so) fresh from another stellar performance with the Socceroos on Friday morning, completed an impressive double by assisting in Sydney FC’s comeback against Melbourne Victory.

It was Grant’s 200th official appearance with the Sky Blues, his 173 A-League matches complimented by 11 in the FFA Cup and 16 in the Asian Champions League. Grant is a mere five appearances away from eclipsing Terry McFlynn and becoming Sydney FC’s second most capped player behind recently retired club legend Alex Brosque.

Michael Zullo made his long-awaited return to the Sky Blues squad after a quad strain kept him out of the club’s early season run. Fifteen minutes off the bench were enough for Zullo to notch up his 200th domestic league appearance, having played 166 matches with Brisbane Roar, Adelaide United, Melbourne City and Sydney FC as well as 34 appearances across three seasons with FC Utrecht in the Dutch Eredivisie.

In Brisbane Roar’s clash with Melbourne City, both Jamie Maclaren and Roy O’Donovan scored that fixture’s first ever hat-tricks. Previously no player had scored more than a brace, but Maclaren netted three times to send City 3-1 up early in the second half, before Roar responded through O’Donovan.

O’Donovan converted twice from the penalty spot, adding to his goal five minutes into the second stanza, while the Roar’s other scorer was Aaron Amadi-Holloway, who netted for the first time in the A-League since joining Robbie Fowler’s outfit in the pre-season.

In the opening round of the W-League, Mary Fowler scored her first goal in the competition, with the 16-year-old finding the net from the penalty spot on debut for Adelaide United against Western Sydney Wanderers. Ciara Fowler, Mary’s older sister, also made her debut, along with Brazil’s Lais Dos Santos Araujo and Julia Ashley and Mallory Weber from the United States.

Georgia Campagnale notched up her 50th W-League appearance for Adelaide United with a substitute appearance in the Reds heartbreaking 2-1 loss away to the Wanderers on Thursday night. The 22-year-old is in her sixth season with United and along with Emily Condon, is the longest serving player at the club.

On the red-and-black side of the ledger, both Kristen Hamilton and Kyra Cooney-Cross scored goals in their first start for the Wanderers. Also making their debut in the W-League were American duo Abby Smith and Sam Staab, the latter joining on loan from Washington Spirit, where she was teammates with another Wanderers debutant, Amy Harrison.

The W-League instalment of the Big Blue witnessed a debut goal for Shadeene Evans, the Sky Blue substitute scoring in just her second appearance in the competition.

Evans is John Moriarty Football Indigenous scholarship recipient, who received a donation of $90,000 Socceroos’ match fees in 2017, as part of JMF’s relationship with the PFA.

Experienced defender Ellie Brush made her Sydney FC debut along with 19-year-old Mackenzie Hawkesby. 

For Melbourne Victory, Jenna McCormick, fresh from a wonderful week with the Matildas, made her debut with the club, along with American trio Haley Hanson, Emily Menges and Darian Jenkins.

A debut brace from Portland Thorns’ Simone Charley inside of eleven minutes sealed a home win for Canberra United over a Kerr-less Perth Glory. 

Emily Van Egmond opened the scoring for Melbourne City on debut, with fellow Matildas Ellie Carpenter and Emma Checker also making their first starts for their new club. 

Upcoming Milestones 

  • Sydney FC’s Princess Ibini (49 W-League appearances) is set to make her 50thW-League and Sky Blues appearance if she starts in the Round 2 fixture away to Adelaide United on Friday night. 
  • Steph Catley (49 appearances) will make her 50th appearance for Melbourne City if she appears away to Canberra United on Sunday.