The Beginnings
The journey began way back in April 2017, with founder and former Socceroo Steve Horvat holding conversations with Wyndham City Council about bringing a professional football team to the west of Victoria.
Just over a year later, in 2018, the official bid was placed by Western Melbourne Group, and six months after that the bid was successful and an A-League Men licence was awarded.
From there, the Club had less than a year to prepare for its first professional season, so work quickly got under way.
First signings made as the Green and Black takes to the pitch
Panagiotis Kone became Western United’s first-ever player when he signed for the Club in February 2019, just two weeks before the name and colour announcement which officially turned the West Green and Black.
Josh Risdon became the Club’s first ever Australian signing and Mark Rudan was named as the inaugural head coach ahead of the first training session on July 15, 2019.
Alessandro Diamanti joined soon after and United played its first match on August 22 against Caroline Springs George Cross FC.
Diamanti would later be named the Club’s inaugural captain, leading the first Western United squad which featured Socceroos talent, A-League Men icons, international firepower and young guns throughout.
Season 1
Diamanti led the side across the ditch for the first ever A-League Men match in Western United’s history against Wellington Phoenix on October 13. With all of the build-up and excitement leading to the Club’s league debut, the historic occasion had its storybook ending with a 1-0 win for the Green and Black. It was only fitting that the crafting of the solitary goal came from where Besart Berisha scored an historic goal to secure a 1-0 win against Wellington Phoenix on October 13.
A week after that win over Wellington Phoenix, Western United played its first ever home match. The crowd was heaving at GMHBA Stadium in Geelong as Perth Glory came to town. In another matter of fate, Western United’s first-ever signing scored its first-ever goal at home as Panagiotis Kone thumped an excellent long-range side into the net, with the match ending in a 1-1 draw.
United would play in Geelong, at Mars Stadium in Ballarat and Whitten Oval in Footscray across the first season, all contributing to a total of 5,000 members within just six months. There were bumper crowds throughout the state as the West immediately took to its new team, a team that represented its people with vibrant, attacking football and uncompromising commitment.
In its maiden regular season, Western United scored 46 goals – just three strikes off the most in the league – and secured some incredible results, including a perfect three wins from three matches against new rivals Melbourne Victory, a 5-1 away win against Adelaide United and a 6-2 triumph over Central Coast Mariners, the latter featuring the Club’s first-ever hat-trick, scored by Max Burgess.
Alessandro Diamanti was a revelation in his first campaign, racking up seven goals and seven assists and earning the Johnny Warren Medal as the best player in the league.
Hub life and finals dreams
Season One wasn’t without its difficulties, of course, as the season was halted for more than four months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After halting in early March, the season began in late July in the ‘hub’ in Sydney as all teams relocated into the same city to finish the remaining matches.
That did nothing to dampen Western United’s motivation as the team had an incredible run in the hub, pocketing four wins in six games to surge up to fourth on the table and earn qualification for the finals at the first time of asking.
An elimination clash against Brisbane Roar was booked, and there could be only one man that decided United’s fate – Alessandro Diamanti. The Italian dynamo whipped a stupendous free-kick into the top corner and would hold on for a 1-0 win and advance to the semi-final.
Unfortunately, that was where the journey ended as United fell just short of Melbourne City in the semi-final, but history was made just one season into the journey in the West.
Season 2
After that incredible debut campaign, United entered season two with great optimism. Much of the squad carried over from Season One but there were some big additions, most notably Spanish midfielder Victor Sanchez and Aussie attacker Lachie Wales.
There were some phenomenal results early on, with a 5-4 win over Perth and a 4-1 win in the first meeting against Macarthur FC helping the Green and Black to a strong start.
Sanchez then created one of the greatest moments in Western United’s early history, capping off a remarkable game against Melbourne Victory in February 2021. In a match that had just about every twist and turn imaginable, Sanchez rose to score a thrilling last-minute goal to win 4-3, and United made a good year for derby triumphs with a first-ever win against Melbourne City just over a month later.
Tasmania becomes Green and Black
April 2021 saw the commencement of an exciting partnership with Tasmania, as Western United brought professional football over the Bass Strait and further deepened its fanbase with a Festival of Football.
