Central Coast Mariners chase fairytale finish in A-League Women's grand final

Australia Broadcast Center

16-05-2025

The Central Coast Mariners women's team is writing its own script and it is one that even a Hollywood hack might not dare to dream up.
Kicked out of the competition in 2010 due to a lack of funding and denied re-entry seven years later because the home ground change rooms were not up to scratch, the team is back from the wilderness and on the brink of grand final glory.
Annalise Rasmussen came through the Mariners Academy and was the first player signed when the club returned to the competition in 2023.
"[It's] pretty crazy," she said.
"All through high school me and my friends would go down to Gosford and watch the men's teams play.
The Mariners played in the inaugural W-League (now known as A-League Women) competition in 2008, but the team was forced out after two seasons due to a lack of funding.
Now the squad is preparing for a grand final against three-time champions Melbourne Victory.
The Mariners are the only team to have defeated the premiers this season and coach Emily Husband says there is plenty of belief among the players.
"I always had the faith … that we could really, really achieve something fantastic together," she said.
Husband rose through the coaching ranks at Sydney University before being handed the daunting task of creating a team from scratch in 2023.
"It's been an incredible achievement for everybody," she said.
"Did I anticipate us doing this well in two years? Probably not, if I'm being brutally honest."
"Do I envision us with the trophy? Absolutely."
One player who knows what it takes to win a grand final is Taylor Ray.
She was part of the Sydney FC side that won last year's decider and has played in three premierships, three championships and four grand finals.
"There was a lot of success at Sydney FC … [but] for me personally, that shift towards a smaller family base … I think that allows me to be more passionate about this one," Ray said.
The decider will be played in Melbourne, which is a second home to dual-code star Sarah Rowe.
The 29-year-old Irishwoman has been playing in the AFLW with Collingwood since 2018 and previously played a season with Melbourne Victory.
"Collingwood train right beside AAMI stadium, so it does feel like I'm going home this weekend, and I've gotten so many messages from the girls throughout the week and a lot of them are coming to the game on Sunday," Rowe said.
The success of the team over the course of two seasons has led to Husband being mentioned as a possible coach for the Matildas.
Next week she will go to a camp with the national team in a supporting role, but she says she does not have aspirations to take the top job just yet.
"I'm fully concentrated on being at the Central Coast Mariners," Husband said.
"Whatever happens in the future happens in the future."
The Mariners men's team claimed back-to-back A-League titles after accounting for Victory in last year's grand final.