Never seen anything like it before

Don’t really understand why A-League socials never post about our teams in ACL competition? For example, why would you not highlight that Victory won 3-0 against FC Seoul last night? Very lazy stuff tbh, this should be the bare minimum.

FT: 90' - BG Pathum United 1 vs 2 Adelaide United

Stadium: True BG Stadium, Patum Thani

Weather: 26.3°C, Overcast, Wind: 5 km/h

Fixture Date: 15/10/2026, 11:15 pm AEDT

Referee: Mohammed Ahmed Al Shammari

Home Lineup:

Formation: 4-4-2

Substitutes: C. Tamma, W. Phraothaisong, E. Osmanović, Marko Nikolić, Matheus Costa, F. Kaufmann, João Magno, L. James, N. Ineachaeoen, A. Coffey, W. Choolthong

Away Lineup:

Formation: 4-4-2

Substitutes: A. Tatu, F. Talladira, A. Riak, F. Kasumovic, L. Đuzel, E. Cox, J. Garuccio

###Match Events:

2': ⚽ BG Pathum United - Marin Jurina (Patrik Gustavsson)

10': ⚽ Adelaide United - Craig Goodwin

55': 🟨 BG Pathum United - Sarach Yooyen (Foul)

59': 🟨 Adelaide United - Anselmo de Moraes (Dissent)

63': 🔄 Adelaide United - Ajak Riak replaces Brody Burkitt

64': 🔄 Adelaide United - Fabian Talladira replaces Jay Barnett

66': 🔄 BG Pathum United - Fabio Kaufmann replaces Lucas Andersen

66': 🔄 BG Pathum United - Ashley Mark Coffey replaces Hugo Rama

66': 🔄 BG Pathum United - Marko Nikolić replaces Yefferson Quintana

70': 🟨 Adelaide United - Panagiotis Kikianis (Foul)

72': 🔄 BG Pathum United - Waris Chuthong replaces Patrik Gustavsson

73': 🔄 Adelaide United - Joey Garuccio replaces Jonny Yull

77': ⚽ Adelaide United - Ethan Alagich (Juan Muñiz)

80': 🟨 BG Pathum United - Anthony Belmonte (Foul)

83': 🔄 BG Pathum United - Joao Magno replaces Anthony Belmonte

85': 🔄 Adelaide United - Amlani Tatu replaces Craig Goodwin

85': 🔄 Adelaide United - Feyzo Kasumovic replaces Anselmo de Moraes

89': 🟨 Adelaide United - Ajak Riak (Foul)

99': 🔄 BG Pathum United - Edin Osmanović replaces Jonathan Scherzer

###Match Statistics:

Last Updated: 16/10/2026, 01:12 am AEDT

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YOU COULD HAVE SUPPORTED MELBOURNE VICTORY DURING THE AUSTRALIA CUP...

FT: 94' - Preston Lions 0 vs 0 Wollongong Wolves

Stadium: Genis Steel Stadium, Melbourne

Weather: 14.3°C, Overcast, Wind: 7.9 km/h

Fixture Date: 15/10/2026, 07:30 pm AEDT

Referee: Unknown

Lineups not available

###Match Events:

18': 🟨 Preston Lions - null

Match Statistics Unavailable

Last Updated: 15/10/2026, 09:28 pm AEDT

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Can’t wait for the new season.

May to Genreau to Santos. Great to see an A League club knock off a top Korean club.

Doesn't have to be a star, just someone who has distinct characteristics you enjoy watching.

For me, it's Guillermo May. He kinda reminds me of late-era Messi (stay with me) - slow but still dribbly, almost exclusively left-footed, both a playmaker and a striker, allowed to have a bit of free role. Fun watching him roam around, drift into pockets and see what he'll do with the ball.

A few from last year who I'll miss: Verstraete, Brattan, Kuen, Eze. As someone who doesn’t support a team but loves the league, one of the best parts of following it is discovering players with their own unique traits and style.

Video spotlight from the AFC on city's latest champions leauge campaign

This is the name of a new bar/clubhouse that will be opening, owned by Central Coast Mariners FC, open year round. Near the stadium, and money will go from it to the Mariners women's A League team. Good for both leagues to have anything like this.

Robbie Thomson, Scott Mackinnon, Alex Brosque, Archie Thompson, Nalin Mastou, Daniel Garb, Tara Rushton, Bruce Djite, Grace Gill, Daniel McBreen, Erik Paartalu.

EDIT: Daniel McBreen has since confirmed Harper is also part of the team, but was absent for the shoot.