Two matches were played at UTAS Stadium in Launceston in front of a captivated new audience, and the Green and Black made good in its home away from home with a 1-0 win over Central Coast Mariners and a 1-1 draw with Wellington Phoenix.
Unfortunately from there, it was a difficult end to the season and United fell out of the finals places, but greater excitement was set to come ahead of season three.
Partnership with Calder United
In December 2020, Western United struck a partnership with Calder United in the NPLW, a partnership that flourished and grew in the years after.
Through shared resources and expertise to develop junior and high-performance programs, Calder United became a crucial part of the Western United family and achieved remarkable success on the pitch.
Calder went on to win its fourth successive NIKE F.C. Cup title and was well placed in NPLW Victoria before COVID-19 forced the Victorian football season into a shutdown.
Western United Academy begins
Western United’s academy set up launched in 2021, with the Club entering Victoria’s NPL3 for the first time with a Senior Under 23’s side and Under 21’s team. This was the next step in the Club’s bold ambition to bring football to everyone in the West, inviting talented young players to flourish.
In its first season of competitive matches, Western United was extremely successful on the pitch, sitting in third place on the table after 14 matches, just one point adrift of top spot when the season was abandoned due to COVID-19.
Season 3
In 2021, a new era was ushered in at Western United. Socceroos legend John Aloisi was named the new Western United Head Coach heading into season three, bringing his iconic figure to the Club and immediately revamping the culture and vision of the organisation. United quickly moved its training base and administration office to the NEC Hangar, sharing with the Essendon Bombers, and shaped towards an exciting season.
The playing squad was shaken up, too, with international pedigree arriving in trio Leo Lacroix, Aleksandar Prijovic and Rene Krhin, as well as Australian football and A-League Men royalty including Jamie Young, Neil Kilkenny, Ben Garuccio and Nikolai Topor-Stanley. Talented young striker Noah Botic joined the Club, while an historic milestone with the first four players to sign professional contracts after coming through the inaugural Western United Academy squad – Rhys Bozinovski, Adisu Bayew, Ben Collins and Ajak Deu.
In the midst of the return of professional football, Western United celebrated some exciting milestones off the pitch while the Green and Black saw great improvement on it.
Records broken in thrilling regular season
After opening round defeat to Melbourne Victory, John Aloisi’s new-look Western United showed the league what it was about. Winning the next four matches, the Green and Black began to kickstart what would become a truly memorable campaign.
A second run of four straight wins – amidst an overall nine-game unbeaten streak – had United competing at the top of the table for the entire season, ultimately setting new Club highs in wins and points scored. A final placing of third on the table was also United’s best finish.
Finals football was secured with a gutsy win over Macarthur FC in Tasmania, just days after a 6-0 win over Perth Glory with a Lachie Wales hat-trick capping off the Club’s biggest-ever winning margin.
Stadium works begin and membership milestone reached
Early works on the Wyndham City Stadium precinct began in December 2021; a landmark moment in the Club’s history as the vision for the city underpinned by sport, health and wellness began to become reality.
Later that same month, Western United announced a brand-new membership record with over 8,000 members joining the journey in the West, covering off every single postcode in the West of Victoria.
Soon after again, in March 2022, work began on the Wyndham Regional Football Facility, Western United’s future training ground, temporary home stadium and a facility for the entire Wyndham community to enjoy.
Landmark moment as A-League Women licence confirmed
In early May 2022, it was finally confirmed that Western United would enter the Liberty A-League Women competition in the 2022/23 season.
This realised Western United’s vision to make football accessible to everyone in the West and served as a continuation of the Club’s commitment to growing the women’s game.
Following on from the Club’s partnership with Calder United and the commencement of the Western United Women’s Development Squad program, the Green and Black pledged to enter Australia’s professional women’s competition with ambitions for immediate success.
Calder United was proof of this as they once again swept the competition in Victoria, winning an historic treble. A 3-0 win over South Melbourne in the final secured a fifth straight NIKE F.C. Cup crown before Calder went on to win the NPLW Victoria Premiership and then the Championship as well, defeating FC Bulleen Lions 2-0 in the Grand Final.
