themadsportsfan Power Rankings

A-League Mens Power Rankings

Match day 9

12. Perth Glory

A dissappointing return from the World Cup break, sees Perth anchored to the bottom off our power rankings and the A-League Mens Ladder. A home draw against Wellington just before Christmas and a loss to Macarthur on the road for their last two outings have been far from impressive, while a home win at Macedonia Park against an underwhelming visitor in Western United.

11. Newcastle Jets

The Jets have papered over the cracks of an underwhelming December with a very ugly win over a dusty Adelaide United on the road. Newcastle fans could be forgiven for thinking they are supporting a box of Christmas chocolates, as Forest Gump famously said “You never know what you’re going to get”. The one thing Jets fans are yet to see is top shelf football, they have the talent on paper in the attacking thirds, but can they live up to it, your guess is as good as ours – but we may see on New Years Day versus Sydney FC.

10. Sydney FC

The once power house force of the A-League is a shadow of their former self and need to wright the ship rapidly as they have become the third string side in their own city, which was exacerbated when they shipped three goals to the harbour cities newest side in their last outing, following on from a loss to their noisy northern neighbours – Central Coast. Face a make or break trip up the M1 Motorway to kick off 2023, lose to the Jets and they will quickly be the worst side in the state not just Sydney.

Photo Credit: AAP

9. Western United

The defending Champions have been sluggish to start the season to say the least, red cards and discipline are cruelling them, they sit equal top of the league for Red Cards, with Nikolai Topor-Stanley having the unwanted mantle of being the only player with two so far this season in only seven games. Something really needs to turn around for the defending champs, however the good news is the logjam on the table means even though they are eleventh (10 points), they are only one win away from the Central Coast Mariners (13 points) in fourth. Next up is Melbourne City before two crucial games against Newcastle Jets & Sydney FC at home, if they can claim 5 or more points from their next three games their season will be well on its way to recovered.

8. Adelaide United

Were well on their way to being on the outskirts of contender territory before the World Cup break, however returning with a draw against Brisbane Roar on the road followed by losses to Wellington and then a lacklustre loss to Newcastle means they are rapidly on the slide and looking for answers. They have a star studded line up on paper, lead by World Cup star Craig Goodwin and complemented by young stars aplenty including Musa Toure & Nestory Irankunda the results should be far more substantial. Next up is a must win match against last placed Perth.

Photo – AAP

7. Brisbane Roar

Undefeated in their last 6 games after a start to the season that saw them claim only two points from their first three matches, the Roar are flying under the radar and a side to watch. The big question at Moreton Daly Stadium – How will they deal with the departure of homesick Englishman Charlie Austin, they had the least potent attack in the A-League with him on board, how will they find the back of the net without him? Three straight games on the road (Western United, Melbourne Victory & Perth) in 12 days will really clarify where the lads from the Sunshine State are at as we head into January.

6. Melbourne Victory

While they haven’t been 100% convincing, you can’t help but feel that this stacked squad is only moments away from clicking and firing on all cylinders. It appeared they had done just that when they barrelled four past a dismal Jets in early November before they closed out the pre World Cup period with a three goal spanking by Adelaide. If we can get the consistent best of the Victory they will be a top four side, as it stands they are in a tooth and nail scrap for a finals berth on current form. A New Years Eve trip to Gosford will be a quality measuring stick of Tony Popovic’s men.

5. Wellington Phoenix

Many people again wrote off the trans tasman crew before a ball was kicked in anger this season, and they were mistaken to do so. Ufuk Talay has his side in decent shape as we hit the first third of the season, if only wanting for a touch more consistency. Bringing in Steven Ugarkovic & Kosta Barbarouses to bolster his squad has seemed a master stroke with both turning back the clock to star for the ‘Nix. While Ben Waine’s star continues to rise and imports Bozhidar Kraev & Oskar Zawada have shown they know the way to goal. A big test and opportunity all in one come up next on January 2 as they host runaway ladder leaders Melbourne City.

