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The 2005–06 A-League was the 29th season of top-flight soccer in Australia, and the inaugural season of the A-League. After over 12 months without a national professional club competition since the close of the 2003–04 National Soccer League season, the first match in the A-League was played on 26 August 2005. The competition was made up of a triple round robin league stage before a championship playoff featuring the top four teams.
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| Season | 2005–06 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 26 August 2005 – 5 March 2006 |
| Champions | Sydney FC (1st title) |
| Premiers | Adelaide United (1st title) |
| Champions League | Sydney FC Adelaide United |
| Matches played | 84 |
| Goals scored | 232 (2.76 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Alex Brosque Bobby Despotovski Archie Thompson Stewart Petrie (8 goals) |
| Best goalkeeper | Clint Bolton |
| Biggest home win | Melbourne Victory 5–0 Sydney FC (16 October 2005) |
| Biggest away win | Newcastle Jets 0–5 Queensland Roar (26 January 2006) |
| Highest attendance | 25,557 |
| Lowest attendance | 1,922 |
| Average attendance | 10,955 |
2006–07 → | |
Of the eight participants, four came from the National Soccer League (1977–2004): Perth Glory (established 1995), New Zealand Knights (1999), Newcastle Jets (2000) and Adelaide United (2003). New Zealand Knights had previously entered the NSL as the Auckland Football Kingz, but were significantly restructured and have a vastly different playing roster. Queensland Roar previously competed in the NSL from 1977 to 1988 and had competed in the Queensland State League since then as Brisbane Lions.
Adelaide United were named Premiers after finishing the season seven points clear at the top of the league. The first A-League Grand Final took place on 5 March 2006, with Sydney FC becoming the league's inaugural Champions, defeating the Central Coast Mariners 1–0.
| Team | City | Home Ground | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide United | Adelaide | Hindmarsh Stadium | 17,000 |
| Central Coast Mariners | Gosford | Bluetongue Stadium | 20,119 |
| Melbourne Victory | Melbourne | Olympic Park Stadium | 18,500 |
| Newcastle Jets | Newcastle | Energy Australia Stadium | 26,164 |
| New Zealand Knights | Auckland | North Harbour Stadium | 25,000 |
| Perth Glory | Perth | nib Stadium | 20,500 |
| Queensland Roar | Brisbane | Suncorp Stadium | 52,500 |
| Sydney FC | Sydney | Aussie Stadium | 42,500 |
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
Two competitions were held prior to the start of the A-League season.
Oceania Club Championship Qualification
This three-round competition was held in May 2005 to determine Australia's qualifier for the 2005 season of the Oceania Club Championship. It consisted of all Australian A-League clubs (i.e. all clubs except for the New Zealand Knights) and granted Perth Glory – the reigning NSL champions – a bye into the semi-finals.
| Round 1 (7 May) | Semi-finals (11 May) | Finals (15 May) | |||||||||
| Perth Glory | 1 | ||||||||||
| Sydney FC | 2 | ||||||||||
| Sydney FC | 3 | ||||||||||
| Queensland Roar | 0 | ||||||||||
| Sydney FC | 1 | ||||||||||
| Central Coast Mariners | 0 | ||||||||||
| Central Coast Mariners (p) | 0 (4) | ||||||||||
| Newcastle Jets | 0 (2) | ||||||||||
| Central Coast Mariners | 4 | ||||||||||
| Adelaide United | 0 | ||||||||||
| Adelaide United (p) | 0 (4) | ||||||||||
| Melbourne Victory | 0 (1) | ||||||||||
Sydney FC qualified for and subsequently won the 2005 Oceania Club Championship entitling it to a place in the 2005 FIFA Club World Championship to be played in Tokyo.
Pre-Season Challenge Cup
The inaugural pre-season cup was held in July and August in the lead up to the start of the A-League season. The competition featured a group stage and a knockout stage. Commentators did not give much weight to the competition as a guide for performance during the season proper, as injuries or club strategic policy ruled that many teams did not use their best players and often used experimental tactics.
Group stage
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Melbourne Victory | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 5 | 2005–06 Pre-Season Cup Semi-finals |
| 2 | Perth Glory | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | |
| 3 | Adelaide United | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
| 4 | Newcastle Jets | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 2 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sydney FC | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 7 | 2005–06 Pre-Season Cup Semi-finals |
| 2 | Central Coast Mariners | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 6 | |
| 3 | Queensland Roar | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 4 | |
| 4 | New Zealand Knights | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 9 | −8 | 0 |
Finals
| Semi-finals | Final | |||||
| 12 August | ||||||
| Melbourne Victory | 1 | |||||
| 21 August | ||||||
| Central Coast Mariners | 3 | |||||
| Central Coast Mariners | 1 | |||||
| 14 August | ||||||
| Perth Glory | 0 | |||||
| Sydney FC | 0 | |||||
| Perth Glory | 1 | |||||
The Central Coast Mariners were the inaugural Pre-season Challenge Cup winners.
