It has been far too long a wait since we watched Besart Berisha end the 2011/12 A-League season in stunning and controversial fashion at Suncorp on the 22nd of April.
It is that time of year where football tragics young and old head back to the terraces, but what are we in for?
Here is a team-by-team look at what to expect this season:
Adelaide United
Rebounded from the disaster under Rini Coolen for a short while under the second coming of John Kosmina, but petered out to end in the lowly ninth place. Looking to do a whole lot better this season with incoming Argentines Marcelo Carrusca, Jeronimo Neumann as well Fabio Ferreira, Dylan Bowles and Jake Barker-Daish.
It is hard to get a read on how this in-flux Kosmina side will perform. What I think is clear is that Kosmina will need to change a few things up tactically in what is a constantly developing league; will route one football do? There were some promising signs shown in the first ACL quarter-final leg against Bunyodkor.
They will have a bit of competitive game time as they face Bunyodkor over two legs before any A-League side plays a competitive fixture.
Their main source of strength is clearly up front with Vidosic, van Dijk and Djite. All three matched up together last season and all are good on the ball. What I think will also serve them well is a keen younger brigade stepping up; see the promotion of Evan Kostopoulos and Teeboy Kamara from the National Youth League squad.
Verdict: They will find the going tougher if they don’t adapt to a changing, stronger league. Ninth.
Brisbane Roar
So how do you top what has come before? Just do it all again, of course. The reigning champs will have a different look with the succession of Rado Vidosic to the top job after the departure of championship-winning coach Ange Postecoglou.
Meanwhile, they lose Kofi Danning, Mohamed Adnan, Matt Mundy, Issey Nakajima-Farran and Andrew Redmayne; in come youth prospect James Donachie, starlet Ben Halloran, Do Dong-Hyun and Nikolas Fitzgerald.
The only problem I could see for Brisbane is stasis. If you stay the same in this developing league, you’re only going to go backwards. But this looks unlikely with the proverbial breath of fresh air in Vidosic.
This will present its own challenge for Brisbane; how Rado copes with the step up will be an intriguing prospect and how the players respond to that will tell where the Roar will finish up.
There may be issues with defence if injury/form woes strike, but Donachie can provide that cover if problems arise. However, I can’t see too many holes in this squad and I expect them to top the ladder this season.
Verdict: First.
Central Coast Mariners
The community club, the strugglers, punching above their weight… you’ve heard that all before and nothing has changed.
In come Mile Sterjovski, Brent Griffiths, Nick Montgomery and Zac Anderson but the Mariners have lost their heart-and-soul skipper Alex Wilkinson and Mustafa Amini to top off losing Matt Simon and Rostyn Griffiths last season in a serious dent to their title hopes.
It will prove a major boon to have hung onto Graham Arnold to help bring the Mariners their first championship.
They’re well run off the field and are well drilled with a set system on it; which should see them stay in the top half of the table and a chance to take out a maiden championship.
However, though, they are the club that has been lauded for doing well with not much resources; the need to sell important players in the middle of seasons has hurt them, it cannot be denied.
But that is the reality while the club struggles for resources and they have done well with what they have had. I’m backing Arnie to continue that.
Prediction: Third.
Melbourne Heart
This looms as a defining year for the fledgling Melbourne club. They welcome foundation player and Socceroos icon John Aloisi to the top job as they farewell John van’t Schip and popular assistant Ante Milicic.
On field the squad has had quite the makeover. In come Richard Garcia, Patrick Gerhardt, Josip Tadic, Dylan Macallister, Golgol Mebrahtu, Steven Gray, David Vrankovic and Ben Garrucio as Rutger Worm, Curtis Good, Brendan Hamill, Alex Terra, Maycon among others fareweled the club.
What has been impressive from the Heart is their ability to engage with the broader community outside Melbourne and the section of the Melbourne football public that never took to or left their Victory neighbours.
They’ve done plenty of hard work off-field and have a philosophy on it. So this is where the pressure on Aloisi will come, to further that brand and bring success (in the form of that treasured toilet-bowl) within the coming years. This is a big ask for a rookie coach as success will be vital to growing their fan base.