4. Western Sydney Wanderers

Sit second on the ladder thanks to a miserly defence, but have come back to earth in recent weeks as a struggle to net goals continues to haunt them (only Brisbane Roar & Perth Glory have scored fewer goals). They are yet to win a game in which they have conceded or lose a game in which they have scored, so the recipe is simple for Marko Rudan, clean sheet equals three points.Wanderes take on fellow high flyers Macarthur & Melboure City across the next three rounds so will need to find their best defensive form again ASAP whilst also hoping they can net a few goals.

3. Central Coast Mariners

The boys from Gosford have continued their impressive form from last season under their talismanic Scottish manager Nick Montgomery, who is closing in on Graham Arnold type win percentages at the Mariners (48.2% vs 47.5%). The Mariners continue to unearth young talents from their academy system, but will soon bid farewell to their latest wunderkind, Garang Kuol who heads to the English Premier League in January. Outside of a blip against Newcastle a few weeks ago, their form line has been solid, they got their revenge with a 3-0 derby win in the rescheduled Match Day 1 fixture on 21st December before taking it to Melbourne City and falling just short on the weekend. Will be eyeing off a big farewell to Kuol at their traditional NYE clash as they host Melbourne Victory.

2. Macarthur FC

The biggest name signing in the off season being a manager may have surprised many, but the return of Dwight Yorke to the A-League as manager of the Campbelltown based side not only drew headlines but also brought the first piece of silverware to the Bulls trophy cabinet as they took out the Australia Cup in October. The Bulls have been up and down since but last weeks drubbing of cross town rivals Sydney FC showed they mean business and have the firepower to back up their desire to be the biggest show in town. Will test this desire as they clash in a bumper Sydney derby with second on the ladder Wanderers at Comm Bank Stadium on New Years Day.

Photo – myfootball.com.au

1. Melbourne City

Absolutely no surprise here that the runawayleaders of the table, who sit four points clear with a game in hand are top of the pops. They have their star studded line up lead by Socceroos World Cup star Matthew Leckie and national squad mates Jamie Maclaren & Marco Tilio up front while imports Nuno Re & Valon Berisha are more than worth the price of admission. The boys in Sky Blue certainly ahve the target on their back and will embrace the pressure as they look to go one better than last season and back up their premiership and supplement it with a championship – it would take a braver man than I at this point to say they cannot do it.

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11. Newcastle Jets vs Central Coast Mariners – 09/02/20

Newcastle Jets 4 (Dimi Petratos 2, Nikolai Topor-Stanley & Own goals) def Central Coast Mariners 3 ( Ruon Tongyik, Jack Clisby & Chris Harold goals)

Newcastle Jets and Central Coast Mariners warm up prior to the game in front of an empty grandstand

PRE-GAME

Parking is plentiful in the streets around McDonald Jones Stadium with paid parking also available in the grounds at the front of the stadium. Public transport is also available if coming from Sydney or the Central Coast with Broadmeadow train station only a 1.5 km walk from the stadium.

There are a number of clubs and bars available within walking distance to the ground, as well as some local bars closer to the city who will run their courtesy bus to the ground. We can recommend Wests Leagues Club on Hobart Rd, New Lambton (a leisurely 1km stroll to the ground) or if a pub is more your scene both The General Roberts Hotel on the corner of Alma & Lambton Rd, New Lambton or The Sunnyside Tavern on Broadmeadow Rd, Broadmeadow are about a 1.2km walk.

ARRIVING AT THE GROUND

There are two main gates that are opened for most events the larger one on the western side of the ground also houses the ticketing and services areas for purchase and enquiry while the secondary gate is positioned in proximity to the south-eastern corner and is the best access point for seats on the southern hill or the eastern (Andrew Johns) grandstand.

THE GAME

Fortunately for the wet day ahead we had won ourselves a corporate suite in a raffle courtesy of the Hunter Melanoma Foundation and the Jets had made sure our spot was well out of the weather.