The A-League season commenced on 26 August 2005 with two Friday night fixtures. Games each round were held throughout the weekend, though certain rounds also featured Thursday night games. As there was no concurrent cup competition, midweek fixtures were uncommon unless they were held on Australian public holidays. A three-week break was also scheduled in December to coincide with the 2005 FIFA Club World Cup in Tokyo.
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adelaide United | 21 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 33 | 25 | +8 | 43 | Qualification for 2007 AFC Champions League group stage and Finals series |
| 2 | Sydney FC (C) | 21 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 35 | 28 | +7 | 36 | |
| 3 | Central Coast Mariners | 21 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 35 | 28 | +7 | 32 | Qualification for Finals series |
| 4 | Newcastle Jets | 21 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 27 | 29 | −2 | 31 | |
| 5 | Perth Glory | 21 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 34 | 29 | +5 | 29 | |
| 6 | Queensland Roar | 21 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 27 | 22 | +5 | 28 | |
| 7 | Melbourne Victory | 21 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 26 | 24 | +2 | 26 | |
| 8 | New Zealand Knights[lower-alpha 1] | 21 | 1 | 3 | 17 | 15 | 47 | −32 | 6 |
Source: ultimatealeague.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions
Notes:
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions
Notes:
Results
Round 1
| 26 August 2005 | Perth Glory | 0–1 | Central Coast Mariners | Members Equity Stadium, Perth |
| 20:00 UTC+8 | Report Summary |
Spencer  66' |
Attendance: 11,113 Referee: Ben Williams |
| 26 August 2005 | Newcastle Jets | 0–1 | Adelaide United | EnergyAustralia Stadium, Newcastle |
| 20:00 UTC+10 | Report Summary |
Veart 19' |
Attendance: 13,160 Referee:  Peter O'Leary |
| 28 August 2005 | Queensland Roar | 2–0 | New Zealand Knights | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
| 15:00 UTC+10 | Brosque 80' Baird 86' |
Report Summary |
Attendance: 20,725 Referee: Matthew Breeze |
| 28 August 2005 | Sydney FC | 1–1 | Melbourne Victory | Aussie Stadium, Sydney |
| 17:00 UTC+10 | Yorke 44' |
Report Summary[permanent dead link] |
Thompson 73' |
Attendance: 25,208 Referee: Mark Shield |
Round 2
| 2 September 2005 | Adelaide United | 0–0 | Queensland Roar | Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide |
| 19:30 UTC+9:30 | Report Summary |
Attendance: 11,029 Referee: Ben Williams |
| 2 September 2005 | New Zealand Knights | 1–3 | Sydney FC | North Harbour Stadium, Auckland |
| 20:00 UTC+12 | Rose 69' |
Report Summary[permanent dead link] |
Rudan 25' Bingley 73'Middleby 90+4' |
Attendance: 9,827 Referee: Peter O'Leary |
| 4 September 2005 | Central Coast Mariners | 1–1 | Newcastle Jets | Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford |
| 15:00 UTC+10 | Petrie 69' |
Report Summary |
Milicic 25' |
Attendance: 5,917 Referee: Mark Shield |
| 4 September 2005 | Melbourne Victory | 2–2 | Perth Glory | Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne |
| 17:00 UTC+10 | Kitzbichler 11' Muscat 85' (pen.) |
Report Summary |
Caceres 40' Despotovski 56' |
Attendance: 17,960 Referee: Matthew Breeze |
Round 3
| 9 September 2005 | Adelaide United | 1–0 | Melbourne Victory | Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide |
| 19:30 UTC+9:30 | Brain 1' |
Report Summary |
Attendance: 8,785 Referee: Peter O'Leary |
| 10 September 2005 | Perth Glory | 2–1 | Queensland Roar | Members Equity Stadium, Perth |
