The Western Sydney Wanderers U16 Girls have capped off a brilliant season in style, defeating APIA Leichhardt 2-0 to be crowned 2026 Champions.
Having already secured the Minor Premiership following an impressive regular season, the Wanderers entered the decider determined to finish the campaign with silverware.
It was a tightly contested opening half, with the scores locked at 0-0 at the break despite Grace McCreery, Marli Cayless and Rose Selimiotis all creating opportunities in the final third.
As the contest settled, the Wanderers began to take greater control, with Jess Di Bona, Clare Brookes and Amelie Lopez helping dictate the tempo through midfield.
The breakthrough eventually came through Cayless, who finished confidently after being picked out by Sara Karnib to give the Red & Black a deserved lead.
Cayless then turned provider late in the contest, setting up Karnib to find the back of the net and put the result beyond doubt at 2-0.
The victory was built on an outstanding collective defensive effort, particularly after Grace Brian was forced from the field through injury just two minutes into the match.
Anika Spongberg, Claudia Boys, Felicity McCormick, Keziah Behringer and Georgie Serra remained composed at the back to preserve the clean sheet, while Alexis Dee and Evie Hood stood tall between the posts when called upon.
Lara Tsavalias and Talia Hassan also made an important impact from the bench, bringing energy and maturity to help maintain the Wanderers’ intensity through the closing stages.
In a physical and challenging encounter, the young Wanderers showed the resilience, composure and character that has defined their campaign.
A deserved 2-0 victory capped off an outstanding season, with the Minor Premiers adding the Championship to their collection and finishing 2026 on top.
