Following on from their purchase of and investment into
Manchester City in England,
City Football Group turned their eyes to investment into the women's game as well, funding a serious overhaul of the Manchester club's female affiliate. Only months after their takeover of the men's team
Melbourne City FC, they followed likewise on the women's side, contacting the
FFA regarding entering a team into the W-League to be affiliated to the men's Melbourne side. After a year of negotiations, their involvement was sealed with an announcement that a women's team competing under the name Melbourne City FC would compete in the W-League as of the beginning of the 2015–16 season. In July 2015, Melbourne City Women's FC made
Matildas co-captain
Lisa De Vanna their first-ever signing. She is widely regarded as one of the world's best women's strikers. After De Vanna, the club's next foundation signings were
Laura Alleway and
Brianna Davey. In September 2015, Young Matildas
Larissa Crummer,
Alex Chidiac,
Beattie Goad and former
Adelaide United defender
Monique Iannella joined the club. Matilda
Steph Catley also signed up in September. Regarded as a Matildas' fan favourite, Catley created history when she was voted as the first female to appear on the cover of the video game
FIFA 16. The club created history in its inaugural 2015–16 season, winning all 12 of its regular season games to become
Premiers (regular-season winners) and becoming
Champions by winning the
2016 W-League grand final, completing a perfect season. In the following season, City suffered a six-match winless run during the middle part of the season before storming back into the finals series and claiming a second successive championship in the
2017 grand final. This achievement meant the club was equal with several other clubs for the greatest number of championships won in the league. The club then eclipsed this record the following season when it defeated
Sydney FC in the
2018 W-League grand final making it 3 championships in a row. City had an undefeated 2019–20 season, with 11 wins and one draw, and secured their second premiership. Under Head Coach
Rado Vidošić, and with elite talent on the pitch such as the returning
Steph Catley and new players
Kyah Simon and
Claire Emslie, the team went on to win the double following wins over Western Sydney Wanderers and Sydney FC in the 2020 Finals Series. Consequently, City became the first team in W-League history to secure four championships. ==Stadium==