Verdict: Ninth.
Melbourne Victory
Melbourne’s glamour and best supported club endured the season past in turmoil, and Australia’s own “special one” Ange Postecoglou has the challenge of restoring the club to where it feels it belongs.
Mass changes have been made to the list with veterans Carlos Hernandez, Tom Pondlejak, Grant Brebner and Matt Kemp departing, along with Harry Kewell, Jean-Carlo Solorzano and Ante Covic. In come Marcos Flores, Jonathan Bru, Guilherme Finkler, Adama Traore, Sam Gallagher, Theo Markelis and Spase Dilevski.
There will be a weight of expectation on Ange and his charges; this is part of the club and always will be. I just don’t know how fair that is.
As a Victory fan I have no expectations for this season coming. I look at this year as a steadying one after last year’s disaster. Time will be needed to get the Victory back to the top.
What is positive is that the squad has more depth and looks more flexible than perhaps ever. With Ange comes a culture of success; a system and a philosophy to carry the club forward.
Verdict: Fifth.
Newcastle Jets
The tyros from the Hunter endured an off-season where there was no guarantee a club would still be there. Thankfully, issues between Frank Lowy and Nathan Tinkler have been cooled and we can talk football now.
The Jets have secured the services of English journeyman Emile Heskey in a coup for the league and have recruited/elevated some bright young talent in Mitch Cooper, Craig Goodwin, Josh Mitchell, Connor Chapman, Dominik Ritter, Sam Gallaway, Mitch Oxborrow and Adam Targett to the club in a clear direction as to where they’re looking.
An exciting team to watch when playing their fast and attacking game that has been developing under Gary van Egmond from last season. A young side will take the field, having lost players like Nikolai Topor-Stanley, Kasey Wehrman and Tarek Elrich, and this presents the challenge of success in the short-term.
One fascinating sub-plot will be on Heskey and how he goes this season and possibly beyond. I’m not sure how he’ll fit in a fast and young Jets side, but he can add a different dimension up front and van Egmond has him here for a reason.
Some inexperience will count against them, but very much on the right track in developing with an attacking brand of football.
Verdict: Seventh.
Perth Glory
Payback on the mind of the runners-up and they should be thereabouts again this season; Fergie’s men are a great chance for a maiden A-League championship crown. Tony Sage has spared no expense in the quest for the crown with the club recruiting Michael Thwaite, Adrian Zahra, Chris Harold, Scott Jamieson, Nick Ward and promoting Ndumba Makeche and Brandon O’Neill to the squad.
I haven’t enjoyed watching the Glory play in the past and thought they were on track to be the same last season, but they were entertaining, played in front of big and loud crowds, and they got results.
Fergie tweaked his side around and got the best out of his squad and that will continue this season. Two players in Liam Miller and Shane Smeltz should also have a big season ahead. Another lesson is it also helps to have someone like Sage at the club that is passionate and willing to invest in the club.
Verdict: Challenging Brisbane for top spot but will just finish second.
Sydney FC
The ‘Bling’ is back and hopefully the fans will be too. Big changes for Sydney FC as Vitja Lavicka left the top job and assistant Ian Crook will step up to take charge of the Sky Blues. And, oh yes, they signed a guy named Del Piero.
In all seriousness, I’ve loved the headlines he has generated and I cannot wait to see how ‘Capitano’ goes. Joining Del Piero is Krunoslav Lovrek, Yairo Yau, Trent McClenahan, Adam Griffiths, Fabio, Ali Abbas, Paul Reid, Vedran Janjetovic and Hagi Gligor, Blake Powell and Dan Petkovski.
Crook is an experienced coach with a record of youth development heads. The squad seems to have more depth to it, with off-season signings galore. Off-field ‘football person’ Tony Pignata leads the club and has made great early moves ensuring free public transport to games with a membership.
All this comes with an expectation of instant results on the park and Crook will bear the brunt of it. I’ll tip them to play finals and Crook to do a solid job bringing in a system.