| 19:35 UTC+8 | Despotovski 54', 72' |
Report Summary |
Moon 76' |
Attendance: 8,509 Referee: Simon Przydacz |
| 10 September 2005 | Central Coast Mariners | 0–2 | New Zealand Knights | Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford |
| 19:35 UTC+10 | Report Summary |
Yeo 69' Devine 80' |
Attendance: 5,261 Referee: Ben Williams |
| 11 September 2005 | Newcastle Jets | 2–1 | Sydney FC | EnergyAustralia Stadium, Newcastle |
| 17:00 UTC+10 | Milicic 6' Johnson 18' |
Report Summary[permanent dead link] |
Yorke 78' |
Attendance: 9,127 Referee: Matthew Breeze |
Round 4
| 16 September 2005 | Sydney FC | 2–3 | Central Coast Mariners | Aussie Stadium, Sydney |
| 20:00 UTC+10 | Packer 13' Yorke 72' |
Report Summary[permanent dead link] |
Petrie 20' (pen.) Gumprecht 35'Spencer 90+1' |
Attendance: 15,614 Referee: Peter O'Leary |
| 17 September 2005 | Perth Glory | 1–2 | Adelaide United | Members Equity Stadium, Perth |
| 19:35 UTC+8 | Valkanis 20' (o.g.) |
Report Summary |
Aloisi 32' Qu 65' |
Attendance: 8,052 Referee: Matthew Breeze |
| 18 September 2005 | Queensland Roar | 1–1 | Melbourne Victory | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
| 15:00 UTC+10 | Baird 62' |
Report Summary |
Allsopp 88' |
Attendance: 15,444 Referee: Ben Williams |
| 18 September 2005 | Newcastle Jets | 4–0 | New Zealand Knights | EnergyAustralia Stadium, Newcastle |
| 17:00 UTC+10 | Haliti 12' Thompson 26'Musialik 37'Carle 70' (pen.) |
Report Summary |
Attendance: 7,495 Referee: Simon Przydacz |
Round 5
| 22 September 2005 | New Zealand Knights | 0–1 | Perth Glory | North Harbour Stadium, Auckland |
| 20:00 UTC+12 | Report Summary |
Harnwell 68' |
Attendance: 4,138 Referee: Neil Fox |
| 23 September 2005 | Queensland Roar | 1–3 | Sydney FC | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
| 20:00 UTC+10 | Timpano 50' (o.g.) |
Report Summary[permanent dead link] |
Corica 5', 67' McFlynn 68' |
Attendance: 23,142 Referee: Matthew Breeze |
| 25 September 2005 | Melbourne Victory | 1–0 | Newcastle Jets | Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne |
| 17:00 UTC+10 | Thompson 68' |
Report Summary |
Attendance: 13,831 Referee: Craig Zetter |
| 25 September 2005 | Adelaide United | 1–1 | Central Coast Mariners | Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide |
| 17:00 UTC+9:30 | Valkanis 34' |
Report Summary |
Kwasnik 19' |
Attendance: 7,013 Referee: Angelo Nardi |
Round 6
| 30 September 2005 | Central Coast Mariners | 1–2 | Melbourne Victory | Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford |
| 20:00 UTC+10 | Heffernan 33' |
Report Summary |
Thompson 73' Leijer 81' |
Attendance: 9,313 Referee: Ben Williams |
| 1 October 2005 | Newcastle Jets | 0–1 | Queensland Roar | EnergyAustralia Stadium, Newcastle |
| 19:35 UTC+10 | Report Summary |
Moon 68' |
Attendance: 7,436 Referee: Strebre Delovski |
| 1 October 2005 | Perth Glory | 1–2 | Sydney FC | Members Equity Stadium, Perth |
| 19:35 UTC+8 | Despotovski 40' |
Report Summary |
Petrovski 48' Yorke 65' |
Attendance: 13,157 Referee: Matthew Breeze |
| 2 October 2005 | New Zealand Knights | 1–2 | Adelaide United | North Harbour Stadium, Auckland |
| 18:00 UTC+12 | Yeo 44' |
Report Summary |
Dodd 34' Qu 81' |
Attendance: 3,558 Referee: Peter O'Leary |
Round 7
| 7 October 2005 | Queensland Roar | 1–1 | Central Coast Mariners | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
| 20:00 UTC+10 | Seo 57' |
Report Summary |
Spencer 41' |
Attendance: 13,195 Referee: Perry Mur |
| 8 October 2005 | Newcastle Jets | 1–5 | Perth Glory | EnergyAustralia Stadium, Newcastle |
