With Matildas coach Joe Montemurro watching on, Melbourne Victory laid down their early marker as A-League Women silverware contenders after beating champions Central Coast 1-0 in their grand final rematch.
Earlier, Sydney FC got off the mark and celebrated Mackenzie Hawkesby's 100th game with a lightning-interrupted 2-0 win over Perth Glory.
Ex-Melbourne City star Rhianna Pollicina's goal, in her 100th ALW match, proved the difference for table-topping Victory (2-0-1) at the Home of the Matildas.
Victory coach Jeff Hopkins praised midfield duo Pollicina and Sofia Sakalis and left-back Alana Jancevski, 22, who has excelled since winning the ASEAN Women's Championship with Australia's under-23s.
"When you know the big boss (Montemurro) is here, then it's another incentive," Hopkins told AAP.
"Her and Holly (Furphy) have come back from the 23s through the off-season with a massive amount of confidence.
"... I'm sure it won't be long if they keep going the way they're going, they'll get an opportunity to go into one of the senior camps soon.
"They've got all the ingredients, we've just got to maybe give them a little bit of time to find themselves and to bring those things out."
The first half proved a scoreless arm-wrestle before Pollicina blasted a warning shot over the bar in the 52nd minute.
Three minutes later, Rachel Lowe was denied by Mariners goalkeeper Sarah Langman but Pollicina pounced on the loose ball and steered it into the back of the net.
One-cap Matilda Izzy Gomez gave Central Coast an injection of quality when she came on in the 61st minute but was largely contained by Victory.
Coach Kory Babington told AAP Gomez had been dealing with a niggling injury but he expected to build her minutes up as the season progressed.
The Mariners (1-0-2) peppered Victory's goal but the home side, who were on top physically all day, held on for their second win on the bounce.
"I don't think we were any more physical, and we didn't mention being any more physical than normal," Hopkins said.
"I guess the grand final hurt them a little bit more than I thought."
Panama international Riley Tanner was the difference at Leichhardt Oval, teeing up former Mariners star Bianca Galic before scoring herself.
In the 53rd minute, Tanner burst down the left, beat two defenders then squared the ball for Galic to tap home.
The lightning delay followed, with teams breaking for close to an hour.
Sydney (1-2-0) picked up where they left off when Tanner forced a turnover, with Maddie Caspers intercepting, then finding Hawkesby who teed up the forward to finish off Perth (1-0-2).