A remarkable A-League Men finals campaign
After that record-breaking regular season – which also included a debut in the FFA Cup (now Australia Cup) – Western United returned to the Finals with eyes on going all the way.
A nail-biting 1-0 win over Wellington Phoenix in the Elimination Final set up a mouth-watering semi-final tie against rivals Melbourne Victory and created one of the most memorable nights in United’s history.
After losing the first leg of the tie 1-0, Aloisi inspired his team to a sensational comeback in the return fixture. Aleksandar Prijovic starred with two goals and an assist, with Lachie Wales and Dylan Wenzel-Halls also scoring in a 4-1 win, seeing the Green and Black into the A-League Men Grand Final for the first time.
Western United wins its first ever A-League Men Championship
May 28, 2022, will forever be remembered in the West.
Western United faced Melbourne City in the showpiece clash at AAMI Park and barely a minute into the game, the raucous Green and Black support was in raptures as United scored the fastest ever Grand Final goal.
Ben Garuccio whipped in a corner, Aleksandar Prijovic won the initial flick on and the ball flew into the net via a deflection from Nuno Reis, giving United the lead with the quickest goal in A-League Men Grand Final history.
As he had done all throughout the finals series, Prijovic stood tallest once again when Connor Pain’s blocked shot fell into his path. The Serbian smashed the ball into the roof of the net, putting Western into a 2-0 up heading into half-time.
The defensive steel that became Western United’s trademark throughout the season was on full show as City could do nothing to penetrate find a breakthrough. Western held onto the clean sheet, becoming the second expansion team to win the Championship and the quickest to do so in the competition’s history.
Prijovic was awarded the Joe Marston Medal as man of the match on the night as the Green and Black party began, bringing a memorable season to the most perfect of conclusions.
Senior Academy side earns promotion at first time of asking
After joining the Club for the 2022 season as Academy Director and Senior Academy head coach, Anthony Frost guided the Club to promotion at the first time of asking.
With the chance to go up taken out of United’s hands in 2021 due to the season’s shutdown, this represented a fresh opportunity and one that the Green and Black did not let past.
Western finished third on the table, earning the chance for promotion with a play-off fixture against Goulburn Valley Suns, who had finished bottom of NPL 2 Victoria. The Green and Black was dominant from the outset, romping to a 6-1 win and moving up to the second division of Victorian football.
Season 4
As if the first three seasons of Western United’s existence didn’t bring enough drama, excitement and incredible achievements, the 2022/23 season arrived and took everything up a notch.
More teams meant more action for the fans to enjoy and more history to be made as the Club continued to develop.
Inaugural women’s team launches
Just three years after the launching the Club and the men’s side, Western United got to do all those ‘firsts’ all over again with the A-League Women team joining the competition for the 2022/23 season.
Local young talent Alana Cerne was the Club’s first-ever women’s player, signing her contract after a number of standout years at Calder United.
Hannah Keane quickly became the team’s first international player, joining from the United States, while Mark Torcaso signed as the inaugural head coach having been at the forefront of all of Calder’s success in the preceding years. With Torcaso at the helm, Western’s connection with Calder United truly came to the fore – Cerne was one of 11 players from Calder’s squad to sign with Western United alongside their head coach.
There were two huge statement signings for the inaugural season in Matildas icon Chloe Berryhill (nee Logarzo) and American World Cup-winning superstar Jessica McDonald on short-term deals, indicating Western’s ambition to compete from the very first whistle. Jaclyn Sawicki was named the team’s inaugural captain, the Philippines international signing before going on to play at the FIFA Women’s World Cup at the end of the season alongside Western United teammate Angie Beard.
Once the season kicked off, that wasn’t remotely in question. November 19 brought the historic opening game, and McDonald etched her name into Western folklore with the goal that secured a 1-0 win over Melbourne Victory.
That was the first of seven straight wins to start the season as the Green and Black competed right at the very top of the league, ultimately finishing in second place and just one point behind Sydney FC.
Hannah Keane became the first Western United player to win a league golden boot, topping the charts with 13 goals, while American goalkeeper Hillary Beall was a standout all-year long – she won the A-League Women Goalkeeper of the Year award and the inaugural Western United A-League Women Player of the Season.
