Newcastle Jets

Last season: 8th

This Season: 10th

The Jets received the unwanted wooden spoon award following a wretched run of six straight defeats at the end of the campaign.

Head coach Mark Jones, who was only appointed in September, paid the price last month, after watching his side concede 16 goals without reply in the final five games of the season.

It has now been nine years since the Jets last finished inside the top six and tasted finals football.

Highlight

The Jets started the season with a bang, hammering an undercooked Brisbane Roar side 4-0 in Round Two.

The hosts dominated for large spells at the McDonald Jones Stadium, as goals from Nigel Boogaard, Steven Ugarkovic and Devante Clut followed an own goal from Brisbane’s Jack Hingert.

An energetic and efficient performance gave Newcastle fans hope in the early stages of the season, as the Hunter outfit took five points from their first three fixtures.

Lowlight

A 5-0 drubbing away at Wellington Pheonix came in the thick of an end of season collapse.

Following a 4-0 defeat to Melbourne Victory in Round 23, the Jets were once again outplayed by an understrength Wellington side in New Zealand.

First half goals from Kosta Barbarouses and Gui Finkler put the hosts in control before half time.

Matthew Ridenton and Roly Bonevacia also found the net, either side of an own goal from Jason Hoffman.

Star Player

Andrew Nabbout

The tricky winger hit a purple patch midway through the season, scoring six goals in seven games between rounds 11 and 17.

Like his teammates, the 24-year-old’s form dipped towards the end of the season, as defenders began to realise the Aussie’s talents.

Nabbout finished the season with eight goals, which was more than any other Newcastle player, and he is likely to be a key asset next campaign.   

 

 

Adelaide United

Last Season: 1st

This Season: 9th

Last season’s champions never looked like defending their title after a fairy-tale 2015/16 campaign.

The Reds failed to replace top scorers Bruce Djite and Pablo Sanchez, who scored 20 league goals between them last year, and as a result Guillermo Amor’s side finished the season as the division’s lowest scorers with just 25 goals.

Defender Stefan Mauk was also a huge loss, as the Reds conceded 18 more goals than in the previous season - when they had the tightest backline in the division.

After a poor pre-season in terms of recruitment, it took nine weeks for Adelaide to record their first victory of the season. They won just four more league games after that.

Highlight

There wasn’t much to shout about for the Reds in the A-League this campaign, however their AFC Champions League campaign at least brought them some joy.

A 3-1 victory in Korea over Jeju Utd was the main highlight, while a last-minute equaliser from Senegalese striker Babá saw Adelaide earn a 3-3 draw away at Gaba Osaka.

In the league, the Reds greatest triumph came at the Hindmarsh Stadium against Melbourne City in Round 15.

Adelaide came from a goal behind to record a dramatic 2-1 victory, with Mark Ochieng netting an 87th minute winner, sending the home fans into raptures.

Lowlight

Adelaide were a shambolic wreck in their 5-0 defeat at home to Perth Glory in Round 19.

The home fans fell silent after just 15 minutes when defender Lacopo La Rocca headed the ball into his own net - with no opposition players anywhere near him.

Perth’s Diego Castro was then allowed far too much space to cut in from the left-hand-side and make it 2-0 with a neat finish into the far corner.

Adelaide’s wayward defending continued, as Andy Keogh and Adam Taggart registered on the scoresheet before Castro completed the rout.

Star Player

Dylan McGowan was the backbone of Adelaide’s defence, playing all 27 of the Reds’ league games.

In his third season with the club, McGowan made 120 clearances, 57 blocks and finished the campaign with an 81 per cent passing accuracy.

The defender also scored four goals and finished the season as his side’s top scorer- emphasising Adelaide’s lack of firepower.

Central Coast Mariners

Last Season: 10th

This Season: 8th

The Mariners amassed 10 more points than last season, when they were cut adrift at the bottom of the A-League.

The fact that Paul Okon’s side briefly threatened to break into the top six is a big testament to the manager, whose resources were limited compared to other A-League clubs.

A run of three straight victories between Rounds 17 and 19 moved the Mariners to within two points of the top six, however they won just one of their final eight games- conceding 17 goals in the process.

Highlight

A 2-0 win away at Western Sydney Wanderers in Round 19 gave the Mariners hope that they could snatch a finals spot.

