List of Australian soccer champions
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The Australian soccer champions are the winners of the highest league in Australian men's soccer, which since 2005–06 is currently the A-League Men.
This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2016) |
Australian League (1st tier) |
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National Soccer League (1977–2004) A-League Men (2005–present) |
Country |
Australia |
Founded |
1977 |
Number of teams |
12 (since 2020–21 season) |
Current champions |
Central Coast Mariners (2023–24) |
Most successful club |
Sydney FC (5 championships) |
The National Soccer League was established in 1977. At the end of the 1977 season, Sydney City (now Hakoah Sydney City East) were the first club to be crowned champions.
As is the case in most Australian sports, the winners of a post-season playoffs competition, known as the Finals, has traditionally been crowned champion, unlike the first-past-the-post system used in many other countries. The team that finished first-past-the-post was often referred to as the Minor Premiers while the Finals winning team was awarded the Premiership. In an attempt to create more prestige around the first-past-the-post title, it was renamed the Premiership and the finals winning team is now awarded the Championship.