New junior teams join Western United Academy in landmark year
The year 2023 saw nearly 100 more youngsters from the West given the chance to represent the Green and Black as United introduced Junior Academy teams in Under 14’s, 15’s, 16’s and 18’s age groups.
In their first seasons, all four teams competed in the top divisions in their respective age categories with a number of players selected to represent Victoria at the National Youth Championships in that year.
At senior level, Western United entered NPL 2 Victoria for the first time with Diogo Ferreira taking the helm as head coach and Andrew Durante working as assistant coach in his return to the Club.
The Green and Black was immediately at home in the new division and pushed every step of the way for back-to-back promotions, but fell agonisingly short on the final day of the season.
A-League Men Championship defence brings ups and downs
Championship defences are always difficult, and Western United’s certainly got off to a tricky start. But after navigating those challenges early on, there was still more than enough positivity left in the Green and Black’s season.
The 2022/23 campaign saw the emergence of Noah Botic, who had signed the season prior but broke into the first team here with six goals to his name.
Aloisi’s men continued their strong run of results against Melbourne Victory with two straight wins over their rivals while there was a return to Tasmania for the third straight season, this time adding a game in Hobart. After the women’s team had beaten Brisbane Roar in the Tassie capital, the men’s side scored a 1-0 win over Sydney FC thanks to a quite incredible goal from Alessandro Diamanti where he lobbed Andrew Redmayne from just in front of the halfway line.
That, fittingly, proved to be Diamanti’s final goal in professional football as he announced his retirement at the end of the season. Western United’s inaugural captain made 82 appearances, scored 11 goals and provided 19 assists for the Club, drawing the curtain on a career that included almost 550 professional matches, more than 200 goal contributions as well as a Chinese league title and a Euros runners-up medal with Italy in 2012.
Having won the Championship 12 months prior, a number of United’s iconic players from that squad bid farewell including Jamie Young, Neil Kilkenny and Aleksandar Prijovic, while Connor Pain also departed as the Club’s all-time leading assister and, at the time, holding the record for the most league appearances for the Green and Black.
Memorable A-League Women finals debut
After that aforementioned debut regular season, Western United entered the A-League Women Finals Series full of ambition and with sights set on going all the way.
A chance to progress straight through to the grand final beckoned with a semi-final against Sydney FC. Mark Torcaso brought his side to Allianz Stadium full of fight and belief, and Hannah Keane struck in the first half as the Green and Black bagged a 1-0 win and advanced to the finale. With an exceptional side-footed volley, Keane etched her name even further into United folklore, leaping into the air in celebration.
Sydney FC was again the opponent in the grand final, but unfortunately the result did not fall the same way and Western’s dream first season in the A-League Women came to an end at the last hurdle.
Despite that disappointing ending, Western United had announced itself to the A-League Women competition and laid down a marker of ambition for future seasons.
Season 5
Yet another transformative season awaited Western United in 2023/24. On the pitch, the emergence of electric young talents put the nation on notice. Off the pitch, developments around the Club cemented its vision and commitment to the future, providing a number of firsts for an Australian sporting club.
Youth revolution for Western United men’s squad
While the results didn’t always fall United’s way in 2023/24, this campaign would prove to mark a something of a new era in United’s five-year milestone.
Across Australia Cup and A-League Men matches, 11 players made their professional debuts having progressed directly from the Western United Academy. Matthew Grimaldi starred with five league goals and won United’s Young Player of the Season award, while Abel Walatee and Oliver Lavale also scored their first senior goals. A strong end to the season on the backs of those youngsters gave plenty of promise for the years to come in the West.
Western United fans were also introduced to Daniel Penha this season and it was love at first sight with the Brazilian maestro. Totalling seven goals and three assists, Penha endeared himself to the Green and Black faithful during his season-long loan spell and collected an array of honours at United’s end-of-season awards night.
Western United women add to the record books as Kat Smith takes reigns
Chloe Berryhill returned to co-captain Western United’s women’s team alongside Jaclyn Sawicki in what proved to be a roller-coaster ride for the squad in 2023/24.
