Melbourne City academy prospect Mathew Baker has penned his first professional contract, signing a three-year deal with the option of an additional two seasons.
The 16-year-old defender, who has Batak heritage from his mother, entered Melbourne City’s academy setup in 2021 after first honing his skills through the club’s City Football Schools program. Having shone for Indonesia at the youth international level during his development years, Baker now becomes just the fifth player to progress all the way through Melbourne City’s pathway and secure a senior A-League Men contract.
He joins an exclusive group of Melbourne City academy graduates — defenders Peter Antoniou and Jayden Necovski, goalkeeper Lachie Charles, and midfielder Lawrence Wong — to have made the same leap.
For Baker, the deal represents a career milestone.
“This is a proud moment for me and my family,” he said, as quoted from A-Leagues, “I’ve grown a lot as a player in the academy and I’m really excited to test myself in the first-team environment so I can continue to improve. I want to thank everyone who has supported me along the way, and I’ll work as hard as I can to repay the trust Melbourne City has placed in me.”
Melbourne City’s senior academy manager Simon Zappia praised Baker’s progression, noting the youngster had already made his senior debut in this year’s Australia Cup Round of 32.
“It’s always special to see a player come through every stage of our development pathway,” Zappia said. “From his days at City Football Schools, Mathew has stood out for his commitment, work ethic, and maturity. We’re delighted to see him take this next step, and we’re confident he has what it takes to make an impact in the first team in the coming years.”