Insight Body & Mind Women’s Match Preview: Royals Women Seek to Carry Momentum into Local Derby

Our Women’s Match Previews are presented by Insight Body & Mind

The best performance of the season against Avondale. Can the Royals back it up?

Last Saturday at Ironbark Fields was everything the previous three weeks were not. McGroarty returned from suspension and scored twice. Sewards added another. Avondale, sitting fifth with a star-studded squad, were taken apart inside the first half and never recovered. The Royals pressed high, moved the ball with purpose, and created chance after chance. Brooke Bennett made five saves just to keep the scoreline respectable. This was a side that looked like the one that went to Box Hill in Round 1 and won 3-1.

The numbers back it up. Seventh in the table on nine points, three wins from six, goal difference back to zero. McGroarty now has five goals in five games. The rollercoaster form that defined the opening month has been replaced by something more encouraging, even if the Round 5 defeat to Bulleen in McGroarty’s absence remains a reminder of how thin the margins are.

One complication: Akeisha Sandhu is suspended. The Royals will need to reshuffle without her. That puts more on Koizumi, who ran the midfield superbly last week, and Kendrah Smith, whose composure at the back was a constant throughout the Avondale win.

Keilor Park present a different kind of test. Newly promoted after finishing second in VPLW last season, their return to NPLW for the first time in 16 years has been predictably uneven. They sit 11th on five points. But the headline result cannot be ignored. In Round 5, they went to Melbourne Victory and scored twice inside five minutes. Runa Komidori volleyed home in the second minute, Abbey Holmes clipped in a fourth-minute goal, and Keilor Park led 2-0 before Victory had touched the ball with any intent. They held on for a 2-1 upset that announced they are more than just passengers in this division.

That is the danger. The Royals have conceded early goals too often this season, and if they’re slow out of the blocks against Keilor Park’s fast starters, Saturday becomes uncomfortable very quickly. The fact this is an away trip to Keilor Park Recreation Reserve, with neither side at home in the traditional sense for Moonee Valley football, adds another layer.

Keilor Park’s form since that Victory upset tells the other side of the story. They lost 0-1 to Melbourne City in Round 6, a side sitting 13th and winless until that point. Roisin Murphy and Komidori are capable, but consistency has been the problem. One win, two draws, and three losses across the first six rounds suggests a side still finding its level.

The Royals should have too much quality if they start the way they finished against Avondale. McGroarty’s movement, Parkinson’s energy on the right, Koizumi’s set-piece delivery. But nothing is guaranteed. This is a side that has to prove it can string results together.

Forza Royals!

Round 7 | Saturday 28 March | 3:00 PM | Keilor Park Recreation Reserve (Away)

Around the Grounds – NPLW Victoria Round 7

Spring Hills FC vs South Melbourne FC

Springside

Spring Hills (4th, 10pts) host South Melbourne (8th, 8pts) in what shapes as a pivotal mid-table clash. Spring Hills have been steady without being spectacular, Margaux Clarke’s goals carrying much of the attacking burden. South Melbourne are unbeaten in their last four but draws have cost them ground on the top three. Alexis Pantazopoulos and Meisha Westland give them genuine firepower up front. A result for either side could shift them into the top four.

Avondale FC vs Bentleigh Greens SC

Avenger Park

Avondale (5th, 9pts) will look to bounce back from the 1-3 defeat at Essendon Royals last round. Sloane Young and Hannah Wilkinson make them dangerous on any given day, but they have now lost three of six and cannot afford another slip. Bentleigh Greens (14th, 0pts) are still searching for their first point of the season. A 22-goal deficit across six rounds tells its own story. Avondale should be far too strong at home.

Alamein FC vs Heidelberg United FC

Dorothy Laver West

Alamein (3rd, 13pts) have been one of the stories of the season. Defensively the tightest side in the competition, they have climbed to third and show no signs of slowing down. Heidelberg (10th, 6pts) have been competitive without being able to convert performances into consistent results, though a 2-2 draw at Boroondara in Round 5 showed they can match the best on their day. Alamein’s structure should prove too difficult to break down.

Keilor Park SC vs Essendon Royals SC

Keilor Park Recreation Reserve

See above. Two Moonee Valley clubs meeting across the table, the Royals riding their best result of the season and Keilor Park looking to recapture the form that stunned Melbourne Victory three weeks ago. The Royals have more quality across the park, but Keilor Park’s ability to start fast is a genuine threat.

Melbourne City NPL vs Melbourne Victory FC

Casey Fields

The Melbourne derby at the bottom end of the table. Melbourne City (13th, 3pts) finally got their first win last round, beating Keilor Park 1-0 at Casey Fields. Melbourne Victory (9th, 7pts) have been inconsistent, the shock home loss to Keilor Park in Round 5 a low point. Victory will be expected to win but City will carry confidence from breaking their duck last weekend.

FC Bulleen Lions vs Preston Lions FC

Veneto Club

Bulleen (6th, 9pts) have won three of their last four and Maja Markovski continues to be one of the most dangerous forwards in the competition. The Veneto Club has been a strong ground for them. Preston (12th, 4pts) have struggled for consistency, one win and four defeats from their last five. Bulleen should have enough at home.

Boroondara Eagles FC vs Box Hill United Pythagoras FC