Melbourne Victory
Club
Established 2004
Address GPO Box 4611,
Melbourne,
Victoria, 3001
Telephone (+61) 1300 466832
Fax (+61) 3 8656 0799
Email mvfc@mvfc.com.au
Website www.melbournevictory.com.au
Home stadium Docklands Stadium
Capacity: 53,383
Media contact
Name Nick Slade
Tel (+61) 400 536 466
Fax (+61) 3 8656 0799
Email nslade@mvfc.com.au
Domestic honours
League 2 - 2009, 07
Premiership 2 - 2009, 07
Continental record
ACL 2010 – Group stage
2008 – Group stage
ACC Did not participate
ACWC Did not participate
ASC Did not participate
Fixtures
MD1 – Mar 01, 19:00
Gamba Osaka (JPN) – Melbourne Victory (AUS)
Expo ’70 Commemorative Stadium, Osaka
MD2 – Mar 15, 19:30
Melbourne Victory (AUS) – Jeju United (JPN)
Docklands Stadium, Melbourne
MD3 – April 5, 19:30
Tianjin Teda (CHN) – Melbourne Victory (AUS)
Tianjin Teda Stadium, Tianjin
MD 4 – April 20, 19:30
Melbourne Victory (AUS) – Tianjin Teda (CHN)
Docklands Stadium, Melbourne
MD 5 – May 04, 19:30
Melbourne Victory (AUS) – Gamba Osaka (JPN)
Docklands Stadium, Melbourne
MD6 – May 11, 19:30
Jeju United (JPN) – Melbourne Victory (AUS)
Jeju World Cup Stadium, Seogwipo
All kick-off times are local and subject to change
Domestic Record
2006/07
League – 1st (Premiership winners)
P W D L F A Pts
21 14 3 4 41 20 45
Play-offs – Champions
Beat Adelaide United 6-0 in final
2007/08
League – 5th
P W D L F A Pts
21 6 9 6 29 29 27
Play-offs – Did not qualify
2008/09
League – 1st (Premiership winners)
P W D L F A Pts
21 12 2 7 39 27 38
Play-offs – Champions
Beat Adelaide United 1-0 in final
2009/10
League – 2nd
P W D L F A Pts
27 14 5 8 47 32 47
Play-offs – Runners-up
Lost to Sydney FC 4-2 on penalties after 1-1 draw in final
ACL Record
2007
Did not qualify
2008 – Group stage
H A
Chunnam Dragons 2-0 1-1
Chonburi 3-1 1-3
Gamba Osaka 3-4 0-2
2009
Did not qualify
2010 – Group stage
H A
Beijing Guoan 0-0 0-1
Seongnam Chunma 0-2 2-3
Kawasaki Frontale 1-0 0-4
Club Profile
Melbourne Victory have enjoyed much domestic success since the formation of the A-League in 2005, winning both the league championship and regular-season premiership titles in 2007 and 2009 and regularly drawing large crowds to the Docklands Stadium. However, they narrowly missed out on more honours in 2010 when they were pipped to the premiership crown by Sydney FC and lost to the same team on penalties in the A-League grand final.
For all of their success in the A-League, Melbourne have yet to find their form in the AFC Champions League. They have bowed out during the group stage in both of their previous appearances in the competition although they were unfortunate to be places in the same groups with the eventual winners on each occasion.
They finished second behind Gamba Osaka in 2008 after losing both of their matches against the Japanese side and finished last in their group in 2010 after managing only one win in a tough section that included champions Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma.
Coach
Ernie Merrick
Born in Scotland, Ernie Merrick carved out a playing and coaching career in Australia before leaving the Victorian Institute of Sport in 2005 to become the first coach of Melbourne Victory. He is the only coach to have been in charge of the same club in the first six seasons of the A-League.
Despite being criticised for his conservative team selection and tactics, the 53-year-old has enjoyed much success with Melbourne, leading them to league championships in 2007 and 2009 and winning the league’s coach of the year award in 2007 and 2009.
Star Players
Kevin Muscat
After spending a decade in Britain at clubs like Crystal Palace, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Rangers and Millwall, former Australia international Kevin Muscat joined Melbourne Victory for the A-League’s inaugural season in 2005 and has remained the rock at the heart of their defence ever since, lifting two A-League trophies as the club’s captain.
Muscat’s aggressive style of play has seen the 37-year-old get into plenty of trouble in the past and earned him a reputation as a hard man with his fair share of both admirers and detractors.
Archie Thompson
The scorer of a world record 13 goals in Australia’s 31-0 victory over American Samoa in 2001, Archie Thompson joined Melbourne Victory from Belgian side Lierse for the inaugural A-League season in 2005 as the club’s marquee player.
The 32-year-old striker, who also bagged five goals in Melbourne’s 6-0 thumping of Adelaide United in the 2007 A-League grand final, will be keen to make an impression in this year’s AFC Champions League after tearing ligaments that required major knee reconstruction and caused him to miss the entire 2010 competition.
Surat Sukha
After helping Chonburi to a stunning 3-1 win over Melbourne Victory in the 2008 AFC Champions League, Surat Sukha found himself pursued by the Australian side. He became the first South East Asian player to earn a contract in the A-League when he signed a two-year deal with the club in 2009.
The speedy 27-year-old, who has been capped by Thailand along with his twin brother Suree, is a defensive asset for Melbourne and can be deployed as either a full-back or a defensive midfielder.
Young Player
Robbie Kruse
Since joining Melbourne Victory from Brisbane Roar in 2009, Robbie Kruse has emerged as one of Australia’s most prolific young strikers, averaging nearly a goal a game for his club in this year’s A-League.
Such has been the form of the pacy 22-year-old that he was the only Melbourne Victory player and one of only four A-League players to be included in the Australia squad that reached the final of the AFC Asian Cup in January. Kruse played in three games in Qatar and scored in the 6-0 demolition of Uzbekistan in the semi-finals.