Relieved Sydney FC delight in fourth ALW championship

Sydney FC have underlined their status as the A-League Women's most successful club with a fourth championship win but their players admit the overwhelming emotion of breaking a run of grand final defeats is relief.

In their sixth consecutive grand final, Ante Juric's charges thrashed newcomers Western United 4-0 at CommBank Stadium, their first win since 2018-19.

"It's nice. I'm just so proud of the girls, I know every coach says that but I just love seeing the smiles after a couple of tough let-downs," Juric told reporters.

"But again you've got to look forward and today we looked forward and the girls were ready from the warm-up and in the change room, and I knew we'd win today."

Striker Madison Haley scored in the fourth and 91st minutes and assisted captain and 100-gamer Natalie Tobin for another in the 18th to be named player of the match.

Princess Ibini won and scored a penalty in the 63rd as Sydney completed the premiership-championship double at CommBank Stadium.

Tobin described her main feeling as "relief" while star midfielder Mackenzie Hawkesby relished her first championship after three grand final defeats.

"Winning three premierships is huge but at the end of the day, to Australian football, winning a grand final's the ultimate prize in a way," Hawkesby told reporters.

"Obviously being in six consecutive, and only winning one (before), we needed to win the grand final with this team. 

"This team was too special and in my opinion, too good to not win a grand final."

American striker Haley, a first-year player unscarred by Sydney's previous grand final heartbreaks, was the star - earning praise for her influence on the play from Cortnee Vine and Ibini, who after the match dubbed her a "cheat code".

"When you've got one hand on the trophy, essentially you gotta go and win it," Haley said. 

"So that's kind of what I was focused on. 

"It probably helped a bit that I didn't have the history."

Defensive duo Tobin and Charlotte Mclean dominated and Hawkesby and Rachel Lowe were busy in midfield while Vine pushed through an ankle injury.

Sydney have drawn level with Melbourne City on four championships but edge them on premierships by five to two, and are the first team since City in 2015-16 to complete the double.

Juric said whether Sydney were the greatest ALW club ever was "for other people to judge" but relished their consistency.

"For me, this is the best team ever, as in a squad and continuous," he said.

Sydney goalkeeper Jada Whyman denied United three times in quick succession late in the first half but they were unable to haul their way back into the game.

"To go down so early in the game, it's difficult to then come back from that," United coach Mark Torcaso said. 

"But we showed some fight, we showed some character and that's what we've done pretty much all season."

The match, before a record and largely pro-Sydney ALW grand final crowd of 9,519, was set against the Australian Professional Leagues' controversial decision to sell the decider in a deal with Destination NSW.

It meant Sydney played in their home state while United had to travel to the decider instead of receiving hosting rights despite beating the Sky Blues 1-0 in the semi-final.