Trying to pick out the greatest moments in the A-League’s decade and a half is guaranteed to get opinions flying and arguments boiling.
So feel free to disagree… but just days from the start of the latest campaign, these are (in chronological order) my 15 moments for 15 years.
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2005-06: The day they threw open the gates on the A-League’s opening weekend
Frank Lowy had pleaded for fans to back the new A-League, and some 70,000 across the country heeded the call on its opening weekend in August 2005.
In fact it was more, but they stopped counting when the gates at Sydney Football Stadium were thrown open, so long were the queues as Sydney FC hosted Melbourne Victory, and marquees Dwight Yorke and Archie Thompson got on the scoresheet.
2006-07: Victory v Sydney draw 90k over two games
Getting almost 40,000 to what was then called Telstra Dome in Round 2 was good enough, but weeks later in early December more than 50,000 fans packed in for the rematch.
In the afterglow of the 2006 World Cup, the feel-good factor flowed.
2006-07: Kosmina and Muscat go head to head (and hand to throat)
The touchline clash came a few weeks early for the pantomime season but had all the hallmarks – a home hero and a visiting villain, furniture flying, and boos all round.
Adelaide coach Kosmina grabbing Victory captain Muscat by the throat remains one of the great iconic images (and spawned a trophy named after them).
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2006-07: Archie on the march
A busy season for drama reached its zenith in the Grand Final, when Kosmina’s Adelaide were crushed by effervescent Archie Thompson.
The Socceroo’s five goals in a 6-0 rout were a masterclass in big-game finishing, and handed his side its first A-League title.
2007-08: Mariners drown the Jets in the Semi Final
The Grand Final that year gets the headlines (and delivered Newcastle the title), but this was a proper football night – the home side 2-0 down from the first leg, but pummelling the Jets in front of a packed house and winning in extra time.
Former Socceroo Sasho Petrovski scored twice, and the atmosphere exploded across Brisbane Water.
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2009-10: Phoenix on the rise
The A-League tends to deliver humdinger Semi Finals, but even so this marked a coming of age for the ’Nix.
In their first finals campaign (beating Perth on penalties in the first Semi Final), Wellington packed out Westpac Stadium and even gave Newcastle a goal start before powering home in extra time.
2010-11: the crazy Grand Final the game needed
… though the Mariners would disagree.
A full house at Suncorp stadium was a buzzing end point to a difficult season, and the Central Coast were 2-0 up with minutes of extra time left.
Then Brisbane scored once, equalised on the point of the final whistle, and won the shootout, leaving A-League fans emotionally exhausted up and down the country.
2012-13: Del Piero says yes to Sydney
This reporter was sitting (appropriately) in a pizza restaurant when a text came in to say that Alessandro Del Piero had agreed to join Sydney FC… and bedlam ensued.
It never really stopped, as the Italian great delivered skill and goals in equal measure, starting with a top-corner freekick in his first game.
Combined with Shinji Ono at Western Sydney and Emile Heskey at the Jets, this was marquee mania.
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514571001/default_default/index.html?videoId=5822666002001
2012-13: Wanderers win in Gosford
The night a fairytale started to crystallise into reality.
An eighth straight win took the Wanderers top of the table in their first season, from where they would saunter to winning the Premier’s Plate (though losing the Grand Final).
Thousands of Western Sydney fans filled Gosford and celebrated hard in the sheeting rain.
2015-16: Adelaide win their first title at Adelaide Oval
The finale was majestic enough, Adelaide downing Western Sydney 3-1 in front of more than 50,000 fans, but what came before was even more extraordinary.
Bottom and winless after eight rounds, Adelaide began a mesmeric climb up the table to claim first the title of Premiers and then that of Champions.
It's the #AUFC goal that came to define the Hyundai @ALeague 2016 Grand Final!
Si Senõr, Si! @isaias_sc8's free kick has been voted our Goal of the #Decade. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/6IVBOVvojR
— Adelaide United (@AdelaideUnited) December 30, 2019
2016-17: Sydney derby hits a high
The rebuild of Parramatta Stadium gave A-League bosses the excuse to schedule a Sydney derby at ANZ Stadium for the first time, and it became the hottest ticket in town.
Some 62,000 fans poured in for the two teams’ opening game of the season, though the visitors in Sky Blue had rather more cause to enjoy the occasion thanks to a 4-0 rout for Sydney FC.
2016-17: Cahill delivers yet again
Melbourne City’s newly acquired marquee loves a big stage – and the Round 2 Melbourne derby provided it.
On his City debut, Cahill lashed home from more than 35m out, catching Victory keeper Lawrence Thomas – and most of the spectators to be fair – by surprise.
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514571001/default_default/index.html?videoId=5568307873001
2016-17: Sydney FC set the benchmark (and a bunch of records)
From mauling Western Sydney in Round 1 to setting records for points and goals accrued, the Sky Blues set a level of unprecedented dominance on their way to the double.
For all that power, though, it needed a penalty from star man Milos Ninkovic to settle the grand final at the end of 120 minutes and a shoot out.
2017-18: McGree stings City with a scorpion
Sitting in the press box directly in line with McGree, real time genuinely seemed to run at slow-motion speed as his outrageous, improvised volley from the edge of the box looped into Melbourne City’s goal and sent the Jets on the way to the Grand Final.
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514571001/default_default/index.html?videoId=5777232883001
2018-19: the A-League’s craziest Semi Finals
Technically not a moment but more a weekend of wonder, featuring 13 goals and a 16-penalty shoot-out across two semis.
Perth v Adelaide was dramatic enough in finishing 3-3 after extra time, but the most incredible shootout followed.
Perth keeper Liam Reddy saved four times and his side finally prevailed 5-4 to reach the grand final.
Two days later, what was meant to be an arm wrestle became a massacre, as Sydney FC put six past Melbourne victory, and even the home side looked incredulous.
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514571001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6042062390001