It followed back-to-back home victories over Perth Glory and Adelaide United and suggested that the Mariners had fixed their leaky defence- conceding just once in three games.

Roy O'Donovan, who has agreed to join Newcastle Jets next season, netted a second half brace following some wasteful finishing from the Wanderers.

Lowlight

The Mariners’ defensive frailties were ruthlessly exposed in Round 25, as they were thumped 5-1 by Brisbane Roar.

After a goalless first half, the Mariners took a shock lead four minutes after the interval thanks to a cracker from Fabio Ferreira.

However, the visitors quickly fell apart at the Suncorp Stadium, with in-form forward Jamie Maclaren scoring an eight-minute hat-trick.

Key Player(s)

Roy O’Donovan was the Mariners main source of goals, scoring 11 in the league despite playing for a bottom half side.

Combative midfielder and captain Nick Montgomery, now retired, was also influential for Paul Okon’s side, creating chances for his team mates in the final third while also protecting the back four.  

Wellington Phoenix

Last Season: 9th

This Season: 7th

A stuttering start to the season, which saw Wellington record just two wins in nine games, ultimately left the New Zealanders with a mountain to climb, as they missed out on The Finals by six points.

Coach Ernie Merrick resigned in December after three years at the club, as Chris Greenacre and Des Buckingham were appointed as joint interim head coaches.

At times the Nix went toe-to-toe with, and even defeated, some of the A-League’s big hitters, however their inconsistency and shaky defence ultimately cost them a finals spot.

Highlight

Two convincing wins over title-chasing Melbourne Victory showed what the Nix were capable of on their day.

Back in January, Wellington stunned Kevin Muscat’s men at the Westpac Stadium, winning 3-0 courtesy of goals from Roly Bonevacia, Jacob Tratt and Kosta Barbarouses

Wellington were also the only team to beat Victory at AAMI Park in April, after another 3-0 triumph.

Lowlight

Ironically, Wellington’s darkest hour also came against Victory when they were thrashed 6-1 at the Etihad Stadium in Round Four.

Besart Berisha netted a hat-trick, while Marco Rojas (twice) and Mitch Austin also took advantage of Wellington’s porous backline.

The result left the Nix rooted to the bottom of the table with no points after four games.

Star Player

Roy Krishna

The versatile forward from Fiji enjoyed a productive season, scoring 12 league goals and recording five assists.

A first half brace against Newcastle Jets in Round Five was among the 29-year-old’s highlights, as was his opening, solo goal in the 3-0 victory over Central Coast Mariners.

Krishna created a total of 50 chances for his teammates over the course of the campaign, with Wellington scoring a respectable 41 league goals.

Western Sydney Wanderers

Last Season: 2nd

This Season: 6th

A late revival almost saved an otherwise disappointing season for the Wanderers, who were unfortunate to lose a captivating Elimination Final to Brisbane Roar on penalties.

Tony Popovic’s side appeared to be peaking at the right time, taking 11 points from their final five A-League games to secure a Finals place.

Even so, the Wanderers still fell 12 points short of last season’s points total, when they finished second on the A-League ladder and reached the Grand Final.

Highlight

Brendon Santalab’s brilliant hat-trick against Melbourne City in Round 24 was a standout moment, as the Wanderers came from behind to beat a play-off rival.

A neat finish and two powerful headers earned the 34-year-old striker his first hat-trick in the A-League, following his move to Western Sydney in 2013.

A 1-0 derby win over runaway Premiers and local rivals Sydney FC in Round 20 also demonstrated the Wanderers’ ability.

Lowlight

Two 3-0 defeats to Melbourne Victory would have been difficult to fathom for a side which were fighting for the Premiership last campaign.

However, the Wanderers’ performances in the AFC Champions League were even more embarrassing.

Popovic’s side were thrashed on numerous occasions against Urawa Reds (twice) and Shanghai SIPG, as they limped out of the competition in the group stages.

Star Player(s)

Brendon Santalab became the first ever Wanderers player to score over 11 goals in a single A-League campaign, finishing with 14 overall.

The 34-year-old’s goals kept the Wanderers in contention for a Finals spot, as did the creativity of Nicolas Martinez.

The Argentine winger, on loan from Olympiacos, featured in every league game, creating 46 chances and proving eight assists.