| 19:30 UTC+10 | Parisi 72' |
Report Summary |
Mori 33', 62' Harnwell 46'Despotovski 52'Sekulovski 80' |
Attendance: 5,868 Referee: James Lewis |
| 9 October 2005 | Sydney FC | 2–1 | Adelaide United | Aussie Stadium, Sydney |
| 17:00 UTC+10 | Carney 54' Petrovski 88' |
Report Summary |
Valkanis 51' |
Attendance: 18,276 Referee: Mark Shield |
| 10 October 2005 | Melbourne Victory | 3–0 | New Zealand Knights | Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne |
| 19:00 UTC+10 | Kitzbichler 23' Muscat 62'Diaco 64' |
Report Summary |
Attendance: 11,010 Referee: Peter Green |
Round 8
| 14 October 2005 | Adelaide United | 2–4 | Newcastle Jets | Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide |
| 19:30 UTC+9:30 | Valkanis 38' Corbo 67' (o.g.) |
Report Summary |
Kemp 12' (o.g.) Carle 22', 89'Zelic 68' |
Attendance: 13,182 Referee: Mark Shield |
| 16 October 2005 | Melbourne Victory | 5–0 | Sydney FC | Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne |
| 13:00 UTC+10 | Kitzbichler 34' Muscat 53' (pen.), 78' (pen.)Thompson 57', 69' |
Report Summary |
Attendance: 18,206 Referee: Matthew Breeze |
| 16 October 2005 | Central Coast Mariners | 4–0 | Perth Glory | Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford |
| 17:00 UTC+10 | Petrie 14', 48' Heffernan 85'Spencer 90+3' |
Report Summary |
Attendance: 6,494 Referee: Ben Williams |
| 16 October 2005 | New Zealand Knights | 0–2 | Queensland Roar | North Harbour Stadium, Auckland |
| 18:00 UTC+12 | Report Summary |
Seo 8' Baird 57' |
Attendance: 4,182 Referee: Simon Przydacz |
Round 9
| 21 October 2005 | Sydney FC | 2–0 | New Zealand Knights | Aussie Stadium, Sydney |
| 20:00 UTC+10 | Petrovski 10' Carney 30' |
Report Summary |
Attendance: 11,836 Referee: Ben Williams |
| 22 October 2005 | Queensland Roar | 1–2 | Adelaide United | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
| 19:30 UTC+10 | Brownlie 76' |
Report Summary |
Fernando 59' Pantelis 89' |
Attendance: 15,181 Referee: Peter O'Leary |
| 23 October 2005 | Newcastle Jets | 1–0 | Central Coast Mariners | Energy Australia Stadium |
| 17:00 UTC+10 | Parisi 88' |
Report Summary |
Attendance: 9,371 Referee: Matthew Breeze |
| 23 October 2005 | Perth Glory | 2–1 | Melbourne Victory | Members Equity Stadium, Perth |
| 17:00 UTC+8 | Deane 22' Sekulovski 55' |
Report Summary |
Thompson 39' |
Attendance: 12,312 Referee: Mark Shield |
Round 10
| 28 October 2005 | Melbourne Victory | 0–1 | Adelaide United | Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne |
| 20:00 UTC+10 | Report Summary |
Veart 83' |
Attendance: 16,201 Referee: Matthew Breeze |
| 29 October 2005 | Queensland Roar | 0–0 | Perth Glory | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
| 19:30 UTC+10 | Report Summary |
Attendance: 13,685 Referee: Simon Przydacz |
| 29 October 2005 | New Zealand Knights | 1–3 | Central Coast Mariners | North Harbour Stadium, Auckland |
| 20:00 UTC+12 | Yeo 7' (pen.) |
Report Summary |
Heffernan 4' Petrie 49', 72' (pen.) |
Attendance: 2,583 Referee: Neil Fox |
| 30 October 2005 | Sydney FC | 1–1 | Newcastle Jets | Aussie Stadium, Sydney |
| 17:00 UTC+10 | Carney 73' |
Report Summary |
Milicic 77' |
Attendance: 9,132 Referee: Mark Shield |
Round 11
| 4 November 2005 | New Zealand Knights | 2–4 | Newcastle Jets | North Harbour Stadium, Auckland |
| 20:00 UTC+13 | Brockie 71', 77' |
Report Summary |
Milicic 18', 28', 56' Thompson 21' |
Attendance: 2,561 Referee: Matthew Breeze |
| 4 November 2005 | Melbourne Victory | 0–1 | Queensland Roar | Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne |
