Here's what we learned from 11 hours of A-League...

1. Defend From the Front
What did we recommend last week? To build from the defence; that is, take it from Gold Coast and steady your defence. It’s as if Ricki Herbert and Vitezslav Lavicka didn’t even bother reading Monday’s lessons, let alone heed them! Both Wellington and Sydney’s defences were incredibly porous in the opening encounter of the Big Wednesday marathon, combining to leak six goals and create any number of well-scratched heads. To the credit of both, they weren’t disheartened by their respective performances at the back as the three remaining central defenders could probably have joined Wellington’s Ben Sigmund on the scoresheet. So, throw ‘em forward we say! They’ll surely offer more in the front half of the pitch than the effort Pascal Bosschaart could conjure for Paul Ifill’s sealer, moving like the “christmas pud” commentator Harry Ngata so kindly described a few shirtless home fans as carrying.

2. Sergio Owns AAMI
Aside from Victory supporters, who can forget Sergio van Dijk’s famous free-kick scorcher against the Melbourne club at AAMI Park last season? Not Adelaide or A-League fans, that’s for sure. As the prolific Dutchman struck twice for the Reds to sink Melbourne Heart 3-1 in the second encounter of Big Wednesday, so too did he manage to answer the lingering question of who owns AAMI Park. Victory’s Archie Thompson may have laid some claim to the deed before realising the mortgage on Etihad Stadium is enough burden alone, encouraging van Dijk to stamp his authority with a signature strike to send Adelaide three goals ahead and simultaneously ruin any chance of reclaiming his rental bond by putting a whole in the net. If Adelaide’s attacking trio continue to function in the manner witnessed on Wednesday you can bet he might own some more property come the end of the season.

3. Keep Calm and Carry On
“Don’t celebrate, ever. Don’t hug, don’t hi-five, and you can forget handshakes. Don’t even think about smiling or smirking. A gentlemanly nod? Perhaps, but make it sharp.” Those must be the thoughts running through Gold Coast coach Miron Bleiberg’s mind at the moment as he tries to comprehend exactly what happened between Adama Traore’s equalising goal and Gold Coast’s next restart during his side’s 3-2 loss away to Newcastle. In the space of only three decisive touches, the away side found themselves again trailing the Jets having barely seconds earlier recovered to equalise from 2-0 down. It might as well have been Newcastle ‘keeper Ben Kennedy’s clearance from picking the ball out of his own net which landed in opposite number Jerrad Tyson’s goal, such was the swiftness of the turnaround. While the stunning few seconds will have undoubtedly had a sickening effect on most men in white, it’s hard to feel for anyone more than Ben Halloran; the Queensland-born flyer was superb throughout despite a hefty kicking from desperate Jet’s defenders.

4. Dreams Do Come True
Lame Disney taglines aside, Matt Simon’s journey is straight from the football fan’s handbook (or one of those “101 Football Facts” type book you received many Christmases ago): local kid escapes from blue-collar vocation to star for hometown club and secure big-money overseas move. Admittedly the original edition of the handbook mentioned nothing about the big-money move being to Korea, but that’s long since been updated. Central Coast’s comfortable 2-0 win over Melbourne Victory was the scene for Simon’s fitting farewell as he grabbed both goals and duly earned a loving farewell, complete with teary eyes and backwards banners. Simon has perhaps suffered the ‘Kosmina Effect’ whereby “heart” and “effort” are remembered more prominently ahead of actual, tangible abilities – although, for me, he does lack a little “imagination and fantasy” – but no supporter opinions will change the view of the A-League’s defenders, who have just breathed a collective sigh of relief.

5. Football Trumps Logic
Sometimes you just have to accept that a situation is not going to quite work out like it should. Glory coach Ian Ferguson has been forced into this unenviable position more than most in his Perth tenure thus far and Big Wednesday’s final matchup will have done little to lighten his mood, other than for the way his team performed. Having raced to a deserved 2-0 lead over the reigning champion’s, Brisbane responded with two unforeseeable goals late in the first half to level the match at the break. With the Ol’ Ange Aerator (or Postecoglou Pasting?) failing to have an impact on the away outfit’s urgency in defence or coolness in possession, the home side looked sure to press on and secure a desperately needed three points. Instead, they shipped a sloppy third to a Brisbane side who, having seemingly never managed to pass the ball outside of their half, eventually escaped with a draw having scored three goals. It’s a cruel existence for Perth Glory at the moment; one in which owner Tony Sage will require more than a few more of his preferred home match beverage and Ian Ferguson’s luck seems destined to remain untapped.