With her 14th goal in her maiden Liberty A-League campaign, Western United striker and the league’s Golden Boot winner Hannah Keane booked her side a spot in next weekend’s title decider.
As far as debut seasons go, does it get much better than that?
The 29-year-old American touched down in Australia ahead of the 2022-23 A-League Women season and has proceeded to set the league alight.
The club itself is new to the competition this term; earning a place in the Grand Final at the first time of asking is an achievement built on collective effort, but Keane’s goals have played a significant role in the club’s instant success.
Keane scored the solitary goal in a 1-0 road win over Premiers Sydney FC to earn a spot in the decider, kicking off at Commbank Stadium on April 30. Should the 29-year-old fire Western to the Championship, you will be hard-pressed to find a player who contributed more to a team’s cause in their debut A-League Women season.
But Keane’s not alone in bursting onto the scene; the competition’s history is rich in examples of players who have arrived Down Under to make their presence instantly felt.
KEEPUP dives back into history to highlight some of the best A-League Women debut seasons.
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Kim Little
- Debut season: Melbourne City (2015-16)
- Games: 12
- Goals: 9
The 2015-16 season was Melbourne City FC’s first in the A-League Women – and the newcomers were ruthless from start to finish. They won all 12 games of the regular season, defeated Brisbane Roar via a Semi Final shootout, and then went on to romp to a 4-1 Grand Final win over Sydney FC to clinch the Premiership/Championship double.
At the heart of City’s success was Kim Little. One of Scotland’s all-time greatest players, Little played 140 times for her nation and captains Arsenal FC in the Women’s Super League.
Little is one of the most decorated players to have graced the A-League Women, and her presence in the 2015-16 City was paramount to their success. Little played 12 games and scored nine goals in her debut season, including one of City’s four in the Grand Final.
Hannah Wilkinson
- Debut season: Melbourne City (2021-22)
- Games: 14
- Goals: 14
New Zealand international Hannah Wilkinson finished her debut A-League Women season with an average of one goal per appearance; that figure was boosted significantly by a five-goal haul in a Melbourne Derby mauling.
Wilkinson became just the second player ever to notch a handful of goals in a single A-League Women game after Kate Gill; incredibly, that feat was matched later in the season by Fiona Worts, who would pip Wilkinson to the Golden Boot and go on to win the Julie Dolan Medal.
Rachel Hill
- Debut season: Perth Glory (2017-18)
- Games: 12
- Goals: 9
- Assists: 6
United States striker Rachel Hill spent two productive campaigns in Western Australia, forming a formidable partnership with Matildas superstar Sam Kerr at Perth Glory.
In her first two appearances for the club, she scored five goals – it’s the fastest any player has ever scored their first five league goals in the competition’s history. Hill scored nine goals in 12 games through her debut season in purple, returning the following season to help Glory reach the 2018-19 Grand Final.
Kristen Hamilton
- Debut season: Western Sydney Wanderers (2019-20)
Games: 12 - Goals: 7
- Accolades: Golden Boot, Julie Dolan Medal
Kristen Hamilton played just one season in the A-League Women, for Western Sydney Wanderers in 2019-20. The United States international was on loan from NWSL club North Carolina Courage, and in her 12 games Down Under, Hamilton scored seven goals.
It was an odd year for goalscoring in the A-League Women; Hamilton’s seven goals were enough to clinch her a share of the league’s Golden Boot honours. She was one of four winners, along with Morgan Andrews (Perth), Natasha Dowie (Melbourne Victory) and Remy Siemsen (Sydney FC).
But there was one honour bestowed to Hamilton alone: the Julie Dolan Medal. Hamilton was voted the league’s best player by a panel of media representatives, officials and ex-players, edging Casey Dumont and Lynn Williams to clinch the medal and cap off a stellar debut A-League Women season.
Jen Beattie
- Debut season: Melbourne City (2015-16)
- Games: 12
- Goals: 2
- Accolades: Premiership & Championship
Another of Melbourne City’s invincibles, Jen Beattie arrived in the A-League Women on loan from Manchester City to play alongside fellow Scotland legend Little in one of the most imperious A-League Women sides ever assembled.
When Little debuted for the Victorian outfit, she did so as the first female player to feature for both Melbourne City and its sister club in Manchester. Beattie joined Little on the scoreboard in a 4-1 Grand Final triumph over Sydney FC, capping off an unbeaten season and with the Premiership/Championship double.
Veronica Latsko
- Debut season: Adelaide United (2018-19)
- Games: 12
- Goals: 9
United States striker Veronica Latsko spent two brilliant seasons in the A-League Women. The second was spent at Sydney FC, but her maiden campaign was put together in the City of Churches.
Latsko joined Adelaide United for the 2018-19 season, and did her best to inspire the club to its first-ever Finals Series; the Reds failed in their pursuit of a spot in the top four, but Latsko ended the season with a commendable nine goals from 12 games. She would return the next season after an ACL injury to help the Sky Blues reach the 2019-20 Grand Final.
Hillary Beall
- Debut season: Western United (2022-23)
- Games: 16
- Clean sheets: 7
As vital as Hannah Keane has been to Western United’s cause in the final third, goalkeeper Hillary Beall has proved just as pivotal to the expansion side’s success in an incredible 2022-23 campaign.
The American has kept seven clean sheets through 19 games – the most important to date coming in Sunday afternoon’s seismic Semi Final win over Sydney FC. Beall made 13 saves throughout the 90 minutes to help book her side a place in the decider.
Beall was voted by fans as Player of the Month in both January and February in a sign of the widespread appreciation for the American goalkeeper.
Kayla Morrison
- Debut season: Melbourne Victory (2020-21)
- Games: 14
- Clean sheets: 8
- Accolades: Championship
Leading into the 2020-21 season, Melbourne Victory announced the signature of then-24-year-old Kayla Morrison. The American centre-back has gone on to become the club’s captain and one of the most imperious defenders league-wide.
Her first season in navy blue was emphatic; Morrison helped her team keep eight clean sheets through 14 games, scoring her first and only goal of the season in a 2-0 road win against Newcastle Jets.
Victory finished third that season, but stormed home to defeat Sydney FC in the Grand Final; Morrison helped shutout a talent-laden Sky Blues attack as Victory scored on the cusp of penalties to win the Championship in Morrison’s first season.
