Melbourne, AUSTRALIA -- Philippines international Angela Beard is set to return to Melbourne Victory for the coming A-League Women season, sources have told ESPN.
Beard, 29, previously spent four seasons across two stints at AAMI Park, winning a championship with the Australian heavyweights in the 2020-21 campaign.
The move means Jeff Hopkins will once again coach Beard in 2026-27, with the Welsh-Australian having first worked with her as she came up through Brisbane Roar's pathway and later coached her during both of her previous stints at Victory.
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After multiple years in Europe, Beard returned to Australia for the tail end of the 2025-26 A-League Women season with the Roar, logging eight goals and netting an assist for her hometown club.
The Queensland native has also logged stints with Western United and NPLW side Calder United in Victoria, both times playing under current national team coach Mark Torcaso.
Filipinas assistant Riccardo Marchioli is also currently based in Melbourne, while former assistant Andrew Durante works as an assistant in Victory's men's program.
The 29-year-old, who featured for Brisbane Roar during the latter stages of the 2025-26 Australian A-League Women season, has made 30 international appearances and scored twice for the Philippines since her debut at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup 2023.
A three-time Australian international, Beard switched to the Philippines ahead of the 2023 World Cup and has since gone on to make 30 international appearances for the Filipinas, netting two goals and helping them secure qualification for the 2027 World Cup.
However, in a blow for her adopted nation, Torcaso confirmed after her absence from a pre-tournament training camp in Manila that Beard was set to be ruled out of the Philippines squad for the Asian Games after picking up an injury.
After finishing as quarterfinalists three years ago, the Filipinas will face Uzbekistan, Hong Kong and three-time champions China in Group G at the Games, which will commence next month in Japan.
Victory's women's team resumed preseason training last Monday and will open their A-League Women campaign on Oct. 17 against the Western Sydney Wanderers.
