Declan Payne, Matt Dorman

6 years ago

Vote for your favourite moment in Hyundai A-League history

Hyundai A-League fans have been treated to an avalanche of highlights since the inaugural season of the competition snapped into action in August 2005.

Marquee signings, thrilling deciders and glorious goals have tallied up to a catalogue of wonderful memories in Australia’s fledgling top flight.

Vote for your favourite moment in the Hyundai A-League to date and relive some of the competition’s most unforgettable scenes below!

Antonis’ amazing redemption act

Just seconds from securing their sixth Hyundai A-League Grand Final berth, all Melbourne Victory had to do was get the ball clear.

Five minutes of stoppage time had all but passed and a shock Semi Final upset of fierce rivals Sydney FC was just about complete.

That was until former Sky Blues favourite Terry Antonis became the heart-wrenching culprit of a disastrous own goal to send the match into extra-time.

It seemed certain that Sydney would go on to progress, but that same man redeemed himself in spectacular fashion, producing a sensational 117th-minute solo goal to put Kevin Muscat’s men into the 2018 Grand Final, where they would ultimately triumph over Newcastle Jets.

Roar come back from the dead in 2011

Scoreless after 90 minutes, the 2011 Hyundai A-League Grand Final was just the second in the competition’s history to go to extra-time.

It was the Central Coast Mariners’ third trip to the decider and, when Adam Kwasnik and Oliver Bozanic each struck in the first half of extra-time, it as though their two previous defeats would be consigned to history.

Brisbane Roar had other ideas.

Henrique gave the 52,500-strong home crowd a glimmer hope in the 117th minute before – with virtually the last action of the match – Erik Paartalu dramatically headed home Thomas Broich’s corner to force penalties.

Michael Theo saved from Daniel McBreen and Pedj Bojic as Henrique did the rest to give Brisbane their maiden Championship.

Adelaide climb from rock bottom to win Premiership

After their first eight matches of the 2015/16 season, Adelaide United were rooted to the bottom of the ladder and without a win.

Pressure was building on Guillermo Amor, and it looked increasingly likely that the Spaniard’s exit would be imminent.

But a win over Perth Glory in the ninth round stoked a fire in the belly of the Reds, who went on to lose just one match in the next 18 regular season fixtures and finish the season as Hyundai A-League Premiers and Champions.

McGree’s scorpion stunner makes worldwide headlines

With just over half an hour remaining in last season’s Semi Final, Newcastle Jets needed something special to bring Melbourne City undone.

Step forward Riley McGree.

With one of the most incomprehensible pieces of quick-thinking seen on these shores, the midfielder managed to flick a misdirected pass up and over Dean Bouzanis and into the net to spark the hosts’ comeback.

It was the scorpion kick that was seen around the world as the video immediately went viral.

Wanderers win nine-goal Semi Final epic

There have been few more intimidating places than a heaving Parramatta Stadium with the Western Sydney Wanderers in full flight.

However that wasn’t the case in the opening stages of their Semi Final clash with Brisbane in 2016 after Brisbane steamed to a three-goal lead inside the opening 23 minutes.

By half-time they had impressively reduced the deficit to a lone goal and, against all odds, were ahead within 15 minutes of the restart.

Jamie Maclaren eventually clawed Roar to extra-time, but that only served to heighten the drama of an absolute blockbuster as Dario Vidosic ultimately came up with the winner against his former side in the 102nd minute.

The final score stood at 5-4: a Hyundai A-League clash for the ages.

Dario Vidosic

Nabbout nets a crazy curler

Just weeks before McGree’s sublime scorpion kick, Andrew Nabbout had seemingly laid claim to the goal of the 2017/18 season.

Having just gone 1-0 down away to the Wanderers at Spotless Stadium, and with a little over 20 minutes to play, Newcastle needed a response.

Nabbout provided one in supreme style, curling in a gorgeous effort with the outside of his boot from long range. The Caltex Socceroo forward’s strike was instantly hailed as goal of the season by Fox Sports commentator Robbie Slater.

Ono’s outrageous Semi Final chip

In a season which saw three mega marquees grace the Hyundai A-League, Shinji Ono built an adoring fan-base at Western Sydney Wanderers.

The Japanese playmaker contributed eight goals from attacking midfield in the club’s dream debut season, saving his best for last in the Finals Series success against Brisbane.

Leading 1-0 with 20 minutes remaining at a packed Parramatta Stadium, Ono delivered an incredible dink over Michel Theo from outside the box to seal his side’s passage into the Grand Final.

Shinji Ono celebrates a goal during his time with the Wanderers.

Archie’s awesome five against Adelaide

Will the two records set in the 2007 Grand Final ever be broken?

Victory’s thumping 6-0 defeat of Adelaide remains the widest winning margin, and it’s not even the most impressive record set in that match.

That belongs to Victory legend Archie Thompson, who immortalised himself with an incredible five-goal haul.

Three goals in the first half, two in the second; it really was Archie’s day.

Yorke orchestrates the inaugural Grand Final winner

Perhaps still the archetypal marquee, Sydney’s inaugural captain Dwight Yorke led the Sky Blues to second place and Grand Final qualification in 2005/06.

The former Manchester United man showed his big-match quality with a Joe Marston Medal-winning performance, crowned by an assist for the game’s only goal.

Running from inside the opposition half, he made his way into the box and drew the attention of two Mariners defenders, before laying the ball off for current Sky Blues coach Steve Corica to fire home.

Muscat misses as Sydney silence Victory in Grand Final shootout

Premiers Plate winners by a single point in 2009/10, Sydney were made to reach the Grand Final the hard way after Victory exacted revenge in the Finals Series.

They bounced back to book a rematch in the decider and a cagey contest always looked destined for spot-kicks after Mark Bridge and Adrian Leijer traded second-half goals.

The tension was such that even nerveless captain Kevin Muscat failed to convert for the home side, who were made to suffer when Byun Sung-Hwan scored on Sydney’s fifth attempt.

Sydney crown remarkable 2016/17 season

Another Big Blue Grand Final, another tight encounter.

After winning the 2016/17 Premiership at a canter, things weren’t going to script for Sydney after Besart Berisha scored for Victory in the 20th minute.

Rhyan Grant equalised in the 69th minute with a tap-in after David Carney had the Victory defence scrambling, and after 120 minutes the scores were locked at 1-1.

Alex Wilkinson missed first for Sydney, but when Carl Valeri and Marco Rojas followed suit for Victory it all came down to penalty number five: Milos Ninkovic converted and the triumphant Graham Arnold era had its greatest success.

Petratos unleashes a thunderbolt

Brisbane Roar were down 3-0 inside the opening half hour at AAMI Park in January 2017 with Melbourne Victory running riot.

Based on the run of first half play, few expected Dimi Petratos to hand Brisbane a lifeline when he lined up a free-kick from more than 25 yards out.

But the now-Newcastle Jet surprised them all.

A blinding free-kick flew past Lawrence Thomas and prompted a fitting call from Fox Sports commentator Ned Zelic: “An absolute rocket. Boom!”

Del Piero’s majestic first Sydney FC goal 

After so much hype leading into the 2011/12 season, it was fitting that Sydney FC’s first home outing saw two of the Hyundai A-League’s biggest ever names going head-to-head: Alessandro Del Piero and Emile Heskey.

It was the Italian maestro who drew first blood through a trademark free-kick.

Allianz Stadium fell silent as the Juventus legend approached and dispatched a sublime effort that got his memorable Australian journey underway.

Cahill says hello with a Melbourne Derby screamer

Tim Cahill’s return from overseas football with Melbourne City was highly anticipated.

He delivered, and then some, in his first ever Hyundai A-League appearance – a Melbourne Derby no less – in October 2016.

From some 35 metres out, the Everton great unleashed a volley which caught Lawrence Thomas off-guard, and by the time it nestled in the back of the net it was already the goal of the season.

Fox Sports commentator Andy Harper summed it up: “For so long, Tim Cahill has been the main story. Now, he’s writing the damn script!”

Berisha’s bicycle kick magic settles Elimination Final 

Victory’s unexpected run to glory last season might well have come to a premature end in the Elimination Final.

Having finished fourth on the ladder, they were made to fight from a goal down in a tense clash with old foes Adelaide United.

Muscat was about to withdraw Besart Berisha from the field as extra-time loomed.

But it is in this crunch time that the Hyundai A-League’s all-time top scorer is at his most lethal.

Case in point: the spectacular overhead kick he conjured out of nowhere to spur Victory toward their fourth Championship.

Fowler lets fly against Sydney FC

He’s known as God to those at Anfield’s world-famous Kop and back in 2009, Robbie Fowler came down under for a stint with North Queensland Fury.

The Premier League legend got off to a good start too, scoring four goals in his opening six games.

He scooped the Goal of the Week award in three successive weeks and the last of those – a Round 6 date with Sydney – was the best of the batch.

From a Daniel McBreen nod-on, Fowler twice let the ball bounce before hitting a superb half-volley from well outside the box that perfectly looped over a helpless Clint Bolton.

Robbie Fowler

A-League Men
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