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General A Leagues thread (Men and Women) 2025/26 season

General observations:
- None of the top 7 teams from last season (top 6 if you don’t include WU) have improved their squads from last year.
- The only teams that look like they’ve improved their squads from last year are the Jets, Bulls, Glory and Roar.
- I think you can throw a blanket over the top 4. They could finish in any order and it’ll be tight.
- The 2 teams that fought for the premiers plate 2 years ago will fight for the spoon this season.

1. City – Usually pretty consistent.
2. WSW – Lost players but brought in a few decent replacements.
3. Auckland - Will be up there but won’t be as dominant as teams get better at working them out.
4. Victory – We’ll be around the mark, but the lack of quality in the front third will likely stop us from fighting for the premier’s plate.
5. Newcastle – Biggest improvers. Should be good enough to make the finals.
6. MacArthur – Have brought in enough talent to make finals.
7. Sydney – Lost more talent than anyone else.
8. Perth – Looks like a vastly improved squad and may challenge for finals if they can get some results on the road.
9. Adelaide – Goodwin or bust. It’ll be a bust.
10. Brisbane – Need time to sort themselves out, but Valkanis is a good appointment who will probably get poached in 1-2 years.
11. Wellington – Lost players and haven’t signed anyone
12. CCM – Lost players and haven’t signed anyone
 
FeedTheBrox said:
General observations:
- None of the top 7 teams from last season (top 6 if you don’t include WU) have improved their squads from last year.
- The only teams that look like they’ve improved their squads from last year are the Jets, Bulls, Glory and Roar.
- I think you can throw a blanket over the top 4. They could finish in any order and it’ll be tight.
- The 2 teams that fought for the premiers plate 2 years ago will fight for the spoon this season.

1. City – Usually pretty consistent.
2. WSW – Lost players but brought in a few decent replacements.
3. Auckland - Will be up there but won’t be as dominant as teams get better at working them out.
4. Victory – We’ll be around the mark, but the lack of quality in the front third will likely stop us from fighting for the premier’s plate.
5. Newcastle – Biggest improvers. Should be good enough to make the finals.
6. MacArthur – Have brought in enough talent to make finals.
7. Sydney – Lost more talent than anyone else.
8. Perth – Looks like a vastly improved squad and may challenge for finals if they can get some results on the road.
9. Adelaide – Goodwin or bust. It’ll be a bust.
10. Brisbane – Need time to sort themselves out, but Valkanis is a good appointment who will probably get poached in 1-2 years.
11. Wellington – Lost players and haven’t signed anyone
12. CCM – Lost players and haven’t signed anyone
Click to expand...
The only team that really has improved their squad is Roar. Kucharski at Perth with regular game time may surprise. TBH probably the worst squads across the board for a very long time.
 
patjennings said:
The only team that really has improved their squad is Roar. Kucharski at Perth with regular game time may surprise. TBH probably the worst squads across the board for a very long time.
Click to expand...
Major changes to the cap next season, so this is a bit of a transitional season. Was always going to be a lot of low risk signings this season as the clubs will have to plan contracts with next year's cap more so than usual.
 
someguyjc said:
Major changes to the cap next season, so this is a bit of a transitional season. Was always going to be a lot of low risk signings this season as the clubs will have to plan contracts with next year's cap more so than usual.
Click to expand...
I guess the upside is that it will come down to who has the best academy

being a development league without a nyl seems pretty crazy to be honest
 
melbcityguy said:
Predictions for the league:

Victory
Auckland
City
Sydney
Newcastle
Brisbane
Wsw
MacArthur
Perth
Wellington
Adelaide
Ccm
Click to expand...
You have more faith in Victory than I do this season. We need to find more goals.
 
patjennings said:
The only team that really has improved their squad is Roar. Kucharski at Perth with regular game time may surprise. TBH probably the worst squads across the board for a very long time.
Click to expand...

Or, if you wanted to have a glass half full attitude… we have never seen so many young players leave the A-League for greener pastures, and now we will be giving opportunities for the next crop.
 
melbcityguy said:
Well no team really has a stand out striker maybe taggart. It's really hard to predict when so many players leave
Click to expand...
Having a striker performing well is usually not enough. It's more about having 3-4 players scoring regularly. Taggart was a top 6 striker last season, but nobody else was scoring goals. Compare that with Auck, WSW, AU and WU who all had 3-4 players scoring 7+ goals each. MV had 3 players on 7 goals, but none above that. It was the missing piece of the puzzle last season. We had a great keeper, great defenders, great midfield, but a just OK front third. Part of that was Nish being injured. But also Vergos under delivering. We lost one of those goal scorers (Machach), who wasn't really replaced. Nish doesn't seem to have recovered fully yet. Front third is definitely MV's weakest area (on paper at least).
 
