Victory post profit off back of successful A-League season

Melbourne Victory have become one of the few Australian clubs across any sports to turn a profit, financial documents reveal.

Melbourne Victory chairman Anthony Di Pietro. Picture: George Salpigtidis

Melbourne Victory are one of the few Australian clubs across any sports to turn a profit, ­financial documents reveal.

Victory’s accounts, lodged yesterday with the corporate regulator, show the club making a profit of $442,582 in the 2018 ­financial year that covered their grand final-winning 2017-18 A-League season.

Owned by a consortium led by chairman and LaManna Premier Group chief executive Anthony Di Pietro and Metricon Homes owner Mario Biasin, Victory ­recorded the profit from revenue of $22.02 million. The result compared with a $137,495 loss from $19.07m revenue the previous year.

Victory are considered the best-run club off the field in the A-League and are targeting a record 30,000 members this year. Their ­results will have been boosted by a canny and financially favourable long-term tenancy deal at Marvel Stadium and transfer fees from selling players such as Mark Milligan overseas. They have net assets of $5m on their balance sheet, including $3.6m in cash, and are building a $21m academy in Melbourne’s west.

Meanwhile, expansion candidate Team 11 in Melbourne’s southeast unveiled more business identity shareholders yesterday.

Among those joining major shareholder and Jayco caravans magnate Gerry Ryan as backers of the club should they win an A-League expansion licence are Renato ­Pellicano of the Pellicano Group, Max Shifman, the chief operating officer of Smorgon family-backed developer Intrapac, and RMBL ­Investments director Colin ­Madden.

Another rich lister in Sam ­Tarascio, the owner of the large property developer Salta, is also understood to be keen to help fund the prospective club, who have ­already announced ex-Melbourne Heart part-owner Ghadir Razuki as a backer.

In on-field matters, Victory coach Kevin Muscat has some headaches to sort out ahead of the grand final rematch against Newcastle Jets at McDonald Jones ­Stadium tonight.

Injuries to key strikers Ola Toivonen and Kenny Athiu have left the Victory’s striker cupboard looking extremely bare as the ­defending champions aim to ­secure their first points of the ­season following their opening two losses.

Athiu had to come from the field in the 3-2 loss to Perth Glory last week while Toivonen is making steady progress from a calf ­injury he sustained during pre-season. In their absence Muscat believes the likes of James Troisi, Jai Ingham and Kosta Barbarouses can step up and make a difference.

“Jai came on last week, Kosta and Jimmy know what to do in the front third, so we have options,” Muscat said yesterday. “It’s not an ideal situation but it does present an opportunity for someone.

“We will have a different dimension with the speed of Jai and Kosta so it will be a matter of setting up to take advantage of that.”

The defending champions have also struggled at the other end of the field, conceding five goals so far this season. Muscat does not believe it is a structural issue and that is more to do with individual mistakes.

The Jets claim they were robbed in last season’s decider after the VAR broke down and ­allowed a Victory goal from offside. That goal eventually decided the championship.

“I am not one to look back whether it is past games or the grand final,” Muscat said with a smile. “What I do know is I think it will be an exciting game. They have had their first two games away so now they are back home for the first time.

“We have had two games at home and are away for the first time, but I am not looking back on history because it doesn’t count.”