Sydney FC has underlined its status as the most successful A-League Women club after thumping Western United 4-0 in the grand final to claim a fourth championship.
Striker Madison Haley — who was named player of the grand final — scored two goals and assisted Natalie Tobin for another, while Princess Ibini won and scored a penalty as the Sky Blues completed the premiership-championship double at Western Sydney Stadium.
In their sixth consecutive grand final, Ante Juric's charges won the championship for the first time since the 2018/19 season while denying Mark Torcaso's United silverware in their inaugural campaign.
The Sky Blues have drawn level with Melbourne City on four championships but have five premierships to City's two and are the first team since City in 2015/16 to complete the double.
The match — in front of a record and largely pro-Sydney ALW grand final crowd of 9,519 — was set against the Australian Professional Leagues' controversial decision to sell the decider in a deal with Destination NSW.
It meant the Sky Blues played in their home state, while United had to travel to the decider rather than receiving hosting rights by beating the Sky Blues 1-0 in the semifinal.
American striker Haley — a first-year player unscarred by Sydney's previous grand final heartbreaks — was the star.
Her positioning and aerial ability stood out, while defensive duo Tobin and Charlotte Mclean dominated and Mackenzie Hawkesby and Rachel Lowe were busy in midfield.
The Sky Blues drew first blood in the fourth minute when Hawkesby looped a corner to the back post and Haley rose highest over Tyla-Jay Vlajnic to head home.
Adriana Taranto and Keane had chances in the eighth and 14th minutes but the Sky Blues doubled their lead in the 18th minute.
Hawkesby curled in another back-post corner and Haley flicked the ball on for captain Tobin — in her 100th match — to head home.
Matildas winger Cortnee Vine rolled her left ankle in a challenge with Alana Cerne in the 22nd minute but battled through pain to trouble goalkeeper Hillary Beall multiple times without besting her.
Sky Blues goalkeeper Jada Whyman denied United three times in quick succession late in the half.
The match was effectively over in the 63rd minute after Ibini surged into the area and was pulled back by Stacey Papadopoulos.
Ibini — the only player involved in Sky Blues' last grand final win four years earlier — coolly dispatched the spot-kick into the bottom corner before celebrating with fans.
Haley put an exclamation mark on the win in the 91st minute.
AAP
Look back at how the grand final unfolded in our blog.
Key events
Live updates
That's all, folks
By Samantha Lewis
The 15th season of the A-League Women has now come to an end.
In front of a record crowd, Sydney FC have secured their place in the history books, becoming the outright greatest team in the history of the competition, and one of the greatest greenhouses for the next generation of Matildas.
This is the last top-flight women's game that will be played here in Australia until the Matildas return home in early July for their pre-Women's World Cup friendly against France, but just because women's football has come to an end at the A-Leagues level, that doesn't mean it stops altogether!
Get down to your local National Premier Leagues competitions, where almost all of the players you've seen tonight and across the season will now return to, and watch the future unfold before you.
It's been a pleasure taking you through tonight's grand final. I'll see you at the next one!
Sydney FC make their way across the stage
By Samantha Lewis
Veteran midfielder and former captain Teresa Polias is on the stage, hugging each of her old team-mates as they walk past to collect their medals from a line of young girls in blue t-shirts.
Cortnee Vine gets a big shout - a reminder of the halo-effect of being a Matilda - while Ante Juric also gets a big round of applause from the crowd.
The head coach stands behind his players underneath the banner and says a few words. He's absolutely beaming.
Nat Tobin gets up to the microphone and makes a beautiful speech: to the club, to the outstanding fans, to Juric, and to her team-mates.
She picks up the trophy she's been dreaming about for years, carries it across the grass, and charges it into the air as blue and white confetti bursts out across them.
What a moment.
Western United's players collect their medals
By Samantha Lewis
Shout-out to the Western Core fans who've travelled all the way up from Melbourne for this afternoon's game.
They've stuck around to applaud their team for what has truly been an incredible debut season that's set the bar for future expansion sides.
Madison Haley wins Player of the Grand Final
By Samantha Lewis
The Sydney striker was absolutely immense today, scoring two goals and assisting another, while her physicality, smart movement, and patient passing put her a class above most others on the pitch. Well deserved.
Sydney 'til I die!
By Samantha Lewis
We finally have what we deserved
- Marcus
<3
Final thoughts
By Samantha Lewis
Sydney FC have done it.
They become the first club since Melbourne City in 2015/16 to do the Premiership-Championship double, and the second club in the history of the competition to do it twice.
And boy, don't they deserve it.
They comprehensively out-played Western United this afternoon. Madison Haley was the stand-out with two goals and an assist to her name, while skipper Natalie Tobin marked her 100th game with her first Championship while wearing the armband.