During the off-season, head coach Mark Torcaso was announced as the head coach of the Philippines women’s national team, an incredible achievement and recognition for his outstanding success over a number of years at Calder United and Western United.
After a number of months balancing both roles, Torcaso departed Western to focus solely on his new role and Kat Smith came in as his replacement, becoming the first-ever female head coach in United’s history.
Smith lifted the team from eighth in the league to first place on the back of a six-game winning streak before cruel, season-ending injuries to Berryhill, Hannah Keane and Adriana Taranto – the team’s top three goal scorers – curtailed the hunt for the Premiership, though the team still finished in third and secured a home final.
Welcome to Tarneit
In March 2024, two years after construction began, the Wyndham Regional Football Facility was opened and Western United officially entered its home base in Tarneit.
The women’s team played the first match at the new facility and went on to host a memorable Elimination Final, while the men’s side opened the new ground with an incredible comeback victory over Macarthur FC.
Shortly after the season concluded in May, the official name of Ironbark Fields was confirmed for the venue as the Academy teams utilised it for training and matches, while Western United also hosted the A-League All Stars Men for their training sessions.
Western United All Stars representatives
Speaking of All Stars, Western United had a number of representatives on and off the pitch as the men’s side faced Newcastle United and the women’s team took on Arsenal.
Daniel Penha was selected for the men’s team but ultimately pulled out due to personal reasons, while star left-back Ben Garuccio was selected and started the match, as did Angus Thurgate who shone in his debut season for the Club. Michael Theo also worked as the team’s goalkeeper coach.
Standing in the way of the likes of Caitlin Foord and Alessia Russo was Alana Cerne and Grace Maher, with both Western United favourites taking part in the women’s side with Kat Smith named as an assistant coach.
Season 6
Across the board, Western United’s most successful season on the pitch was met with major developments and announcements off it in a transformational year for the Club.
Records, records, records
Western United completely rewrote the record books in 2024/25. Despite nobody fancying the team outside of those at Ironbark Fields, the Green and Black emerged as one of the most exciting teams in the country, brimming with young talent and vibrant attacking play in the Club’s first full season at its new home in Tarneit.
- Most goals scored in a single season in Club history (59)
Most wins in a single season in Club history (14)
Most points in a single season in Club history (47)
Joint highest ladder position in Club history (3rd)
Youngest average age of a starting line-up in Club history (23.6 years, Round 4 vs Adelaide United)
Youngest men’s debutant in Club history (Dylan Leonard)
Youngest men’s goal scorer in Club history (Dylan Leonard)
Longest men’s winning streak (5 wins)
All-time record goal scorer in Club history (Noah Botic, 27 goals)
Noah Botic truly announced himself as a star, finishing with a league-high 16 goals after finals. Angus Thurgate emerged as one of the best players in the competition and youngsters in just about every position proved their worth at Ironbark Fields.
There was a long list of famous wins throughout the season, too – a 4-0 beating of Premiers Auckland FC, remarkable comebacks against Sydney FC, Perth Glory and Melbourne Victory and a superb 6-2 thumping of Newcastle Jets. That Perth Glory comeback also featured arguably the greatest goal in the Club’s history to date with Jordan Lauton scoring an outrageous bicycle kick, winning the match in stoppage time with his first-ever professional goal.
The women’s side made it three straight seasons with finals qualification, setting up the first season in Western United history with both men’s and women’s teams reaching the post-season.
Kahli Johnson became the first female player to command a transfer fee from Western United as she moved to Calgary Wild FC during the season. The 2024/25 season was also full of international recognition for Western United players with Johnson and Chloe Lincoln making their Matildas debuts and Chloe Berryhill also returning to the national team. Adriana Taranto set an amazing milestone for the Club when she played for Australia for the first time, marking the first player to come through the Club’s pathway system at Calder United and reach the national team.
KAM Melbourne enters the Western United family
While the Club tasted fantastic success on the pitch, arguably the biggest announcement in the Club’s history happened off the pitch in May 2025 with the proposed purchase of the Club by KAM Melbourne.
The investment is set to build on the ambition of Western United and Western Melbourne Group in delivering a city driven by sport, health and wellness in Tarneit, underpinned by the future 15,000-capacity Wyndham City Stadium.