| 20:00 UTC+11 | Report Summary |
McKay 15' |
Attendance: 13,239 Referee: Mark Shield |
| 5 November 2005 | Central Coast Mariners | 1–5 | Sydney FC | Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford |
| 20:00 UTC+11 | Hutchinson 40' |
Report Summary |
Yorke 9' (pen.) Talay 14'Petrovski 23', 68', 83' |
Attendance: 10,529 Referee: Simon Przydacz |
| 6 November 2005 | Adelaide United | 2–4 | Perth Glory | Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide |
| 16:30 UTC+10:30 | Veart 13' (pen.) Rees 53' |
Report Summary |
Mori 9', 34', 45+1' Despotovski 39' (pen.) |
Attendance: 10,868 Referee: Ben Williams |
Round 12
| 11 November 2005 | Perth Glory | 3–0 | New Zealand Knights | Members Equity Stadium, Perth |
| 19:00 UTC+8 | Ward 69' Sekulovski 25'Despotovski 12' |
Attendance: 9,667 Referee: Craig Zetter |
| 11 November 2005 | Melbourne Victory | 0–0 | Newcastle Jets | Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne |
| 20:00 UTC+11 | Attendance: 12,407 Referee: Simon Przydacz |
| 13 November 2005 | Central Coast Mariners | 1–2 | Adelaide United | Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford |
| 15:00 UTC+11 | Hutchinson 12' |
Rech 90' Dodd 85' |
Attendance: 5,467 Referee: Peter O'Leary |
| 13 November 2005 | Sydney FC | 1–0 | Queensland Roar | Aussie Stadium, Sydney |
| 17:00 UTC+11 | Zdrillic 54' |
Attendance: 13,030 Referee: Ben Williams |
Round 13
| 18 November 2005 | Melbourne Victory | 0–2 | Central Coast Mariners | Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne |
| 20:00 UTC+11 | Heffernan 75' Hutchinson 38' |
Attendance: 13,892 Referee: Ben Williams |
| 19 November 2005 | Sydney FC | 0–0 | Perth Glory | Aussie Stadium, Sydney |
| 19:00 UTC+11 | Attendance: 16,242 Referee: Matthew Breeze |
| 20 November 2005 | Adelaide United | 1–0 | New Zealand Knights | Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide |
| 16:30 UTC+10.30 | Qu 38' |
Attendance: 9,676 Referee: Angelo Nardi |
| 20 November 2005 | Queensland Roar | 0–1 | Newcastle Jets | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
| 18:00 UTC+10 | Thompson 34' |
Attendance: 13,004 Referee: Mark Shield |
Round 14
| 25 November 2005 | Central Coast Mariners | 2–2 | Queensland Roar | Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford |
| 20:00 UTC+11 | Heffernan 89' Osman 56' |
Brosque 7', 78' |
Attendance: 5,194 Referee: Matthew Breeze |
| 25 November 2005 | Perth Glory | 0–1 | Newcastle Jets | Members Equity Stadium, Perth |
| 17:00 UTC+8 | Coveny 47' |
Attendance: 7,921 Referee: Simon Przydacz |
| 26 November 2005 | New Zealand Knights | 2–3 | Melbourne Victory | North Harbour Stadium, Auckland |
| 20:00 UTC+13 | Devine 40' (pen.) Christie 30' |
Kitzbichler 43', 73' Muscat 28' (pen.) |
Attendance: 1,922 Referee: Peter O'Leary |
| 27 November 2005 | Adelaide United | 3–2 | Sydney FC | Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide |
| 16:30 UTC+10.30 | Rech 4', 84' Veart 14' |
Miura 33', 76' |
Attendance: 14,068 Referee: Mark Shield |
Round 15
| 1 December 2005 | Queensland Roar | 1–1 | New Zealand Knights | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
| 19:00 UTC+10 | Brownlie 28' |
Yeo 44' |
Attendance: 8,607 Referee: James Lewis |
| 2 December 2005 | Newcastle Jets | 1–2 | Adelaide United | EnergyAustralia Stadium, Newcastle |
| 20:00 UTC+11 | Johnson 59' |
Brain 79' Veart 75' |
Attendance: 10,132 Referee: Simon Przydacz |
| 3 December 2005 | Sydney FC | 2–1 | Melbourne Victory | Aussie Stadium, Sydney |
| 19:00 UTC+11 | Carney 81' Corica 24' |
