The numbers that matter
The big winners of Round 26
Adelaide United poached second place in dramatic circumstances through some Luka Jovanovic heroics in the final game of the regular season at AAMI Park.
The Reds were in fifth place on the table with 15 minutes to go on Sunday evening, which would have seen them host back in Melbourne next weekend to play City, but they have instead got an additional week to prepare against the highest ranked elimination final winner.
Head coach Airton Andrioli was unapologetic for starting Anselmo ahead of Jovanovic, telling reporters afterwards he believed it was the right move based on the opposition, but it's nonetheless always a sign of great strength when a substitute is able to turn a game in their team's favour so late in the piece.
Adelaide were not in the finals picture at the start of the season because of key departures from last season such as Archie Goodwin, and the December injury to wing back Dylan Pierias certainly didn't help their cause, but Andrioli has used his intimate knowledge of their youthful squad, many of whom he worked with in the under-23 NPL South Australia team, to form a galvanised unit that is playing some attractive transition football.
They finished the season as the competition's best home team, picking up 24 of a possible 39 points, and having home advantage in the second leg of their semi-finals could prove to be enormous.
Not least because they'll be missing Jovanovic for the first leg after his brainfade in Melbourne, where he received his second booking for removing his shirt when celebrating his winning goal.
The big losers of Round 26
Melbourne City are the worst travellers of the six remaining sides and so there was little wonder that head coach Aurelio Vidmar was visibly frustrated that they blew a golden opportunity to play the Reds again at AAMI Park next weekend.
They would have gone into the elimination final with the momentum of having already beaten Adelaide, potentially with a clean sheet as well, and would have also had a four-game winning streak at AAMI Park to boot.
Instead, Vidmar's men face a potentially difficult trip to Auckland, where they have yet to score a goal - losing both away games 3-0 in February and in January 2025.
A late-game drop in focus caused by a sideline ruckus could be to blame for their conceding twice against the Reds and shouldn't take too much away from what has been some excellent late season form, so they certainly cannot be discounted next weekend.
The Golden Boot race
Last season, it was Sydney FC's Adrian Segecic and Adelaide United youngster Archie Goodwin who shared the Golden Boot award before heading off-shore for bigger pay cheques.
It won't be a surprise to see Western Sydney's Luka Jovanovic join them after his match-winning double in Melbourne on Sunday saw him share the award with Sam Cosgrove, who had an excellent start to the season.
Team of the Week
Read more about our Round 26 Team of the Week here.
What the managers said
Mark Milligan (Newcastle Jets):
"It's a very special feeling. I'm extremely proud of this group of what we have achieved so far. We have asked a lot of them. The number one goal was to get this club back to what I knew it as many, many years ago. That has been a big part of everything we do, from how hard these players work to the football we play on the weekends.
"This is where we wanted to be. It's down to the players' application, because from the first day that we stepped in, we made it difficult for them. We put them in a lot of situations where we expected them to fail and they just kept raising that bar. The football that we play is not easy. I'm not surprised that this has happened, because their desire and their application has always pushed us as a coaching group."
Gary van Egmond (Western Sydney Wanderers):
"It's so important that we have a strong Western Sydney Wanderers, not just for our fans but for the football landscape in general. I think the club is on the right track in regards to the appointment of a football director. There are a couple more positions that can add onto the actual structure of the football club. The connection between the academy and the first grade squad can be stronger and I think that's something that will occur.
"It's the heartland of Australian football. I've enjoyed every moment of being here, being involved with such a big club. I apologise that I couldn't get them into the position where they rightly should be. Sometimes you've got to go through pain for joy and hopefully we've gone through enough pain."
Michael Valkanis (Brisbane Roar):
"It has been a very disappointing 2026, no doubt about that. A lot of bad luck in situations where we could have finished things off and taken three points. We have to rectify that for next season, that's for sure.
"We were also victims to our own early success. We raised the bar and the expectations from everyone, and we've let down our supporters. That's how I feel. We pushed hard in the first ten games and we were surprising the league that we were playing for the top of the ladder. To be where we are now is really disappointing for our supporters, who we got extremely excited. We know what we have to do as a club to take those ten games and build on those as a club."
Click here to read post-game comments from all 12 managers at the weekend.
Goal of the Week
Next weekend's fixtures
Top-two Newcastle Jets and Adelaide United go through to the two-legged semi-finals and get a bye this weekend.
The lowest ranked winner of the two elimination finals will take on Newcastle, and the highest ranked winner will play Adelaide.
