With 2009 having concluded and no A-League games to speak of, I thought it would be an opportune time to reflect on the year that was for Melbourne Victory.

High point of the Year.

It's probably a toss-up between Melbourne's second Premiership/Championship double in four seasons and the signing of Carlos Hernandez on a three-year deal and in the process setting a new A-League transfer record.  Other highlights include the 4-0 demolition of Adelaide United in the second leg of the Major Semi-Final and the 4-0 win over Gold Coast United at Etihad Stadium with the stands pushed in.

I would probably give it to the winning of the double for the second time and in the process winning all three trophies that were on offer last season.

Low point of the Year.

Most probably the 3-0 loss to Sydney earlier this season. Don't like losing to the baby blue boys at the best of times but having three goals put past us in the space of five minutes on our home turf was truly demoralising. It also made for a thoroughly boring 70 minutes of football that followed.

Game of the Year.

I was going to say the 3-2 win over Sydney but unfortunately that was at the very end of 2008 so it would definitely have to be the aforementioned 4-0 win over Adelaide. Never have I seen a Melbourne Victory team play so well as I did that night.

 Goal of the Year.

This is a complete no brainer.  Carlos Hernandez's wonder strike against Gold Coast United blows all other contenders out of the water. Couldn't have happened against a better team either could it now.

 Signing of the Year.

The Carlos Hernandez signing aside, it's probably between the signing of Surat Sukha and the re-signing of Adrian Leijer. Melbourne took a huge risk on signing Thai international, Sukha, considering that no other South-East Asian player had been ever signed by an A-League club. The central midfielder/defender has been immense so far this year until he got injured.

As for the signing of Leijer, it came at the perfect time as Melbourne was struggling to put together a back-line after the early season injury to Kevin Muscat. Leijer has fitted seamlessly back into the team, it's almost like he was never gone.

I would probably give it Sukha, as it is a clear case of the Melbourne hierarchy again thinking outside the square.

Coaching decision of the Year.

It would have to come down to Merrick's decision to play Hernandez in the Major Semi-Final Second Leg (I sure do like to go on about that game don't I), literally only hours after stepping off the plane from Costa Rica or his recent decision to "rest" Glen Moss in favour of Mitchell Langerak.

Since Round 15, when the young Queenslander has been between the posts, Melbourne has only conceded two goals and the defence is starting to look as mean as it did last season.

If Melbourne win the Premiership again this season I would probably give it for the decision to give Langerak his chance but as I can't see into the future, the decision to play Hernandez in such a crucial game does it for me.

Best favour from an opposition player.

This one goes to Gold Coast's Bas van den Brink for his decision to pretty much stand behind Muscat as he took that penalty at Skilled Park, meaning that it had to be taken again. You wouldn't expect Captain Kev to make the same mistake twice. Plus this incident riles a fellow blogger every time it's mentioned, so I have to put it in.

A close second would be Danny Vukovic's performance against Adelaide United in the last game of the 2008-09 season, that denied the boys in red the opportunity to take the Premiership and the automatic qualification for the ACL. Never before have I cheered for an opposition goalkeeper so much.

What do you think of my choices?