After taking them to third on the ladder, Mulvey arrived at training on Tuesday night to say he was the new head coach at Brisbane Roar.

He flew out of Melbourne a few hours later, leaving assistant coach Fabrizio Soncin to take the helm of the women’s team for the remainder of the season.

It was no secret the Englishman wanted another shot at the A-League after a small taste as head coach with now defunct Gold Coast United.

But the Victory players could probably have done without another shakeup.

Coach Vicki Linton resigned just prior to the season start and Mulvey himself was brought in on a rescue mission just a week before the league’s kick-off.

Despite the disrupted start to the season, results have been impressive.

They have built on a strong defence and grabbed some big scalps along the way, ending the 18-match unbeaten run by defending champs, Canberra United.

Mulvey said they can go all the way and Soncin believes they have already put the recent drama behind them.

“I think the first reaction was probably one of shock,” Soncin said. “It was sort of a surreal moment for a while because it just came out of the blue.

“It’s always going to be a little traumatic when the leader leaves – any organisation would be the same.

“But the girls have been through it all before, they’re a fairly resilient mob now – they bounce back pretty quickly.

“We all got over the initial experience, it was a bit of a kinghit, but their minds are back on the job – these girls are professionals.”

No one is begrudging Mulvey his shot, least of all the players.

Captain Steph Catley said: “It’s been amazing working with Mike this season. He’s such a great coach and has taught us so much, so we’ll definitely miss him.

“He has left the team in a really good place. Fab has been with the team all season and I’m sure we can keep getting results under him.

“We are such a solid unit and we always work hard for each other. We’ve got a big game on Saturday against Western Sydney and hopefully we get a good crowd at Wembley Park to cheers us on.”

Back in October when Mulvey spoke with au.fourfourtwo.com he highlighted the quality in his young squad.

At the time he passed on the names of ones to watch to good friend and Matildas coach Tom Sermanni who has also moved on to a fresh challenge with the USA women’s team.

Soncin brings 17 years coaching experience to the Victory position and continues to be impressed by the team’s fortitude. They’re hard to rattle, he said.

“There’s a belief in the team that we can do well and it’s proven to be the case,” he added. “They’ve had to overcome some obstacles – but they’ve overcome them.”