We’ve reached the pivotal stages of the Ninja A-League season. Who will take home the Premiership? Can Melbourne City finish the season without a loss? Which teams will secure their spots in the Finals Series? Who will claim the Golden Boot? Here’s a snapshot of the current situation.
With plenty still at stake, the climax of the 2024-25 Ninja A-League season promises to be thrilling.
As we look towards the Finals Series, let’s dissect the current landscape across the league.
The Premiership
Melbourne City stands tall as the team to beat, but could there be a last-minute twist in their quest for consecutive Premierships?
Undefeated and at the top of the ladder, the record-breaking 2023-24 Grand Finalists are poised to defend their Premier’s Plate with a five-point lead over their rivals. However, Melbourne Victory is closing in on them.
City faces a challenging end to their regular season, with three of their last four matches scheduled away from home, all while managing commitments in the AFC Women’s Champions League.
While Victory sits five points behind, they do have a game in hand. If Melbourne’s navy blue side wins that match, they’ll narrow the gap to just two points, with four fixtures remaining.
Jeff Hopkins’ Victory is on a roll, currently on an eight-match unbeaten streak and having lost just once in their last 16 outings.
Then there’s Adelaide United. After languishing at the bottom last season, they have made a remarkable resurgence, sitting in third place, trailing the league leaders by seven points after a thrilling 4-3 defeat to City last week.
Claiming the Premier’s Plate would not only secure silverware but would also guarantee a place in next season’s AFC Women’s Champions League.
Remaining fixtures
Melbourne City: Brisbane Roar (A), Wellington Phoenix (A), Newcastle Jets (H), Perth Glory (A).
Melbourne Victory: Newcastle Jets (H), Adelaide United (H), Central Coast Mariners (A), Brisbane Roar (H), Western Sydney Wanderers (A – TBC).
Adelaide United: Brisbane Roar (H), Melbourne Victory (A), Western United (A), Sydney FC (H).
Invincibles?
Sitting at the top with a sensational 19-game unbeaten streak, Michael Matricciani’s Melbourne City is on the brink of making history.
With only four regular season matches remaining, and competing in the quarter-finals of the AFC Women’s Champions League, City is aiming for an undefeated season—a feat they have accomplished not once, but twice before!
In the Ninja A-League’s history, only three teams have managed an entire season without a loss: Canberra United in 2011-12 (P10, W7, D3), and Melbourne City in 2015-16 (P12, W12) and 2019-20 (P12, W11, D1).
The key difference between City’s current pursuit and those past campaigns is the volume of matches, as they must navigate through a 23-round season to achieve this remarkable feat.
Top Six Race
As the Finals Series approaches, the battle for the top six positions is heating up.
Aside from City, Victory, and Adelaide, Western United, Brisbane Roar, and Central Coast Mariners currently fill the remaining three spots in the top six, but six additional teams still harbour finals ambitions.
There’s a mere six-point gap separating fourth-placed Western from eighth-placed Wellington Phoenix as we head into the final four matches.
Currently, Brisbane and Central Coast are just holding onto their positions in the top six, with winless streaks extending to four and five matches respectively, while Canberra United and Wellington are hot on their heels.
Newcastle Jets, last season’s semi-finalists, are clawing back into contention with three consecutive victories, sitting just five points outside the top six, while Perth Glory is trailing by a point.
The two-time reigning champions, Sydney FC, and last-placed Western Sydney Wanderers are also still mathematically in the race, though they would need several favourable outcomes to make the finals cut.
Remaining fixtures
Western United: Newcastle Jets (A), Adelaide United (H), Wellington Phoenix (A).
Brisbane Roar: Adelaide United (A), Melbourne City (H), Central Coast Mariners (A), Western Sydney Wanderers (H), Melbourne Victory (A).
Central Coast Mariners: Wellington Phoenix (A), Brisbane Roar (H), Melbourne Victory (H), Newcastle Jets (A).
Canberra United: Sydney FC (H), Perth Glory (A), Wellington Phoenix (H), Western Sydney Wanderers (A).
Wellington Phoenix: Central Coast Mariners (H), Melbourne City (H), Canberra United (A), Western United (H).
Newcastle Jets: Melbourne Victory (A), Western United (H), Melbourne City (A), Central Coast Mariners (H).
Perth Glory: Western Sydney Wanderers (H), Canberra United (H), Sydney FC (A), Melbourne City (H).
Sydney FC: Canberra United (A), Western Sydney Wanderers (A), Perth Glory (H), Adelaide United (A).
Western Sydney Wanderers: Perth Glory (A), Sydney FC (H), Brisbane Roar (A), Canberra United (H).
Golden Boot
The race for the Golden Boot is tightening as the season winds down.
Currently, joint-leaders and CommBank Matildas stars Emily Gielnik (Melbourne Victory) and Holly McNamara (Melbourne City) are neck and neck, each having found the net 10 times this season.
McNamara is finishing strongly after a hat-trick last week, but another Australian sensation is hot on their trails.
Brisbane Roar veteran Tameka Yallop trails them by just one goal, enjoying her best season yet in the league with nine goals—her highest tally in the A-Leagues, although she has previously surpassed ten goals while playing in Norway.
Roar teammate and emerging talent Laini Freier sits on eight goals, while the Adelaide United trio of Fiona Worts, Chelsie Dawber, and Erin Healy, along with Western United’s Chloe Logarzo and Sienna Saveska from Western Sydney Wanderers, have all netted seven times.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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