View of the action from our corporate suite

Leading up to the match the weather conditions had consisted of torrential rain for a couple of days leading in, add a Rugby Union match on the ground the night before and it was a chance the match wouldn’t even go ahead. But go ahead it did and what a display of attacking football we saw, seven goals in total meant the purists may not have been happy but it brightened what was otherwise a dour day. The Jets probably should have won by more with the number of opportunities they had but it wasn’t to be and the local faithful had to hang on to the edge of the seat as their local rivals the Mariners almost came back and seized a split of the points, an all too common experience in recent times for Jets fans.

Ultimately the Jets hung on through some questionable defensive decisions and walk away with a timely one goal win, their first since late November.

FOOD

It was a very good spread of finger food that was provided as a complimentary inclusion of our corporate suite with the usual fare of pies, sausage rolls, arancini balls, spring rolls and plenty more, we certainly were not left wanting.

OVERALL RATINGS

Parking – 4.5/5
View – 4/5
Value – 4/5 (based on standard ticketing)
Food Quality – 4/5
Food Pricing – 4/5 (Based on standard food pricing here)
Atmosphere – 2/5 (unfortunately a very small crowd didn’t add a lot)

TOTAL – 22.5/30

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9. Newcastle Jets vs Western United – 01/02/20

Newcastle Jets 0 vs Western United 0
McDonald Jones Stadium, New Lambton, Newcastle

Both sides took to the pitch in sweltering temperatures in the high 30’s

PRE-GAME

Parking is plentiful in the streets around McDonald Jones Stadium with paid parking also available in the grounds at the front of the stadium. Public transport is also available if coming from Sydney or the Central Coast with Broadmeadow train station only a 1.5 km walk from the stadium.

There are a number of clubs and bars available within walking distance to the ground, as well as some local bars closer to the city who will run their courtesy bus to the ground. We can recommend Wests Leagues Club on Hobart Rd, New Lambton (a leisurely 1km stroll to the ground) or if a pub is more your scene both The General Roberts Hotel on the corner of Alma & Lambton Rd, New Lambton or The Sunnyside Tavern on Broadmeadow Rd, Broadmeadow are about a 1.2km walk.

ARRIVING AT THE GROUND

There are two main gates that are opened for most events the larger one on the western side of the ground also houses the ticketing and services areas for purchase and enquiry while the secondary gate is positioned in proximity to the south-eastern corner and is the best access point for seats on the southern hill or the eastern (Andrew Johns) grandstand.
While for Jets games I would normally sit in the eastern stand a predicted kick off temperature of 37 degrees at 5pm we organised some seats in the upper tier of the Western Stand in Bay 66 (for a good view over the whole field at a price of $39 – good value on a hot day). Tickets can be picked up for $25 in general admission areas such as the hill or $30 for seats in the eastern stand.

The GAME

It was 90 minutes of the Jets dominating Western United without any ability to convert it into points. There was plenty of heat not just in the air but also in the actions of all the players, Josh Risdon, Nigel Boogaard and Besart Berisha to name a few found themselves in physical altercations at different stages of the match as the heat was matched by the aggression of the players.

The Jets had a absolute plethora of scoring opportunities and if it wasn’t for the work of United’s keeper Filip Kurto and inability to finish in front of goal by the Jets it had the potential to be a blow out win for the home side, however it didn’t seem to matter which of the home team it was with opportunity they would spray it wide, drill it at the keeper or in Dimi Petratos’ case somehow kick it backwards when running at a losse ball in front of an almost completely open goal.

That said after 90 minutes of football in temperatures of the high 30s neither team could break the deadlock and they split the points. It was almost relief in the end that it was over rather than the result.

Johnny Koutroumbis & Steve Ugarkovic collapse with exhaustion at full time

A low crowd of just shy of 5,500 in a 30,000 seat stadium however didn’t do the game justice in terms of atmosphere even with a passionate group going hard in the Jets active supporter bay.

