Cover Photo: Gold Leaf Creative
Football Victoria would like to congratulate three FV Emerging players; Alana Murphy, Claudia Mihocic and Sarah Cain on signing with W-League teams for the upcoming 2021-2022 season.
Sarah Cain and Claudia Mihocic will join Perth Glory, while Alana Murphy is set to stay in Victoria after signing for her childhood club Melbourne Victory.
The young stars heading west are expected to play a vital part of Glory Coach Alexander Epakis’ rebuilding efforts following a challenging 2020-21 season.
21-year-old Cain, a highly effective and technical midfielder has already proved herself more than capable at the highest level. She impressed during her six appearances for Melbourne City last season and has been an integral part of the Emerging Matildas program since 2019.
Cain began playing at Ashburton Women’s Soccer Club, before joining the NTC Program which she became a part of as a 13-year-old in 2013. She progressed through to the senior squad as a 16-year-old in 2016, the level she has consistently played at since.
"I’ve heard a lot of great things about the environment at Perth," Cain said.
"I want to keep developing as a footballer, be in an environment where I can get the most out of myself as a player and help the team to achieve our goals.”
At 18-years-old, FV Emerging Captain Claudia Mihocic is similarly expected to become a key part of the Glory’s future.
The defender has shined in the heart of FV Emerging’s defence during Victoria’s NPLW season and is known for her leadership, professionalism, and calmness on the ball – a trait modern coaches love to see in their defenders.
A star prospect who is a capped Junior & Young Matilda, Mihocic began her playing career at Brunswick Zebras, followed by Moreland Zebras and has since been a part of the NTC program since 2015. Her continued improvement over the years resulted in her being selected for the Emerging Matildas program in 2019.
"Perth Glory in general is a great club and I'm very excited to get over there and get started,” Mihocic said.
"I want to make my W-League debut and get some game-time, prove myself in a new environment, push myself, become a better player and make a big contribution to the team.”
Everyone at Football Victoria would also like to congratulate former NTC and current Victorian NPLW players Sofia Sakalis and Alana Jancevski for also signing with Perth Glory ahead of the 2021-2022 W-League season.
Closer to home, the youngest of the trio at only 15, is lifelong Victory fan Alana Murphy.
Murphy was identified early in her career by Football Victoria whilst playing at Langwarrin Soccer Club and Box Hill United Soccer Club. She joined NTC in 2017 and has been continually developing in the program over the years. She was selected for the FV Emerging Matildas program in 2020 at the age of 15 and is also a capped Junior Matilda. She also had the opportunity to train in the Melbourne Victory’s Elite Girls Program in 2021 and becomes the first player to graduate from this program into the W-League squad.
“I’ve been a Victory fan since I was five or six, so this is a dream come true,” Murphy said.
The future looks extremely bright for Murphy, who will get the chance to train with and learn from former NTC players Mindy Barbieri and Kyra Cooney-Cross, who both re-signed with Melbourne Victory for the upcoming season.
We look forward to seeing more Victorian players take the field when the W-League season kicks off on November 13th, 2021.