The Sky Blues were already the most successful team in terms of trophies in the ALW, but now they've pulled well clear of the rest of the pack: a remarkable feat considering their squad has been getting younger and younger as they've won trophy after trophy over the past five seasons under Ante Juric.
As for Western United, it might not be the fairytale finish they wanted after making the grand final in their first ever season, but their players will have learned an incredible amount from this experience, while the club as a whole has undoubtedly won a lot of new fans after pouring their whole heart and soul into their season.
I'll have some analysis for you all in the morning, but for now, let's sit back and watch Sydney lift this glorious trophy!
Update
Audience comment
YYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! I can't choose a single player. I can't. They all played their hearts and limbs out. I love women's footy!!! I love the blues!!!
- Natty
Update
Audience comment
Was hoping for a fairytale start in the ALW for Western United but this was a cracking game by both sides. Counting down the sleep's till the womens world cup is here, got tickets for all the games in Naarm. So excited...thanks Sam for your furious blogging you do a most excellent job!!
- Vic in Vic
Full-time: Western United 0 - 4 Sydney FC
By Samantha Lewis
Update
Audience comment
YYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
- Natty
90+1' GOAL SYDNEY
By Samantha Lewis
CHERRY. ON. TOP.
And it's the American Madison Haley who crashes the ball home after some ping-pong around the box, completing a very well-earned brace.
The striker punches the air and roars as her team-mates scream and tumble in around her.
4-0.
87' Sydney substitution
By Samantha Lewis
Cortnee Vine is mercifully substituted off the field to a huge round of applause from the crowd, replaced by Rola Badawiya.
Mackenzie Hawkesby also comes off for youngster Indiana Dos Santos, who becomes the second-youngest player to ever appear in an ALW grand final after Grace Maher of Canberra United.
85' Mackenzie Hawkesby almost makes it four
By Samantha Lewis
The Sydney FC midfielder has been such a machine in this game - as she has all season - and she somehow finds herself sprinting in behind Western's centre-backs onto a long pass.
She takes a touch, looks up, and sees Hillary Beall off her line.
You can see what she wants to do...
...but after 85 minutes of running, she seems to have lost some power in her legs. She tries to shoot from distance, but doesn't connect with the ball properly, and Beall gets down quickly enough to gather it in her arms.
Final ten minutes of regular time
By Samantha Lewis
Who's been your stand-out player of the game, besties?
Madison Haley has been absolutely immense for Sydney FC, as has captain Nat Tobin and her centre-back partner Charlotte McLean.
Hillary Beall has once again had a fantastic day in goal, and have kept this from becoming a much more yikes score-line for Western United.
We're doing the Player Of The Match votes here in the media box, and we'd love to know your thoughts!
80' Western United substitution
By Samantha Lewis
Kahli Johnson comes off for Tiana Jaber.
78' Cortnee Vine is somehow still running
By Samantha Lewis
The winger has had a couple great break-away chances in this half, but you can tell she's really struggling to move freely with her super-strapped rolled ankle.
As an earlier commenter noted, it's pretty risky keeping her on from a Matildas perspective.
But as anyone who's watched the new Matildas documentary on Disney will know, she's hyper-competitive and has absolutely blossomed at the Sky Blues. She wants to win this trophy for them, for her team-mates, and for herself so badly.
77' Substitution Sydney FC
By Samantha Lewis
The excellent Rachel Lowe comes off for young defensive midfielder Shay Hollman.
Seems like Ante Juric is battening down the hatches with this swap. They've got their lead: now they just need to hold onto it.
Update
Audience comment
Sydney FC need to bench Cortnee Vine as soon as possible, an injury would be disastrous for the Matildas with only 81 days to go until the World Cup and she's a valuable player as well.
- Adam
Crowd attendance record smashed!
By Samantha Lewis
9,519 people have turned out for this afternoon's decider, which is a good couple thousand on the old record set in 2019.
It's been a great vibe here at CommBank: almost the whole lower bowl on three open sides has been filled, with both ends containing active fan groups.
The lovely weather has undoubtedly helped, as has the A-Leagues giving away lots of free tickets to the community.
Does this vindicate their decision to sell the ALW grand finals to Sydney, do you think?
67' Hannah Keane tries herself
By Samantha Lewis
The Western United striker picks up the ball near half-way and simply tries to run through everybody.
She blazes past three Sydney players, extending her long stride with the ball at her feet, eating up the green metres before a slightly heavy touch is thumped away by Charlotte McLean.
Keane slides on her stomach into the grass. She didn't have a single team-mate nearby. You can almost hear her exasperated sigh.
