Wangaratta soccer star Poppy O'Keeffe has signed with Melbourne Victory for the 2025-'26 A-League Women's season.

The 17-year-old midfielder, who has been living in Melbourne since 2023 while pursuing her sporting ambitions, said it was "amazing" to become the first female player to progress through the full Victory Academy pathway to first-team.

"I've been around Victory so long, and it's become my club, so it's always been a dream of mine," she said.

"It's been a long process, but I'm really grateful for the opportunity."

O'Keeffe's football journey began at Wangaratta City, where she took part in Mini-Roos and junior competitions, before moving to Murray United FC in Wodonga, where she started Victory Pre-Academy clinics at just 10 years of age.

She continued with these until Victory launched its Elite Girls Program in Melbourne, for which she travelled from Wangaratta to Melbourne once a week for two years, also combining her Football Victoria National Training Centre involvement.

In 2023, when she relocated to Melbourne to attend sports specialist school Maribyrnong College, O'Keeffe started training with Victory seniors, and last year had a youth contract, before signing a scholarship (professional) contract this season.

"I've always had such a passion for football, and my cousin Seb (Pasquali, who has A-League experience with Melbourne Victory and Western United) has always inspired me," she said.

Her hard work and consistent efforts earned O'Keeffe a call-up to last season's round 13 wider game-day Victory squad in January, and she spent the second half of the 2025 National Premier League's Women Victoria season with the Football Victoria Academy, playing every minute of her 11 games.

Now in pre-season training, O'Keeffe is looking forward to the season commencing at the start of November.

"This season I just hope to get on the bench, and then see where I progress from there," she said.

"I've been at Victory for a few years now, so I know everyone pretty well, and they are all so supportive."

The rising star also appreciates the backing of her family, as she combines online year 11 studies with her football commitments in Melbourne.

"I have training every day at 9am, then meetings, more training, gym, meetings, and then head home for schoolwork," she said.

"I wouldn't be here without Mum - she takes me to every training and every game, and I have so much support from Dad and my siblings too."

While based in Melbourne, O'Keeffe said Wangaratta would always have a place in her heart.

"I always want to feel like I have a bit of Wangaratta in me," she said.

"The two lifestyles are very different, Melbourne and Wangaratta, but I love them both, and it's good to get back to Wangaratta sometimes where it's quieter."

O'Keeffe's advice to anyone keen to tread a similar path in their chosen sport is to "work hard and put in the effort".

"Nothing comes easily, but if you put the work in, it's worth it," she said.

Victory's head coach, Jeff Hopkins, said in a statement from the club to mark O'Keeffe's signing: "The day before we played a game in Adelaide, I went up to Wodonga to watch her play.

"At just 10 years old, she was already dominant against the boys and stood out.

"From that time on, we were really keen on Poppy and looking forward to assisting in her development.

"She became a train-on player with the first team at 14 years old and has not looked back, progressing rapidly and now officially joining up with the A-League women's squad."

Having already been part of the Junior Matildas squad, O'Keeffe now has her sights set on the under 20 Young Matildas, but in the meantime, she can't wait for the A-League season ahead.