A-League Pre-Season Form Guide

FourFourTwo AU put together a useful guide to the club's results in offseason. These results should probably be taken with a grain of salt; obviously clubs were still making signings, players were still coming back from injury, and managers were giving some youngsters experience - so it's unlikely that clubs consistently sent out their strongest available line-up, or even played in their preferred style.

Nevertheless, there's still utility in seeing how many games clubs lost, how many goals were conceded, and who has scoring form going into the regular season. It should be noted how notoriously unrealiable pre-season results are as predicators of regular season success; in the 4 seasons in which the A-League held a Pre-Season Cup, only one of the Cup winners went on to become Premiers or Champions. Quick summary below.

Adelaide United: 8 games - 6 wins and 2 draws (WDWDWWWW)

4 consecutive wins against state league sides, draw against Gold Coast, win against Brisbane, draw with Victory, win against state league.

Djite scored 7 against state league sides, 1 against Brisbane. Van Dijk scored 9 against state league sides, none against HAL sides. Slory has scored in the last two games. Adelaide have kept 6 clean sheets.

Brisbane Roar: 8 games - 6 wins and 2 losses (WLLWWWWW)

Brisbane have won against 5 state league sides, and Wellington, but have lost 3-0 to Adelaide and 2-0 to Victory. Most worryingly, Brisbane have only kept 3 clean sheets.

No players have scored against HAL opposition, but Meyer has scored 8 goals in 3 games against state league sides.

Central Coast Mariners: 6 games - 5 wins and 1 loss (LWWWWW)

Central Coast have won against 3 state league sides, beaten Perth 1-0 and Wellington 2-0, but lost 3-1 to NZ state side.

Central Coast have kept 5 clean sheets, but conversely all matches were low-scoring affairs.

Gold Coast United: 9 games - 7 wins, 2 draws (WDWWWDWWW)

Gold Coast have won 6 games against state league opposition, drawn nil-all against Adelaide and won 1-0 against Victory.

Gold Coast have dolled out a fair amount of shellackings in early pre-season, winning 6-0, 7-1, 8-0 against state sides. Gold Coast have kept 6 clean sheets, and have multiple players on the scoresheet.

Melbourne Heart: 7 games - 5 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss (WWWDLWW)

Heart have played a 2-2 draw with Wellington, 1-0 loss to Newcastle, and 5 wins against VPL opposition.

Heart have kept 3 clean sheets. Williams, Terra and Fred have been regular goal scorers.

Melbourne Victory: 6 games - 2 wins, 1 draw, 3 losses (DWLWLL)

Victory haven't had much of it during off-season. 1-1 draw against Adelaide, 1-0 loss to Gold Coast. Their only wins were 2-0 to Brisbane, and 5-1 to Springvale. Victory have lost twice to VPL sides, but these were early in pre-season.

Hernandez has scored 5 goals and but Victory have only kept 1 clean sheet.

Newcastle Jets: 6 games - 5 wins, 1 draw (WWWDWW)

Newcastle have won 3 and drawn 1 games against state sides, defeated derby rivals Sydney and Heart both 1-0. 

Newcastle have kept 6 clean sheets. Jesic has scored 5 goals. 

Perth Glory: 9 games - 5 wins, 2 draws, 2 losses (DLWWWWDWL)

Perth Glory have had a cosmopolitan off-season, embarking on a tour of South Africa as well as playing against U23 UAE. 5 wins against state sides, 2-2 draw against Sydney and 1-0 loss to the Mariners are the most recent and pertinent results.

Mehmet and Smeltz on the score sheet. Only 2 clean sheets.

Sydney FC: 8 games - 3 consecuitve wins, 3 consecutive losses, 2 draws (DLLLWWWD)

Topsy-turvy pre-season for the Sky Blues. 3 wins, 1 draw against state sides, followed by 2 losses to state sides, 1-0 loss to derby rivals Newcastle and a 2-2 draw against Perth.

Only 2 clean sheets. Carle has scored 3.

Wellington Phoenix: 4 games - 1 win, 1 draw, 2 losses (LDLW)

Financially, a rather grave off-season for the 'Nix. Perhaps reflected in a pre-season spent close to home. 2-0 loss to Central Coast, 2-2 draw with Heart and 5-0 thrashing by Brisbane.

Only 1 clean sheet, against state opposition. Sanchez and Bertos with goals.