Melbourne City

Last Season: 4th

This Season: 4th

Amid a wave of expectation, City started the season like a house on fire, winning three of their first four league games, including an emphatic 4-1 triumph over local rivals Melbourne Victory.

After winning the FFA Cup at the end of November, City sat second on the A-League ladder just four points behind leaders Sydney FC, however a subsequent lull and five game winless run derailed their Premiership hopes.

Coach John van’t Schip stepped down in January to return to Holland and be with his dying father.

His assistant Michael Valkanis took charge and guided City to their third successive Finals Series.

However, it all ended tonelessly, as City lost a one-sided Elimination Final 2-0 at home to Perth Glory.

Highlight

Winning the FFA Cup and their first piece of silverware in November was obviously a big step forward for City.

Marquee signing Tim Cahill well and truly delivered against Sydney FC in a gripping final, scoring the only goal of the game with a cushioned header.

City also beat Melbourne Victory and Western Sydney Wanderers on their way to the trophy, underlining their ability in one-off games.

Lowlight

The Elimination Final defeat to Perth Glory was hugely disappointing, with City barely laying a glove on their opponents in an abject first half.

Diego Castro and Joel Chianese capitalised on City’s hesitant first half performance, putting Perth 2-0 up before the interval.

Despite an improvement from Valkanis’ side after the break, the damage had already been done and the game quickly petered out alongside City’s season.

Star Player(s)

Bruno Fornaroli may not have been as prolific as last season, when he scored a remarkable 24 A-League goals, even so he still registered 17 times in the league, with only Besart Berisha and Jamie Maclaren netting more.

Neil Kilkenny was awarded the club’s A-League Player of the Year Award following a series of batting performances in the midfield engine room.

Defender Michael Jakobsen was also impressive at the start of the season, however an ongoing injury issue reduced his influence in the second half of the campaign.