Fiorina Iaria experienced another landmark moment in her career as she notched four strikes in the derby.
Shepparton soccer star Fiorina Iaria described herself as ‘stoked’ after she ended her wait for a goal in the NPLW this season - by netting four strikes in a single outing for Melbourne Victory.
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The 19-year-old winger, who is one of the standout products of the illustrious Football Victoria Academy, excelled at youth level during the 2025 campaign and earned a spot in the NPLW Victoria Team of the Season in the process.
Her impressive rise shows seldom signs of halting anytime soon too, with her flurry of strikes for the Girls in Blue representing a true landmark moment in her fledgling career.
The teenager, who first came to prominence at the GV Suns and Calder United, clearly had designs on making history during the inaugural NPLW derby with Melbourne City.
The Shepp sharpshooter proved to be a major thorn in the opposition’s side at Casey Fields, providing the opener in the Round 7 clash with a ruthless finish from down the left-hand side.
From there, Iaria was in no mood to show mercy to Victory’s city rivals as she notched a hat-trick via two goals in as many minutes with a couple of eye-catching top corner strikes.
The youngster was not done there, however.
Completing the rout, she experienced a slice of good fortune as a cross found its way into the back of the net to put the seal on Victory’s third win of the campaign.
Fiorina Iaria's pride was palpable following her derby heroics.
Reflecting on her heroics in the derby, the forward’s joy was palpable as she described her relief at ending her goal drought in true style.
“I was stoked and my teammates were obviously so happy for me, I’d actually not scored yet this season so I had really wanted one,” she said.
“But to get four was amazing, no one might believe me but I had a feeling something might happen that day.
“I actually had a dream the night before that I’d get three.”
In terms of memorabilia from what was a true landmark moment in her career, the youngster confirmed that she sadly could not keep the match ball – as is the custom in soccer after netting a hat-trick.
This milestone day in her career comes after many years of hard graft and the Shepparton striker makes no secret of her gratitude towards her hometown and its people in helping her get to where she is today.
Fiorina Iaria spoke with pride about her roots in Shepparton with the GV Suns
Photo by
Rodney Braithwaite
“Shepp is an amazing place for sport, with a lot of variety and it definitely helped me so much growing up there,” she said.
Mum Jilian explained that her daughter’s four-goal derby masterclass felt like a major full-circle moment for them both after years of sacrifice.
“I’m very proud of her, she’s worked so hard to get where she is,” she said.
“When she was younger there was a lot of travelling from Melbourne and back - sometimes four times a week.
“At the end of the day, it’s been 100 percent worth it because of where she is now.”
As for her roots with the GV Suns, the talented winger explained how her then-coach Craig Carley helped to develop her confidence during the early years of her development.
“His big thing was about giving you the confidence to play your best and he always gave you that encouragement.”
Alongside her four-goal derby haul, the Shepparton striker acknowledged that her homecoming appearance for the Victory against the Newcastle Jets at John McEwen Reserve in February was one of the proudest moments in her career so far.
“It was so nice, it’s so good for young girls to be able to come along and see us play and I enjoyed it - I hope it inspires them,” she said.
Looking to the future, the winger is hoping her displays can earn her a recall to the Young Matildas, having previously taken part in training camp in Sydney held back in2023.
In a closing remark, mum Jilian said that seeing her daughter receive the honour of representing her country at senior level one day would represent the ultimate accomplishment for the young player and her family.
“Hopefully soon she’ll get called up again - I’d be so very happy,” she said.