Allsopp 88' |
Attendance: 17,272 Referee: Matthew Breeze |
| 4 December 2005 | Perth Glory | 2–2 | Central Coast Mariners | Members Equity Stadium, Perth |
| 16:00 UTC+8 | Ishida 65' Ward 54' |
Petrie 12' Hutchinson 8' |
Attendance: 7,428 Referee: Mark Shield |
Round 16
| 29 December 2005 | Melbourne Victory | 2–2 | Perth Glory | Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne |
| 20:00 UTC+11 | Allsopp 45' Thompson 23' |
Ward 67' Mori 5' |
Attendance: 14,754 Referee: Peter O'Leary |
| 30 December 2005 | New Zealand Knights | 2–2 | Sydney FC | North Harbour Stadium, Auckland |
| 20:00 UTC+13 | Brockie 86' Devine 3' |
Yorke 45' (pen.) Carney 6' |
Attendance: 4,212 Referee: Peter Green |
| 31 December 2005 | Central Coast Mariners | 4–1 | Newcastle Jets | Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford |
| 18:00 UTC+11 | Hutchinson 71', 82' Brown 30'Gumprecht 3' |
Coveny 85' |
Attendance: 11,612 Referee: Mark Shield |
| 1 January 2006 | Adelaide United | 4–2 | Queensland Roar | Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide |
| 18:30 UTC+10.30 | Rech 40', 63' Qu 30'Veart 29' |
Baird 83' Brosque 11' |
Attendance: 8,426 Referee: Matthew Breeze |
Round 17
| 5 January 2006 | Adelaide United | 1–0 | Melbourne Victory | Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide |
| 19:30 UTC+10.30 | Dodd 14' |
Attendance: 13,427 Referee: Mark Shield |
| 6 January 2006 | Sydney FC | 0–0 | Newcastle Jets | Aussie Stadium, Sydney |
| 20:00 UTC+11 | Attendance: 15,211 Referee: Matthew Breeze |
| 7 January 2006 | Perth Glory | 0–2 | Queensland Roar | Members Equity Stadium, Perth |
| 19:00 UTC+8 | Baird 80' Reinaldo 10' |
Attendance: 11,087 Referee: Peter Green |
| 8 January 2006 | Central Coast Mariners | 1–0 | New Zealand Knights | Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford |
| 17:00 UTC+11 | Heffernan 90' |
Attendance: 7,257 Referee: Strebre Delovski |
Round 18
| 12 January 2006 | Perth Glory | 1–2 | Adelaide United | Members Equity Stadium, Perth |
| 19:00 UTC+8 | Ward 86' |
Aloisi 71' Qu 3' |
Attendance: 5,033 Referee: Matthew Breeze |
| 13 January 2006 | Newcastle Jets | 3–0 | New Zealand Knights | EnergyAustralia Stadium, Newcastle |
| 20:00 UTC+11 | Haliti 86', 90' Milicic 19' |
Attendance: 6,862 Referee: Perry Mur |
| 14 January 2006 | Sydney FC | 1–1 | Central Coast Mariners | Aussie Stadium, Sydney |
| 19:00 UTC+11 | Carney 61' |
Pondeljak 52' |
Attendance: 15,977 Referee: Ben Williams |
| 15 January 2006 | Queensland Roar | 0–1 | Melbourne Victory | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
| 18:00 UTC+10 | Thompson 56' |
Attendance: 12,710 Referee: Mark Shield |
Round 19
| 19 January 2006 | New Zealand Knights | 1–4 | Perth Glory | North Harbour Stadium, Auckland |
| 20:00 UTC+13 | Emblen 7' |
Harnwell 78' Coyne 14'Sekulovski 11', 42' |
Attendance: 3,024 Referee: Neil Fox |
| 20 January 2006 | Adelaide United | 1–1 | Central Coast Mariners | Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide |
| 19:30 UTC+10.30 | Veart 50' (pen.) |
Kwasnik 54' |
Attendance: 13,008 Referee: Mark Shield |
| 21 January 2006 | Queensland Roar | 2–1 | Sydney FC | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
| 19:00 UTC+10 | Brosque 60', 70' |
Petrovski 85' |
Attendance: 13,302 Referee: Simon Przydacz |
| 22 January 2006 | Newcastle Jets | 1–0 | Melbourne Victory | EnergyAustralia Stadium, Newcastle |
| 17:00 UTC+11 | Coveny 36' |
Attendance: 9,073 Referee: Matthew Breeze |
Round 20
| 26 January 2006 | Newcastle Jets | 0–5 | Queensland Roar | EnergyAustralia Stadium, Newcastle |
