2006–07 A-League

Clubs

Foreign players

The following do not fill a Visa position:

1Those players who were born and started their professional career abroad but have since gained Australian Residency (and New Zealand Residency, in the case of Wellington Phoenix);

2Australian residents (and New Zealand residents, in the case of Wellington Phoenix) who have chosen to represent another national team;

3Injury Replacement Players, or National Team Replacement Players;

4Guest Players (eligible to play a maximum of ten games)

Salary cap exemptions and captains

Pre-Season Challenge Cup

Main article: 2006 A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup

This competition was held in July and August in the lead up to the start of the A-League season. The opening round was 15 July 2006. The competition featured a group stage, with three regular rounds and a bonus round, followed by a two-week finals playoff. The bonus group round matched up teams against opponents from the other group, and also offered the incentive of "bonus points" based on goals scored (1 point for 2 goals, 2 points for 3 goals, 3 points for 4 or more goals).

The Pre-Season Cup was used to enhance the A-League's profiles by playing pre-season games in regional centres including the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba, Launceston, Canberra, Wollongong, Port Macquarie, Orange and Tamworth.

The pre-season cup was won by Adelaide United at the final on 19 August 2006.

Regular season

The league season took a triple round-robin format, and took place over 21 rounds between 25 August 2006 and 21 January 2007.

League table

Results

Round 1

Muscat

Vidosic Lynch

Round 2

Gibson Okon Reinaldo

Allsopp Fyfe

Colosimo

Round 3

Qu Cornthwaite Rech

Thompson Allsopp

Round 4

Lynch Reinaldo McKay

Rech

Corica

Round 5

Caceres

Round 6

Young

Muscat Fred

Petrovski Dodd Zadkovich

Round 7

Rees Veart

Round 8

O'Grady

Musialik North

Milicic

Round 9

Petta Veart Burns Hickey

Round 10

Caceres Thompson Fred

Coveny

Round 11

Thompson Petrie Kwasnik

Owens Kemp Despotovski

Round 12

Zdrillic Carney

Carle Rodriguez

Round 13

Thompson

Glavaš

Mrdja

Rudan

Round 14

Corica Middleby

Petrie

Despotovski

Round 15

Allsopp Fred

Round 16

Griffiths

Round 17

Fernando Owens Thompson

Vidosic

Caceres Thompson

Round 18

Emblen Marcina

Thompson

Petrovski

Round 19

Byrnes

Round 20

Vidosic

Harnwell Magdic Griffiths

Round 21

Coveny Griffiths

Buari

Finals series

|RD1-legs=2 |RD1-seed1=2 |RD1-team1=Adelaide United |RD1-score1-1=0 |RD1-score1-2=1 |RD1-seed2=1 |RD1-team2=Melbourne Victory |RD1-score2-1=0 |RD1-score2-2=2 |RD1-score01-agg=1 |RD1-score02-agg=2 |RD1-date2=26 January & 2 February |RD1-seed3=4 |RD1-team3=Sydney FC |RD1-score3-1=2 |RD1-score3-2=0 |RD1-seed4=3 |RD1-team4=Newcastle Jets |RD1-score4-1=1 |RD1-score4-2=2 |RD1-score03-agg=2 |RD1-score04-agg=3 |RD2-seed1=2 |RD2-seed2=3 |RD2-team1=Adelaide United |RD2-team2=Newcastle Jets |RD2-score1=1 (4) |RD2-score2=1 (3) |RD3-seed1=1 |RD3-seed2=2 |RD3-team1=Melbourne Victory |RD3-team2=Adelaide United |RD3-score1=6 |RD3-score2=0

Semi-finals

• Milligan

• Coveny Newcastle Jets won 3–2 on aggregate.

• Robinson Melbourne Victory won 2–1 on aggregate.

Preliminary Final

• Owens
• Alagich
• Aloisi
• Carle
• Thompson
• Coveny
• Musialik

Grand Final

• Sarkies

The Asian Football Confederation announced on 21 November 2006 that Adelaide United and Sydney FC would represent Australia in the 2007 AFC Champions League. Despite an appeal by the Football Federation Australia, it was determined that the 2005–06 A-League premiers and champions would qualify and not those from the current season.

The AFC also indicated that the qualification arrangements would not be reviewed prior to 2009. The FFA have indicated that the premiers and champions of A-League 2006–07 will qualify for the 2008 AFC Champions League – establishing a precedent of maintaining a one-year lag between qualification and participation.

Season statistics

Leading goalscorers

Most yellow cards

Attendances

Highest attendances

• 55,436: Melbourne Victory vs Adelaide United, 18 February 2007 (Grand Final)
• 50,333: Melbourne Victory vs Sydney FC, 8 December 2006 (Round 16)
• 47,413: Melbourne Victory vs Adelaide United, 4 February 2007 (Finals Week 2)
• 39,730: Melbourne Victory vs Sydney FC, 2 September 2006 (Round 2)
• 32,371: Queensland Roar vs Sydney FC, 20 January 2007 (Round 21)

Awards

The 2007 A-League Awards ceremony was held on 27 February 2007.

Notes

References

References

1. (26 April 2006). "Historic deal for football".
2. (26 August 2006). "Football's new kick-start". The Sydney Morning Herald }}{{dead link.
3. (25 August 2006). "Version 2.0 launched".
4. (15 July 2005). "Eastern promise arrives right on Qu". [[The Sydney Morning Herald]].
5. (31 July 2008). "Dodd Gets The Nod As Skipper". FTBL.
6. (14 February 2008). "Vidmar announces retirement". [[ABC News (Australia).
7. (15 April 2005). "Mariners announce soccer captain". [[The Sydney Morning Herald]].
8. (8 February 2011). "Captain Wilkinson promoted to Centurion". [[Football Federation Australia]].
9. Lynch, Michael. (30 April 2016). "Archie Thompson should play on after leaving Melbourne Victory". [[The Sydney Morning Herald]].
10. (2 May 2014). "Archie Thompson, Adrian Leijer sign new deals with Melbourne Victory". [[The Guardian]].
11. (31 October 2013). "Kevin Muscat appointed as new Melbourne Victory coach". [[The Guardian]].
12. (6 January 2007). "Victory youngster in line for debut". [[The Sydney Morning Herald]].
13. (15 June 2006). "SOCCER: Knights stars face cream of the Bay". [[The New Zealand Herald]].
14. (28 September 2006). "Mariners escape with controversial win". [[ABC News (Australia).
15. Roach, Stewart. (7 June 2006). "Easy come, easy go: Okon signs for Jets as captain Zelic quits". [[The Sydney Morning Herald]].
16. Cockerill, Michael. (14 December 2006). "Sydney stars on the radar as Smith goes Glory seeking". [[The Sydney Morning Herald]].
17. (6 May 2005). "Harnwell named Glory captain". [[The Sydney Morning Herald]].
18. (3 May 2005). "Roar name inaugural captain". [[ABC News (Australia).
19. (30 June 2005). "Yorke goes Down Under". [[The Guardian]].
20. (1 September 2006). "Yorke confirms Sunderland move". [[The Sydney Morning Herald]].
21. (2 March 2006). "Long time coming for Rudan". [[Special Broadcasting Service.
22. (3 September 2006). "Butcher blows stack after star floored, Rudan sent off". [[The Sydney Morning Herald]].
23. (1 June 2006). "A-League Pre-Season Schedule Confirmed".
24. (21 November 2006). "AFC confirm Sydney and Adelaide".
25. link. (17 June 2011 , [[A-League]], 27 February 2007.)