MAY - FINALS
Week 1
All three Victorian teams featured in the first week of finals football. AAMI Park hosted both matches as Melbourne Victory’s great form under new boss Markus Babbel continued as a Josh Hope double eliminated the now dire Wellington Phoenix from the competition.

In a local derby and their first-ever postseason match Western United travelled to face Melbourne City in a thrilling encounter. Though locked at 1-1 after 120 minutes of football, Mark Rudan’s side fell 3-1 on penalties as bigger brother City joined Victory in week two.

Week 2
The resurgent and firing Western Sydney Wanderers welcomed Melbourne City to a rocking Bankwest Stadium. Both sides had key players missing through injury, Radoslaw Majewski for the hosts, Craig Noone for the visitors.

Yet it was leading club goalscorer Mitchell Duke who proved to be the hero. A late goal earning his side a 1-0 win and a spot in their fourth grand final.

A Melbourne derby was officially off the cards but a NSW matchup was a real possibility as Melbourne Victory travelled north to Newcastle.

The newly appointed premiers were eager to exact revenge against the side that controversially beat them in the GF only a couple years prior. Without Wes Hoolahan, Carl Robinson had a major concern but Panamanian hero Abdiel Arroyo’s sole goal saw the Novocastrians into the big dance.

Grand Final
It was an all NSW affair as Western Sydney Wanderers made the trip to Newcastle to face the Jets in the 2020 A-League Grand Final.

The red and black were 0-3 in the final match of the season but had gone all of the calendar year undefeated. The Jets, the competition’s most consistent team and league winners were seeking their second title.


With both sides consisting of stats leaders a tight affair was expected though 12 minutes in Dylan McGowan was forced off with an injury and soon later Keannu Baccus also hit the deck which provided the visitors with enormous headaches.

Though it was eventual golden boot winner Abdiel Arroyo who broke Westie hearts as his pair of goals secured his side the double in Carl Robinson’s debut season. The Jets clearly the better side on the day started the season at 60-1 odds, as they left every football expert red-faced.


In a weird and whacky campaign, as last season’s heavyweights completely faulted, new heroes emerged, an incredible unbeaten run and the tightest race for the premiership, the 2019/20 campaign will be remembered as the greatest in the young history of the A-League.

Too bad it wasn’t real.

Team of the 2019-20 season: