Luv A Duck Women’s Match Preview: Royals and Spring Hills Renew Rivalry in NPLW Showdown
Essendon Royals will host Spring Hills at our temporary home of JH Allan on Saturday night for a mouthwatering clash against Spring Hills FC, as one of Victorian women’s football’s greatest rivalries takes centre stage in the NPLW.
It’s a rivalry born in the trenches of State League 1, where both clubs showed immense ambition and investment in their women’s programs.
The 2022 season saw the Royals finish second and Spring Hills third, with both sides earning promotion to the Victorian Premier League.
From there, their paths briefly diverged—Essendon surged to a championship and promotion in 2023, debuting in the NPLW in 2024 with a remarkable run to third place and a semi-final berth. Spring Hills, meanwhile, narrowly missed promotion in 2023 but returned with intent, clinching elevation in 2024 and joining the Royals at the state’s top table for the first time.
The tactical chess match between Vince Battiato and Tom Markovski has become a staple of this fixture. Whether in SL1, VPL or now NPLW, matches between these two have never lacked drama, intensity, or edge—and Friday night promises more of the same.
Essendon come into the match unbeaten, sitting fifth on the table after a Round 1 win over Brunswick Juventus and a dramatic 2-2 draw away to Box Hill last week, sealed by Sasha Coorey’s stunning stoppage-time strike.
The Royals have shown resilience and attacking threat in their opening two outings, scoring three goals in two games.
The two conceded against Box Hill serve as a stark reminder to the Royals of the importance of not letting concentration slip in a league where the margins for error are so slim.
Still, the character shown to bounce back from a six-minute reversal that saw the Royals fall to a 2-1 deficit late in the game was a fantastic endorsement for the togetherness and belief of the squad, with Coorey’s moment of quality ensuring the Royals left Wembley Park with a point.
Spring Hills has had a challenging start to life in the NPLW.
A narrow loss to reigning minor premiers Bulleen Lions followed a Round 1 draw against 2024 Grand Finalists Preston.
Still, context matters—Markovski’s side has faced two of last year’s benchmark teams and shown they belong at this level.
Their sole goal of the campaign so far came via the penalty spot, converted by Victorian football legend Aleksandra Sinclair, a player the Royals will need to keep close tabs on.
As the ladder tightens early in the season, Friday night looms large for both sides. For the Royals, it’s a chance to continue building momentum and stake an early claim in the top four. For Spring Hills, it’s an opportunity to kick-start their campaign against a familiar foe.
Kick-off is set for 3:15 PM at JH Allan Reserve.
Don’t miss what promises to be another chapter in one of Victoria’s most compelling women’s football rivalries.
Under-20s kick-off at 1 pm.