Verdict: Sixth.
Wellington Phoenix
Joins the Central Coast Mariners as one of the most stable clubs, having played finals in the past three seasons. The Phoenix have made do with a distinct home advantage and a manager that gets the best out of his squad and players.
Off-season owner troubles with Terry Serepisos, but that has been resolved with a business consortium now in charge. Favourite sons Tim Brown and Chris Greenacre have retired, as Kiwi keeper Glen Moss, defender Michael Boxall, Solomon Islands striker Benjamin Totori, Belgian striker Steyn Huysegems and ex-Jet Jeremy Brockie join the club.
Defensively disciplined and hard to break down, the ‘Nix have beefed up in attack with those attacking signings made. A reliance on Paul Ifill’s creativity has served them well, but he alone can’t break the Phoenix through the glass ceiling for that maiden championship, so attacking signings are important.
Recruiting defender Boxall also adds to a tough-as-nails defensive line. What can possibly bring them unstuck are injuries and under preforming signings.
Verdict: To continue their success with a big chance to be a contender in fourth.
Western Sydney Wanderers
The team that should have been in the A-League from day one was born earlier this year after the scrapping of Gold Coast United. Comes with the promise of Sydney derbies and a reconnection to football’s heartland.
Headed by young coach Tony Popovic and an inaugural squad with a blend of experience and youth, the Wanderers have an exciting look about them. However, the real test will be through the turnstiles at Parramatta Stadium and off the pitch.
Led by experienced inaugural captain Michael Beauchamp and Nikolai Topor-Stanley, a mix of Western Sydney youth, overseas signings in Dino Kresinger and Mateo Pollak, and have been linked to Michael Ballack and secured the services of Japanese playmaker Shinji Ono.
They’ll have an intriguing mix but have no experience as a team at this level and that will tell.
The more pressing matter is off-field and how important success in that area is. Engaging with the community and football loving public there should be the priority, as well as a system and brand of football that is synonymous with Western Sydney.
Verdict: Tenth.
Brick Tamlin of the Pants Party
Guest
So Melange your confident if Franjic didn't put out his foot and score an own goal the free Glory player coming in at the far post would missed the open net?.Brisbane scored the own goal because their defence was under immense pressure from a Perth counter attack.Perth were trying to nick a result against,and i have no problem saying it,a superior footballing side away from home in front of a big hostile crowd(well it was big i think we all know Glory fans won off the pitch).Anyway heres my prediction for the league. BR PG CCM SYD NEW MV WELL ADL WSW MH Melbourne are the hardest team to pedict for me,i think people just think Ange is going to come in and wave his magic wand and they will be world beaters,im not so sure.
fadida
Guest
Not much between 6-9 as I said. Thwaite i rate. Bas is decent. Miller and burns not an energetic midfield. They will be hard to break down but I think will find it very hard to break sides down due to tactics and lack of creativity. Preseason form counts for absolutely nothing btw. Often it means you are just ahead in your programme. Other sides catch up by the start
Ian
Guest
the shootout can be a mixture of skill and luck and the miracle of a keeper making a save. i was confident of the roar finishing off perth in extra time. regardless - the wonders of another season await all of us.. ;-)
Brisbane Roar
Guest
yes we sat behind them,i think we were around section 307/308 or something but moved a couple of sections towards the centre as couldn't hear a thing. they are loud, though used the same chants over and over. but the japanese supporters were certainly into it.
Futbanous
Guest
Sat behind the Japanese supporters at that match,created a great atmosphere. Hopefully next year we do better.
Nathan of Perth
Roar Rookie
My personal feelings have been that we could have forced it through to KFTPM and with the composure of experience and having some very good spot kick takers in the team we could have taken it. But obviously it was by no means in the bag and we were very much up against it after the red card. C'est l'vie, the penalty was given and the Championship was lost. Now we have Sunday to look forward to, and 27 rounds with which to fight out a new Premier. If 2011/12 wasn't to be then perhaps 2012/13 will bear more fruit :)
Ian
Guest
while you don't seem to whinge about your grand final being taken from you (take that as a compliment), i think its relevant for those saying we (perth) were about to win and were robbed. as per the other article on ferguson and an article with mehmet on the world game website just recently, talking about being robbed, wrong decisions, it was our game etc, as if perth were about to win the match going into extra time a man down, - when the game was 1-1 along with everything else in the game, i think its ok for no shots on goal to be mentioned. and of course you were playing to win.........so were we.
