Grand finals aside, the A-League produced the goods once again

Reflecting on a full season of football, or any sport for that matter, cannot be done with just the victors in the lens.

Waiting until we know Saturday’s A-League grand final result and then selecting it as our most memorable moment is easy and reactive. It also pushes aside many of the wonderful performances, memories, stories and disasters we will take from the season in its entirety.

No doubt, Saturday will be insane; tinged with destiny, drama and decisions that will create another chapter of A-League history. The Jets and Victory have a title to win and a special little seat to hold aloft.

However, before we all get lost in the hysteria and drama yet to unfold in the final match of the season let’s take a moment to reflect, in a footballing sense, on some of the best and worst moments of season 13.

1. The Jets
When Lawrie McKinna took the reins as CEO at Newcastle, he was stunned by the silence in the offices. He immediately told his staff to make some noise, laugh a little and remember that football is supposed to be fun.

It was a vivid insight into the thinking of a remarkable man and as he danced his way through the final stages of the semi-final win against City last Friday, his words were lived in practice.

The players must have heard his request, as they appeared to apply the same principles on the pitch. Racking up 57 goals in the home-and-away season and playing an unrivalled attacking brand, Newcastle lit up the league.

Irrespective of the result this weekend, coming from the depths of last place and three years of misery has seen the Jets become the feel-good story of the league.

With an exhausted allocation as of first thing Monday morning, it’s obvious that the fans don’t need the atmosphere and passion that will permeate McDonald Jones Stadium to be explained to them.

[latest_videos_strip category=”football” name=”Football”]

2. Adrian Mierzejewski
Getting recruitment spot-on is one of the key ingredients in football success. Without imports and marquees, the A-League is far weaker. Identifying players, watching tape and trusting the opinions of overseas scouts is an exercise fraught with disaster.

Recently, Sydney FC have done it better than most. When Adrian Mierzejewski arrived, there were high hopes in the harbour city. The first thing I heard about the former international was in a message that popped up in my Twitter feed after his signing.

A comment made by a colleague of mine, it read that he’s Polish and pretty good. Well, that seems a little understated now but in a sense, it captured everything perfectly and how ‘good’ has he been? Not only has his class been on display each week, his resilience and professionalism are just as impressive.

It seems apt to write these words just hours before Mierzejewski will win the Johnny Warren Medal (this article could go well and truly pear-shaped if last night has unfolded differently and Bobo has snatched the prize).

Either way, Adrian has been the star performer this season and a treat for fans of every club to watch.

Hopefully, long gone are the days of the ageing veteran cashing in on a storied career with a couple of light years in the A-League. Let’s hope we see more and more Mierzejewski types in the new season’s recruitment drive and less and less Massimo Maccarones.

Adrian Mierzejewski of Sydney FC (AAP Image/Brendan Esposito)

3. Wanderers
2017-18 will be a season to forget for Western Sydney. When Tony Popovic departed for Turkey so early, chasing a long-term dream from which he has never shied away, his replacement was crucial.

In former Olyroos manager, national team assistant and proven A-League winner Josep Gombau, it appeared the club had made a logical choice in appointing his successor.

Truth be told, the fans, frustrated with performances on the pitch, wanted more passion, frustration and action from the new man. Still feeling lost and soulless at Spotless and ANZ Stadiums respectively, with their new coliseum under construction in Parramatta, the Red and Black Bloc grew ever restless and eventually marched.

Wherever people stand on active support, crowd behaviour and the ‘f’ word, the Wanderers’ home matches became something quite eerie and bizarre.

How things have unraveled to this point cannot be compressed into a few simple ideas. What can be done is an honest identification and recognition of the events of the past that ultimately leads to the club, supporters and the FFA working together to get the Wanderers and their fans back where they belong.

AAP Image/Paul Miller

4. Players
I grin ear to ear when I watch my little tin-pot league on Fox Sports – always have, always will. It means more to me than any league in the world. I have been to the stadiums, I meet some of the players and I get it. Because it is mine.

This season will forever be etched in my mind. Seeing Andrew Nabbout grow into an international footballer and sign a lucrative overseas deal was thrilling. Watching Daniel Arzani scythe his way through hapless defenses each week developed further optimism for our national squad.

Throw in Dimitri Petratos’ season of growth, Ryan Kitto’s improvement, and the return of Adam Taggart and Rhys Williams to fitness and form. Not forgetting Chris Ikonomidis’ impressive season in Western Sydney and a certain scorpion kick that stunned the world.

AAP Image/Darren Pateman

However, one AAMI Park moment will linger as long as any other. We should never forget the best of a certain Kosovo marksman and what he has brought to this league for nearly a decade.

At his best, Besart Berisha was the most valuable asset in the competition, something the Victory realised as they lured the striker from a northern paradise to the Victorian capital and the dark depths of chilly winters.

The strike in the final moments of normal time to advance Victory to the grand final will, along with many other moments, brand fans permanently with season 13 of the A-League.

We will all go bananas on Saturday no matter where our support, jealousy or interests lie. Yet what is certain, despite all its failings, the A-League has produced again.

Now that it is expanding, who knows what the future holds?