After Melbourne City’s record setting 8-1 win over Brisbane Roar on Thursday night, aleagues.com.au takes a look back at the eight biggest wins in A-Leagues history.
UNITE ROUND TICKETS ON SALE NOW: Get your tickets for the ultimate away day here
=4. Adelaide United 7-0 Newcastle Jets (Isuzu UTE A-League) 2014-15 season
Adelaide United put seven past a hapless Newcastle Jets outfit at Coopers Stadium in January 2015, the equal-largest loss in the club’s history.
Bruce Djite and Marcelo Carrusca each scored a brace, while Sergio Cirio, Nigel Boogaard and Isaias chimed in with one goal apiece on a memorable afternoon for Reds fans.
The match, however, is remembered for what came in the aftermath, with the drubbing serving as a tipping point in the tenure of Jets coach Phil Stubbins.
Jets midfielder Billy Celeski and Stubbins reportedly had a heated exchange at both half-time and full-time of the contest with the Reds, leading to the playing group meeting less than two days later in a move to overthrow Stubbins after declaring they could no longer play under the embattled coach.
Owner Nathan Tinkler backed in Stubbins and stunned the Australian football landscape by sacking five senior players and three assistant coaches days after the contest.
Captain Kew Jaliens, David Carney, Joel Griffiths, Adrian Madaschi and Celeski were released from their contracts, along with assistant coach Clayton Zane, trainer Andrew Packer and goalkeeping coach Neil Young.
“The contracts of Billy Celeski, Joel Griffiths, Kew Jaliens and Adrian Madaschi were due to expire at the end of the current season but the players will now leave the club immediately,” the Jets said in a statement on the Wednesday night after the 7-0 loss.
“The contract of David Carney has been terminated for disciplinary reasons.
Tinkler added in the statement: “These decisions were made in the best interest of the playing group and to improve the club culture for the young players who we believe are the future of the Jets.”
This also came amid the backdrop of an ugly stand-off between Tinkler and Football Australia, with the latter threatening to strip the club license from the mining magnate if he didn’t meet certain financial obligations later that same week.
FA would eventually terminate Tinkler’s license in May 2015 after he placed the club in voluntary administration.
=4. Melbourne City 7-0 Melbourne Victory (Isuzu UTE A-League) 2020-21 season
In April 2021, Melbourne City pummelled arch rivals Melbourne Victory 7-0 at AAMI Park, just over a month after smashing them 6-0 in a meeting earlier that season.
Andrew Nabbout opened the scoring for City with a stunning Goal of the Season contender, before Adama Traore was sent off before half-time, compounding Victory’s woes.
From there, the flood gates opened as City piled on the hurt, spearheaded by Jamie Maclaren who scored five goals before Adrian Luna added another to wrap up the comprehensive win for Patrick Kisnorbo’s side.
Victory coach Grant Brebner was sensationally dismissed after the full-time whistle having only won three out of a possible 16 games to start the season.
Former Victory Chairman Anthony Di Pietro joined the club legend in his post-game press conference to announce the news of Brebner’s departure.
“Grant and myself and the chief executive and some board members have met and we’ve come to the agreement that Grant will no longer be the coach of Melbourne Victory and it is in the best interests of everyone involved,” Di Pietro said.
“We just wanted to make that clear this evening, I wanted to take the opportunity to thank Grant for his time, he has worked relentlessly,
“Things haven’t worked out for a multitude of reasons and they’ll be clearly a review of everything that has happened to lead to this and what needs to be done.”
=4. Melbourne City 8-1 Brisbane Roar (Isuzu UTE A-League) 2023-24 season
Melbourne City equalled their biggest ever Isuzu UTE A-League victory, by demolishing Brisbane Roar 8-1 in a record setting night at AAMI Park.
Jamie Maclaren became the first player in A-Leagues history to reach 150 career goals, firing home a hat-trick, while Leo Natel scored a brace and Curtis Good, Tolgay Arslan and Ben Mazzo all scored a goal each in the rout.
Maclaren’s third goal of the contest was also his 100th league goal in City colours.
16-year-old Rylan Brownlie pulled one back for the visitors amid City’s second-half rampage, but his first Roar goal was merely a consolation as Brisbane fell to their first defeat under interim coach Luciano Trani and the largest in their club’s history.
