2026 Australia Cup final rounds thread

[Glenardo]

Last year they drew the round of 16/quarter final/semi finals all at the same time, any idea if they’re doing that again this year?

 

[melbcityguy]

Is Melb City gonna play there U17 kids again? Wot a joke of a club they should be kicked out if they do. Talk about baiting sports/betting sites with there fixed squads. Easy money if u r betting against them but like I said the fix is already set.

 

[Glenardo]

 

[NoMates]

If the games were played just after the a league season or during it would be a different story, NPL teams are well into there season where the A League have only started training. This myth is busted and based purely on superstition.

 

[HappyGuus]

Not withstanding my thoughts on the draw nonsense.

This is such a cop out by aleague sides. It’s the domestic cup, your season starts now not in October. Plan and act accordingly.

Number of competitions all over the world start just into preseason (Continental qualifiers, Scottish league cup for example) and sides are able to adapt.

Are those competitions not like for like regarding fitness levels though? You can't really compare our situation of two completely different times of seasons playing against each other.

It's like any sport, you peak your fitness level for the peak of the season. E. g. AFL finals, Tour de France etc.

For mine, the A-League clubs ARE taking it seriously (not so in the past). But they can't do anything about enforced player holidays and competition timing. Fitness levels are a totally valid reason for failing this early. That doesn't diminish from member fed teams. It is what it is until the timings change.

Even at local level they haven't got their timing right. E. g. in SA they host their cup final days before their Aus Cup match. Years ago, their final was held earlier in the season and there wasn't a conflict of schedules with Aus Cup. Maybe explains why NPL SA has fallen off a cliff the past three years in the Aus Cup. They were comfortably above Queensland, but now behind them and even WA catching up.

 

[HappyGuus]

Is Melb City gonna play there U17 kids again?

Their world cup players are still on holidays mate. It is what it is.