FT: 90' - Melbourne Victory 3 vs 0 FC Seoul

Stadium: AAMI Park, Melbourne

Weather: 10.1°C, Clear, Wind: 15.1 km/h

Fixture Date: 14/10/2026, 06:45 pm AEDT

Referee: Clifford Postanes Daypuyat

Home Lineup:

Formation: 4-4-2

Substitutes: Jack Mihailidis, J. Davidson, O. Dragicevic, M. Ghossaini, T. Lockyer, F. Lino, C. Nduka, M. Olukhale, Clarismario Rodrigues, William Kengni, X. Stella, J. Warshawsky

Away Lineup:

Formation: 4-4-2

Substitutes: Yun Ki-Wook, Park Seong-Hun, Lee Hyun-Seo, Ko Pil-gwan, Ji-Won Kim, Jeong Hyeon-ung, Ji-Seop Shin, Kim Kang-Jun, Jung Ha-won

###Match Events:

45': 🔄 FC Seoul - Jung Ha-won replaces Min-Jun Kim

54': 🔄 FC Seoul - Jeong Hyeon-ung replaces Seloh Samuel Gbato

54': 🔄 FC Seoul - Park Seong-Hun replaces Lee Sang-min

63': 🔄 Melbourne Victory - Michael Ghossaini replaces Harrison Sawyer

63': 🔄 Melbourne Victory - Clarismario Santos Rodrigues replaces Matthew Grimaldi

63': ⚽ Melbourne Victory - Guillermo May

70': 🟨 FC Seoul - Ahn Jae-min (Foul)

72': 🔄 Melbourne Victory - Xavier Stella replaces Keegan Jelacic

73': ⚽ Melbourne Victory - Clarismario Santos Rodrigues (Denis Genreau)

76': 🔄 FC Seoul - Pil-Gwan Ko replaces Park Jang Han-Gyeol

79': 🔄 Melbourne Victory - Franco Lino replaces Harrison Shillington

80': 🔄 Melbourne Victory - Charles Nduka replaces Guillermo May

80': 🔄 FC Seoul - Ji-Seop Shin replaces Jeong Hyeon-Woo

84': ⚽ Melbourne Victory - Jordi Valadon (Denis Genreau)

###Match Statistics:

Last Updated: 14/10/2026, 08:40 pm AEDT

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Ok. Hear me out.

I’m posting this to get some legitimate feedback on how to bring football culture closer in line with the euro/world game. Was thinking about how to make the premier the most important award but still keep a grand final as we are conditioned to expect sporting finals.

Please don’t respond simply with how you think I’m fucking brain dead or something needlessly aggressive as I am actually interested in how this idea may or may not be feasible.

There’s always debate about the A-League finals vs. the European model. In Australia, the Grand Final is king. In world football, finishing top after a full season is king.

Can we have both? I reckon yes.

What if we make the regular season title the main prize. Turn the finals into a separate post-season knockout cup that all teams can win. The Grand Final stays, but it’s no longer the be-all and end-all.

1. Trophies and prestige

• 1st after regular season = A-League Champions / Premiership winners. This is the true title.
• Grand Final winner = A-League Cup Winners (or Finals Champions). Still a big day, but a secondary trophy.
• Media and league promote the Premiers as the main champions.

2. Rewards
• Asian Champions League spot goes primarily to the regular season winner as it already does
• Prize money heavily weighted to the regular season, e.g. 70/30 split between Premiership and Finals Cup.
• Top 4 get home finals and a bye into the quarter-finals.

3. The format (using 12 teams as an example)

All teams enter the post-season knockout.

Play-in round:
• 5th vs 12th
• 6th vs 11th
• 7th vs 10th
• 8th vs 9th
• Higher seed hosts. Winners advance.
Quarter-finals:
• 1st vs lowest-ranked play-in winner
• 2nd vs highest-ranked play-in winner
• 3rd vs next highest
• 4th vs next highest
• Top 4 host.
Semi-finals:
• Single leg, highest seed hosts.
Grand Final:
• Neutral venue or highest seed hosts.

Why it could work
• Keeps the Grand Final as a marquee event.
• Gives every team something to play for late in the season.
• Rewards consistent excellence over 26 rounds.
• Aligns more with global football without killing the Australian finals tradition.
• Top teams get real advantages: home finals, easier draws, more money.
Challenges
• Fans are conditioned to see the Grand Final as the only thing that matters.
• The league and media would need to actually sell the Premiership as the main prize.
• Fixture congestion if all teams play extra knockout rounds.
• Without relegation, the regular season can still feel dead for some clubs, but an all-in playoff helps fix that.

TL;DR: Make first-past-the-post the main trophy. Turn the finals into an all-teams knockout cup. Grand Final stays, but as a secondary cup competition.

What do you reckon? Would you support this? How would you tweak the format? And how would the calendar need to be tweaked to fit it in?

Dropped via Aleague socials about an hour ago. We are so back.

Can’t link Facebook so you’ll have to hunt it down on insta /fb / TikTok