Brisbane Roar return to Gioca Stadium on Saturday afternoon chasing their first win of the 2026/27 Ninja A-League Women season, with Sydney FC the visitors for Matchweek 3.
Two defeats from the opening two rounds, at home to Central Coast Mariners and away to Western Sydney Wanderers, haven’t changed the mood at training, according to Head Coach Johnathan Clemente.
“Disappointing not to get the results in the first two weeks, but if you were at training this week, you wouldn’t feel like it’s a team who’ve lost two on the bounce,” Clemente said.
“There’s still lots of excitement and anticipation within the group. Something you always look for in a bounce back is the culture, and I’ve been really impressed with the girls. With the attitude and application they’ve shown this week, I’ve got no doubt there’ll be a big response.”
Murphy Agnew said the squad had spent the week focused on one thing.
“It’s something we’ve been focusing a lot on in training, just bringing the energy. We want to get our first win of the season, so this whole week has just been focused on doing that.”
Tough calls in a competitive squad
Clemente made a number of changes for last week’s trip to face the Wanderers and said the first two rounds have given him a clear read on where the team is at.
“There’s been some really good stuff. It’s been really clear the way we want to play. There’s been some mistakes and errors that are clearly not the way we want to play,” he said.
“In terms of the changes, I think it’s also a testament to the squad that we’ve got, and I’m not afraid to make changes. I feel like that’s needed for the team and all the players respect that.”
“It’s quite competitive and it makes my job hard to constantly have to make these hard decisions. Sometimes you have to leave out players with experience, but everyone’s respectful and professional.”
Agnew and Brown making it count
One clear positive from the opening fortnight has been the link between Agnew and Daisy Brown, who have combined for goals in both matches so far.
“It’s no secret what a signing Murphy’s been for us, already showing her quality, but we can still get a lot more out of her,” Clemente said.
“Daisy’s been good too, but we can still get more out of her, and a lot more out of our players in the attacking sense. That’s the most exciting thing about this group. I’m sure the fans can see it. I know I can see it as a head coach: we’ve got quality here. It’s just about finding the right formula to unlock that and get results, and I know it’s not too far away.”
Much of that has come from dead balls, with Agnew’s delivery a big part of the Roar’s set piece threat.
“One of the things we focus on a lot is set pieces, and I’m really pleased that with my delivery I’ve been able to help us score some goals,” Agnew said.
“Daisy’s a very good player. She’s really good with her feet, really good at holding up the ball, and she’s a real presence in the box. I think we can combine to score a lot more goals.”
Experience in the group
Agnew is back in the A-League Women for a second stint, having played for Newcastle Jets in 2022/23 before winning the Scottish title with Celtic and spending last season at Strasbourg in France’s top flight.
She said the competition has lifted since she was last here.
“It’s just gotten better. It’s grown. The young players in the league have gotten better and better, and in general the standard has gotten a lot higher.”
She said building a mix of youth and experience was a priority for Clemente, pointing to Annabel Martin and Philippines internationals Hali Long and Katrina Guillou.
Clemente said Long and Guillou’s arrival after a heavy international schedule has made a real difference, with last week their first full week of training with the group.
“The dynamic of the squad was constantly changing through preseason, to be honest. Now I feel like we’ve got nearly everyone here, fit and firing, ready to go, and we can start to get this team gelling.”
Agnew added that despite the results, the environment has been strong from day one.
“We’re a brand new team. There’s a lot of new players, and one of the things this club, the coaches and the staff have focused on is making us as close and connected as possible really early in the season. It’s a really good group of girls, and even with the losses it’s been a good environment. We’re ready to get some wins.”
Sydney FC a familiar test
Saturday’s opponents have had their own selection problems early in the season, but Clemente expects a strong side.
“Sydney FC will always be a strong side. They’ve got lots of young players coming through, but they’re quality young players,” he said.
“Every coach goes through their own challenges. I’ve got challenges, Jeff and Victory have challenges, and Sydney will have challenges. They’ve had players out, but they’re a quality team with quality players coming back, so it’s going to be a tough game. We’ll be up for it.”
Back in front of the home crowd
After a strong turnout for the season opener against the Mariners, both coach and player are counting on another big crowd at Gioca Stadium.
“Our fans are paramount to what we do, but we’ve also got to hold our end of the bargain and make sure we play exciting, attacking football,” Clemente said. “This week at training has been unbelievable, so I’ve got no doubt we’ll give them a good show.”
Asked whether the Roar Corps had come up with a song for her yet, Agnew laughed it off.
“I think it’s only been two games, so it’s still early for people to have songs. But they’re an incredible group of fans, and I hope we can bring our all this weekend and get the first win in front of them.”
Match details
Ninja A-League Women 2026/27, Matchweek 3: Brisbane Roar v Sydney FC
Gioca Stadium, Newmarket
Saturday 31 October, 2pm AEST kick-off
Tickets at brisbaneroar.com.au/tickets