MATCH REPORT: Maclaren makes A-Leagues history as Melbourne City put eight past Brisbane Roar in record setting night
=4. Adelaide United 8-1 North Queensland Fury (Isuzu UTE A-League) 2010-11 season
Just like their counterparts from Melbourne, Adelaide United have twice handed down a seven goal thrashing in the Isuzu UTE A-League.
The Reds pummelled North Queensland Fury at Coopers Stadium, setting the then record for the largest win in Isuzu UTE A-League history, before matching it in the aforementioned victory over Newcastle Jets at the same venue.
Marcos Flores and Sergio Van Dijk scored a hat-trick apiece, while Travis Dodd and Iain Ramsay added a goal each.
Panny Nikas scored a consolation goal for the Fury in the 72nd minute, before Flores and Van Dijk completed their hat-tricks in the dying embers to round out the comprehensive 8-1 victory.
“I apologise to the Fury fans for the disaster,” Fury coach Franz Straka said post-game.
“I’ve never lost a game 8-1. The first 30 minutes in the first half it wasn’t bad. But then I can’t believe what we did on the field.
“So many mistakes, so many individual mistakes. There was a bit of difference between the teams – quality, challenges, tackling.”
Former Fury striker David Williams added: “If Franz can’t say it, I will say it. It was very embarrassing.
“It was humiliating. It was something I’ve never been through. I’ve never lost like that before. To stand out there for 90 minutes was tough.
“What do you say to the boys after the fourth goal or the fifth goal? There comes a time where you can’t say keep going or keep your head up.”
This would be the last time the two sides would ever face one another, after the Fury’s license was revoked at the end of the season.
=4. Newcastle Jets 0-7 Melbourne Victory (Liberty A-League) 2019-20 season
Unfortunately for Newcastle, the men’s side’s 7-0 drubbing at the hands of Adelaide wasn’t the only time a Jets side lost by that same scoreline.
Newcastle’s Liberty A-League side were trounced by Melbourne Victory in February 2020, which became the latter’s largest win in their club history. Annalie Longo scored two goals in the first seven minutes, before Darian Jenkins added two of her own either side of half-time.
Tash Dowie and Melina Ayres also found the back of the net, while Cass Davis scored an own-goal on a day to forget for Newcastle.
3. Adelaide United 10-2 Western Sydney Wanderers (Liberty A-League) 2016-17 season
Adelaide United demolished Western Sydney Wanderers 10-2 in January 2017, recording the third largest win in A-Leagues history at Apex Football Centre.
Adelaide, incredibly, were behind in the contest after a Sarah Langman own-goal, but responded by scoring three straight goals through USWNT international Sofia Huerta, Racheal Quigley and Adriana Konjarski, before Erica Halloway pulled one back in the 59th minute for the Wanderers.
From there, the Reds scored an incredible seven goals in 23 minutes, with Konjarski and Huerta completing their hat-tricks, while Quigley added another goal of her own, to go with goals from Alex Chidiac and Ally Ladas.
2. Western Sydney Wanderers 1-10 Perth Glory (Liberty A-League) 2014 season
The 10-2 loss to Adelaide wasn’t the only time Western Sydney Wanderers had shipped 10 goals in a game, having done so just over two years prior.
Western Sydney were demolished 10-1 by eventual premiers Perth Glory in October 2014 at Marconi Stadium, which was only the second time in A-Leagues history that a team had scored double figures in a single game.
Kate Gill scored five goals, all in the second-half, while Sam Kerr and Caitlin Food fired home a brace each, and Alanna Kennedy added one of her own to round out the thrashing.
1. Sydney FC 11-0 Perth Glory (Liberty A-League) 2011-12 season
Sydney FC hold the crown of having the biggest win in A-Leagues history, after dismantling Perth Glory 11-0 at Leichhardt Oval in December 2011.
Leena Khamis, Kylie Ledbrook and Renee Rollason all helped themselves to a hat-trick on the day, while Kyah Simon added another goal in second-half stoppage time to go with an own-goal from Tanya Oxtoby.
The win came against a youthful Glory side, who were quite simply no match for the then, reigning Liberty A-League premiers. Glory’s goalkeeper was none other than Matildas star Mackenzie Arnold, who was only 17-years-old at the time of the loss.
“It wasn’t the best of games,” Arnold reminisced with a laugh, in December 2014.
