Insight Body & Mind Women’s Match Preview: Royals Make Trek to Box Hill United for 2026 Season Opener
Our 2026 Women’s Match Previews are proudly sponsored by Insight Body and Mind.
Season openers have a habit of revealing more than they hide, and Essendon Royals’ first outing of the 2026 NPLW campaign lands firmly in that category. A new coach, a refreshed squad and the reigning champions waiting across the halfway line make for a Round 1 assignment that carries immediate weight.
This match marks the first competitive fixture in charge for Jaiden Van Der Heijden, who steps into the senior role after replacing Vince Battiato during the off-season.
Van Der Heijden is no outsider. He served as Battiato’s assistant and knows the group, the standards and the expectations that come with the role.
What changes now is the responsibility and the chance to put his own stamp on the side. He has been clear about the direction he wants to take, flagging a high-pressing, attacking style built around intensity and front-foot football. There are few sterner early tests of that approach than facing Box Hill United in Round 1.
Essendon enter 2026 with continuity as its base. The majority of last season’s squad has been retained, a reflection of a group that achieved finals football for the second year in a row and understands what is required at this level. Around that core, the Royals have added depth, balance and attacking threat. Paige Kingston-Hogg arrives to provide a goal threat from midfield, while Akeisha Sandhu and Bella Sewards strengthen the group following their moves from South Melbourne. Bronte Peele adds attacking class from Heidelberg, and Miri Nishimura joins from Preston to bring composure, set-piece prowess, and technical quality.
It is a mix designed to complement what already exists rather than overhaul it.
The headline addition, though, is American striker Kelli McGroarty, who arrives in Melbourne with a résumé that demands attention. A former Gatorade New Jersey Player of the Year, McGroarty enjoyed a standout NCAA Division I career with La Salle University and the University of Iowa, leading Iowa in goals and goal contributions, earning Offensive MVP honours and helping the Hawkeyes to a Big Ten Tournament title and a deep NCAA run. Her scoring record stretches back further still, with more than 100 career goals at Eastern Regional High School, and she arrives with a reputation for relentless work rate and an ability to decide games.
While she is an unknown quantity in this competition, Van Der Heijden believes that may not last long.
“Kelli is an out-and-out goalscorer,” he said.
“She’s very, very good in the air. Her aerial ability for someone her size is second to none.
“We expect her to get on the end of a lot of crosses, score a lot of goals and be a nuisance in this league.”
First up are the champions. Box Hill United’s run to the Grand Final was fuelled by an influx of A-League Women experience at the back end of the campaign. Several of those players have since moved on to overseas and A-League opportunities, and the club has yet to fully reveal its 2026 squad, but the standard remains. Champions carry belief, and Box Hill will arrive knowing every opponent will measure themselves against them.
Recent history between the two sides points to another tight contest. Essendon snatched a dramatic late draw at Wembley Park last season, with Sasha Coorey producing a moment of quality to secure a share of the points, while the reverse fixture ended in a 2–2 stalemate as well. Neither side has found an easy edge in recent meetings, and there is little to suggest that changes now.
For Essendon Royals, this is a first look at a new era under familiar leadership, tested immediately against the best. It is a challenge that sets the tone for what lies ahead.
Around the Grounds – NPLW Victoria Round 1
Friday 13 February – 8:30pm
Bentleigh Greens SC vs South Melbourne FC
Kingston Heath Soccer Complex
Bentleigh Greens survived last season despite finishing in a relegation position, aided by the competition’s expansion to include academy teams. That lifeline keeps them in the top flight, but they will want to prove they belong there on merit in 2026. South Melbourne, by contrast, are perennial finalists and rarely drop points in matches they expect to control. Even away from home, they will view this as an opportunity to start strongly. For Bentleigh, resilience will be key; for South, it is about asserting early authority.
Friday 13 February – 8:30pm
Spring Hills FC vs Keilor Park SC
Springside Recreational Reserve
Keilor Park arrive in NPLW as a promoted side after finishing second in VPL Women last year, and they have retained the majority of that squad. Continuity and confidence can be powerful in a first season at a higher level. Spring Hills, now in their second NPLW campaign, made a respectable start to life in the competition in 2025 and will be eager to build on that foundation. This shapes as one of the more evenly matched contests of the round. Expect a competitive, physical battle with little margin between the sides.
Saturday 14 February – 3:00pm
Alamein FC vs Avondale FC
Dorothy Laver West Reserve
Avondale step into NPLW for the first time after a remarkable run of promotions through the lower divisions. Their recruitment has been ambitious, with former internationals and A-League Women experience added to an already upward-trending group. They will not see themselves as mere newcomers. Alamein face a difficult opening assignment against a side riding momentum and expectation. Round 1 will reveal whether Avondale’s rise translates immediately at this level.
Saturday 14 February – 3:00pm
Melbourne City FC vs Boroondara Eagles FC
Casey Fields
This marks the beginning of Melbourne City’s NPLW academy venture, part of the broader expansion of A-League club pathways into the state competition. There is always intrigue around academy sides: technically sharp, tactically drilled, but often younger and less experienced. Boroondara are established at this level and have narrowly missed finals in recent seasons. They will be keen to demonstrate the physical and competitive demands of NPLW football. It is a fascinating contrast between pathway ambition and hardened experience.
Saturday 14 February – 4:00pm
FC Bulleen Lions vs Melbourne Victory FC
Veneto Club
Bulleen have been one of the most consistent performers in recent NPLW seasons, still chasing an elusive championship to match their regular competitiveness. A home fixture to open the season gives them an immediate chance to set standards. Melbourne Victory, like City, enter with a new academy model, and their young squad will be tested quickly against one of the competition’s more settled outfits. It promises an intriguing first examination for both clubs as they define their 2026 trajectory.
Saturday 14 February – 4:15pm
Heidelberg United FC vs Preston Lions FC
Olympic Village
A grand final rematch from 2024 headlines Saturday afternoon. Heidelberg claimed the Premier’s Plate last year before falling narrowly in the decider, and they will again be viewed as one of the competition benchmarks. Preston endured a disappointing 2025 campaign by their standards and enter the new season under a new coach. There is motivation on both sides: Heidelberg seeking to reassert dominance, Preston looking to reset and re-establish themselves among the contenders. It is a heavyweight clash to close out Round 1.