Brisbane Roar
Guest
yes, i forgot about the qualification. i enjoyed the acl games too. the first roar v tokyo game was a cracker even though we lost 0-2.
Nathan of Perth
Roar Rookie
This is exactly the sort of thing that shows that football does not lend itself to being itemised in a list of statistics...
Nathan of Perth
Roar Rookie
"Forget about the GF ‘controversy’ and start worrying more about why you didn’t have a single shot on goal." We didn't need a shot on goal we bounced one in off the leg of a Roar player, it's not like he simply turned and scored it for ourselves. And after that, it's a cup game, we were playing to win, not playing for goal difference.
Nathan of Perth
Roar Rookie
Perth had great pre-season form last year and it was a good omen - hopefully this year we can skip the interminable trough where Fergie tried to screw around with the formation to accommodate the late signing of Billy Mehmet. When we went back to our pre-season formations and tactics we achieved the pre-season style results.
Nathan of Perth
Roar Rookie
PG 9th?? Even if you think we overachieved, with Bas VDB and Thwaite in front of Vukovic, I think that the sheer difficulty of scoring on us will prevent us from falling nearly that far this year.
Futbanous
Guest
There already is a reward for winning the premiership,automatic qualification for the Asian Champions League. May not be part of Australian sporting culture for many years due to newness,but it is a significant reward for being first on the ladder at seasons end. Thoroughly enjoyed the Roars 3 home matches against Asian opposition earlier this year,even though we weren't dominant,but were back again next year.
Brisbane Roar
Guest
yes that is true for the a-league. we don't have more than one division yet. we just have clubs disintegrate financially. i guess we'll just have to enjoy the finals. it is great seeing a massive crowd, for me personally, seeing 50,000 in brisbane mainly in orange is a spectacle for a grand final. perhaps they could make more of the premiership with financial rewards or fanfare to make it more worthwhile in australia sporting culture in addition to the finals series.
Cappuccino
Roar Guru
Uit the great thing about the finals (and discussion of who will make the six throughout the season) is that they are a substitute for what the A-League currently can't have, but is commonplace around the football world- relegation. It means that teams that haven't really got a chance at the premiership still have an important goal throughout the season.
Brisbane Roar
Guest
true - then we'd just be the other football codes. not that there is anything wrong with finals - i love them. with my league team, the broncos (a distant second to the roar) there have been many years where i just hoped they would make the finals just for an extra week in the hunt even though they were rubbish and knew they would be knocked out. that's finals for you.
Roger
Guest
Agreed ;)
nordster
Guest
Geez can't we speculate on the league Premiership race first :D Apologies to Kyle Patterson, but playoffs are mediocrity when u dont even need to finish top half to qualify ...now where's my Freddo Frog Mr Patterson! An end of season cup is fab and all but really if all we are going to hear is "whose making the top six" all year then we may as well all switch off till week 20 odd of the season...
Cappuccino
Roar Guru
One of the most interesting developments for the new season is the changed format of the Finals Series. Once we get to that stage, the Championship is going to be so open- even sixth place will be just two games away from the GF, and now, even if a team comes fifth, they can theoretically end up hosting the decider. It'll be interesting to see how teams deal with the pressure of every finals match being knockout, and whether a lower ranking team can cause some upsets in the Finals.
Cappuccino
Roar Guru
Perth will only get better, in my opinion. Their recruitment has been solid, Thwaite being the standout, and their preseason form has been excellent- nine wins from ten games, I think (though I may be wrong on that stat) and they most recently beat the Victory in Melbourne. They should be a favourite for the premiership, and I'd be very, very surprised if they don't make the six.