A-League Women: Perth Glory captain Isobel Dalton eager to stay long-term after winning Most Glorious Player

Freshly minted Most Glorious Player and Perth Glory captain Isobel Dalton says the city feels like home, and she wants to stay with the club long-term. Dalton ended her second season in purple with the club’s highest individual A-League Women’s honour around her neck after playing 19 games in the 2024-25 season. The English-born, Queensland-raised midfielder said she had loved her time at Glory and was already excited to be returning to Perth next season. “When I asked for my new contract, I asked for a three-year deal; I want a lifetime contract,” Dalton said. “Anybody who knows me knows how much I speak so highly of Perth. I love it here, it feels like home for me, and I’ve never felt that at any club I’ve been at.” Glory finished 10th last season with 24 points and 32 goals conceded; this year, in new coach Stephen Peters’ first campaign in charge, they also finished 10th but with two fewer points and 11 more conceded. However, Dalton said the end to this season felt much more positive,e and she was encouraged by the performance of several young players. “Ladder position, we’re exactly the same as what we were last year, but in terms of the vibe of the group, there’s a lot more young players that are coming through now, and I think that’s huge for Perth Glory,” she said. “For this club, that’s what it needs. You can see that a lot of those young players are thriving in this environment. “It’s only positive things, and to retain a lot of the players we’ve had this year will also help us onto bigger and better things next year.” Dalton, who struggled with a hamstring issue mid-season, admitted she was surprised to win the award given the strong performances of her some of her teammates. “It’s always hard when you’re missing games and even training sessions, it’s so hard to put something into the group and put your energy into the group,” she said. “That was obviously difficult for me, and I think the team held it well. They won a game while I was out, which was huge, against Adelaide.”