Melbourne Victory signing Polly Doran reflects on Essendon Royals upbringing

Red to Blue: Former Essendon Royals star Polly Doran shows off her new kit. Photo: Anita Milas, Melbourne Victory

Former Essedon Royals Soccer Club star Polly Doran has continued her meteoric rise through the ranks of women’s football by signing for Melbourne Victory.

Victory’s newest W-League signing was just 14-years-old when she made her senior debut for Essendon Royals Soccer Club.

The fleet-footed star proved herself a quick learner and exceptional footballer during her time at the Royals.

The former Royal was confirmed as one of Melbourne Victory’s final two signings ahead of the upcoming W-League season, as her meteoric rise through the football ranks continues.

Just two years ago, Doran was playing State League 1 football with the Royals, having ascended through the club’s junior ranks at an incredible pace.

“I was at the Royals from the age of about five or six,” Doran told www.essendonroyals.com.au

“I started off playing with the boys in small-sided-games and from there I guess I just kept progressing.

“Essendon was always very supportive of me and encouraged me to play up through the age groups when they saw that I was progressing in terms of skill.”

Royals Family: Polly Doran (second from right in the top row) with her Essendon Royals team-mates in 2017.

So quick was Doran’s development that her coaches fast-tracked her into the senior team by the time she was 14 when the club was in State League 2 in 2016 and a regular for the State League 1 campaign in 2017.

“I had a lot of good coaches at Essendon like Simon Status, Nathan Di Natale and Anthony Capozzi and no one ever held me back if they felt like I could move up,” she said.

“They all encouraged me and helped to push me up the ranks.”

Doran said her early exposure to senior football at Essendon was a big factor in her rapid rise.

“That was really important for me because it taught me how to cope with the bigger bodies,” she said.

“When I came into the senior squad, everyone was really welcoming to me. I had been around the club for a while so I knew how good the culture was.

“I played a couple of seasons in the seniors at Essendon before I moved onto the NPL with Calder United, but even though the NPL was probably a step up in terms of skill level I think the experience of senior football and knowing how to play against the older and bigger players helped me a lot.”

Early promise: Polly Doran was just 15 during the club’s 2017 State League 1 campaign.

Doran enjoyed a fantastic 2019 helping Calder United to win a league and premiership double, which prompted interest from Victory.

With her deal secured, Doran, still a few weeks away from her 18th birthday, said she was now focusing on completing her VCE exams as she gets accustomed to life as a Victory player.

Melbourne Victory is the reigning W-League premiers, having topped the W-League table last season, and Doran said she was still pinching herself to have signed with such a massive club.

“The last few weeks have been hectic,” she said.

“I’m juggling school and exams with football, so it’s been busy and unbelievable but Victory has been really good in letting me keep my focus and get the balance right.”

Victory’s W-League campaign kicks off on Sunday, 17 November with an away game against W-League champions Sydney FC.

Royals fans will be able to see Doran in action in Melbourne for the first time in Round 3, when Victory take on Western Sydney Wanderers at La Trobe City Stadium on Saturday, 7 December.

Doran and Co. take on Melbourne City a bit closer to home at ABD Stadium in Round 4 on Thursday, 12 December.

Check out Melbourne Victory’s W-League fixture HERE.