| 20:00 UTC+11 | Murdocca 90' McKay 83'Brosque 52'Richter 44'Reinaldo 10' |
Attendance: 10,271 Referee: Peter O'Leary |
| 27 January 2006 | Central Coast Mariners | 3–1 | Melbourne Victory | Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford |
| 20:00 UTC+11 | Heffernan 88' Spencer 28', 62' |
Ferrante 13' |
Attendance: 11,945 Referee: Simon Przydacz |
| 28 January 2006 | New Zealand Knights | 1–1 | Adelaide United | North Harbour Stadium, Auckland |
| 20:00 UTC+13 | Zhang 71' |
Brain 21' |
Attendance: 3,079 Referee: Perry Mur |
| 29 January 2006 | Perth Glory | 1–2 | Sydney FC | Members Equity Stadium, Perth |
| 16:00 UTC+8 | Despotovski 53' |
Zadkovich 23' Rudan 14' |
Attendance: 12,796 Referee: Craig Zetter |
Round 21
| 3 February 2006 | Sydney FC | 2–1 | Adelaide United | Aussie Stadium, Sydney |
| 20:00 UTC+11 | Ceccoli 71' Yorke 48' (pen.) |
Qu 90' |
Attendance: 25,557 Referee: Mark Shield |
| 4 February 2006 | Melbourne Victory | 2–1 | New Zealand Knights | Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne |
| 18:00 UTC+11 | Muscat 21' (pen.) Byrnes 2' |
Brockie 90' |
Attendance: 10,078 Referee: Angelo Nardi |
| 4 February 2006 | Queensland Roar | 2–2 | Central Coast Mariners | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
| 19:00 UTC+10 | Baird 60' Brosque 3' |
O'Sullivan 81' Petrie 33' |
Attendance: 13,641 Referee: Ben Williams |
| 5 February 2006 | Newcastle Jets | 1–3 | Perth Glory | EnergyAustralia Stadium, Newcastle |
| 17:00 UTC+11 | Coveny 34' |
Mori 71' Picken 58' (o.g.)Ward 9' |
Attendance: 9,232 Referee: Matthew Breeze |
Finals series
After the home and away season, the finals series began, with the top four teams. The finals series used a modified Page playoff system, with the difference that each first-round game would be played over two legs. The winner of the finals series, Sydney FC was crowned as the A-League champion. Adelaide United, as the holder of the top position on the league ladder, were named the 2005–06 premiers.
Standard cup rules – such as the away goals rule (two-leg ties only), extra time and penalty shootouts were used to decide drawn games.
| Semifinals | Preliminary final | Final | |||||||||||||
| 1 | Adelaide United | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | Sydney FC | 1 | ||||||||
| 2 | Sydney FC | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | Central Coast Mariners | 0 | ||||||||
| 1 | Adelaide United | 0 | |||||||||||||
| 3 | Central Coast Mariners | 1 | |||||||||||||
| 3 | Central Coast Mariners | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||
| 4 | Newcastle Jets | 0 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
Semi-finals
| 12 February 2006 | Adelaide United | 2–2 | Sydney FC | Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide |
| 17:00 UTC+10.30 | Rech 34' Dodd 31' |
Petrovski 39' Corica 9' |
Attendance: 15,104 Referee: Matthew Breeze |
| 19 February 2006 | Sydney FC | 2–1 | Adelaide United | Aussie Stadium, Sydney |
| 17:00 UTC+11 | Rudan 76' Petrovski 29' |
Qu 60' |
Attendance: 30,377 Referee: Mark Shield |
Sydney FC won 4–3 on aggregate.
| 10 February 2006 | Newcastle Jets | 0–1 | Central Coast Mariners | EnergyAustralia Stadium, Newcastle |
| 20:00 UTC+11 | Osman 76' |
Attendance: 10,236 Referee: Ben Williams |
| 17 February 2006 | Central Coast Mariners | 1–1 | Newcastle Jets | Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford |
| 20:00 UTC+11 | Heffernan 79' |
Thompson 28' |
Attendance: 17,429 Referee: Simon Przydacz |
Central Coast Mariners won 2–1 on aggregate.
