There were standout performers and breakout stars across the league, but who made Opta’s Team of the Season?
It was a campaign where Western United celebrated an historic Championship, dethroning Melbourne City in last week’s Isuzu UTE A-League Grand Final.
Aleksandar Prijovic was named Joe Marston Medallist for his performance in the big dance at AAMI, while Melbourne Victory star Jake Brimmer took home the Johnny Warren medal.
City talisman Jamie Maclaren, the Socceroos forward claimed back-to-back A-League Men Golden Boots.
How many of that contingent make this XI?
Here’s the data-led ALM XI for 2021-22 and the case for each player’s selection.
Goalkeeper: Jamie Young (Western United)
Young’s decision to reunite with John Aloisi in the west of Melbourne proved a wise decision – the former Brisbane Roar shotstopper was instrumental in Western United claiming a first ALM Championship in just their third season. Young kept 12 clean sheets in 2021-22 – the first to reach that figure since Liam Reddy (13) in 2018-19 – three more than any other goalkeeper in the league.
Per Opta, the veteran also topped the list for saves (114 – the most saves recorded since Opta began collecting that data at the start of 2012-13) and save percentage (78%) among goalkeepers to have featured in 10 matches or more.
Right-back: Lewis Miller (Central Coast Mariners)
The youthful Mariners charged into the Finals Series on the back of five consecutive victories, earning plenty of admirers along the way. Miller was pivotal in Central Coast’s season. Solid defensively and a threat in attack down the right, the 21-year-old tallied 12 blocked crosses throughout the campaign – four more than any other player.
Miller also averaged 11 duels in the 2021-22 season – the second most among his team-mates.
Centre-back: Curtis Good (Melbourne City)
This term saw the re-emergence of Good, who was a key part of City’s route to consecutive Premiers Plates and Grand Finals. The former Newcastle United defender showcased his playing ability, with no player carrying the ball more times than Good in 2021-22. His progressive carries per game (16) were two more per game better off than any other player in the ALM.
Good also led the league in passes (1,902) and duel success rate (73%).
Centre-back: Leo Lacroix (Western United)
The Swiss maestro couldn’t have asked for a better first season in Australia. A Championship winner, Lacroix ranked second in interceptions (47) and third in clearances (106).
Lacroix helped Western concede just 32 goals in 2021-22 – 11.6 fewer than their expected goals against tally, the biggest positive overperformance of any side.
Left-back: Ben Garuccio (Western United)
It was a season to remember for Garuccio, who became just the sixth player in ALM history to win back-to-back Championships with different teams.
The former Melbourne City full-back made the position his own at Western, where he was crowned their Player of the Season. Garuccio supplied a joint-team high six assists, which were the most by a defender across the competitions. Only Melbourne Victory’s Jason Davidson (55) created more chances than Garuccio (36). He was also in the thick of the play for Western, with his 1,876 touches only behind team-mate Neil Kilkenny (2,097).
Right wing: Jay O’Shea (Brisbane Roar)
In a difficult season for Brisbane Roar, captain O’Shea was a shining light. The Irishman and A-Leagues All Star created 57 chances from open play – a league-high figure and eight more than any other player. Of those chances, 10 resulted in assists – the second most in the competition.
Juan Eduardo Lescano and Luke Ivanovic were the beneficiaries of O’Shea’s fine work – O’Shea supplied three assists apiece for the pair. It made the Roar skipper only one of two players to lay on three assists each for more than one team-mate in the ALM.
Central midfield: Jake Brimmer (Melbourne Victory)
Crowned the A-League Men’s best player, Brimmer flourished at Tony Popovic as Victory went from cellar-dwellers to ALM semi-finalists and FFA Cup champions.
The former Liverpool youth player tallied 20 carries ending in a chance created in 2021-22 – an equal second most of any player in the league. He also created 74 scoring chances.
Central midfield: Florin Berenguer (Melbourne City)
The French wizard made City tick this season as they fell short of becoming the first side in ALM history to claim back-to-back Premiership/Championship doubles.
Berenguer created 18 scoring chances for team-mate Jamie Maclaren this term – more than any other player in the ALM for a team-mate. The City star also created 12 scoring chances for Andrew Nabbout as Berenguer became one of only five players to create 10 or more scoring chances for multiple players in the league.
Left wing: Craig Goodwin (Adelaide United)
The face of Adelaide, captain Goodwin dazzled at Coopers Stadium, where he became the club’s all-time leading scorer in ALM history.
Goodwin was a standout, leading the league in chances created (87). An ALM-high 38 of those chances came via set-plays, six more than anyone else. The Socceroo also ranked first in carries ending in a scoring chance created (22).
Only Serginho (17 in 2010-11) and Bruce Djite (11 in 2015-16) have scored more goals for Adelaide in an ALM season than Goodwin (10). His eight assists were just one shy of the most by a Red in a campaign since Opta began collecting the data in 2012-13 – Goodwin himself (nine in 2018-19) and Sergio Cirio (nine in 2014-15).
Striker: Nick D’Agostino (Melbourne Victory)
It was a breakout season for D’Agostino in his first campaign with Victory in Melbourne. Teaming up with Popovic again, the Australia international bagged a personal-best 10 goals in the ALM. That tally came from seven expected goals – the best result by a Victory player since 2018-19.
D’Agostino was also second on the list for conversion rate (21%) and aerial duels contested (106).
Striker: Jason Cummings (Central Coast Mariners)
The Scotsman certainly made an impact in Gosford, quickly becoming a fan favourite among Mariners fans amid calls for him to be capped by the Socceroos.
A January recruit, Cummings’ 15 direct goal involvements (10 goals and five assists) were only second to Western’s Prijovic (18) in that period. Since his January 30 debut, Cummings was first in shots (29) and shot accuracy (67%).
Coach: John Aloisi (Western United)
The face of this season’s redemption story. Aloisi reached his first Grand Final as a coach and took home the silverware on a momentous night for the Socceroos great and Western.
After three years in the coaching wilderness, Aloisi was appointed by Western at the start of the season and oversaw a record eight 1-0 victories. Aloisi’s side won eight games when they finished with a lower xG tally than their matchday opposition.