FOOD

Food and Drinks weren’t high on our priority list but we did grab some hot chips and a couple of beverages, pricing was reasonable (with a 10% discount for Newcastle Jets members) a 600ml coke, a bottle of water and some hot chips left us with change from $15.

The chips were some of the better ones I have had at a stadium recently so more than a pass mark here.

A meager crowd turned up with only a few choosing to brave the direct sun on the North Hill

OVERALL RATINGS

Parking – 4.5/5
View – 4/5
Value – 4.5/5
Food Quality – 4/5
Food Pricing – 4/5
Atmosphere – 2/5

TOTAL – 23/30

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8. Sydney FC vs Brisbane Roar – 31/01/20

Sydney FC 1 (Adam Le Fondre 57′) def Brisbane Roar 0
NetStrata Jubilee Oval, Carlton, Sydney

A healthy crowd rolled in early to watch the Sky Blues in action

Pre-Game

Free parking was readily available on the north side of Princes Highway, about 400 m to the northern side of the ground. Alternatively the ground is a short stroll (600m) from Carlton Railway Station, which is only a 20 minute ride on the T4 line from Sydney’s Central Station.

Nearby venues, that are ideal for a drink before the game include St George Leagues Club (which is about 100m south of the ground on the opposite side of the Princes Highway or if you have caught the train, the Royal Hotel, Carlton is opposite the railway station on your walk to the ground.

ARRIVING AT THE GROUND

There is four entrances labelled Gate A through D with Gate A located at the southwest corner, B at the northwest, C at the northeast and D at the southeast, there is a ticket booth easily accessible from the Princes Highway parking end next to gate D.

Ticket pricing is quite reasonable with tickets ranging from $60 in the covered grandstand to $35 for uncovered concourse reserved seating and through to $30 General Admission tickets on the hill.

We opted in for a central bay in the concourse and the view of the whole ground was pretty solid

View from Concourse Bay E during the match

The Game

It was a balmy night in the early 30’s in the south of Sydney as the ladder leading Sky Blues took on an improved Brisbane Roar who were wanting to consolidate a spot in the top six. Brisbane started off aggressively with a tik tak style short passing football and Dylan Wenzel Halls was an early stand out but couldn’t converting his attacking raids into anything more.

In the first half Brisbane had a small handful of chances as did Sydney FC with the best of theirs a one on one for cult hero Rhyan Grant but he stumbled on the ball and couldn’t capitalise and the sides went to the break locked at nil all.

In the second half Brisbane came out with some attacking flair but nothing could amount to them breaking the deadlock, until the 56th minute when an Adam Le Fondre shot was blocked by Scott Neville and it was adjudged to be handball, giving the Sky Blues a penalty and Le Fondre dutifully stepped up and converted to give Sydney the lead, the hand ball also saw Neville given his second yellow and his marching orders along with it, seeing the Roar reduced to 10 men.

Sydney FC coach Steve Corica encourages his troops on as The Cove supporters cheer on in the background

From here Sydney had the majority of the upper hand in the remainder of the match, including a penalty that was awarded and then overturned by the VAR for offside. Sydney kept up their pressure throughout and only the superb work of Jamie Young kept the scoreline at 1-0 through to full time.

Food (At THe GROUND)

The food available at the ground was solid and in the mid range of pricing available for food, We went with a Fish & Chip combo which included two pieces of fish, a serving of chips and a 600ml drink for $14.90

Fish & Chips from the combo at NetStrata Jubilee Oval

The fish was pretty tasty, and the chips were more than passable, all in all not a bad meal and far from the worst I have got at a stadium. Good serving size.

Overall Ratings

Parking – 5/5
View – 4/5
Value – 4/5
Food Quality – 3.5/5
Food Pricing – 3/5
Atmosphere – 3/5

TOTAL – 22.5/30