After Dimi Petratos went viral with his sensational free-kick goal for Brisbane Roar last Friday night, we look back at some of the free-kicks that rocketed into the net in Hyundai A-League history.
10. Mitch Oxborrow
The Glory youngster has a lethal left foot and he demonstrated that in devastating fashion with a screamer in the west a year ago.
His rocket curled and flew past a stranded Andrew Redmayne in the Wanderers goal from just over 30 yards out. An absolute peach of a free-kick at nib.
9. Patrick Zwaanswijk
The Dutch defender was better known for keeping goals out for the Mariners, but his left foot packed quite a punch too, as the Sky Blues found out early in the 2011/12 Season.
Liam Reddy was powerless to stop Zwaanswiijk’s blistering strike as it swerved into the top-left corner before he was swamped by team-mates.
8. Fabio Ferreira
VIDEO: Ferreira’s cheeky free kick
This free-kick had it all. Eddy Bosnar was used as a decoy, Isaka Cernak with a back-heel and a smashing finish from the Mariners’ Portuguese flyer.
And to cap it all off Ferreira even got a kiss from a mystery female in the stands as he went off to celebrate with the fans.
7. James Troisi
VIDEO: Stunning free kicks light up AAMI
Last Friday night, the Caltex Socceroo showed all his class to get his effort over the wall and back down again to curl into the near corner of the net.
A strike that oozed precision and placement. A sumptuous strike from the in-form Victory man…but as we now know it wasn’t even the best free-kick on the night.
6. Joel Griffiths
VIDEO: Griffiths’ stunning free-kick
Griffiths scored 38 goals in his Hyundai A-League career but none better than his free-kick howitzer against Victory in the 2007/08 Season.
Almost 30 metres from goal, Griffiths’ strike was not only full of power but had plenty of bend on it as well to stun keeper Michael Theo.
5. Gui Finkler
You can’t have a best free-kicks list without the brilliant Brazilian. And Finkler produced an absolute beauty to help Victory snatch a draw right at the death against the Wanderers.
From just to the left of the goal, Finkler hit his shot sweetly enough to curl around the wall and into the top corner past a despairing Ante Covic in late 2013.
Guest Pick
David Beckham v Sydney FC
VIDEO: Sydney defeat Beckham’s Galaxy
So this technically wasn’t in the Hyundai A-League – or a competitive match for that manner – but we thought we’d include it anyway. When Beckham and his LA Galaxy came to town in 2007, the 80,000 fans at ANZ Stadium all wanted to see one of the Englishman’s trademark free-kicks.
And Becks delivered big time! While his side lost 5-3, Beckham’s pinpoint curling free-kick into the top corner was the talking point of a glamourous night in Sydney.
4. Nebojsa Marinkovic
VIDEO: Marinkovic peach gives Perth the points
The Serbian’s dead-ball prowess is now well-known in the Hyundai A-League, as the Mariners found out early in the 2014/15 Season. Standing over a free-kick almost centrally about 25 metres from goal, Marinkovic eyed up the distance before curling a splendid shot into the top right-hand corner of Liam Reddy’s net.
Just to prove that wasn’t a fluke, ‘Nebo’ backed it up a couple of days later with an even better free-kick in the club’s Westfield FFA Cup semi-final win over Bentleigh Greens.
3. Isaias
VIDEO: Spaniard nets Grand Final stunner
The Spanish midfielder produced his set-piece special on the biggest day of the season in the 2015/16 Hyundai A-League grand final. After Bruce Kamau was brought down right on the edge of the box, Isaias expertly curled his shot over the wall and perfectly into the top right corner of Andrew Redmayne’s net, with the keeper unmoved.
It was a superb strike worthy of such a big game…and as commentator Simon Hill exclaimed, famously, “Si Senor, Si!”
2. Alessandro Del Piero
VIDEO: Del Piero’s first A-League goal
Talk about pressure. The Italian legend had a huge reputation as one of the best free-kick takers in world football and was expected to deliver for the Sky Blues. And he did just that in front of more than 30,000 fans in his very first home game in the Hyundai A-League back in 2012.
Almost 30 yards out, ADP’s inch-perfect strike bent into over the wall and gave keeper Ben Kennedy no chance.
1. Dimitri Petratos
VIDEO: Roar midfielder’s incredible free-kick
An absolute “worldie” from the Roar star – and it went viral soon after – drawing comparisons to the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham, Roberto Carlos and Lionel Messi. And rightly so!
More than 30 yards from goal, Petratos lashed the ball with his laces – a similar technique to Ronaldo – with the ball swerving and dipping wickedly and nestling in the top right-hand corner. Keeper Lawrence Thomas was left perplexed while the rest of us were just in awe at a truly magnificent piece of skill.