Preliminary final
| 26 February 2006 | Adelaide United | 0–1 | Central Coast Mariners | Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide |
| 17:00 UTC+10.30 | Pondeljak 7' |
Attendance: 11,405 Referee: Matthew Breeze |
Grand Final
| 5 March 2006 | Sydney FC | 1–0 | Central Coast Mariners | Aussie Stadium, Sydney |
| 17:00 UTC+11 | Corica 62' |
Attendance: 41,689 Referee: Mark Shield |
Attendance
| Team | Hosted | Average | High | Low | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney FC | 11 | 16,669 | 25,557 | 9,132 | 183,355 |
| Queensland Roar | 11 | 14,785 | 23,142 | 8,607 | 162,636 |
| Melbourne Victory | 10 | 14,158 | 18,026 | 10,078 | 141,578 |
| Adelaide United | 10 | 10,947 | 14,068 | 7,013 | 109,473 |
| Perth Glory | 11 | 9,734 | 13,157 | 5,033 | 107,075 |
| Newcastle Jets | 11 | 8,912 | 13,000 | 5,868 | 98,027 |
| Central Coast Mariners | 10 | 7,899 | 17,429 | 5,194 | 78,989 |
| New Zealand Knights | 10 | 3,909 | 9,900 | 1,922 | 39,086 |
| League total | 84 | 10,955 | 25,557 | 1,922 | 920,219 |
Highest attendance
- 41,689: Sydney FC vs Central Coast Mariners, 5 March 2006 (grand final)
- 30,377: Sydney FC vs Adelaide United, 19 February 2006 (Semi-final Leg2)
- 25,557: Sydney FC vs Adelaide United, 3 February 2006 (Round 21)
- 25,208: Sydney FC vs Melbourne Victory, 28 August 2005 (Round 1)
- 23,142: Queensland Roar vs Sydney FC, 23 September 2005 (Round 5)
- 20,725: Queensland Roar vs New Zealand Knights, 28 August 2005 (Round 1)
- 18,276: Sydney FC vs Adelaide United, 9 October 2005 (Round 7)
- 18,206: Melbourne Victory vs Sydney FC, 16 October 2005 (Round 8)
- 17,960: Melbourne Victory vs Perth Glory, 4 September 2005 (Round 2)
Leading goalscorers
| Total | Player | Team | Goals per Round | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | ||||||||
| 8 |  | Alex Brosque | Brisbane Roar | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Bobby Despotovski | Perth Glory | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Archie Thompson | Melbourne Victory | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||
 | Stewart Petrie | Central Coast Mariners | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | | Carl Veart | Adelaide United | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Dean Heffernan | Central Coast Mariners | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||
 | Dwight Yorke | Sydney FC | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Ante Milicic | Newcastle Jets | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Sasho Petrovski | Sydney FC | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Damian Mori | Perth Glory | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Disciplinary records
| Player | Team | Yellow | 2YC | Red |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terry McFlynn | Sydney FC | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Matt McKay | Queensland Roar | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Kevin Muscat | Melbourne Victory | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Ross Aloisi | Adelaide United | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Remo Buess | Queensland Roar | 6 | 0 | 0 |
Biggest victories
| Score | Date | Round | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne Victory | 5–0 | Sydney FC | 16 Oct 2005 | 8 |
| Queensland Roar | 5–0 | Newcastle Jets | 26 Jan 2006 | 20 |
| Perth Glory | 5–1 | Newcastle Jets | 8 Oct 2005 | 7 |
| Sydney FC | 5–1 | Central Coast Mariners | 5 Nov 2005 | 11 |
| Newcastle Jets | 4–0 | New Zealand Knights | 18 Sep 2005 | 4 |
| Central Coast Mariners | 4–0 | Perth Glory | 8 Oct 2005 | 8 |
Highest aggregate scores
| Score | Date | Round | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perth Glory | 5–1 | Newcastle Jets | 8 Oct 2005 | 7 |
| Sydney FC | 5–1 | Central Coast Mariners | 5 Nov 2005 | 11 |
| Newcastle Jets | 4–2 | Adelaide United | 14 Oct 2005 | 8 |
| Newcastle Jets | 4–2 | New Zealand Knights | 4 Nov 2005 | 11 |
| Perth Glory | 4–2 | Adelaide United | 6 Nov 2005 | 11 |
| Adelaide United | 4–2 | Queensland Roar | 1 Jan 2006 | 16 |
Other honours
- First goal – Carl Veart (Adelaide United vs Newcastle Jets, Round 1)
- First hat trick – Ante Milicic (Newcastle Jets vs New Zealand Knights, Round 11)
- First red card – Richie Alagich (Adelaide United vs Melbourne Victory, Round 3)
| Award | Recipient |
|---|---|
| Johnny Warren Medal (Player's Player of the Year) | Bobby Despotovski (Perth Glory) |
| Golden Boot Award (Top Goalscorer) | Alex Brosque (Brisbane Roar) Bobby Despotovski (Perth Glory) Archie Thompson (Melbourne Victory) Stewart Petrie (Central Coast Mariners) |
| Rising Star Award (U-20 Player of the Year) | Nick Ward (Perth Glory) |
| Coach of the Year | Lawrie McKinna (Central Coast Mariners) |
| Referee of the Year | Mark Shield |
| Joe Marston Medal (Best player in grand final) | Dwight Yorke (Sydney FC) |
Although Australia became a member of the Asian Football Confederation in 2006, Australian teams were not invited to participate in the 2006 AFC Champions League competition.
The AFC later determined that qualification for the 2007 AFC Champions League would be based on the 2005–06 A-League competition, despite that ACL matches will commence after the completion of the A-League 2006–07 season. Adelaide as Premiers and Sydney as Champions were the representatives.
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