someguyjc said:
Having a striker performing well is usually not enough. It's more about having 3-4 players scoring regularly. Taggart was a top 6 striker last season, but nobody else was scoring goals. Compare that with Auck, WSW, AU and WU who all had 3-4 players scoring 7+ goals each. MV had 3 players on 7 goals, but none above that. It was the missing piece of the puzzle last season. We had a great keeper, great defenders, great midfield, but a just OK front third. Part of that was Nish being injured. But also Vergos under delivering. We lost one of those goal scorers (Machach), who wasn't really replaced. Nish doesn't seem to have recovered fully yet. Front third is definitely MV's weakest area (on paper at least).
Click to expand...
Keeping Vergos, losing and not replacing Machach, in every other season would have assumed Victory will miss the 6.

But with the way the others have recruited, will be top 4.

Newcastle should be the big improvers. Aukland will be top, but won't be as dominant. Perth will be slightly better but still terrible.

Have Sydney replaced Klimala? If not, can't see them improving having lost Costa, Segecic, Sena and Kucharski.

One would assume Brisbane will be slight improvers.

Aukland
City
Victory
Jets
Sydney
Macarthur
WSW
Adelaide
Glory
Brisbane
Nix
CCM
 
FeedTheBrox said:
General observations:
- None of the top 7 teams from last season (top 6 if you don’t include WU) have improved their squads from last year.
- The only teams that look like they’ve improved their squads from last year are the Jets, Bulls, Glory and Roar.
- I think you can throw a blanket over the top 4. They could finish in any order and it’ll be tight.
- The 2 teams that fought for the premiers plate 2 years ago will fight for the spoon this season.

1. City – Usually pretty consistent.
2. WSW – Lost players but brought in a few decent replacements.
3. Auckland - Will be up there but won’t be as dominant as teams get better at working them out.
4. Victory – We’ll be around the mark, but the lack of quality in the front third will likely stop us from fighting for the premier’s plate.
5. Newcastle – Biggest improvers. Should be good enough to make the finals.
6. MacArthur – Have brought in enough talent to make finals.
7. Sydney – Lost more talent than anyone else.
8. Perth – Looks like a vastly improved squad and may challenge for finals if they can get some results on the road.
9. Adelaide – Goodwin or bust. It’ll be a bust.
10. Brisbane – Need time to sort themselves out, but Valkanis is a good appointment who will probably get poached in 1-2 years.
11. Wellington – Lost players and haven’t signed anyone
12. CCM – Lost players and haven’t signed anyone
Click to expand...
Every year people say we’re carried by Goodwin (when he’s at the club) but as good as he is, we’re never a one man team
 
well tbh can you blame them, APLW really isn't kicking the goals re numbers unless I'm wrong ?
Plus where's the $ coming from to support it whilst the APL is in the red in the first place.
Maybe IF it was just the NPL and lower organic Clubs - sure a Cup series could get some movement.
 
I'm not sure where to put this but thought people would be interested.

City is offering paid training sessions for kids with Tommy Sorensen which is pretty cool how often can you say you say you're being trained by a premier league player
 
melbcityguy said:
I'm not sure where to put this but thought people would be interested.

City is offering paid training sessions for kids with Tommy Sorensen which is pretty cool how often can you say you say you're being trained by a premier league player
Click to expand...
As often as mummy and daddy can afford to pay the fees I guess?
 
someguyjc said:
Having a striker performing well is usually not enough. It's more about having 3-4 players scoring regularly. Taggart was a top 6 striker last season, but nobody else was scoring goals. Compare that with Auck, WSW, AU and WU who all had 3-4 players scoring 7+ goals each. MV had 3 players on 7 goals, but none above that. It was the missing piece of the puzzle last season. We had a great keeper, great defenders, great midfield, but a just OK front third. Part of that was Nish being injured. But also Vergos under delivering. We lost one of those goal scorers (Machach), who wasn't really replaced. Nish doesn't seem to have recovered fully yet. Front third is definitely MV's weakest area (on paper at least).
Click to expand...
I'm not a Victory supporter, but my take is that with so many outs and incomings of important players, it could take some time to get going.
They seem to have recruited well, it depends how quickly they gell and if the unknown perform.
I put them in 6th, but could imho be anywhere from 8th-3rd, depends if they have a rough start, or things click quickly.
Sydney I see kind of similar, though with no ACL I can see them in the battle for top 4.
 
to be honest I cant think we could get any worse then the last couple of season ( glory ) so any improvement would be better then the tripe that has been delivered
 
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