Melbourne City midfielder Andreas Kuen is looking forward to the challenge of facing a mostly Victory-supporting crowd in Saturday night’s sold-out A-League grand final, confident that the electric atmosphere will motivate him as his team aims for its first championship win since 2021.
Nearly 30,000 fans are expected at AAMI Park for what is being called the most significant Melbourne derby in A-League history. While Victory’s larger fan base means City will be outnumbered in the stands, the 30-year-old Austrian is unfazed.
“I enjoy playing in front of opposing fans – it brings energy to the game,” Kuen said. “Even if they whistle at you, it’s part of what makes football exciting. A lively crowd is always a positive thing.”
He also praised the quality of football in the A-League, saying it deserves larger attendances across the board.
“The league offers entertaining matches and the standard is high. Every team deserves more support,” he added.
Kuen, who joined Melbourne City for the 2024–25 season, admitted he was surprised by how physically demanding the league is, especially compared to Austria and Greece, where he previously played.
“The level of play is very good, but I didn’t expect it to be this physical. Referees here let more go than in Europe,” he said. “It was a bit of an adjustment, but Australia has some excellent players.”
He’s also enjoying the finals format, which is new to him, as most European leagues award the title to the regular season leaders. City, who finished second on the ladder, now go into the grand final as the higher-ranked team after premiers Auckland FC were eliminated by Victory, who finished fifth.
“It’s been a fantastic achievement for the club,” Kuen said. “The finals are something different for me, and reaching the grand final is an amazing experience.”
Adam Kersey will referee his first A-League grand final, beating out fellow officials Alex King and Shaun Evans. Referees boss Jon Moss called Kersey’s selection a reward for his “exceptional dedication and hard work” over the past year.
Top international referee Alireza Faghani was not considered for the match due to limited A-League appearances this season while fulfilling commitments with the AFC and FIFA.
