A League Australian Football

With just over 480,000 residents, Newcastle is Australia's seventh-largest city, but on Saturday night, it will have the focus of the nation, as the Newcastle Jets aim to win their second A-League championship when they host Melbourne Victory in the 2018 A-League Grand Final.

Newcastle defeated Victory's cross-town rivals, Melbourne City, in the semi-final thanks in part to a stunning scorpion-kick goal from 19-year-old midfielder Riley McGree.

City's Uruguayan forward Bruno Fornaroli put his side into the lead in the 14th minute, a lead they held for more than 40 minutes, but it was then that history was made and the on-the-run scorpion kick headed straight for the top right-hand corner of the goal.

The Jets youngster is on loan from Belgian first division side Club Brugge, but considering the goal has been touted as a potential winner of FIFA's Puskas Award for the "most beautiful" goal in the world this year, his manager's phone may be ringing shortly.

Just 18 minutes after McGree's wonder goal hit the back of the net, local boy Jason Hoffman scored the winner for the hosts and ensured that Newcastle would play in their second decider since the league began in 2005.

Victory have had much more success than the side they meet on Saturday night, having played in five and won three Grand Finals to date, but last Saturday's semi-final win against bitter rivals Sydney FC will go down as one of the greatest wins in club history.

The upset win had to be seen to be believed, as Terry Antonis went from villain to hero in the span of 20 minutes. The Victory midfielder thought he had cost his side a place in the decider when he scored a 95th-minute own goal, which took the contest to extra time.

That was just the first part of the story, though, as the former Socceroo made up for his mistake, scoring a brilliant solo goal just three minutes before the end of extra time, which sent the travelling fans and coaching staff into delirium.

The oddsmakers are predicting a tight affair, with $2.50 AUD on offer for a Jets win inside 90 minutes and $2.65 for Victory to spoil the party, according to AustralianGambling. Being a Grand Final, there is, of course, the chance of extra time and penalties, and in the "to lift the trophy," market the hosts are $1.72 with Melbourne at $2.

Jets coach Ernie Merrick has done a terrific job with his side this season, taking them from last place to hosting the Grand Final, and given that the former Victory boss has coached two wins from three games against his old side this season, both at home, they look the team to beat.

It is the first time that the city with the largest coal exporting harbour in the world has hosted the A-League's showpiece event, and as you'd expect, all tickets have been sold for the blockbuster. There will be travelling Victory fans in attendance, but with a capacity of 30,000, the Novocastrians will be able to hear the support.

It's been a big week for the world game in Australia, with Bert van Marwijk being named as the new Socceroos coach and the transfer window ending on Thursday.

While there were several moves during the month-long transfer window, the Western Sydney Wanderers pulled off one of the biggest coups, signing Christopher Ikonomidis from Serie A club Lazio. 

It is not clear if the Australia international, who has joined the club on loan until June 30, will take the pitch this Sunday, when his new side heads to Gosford to take on the Central Coast Mariners in a must-win clash for both teams.

The Mariners and Wanderers both sit on 19 points, which leaves the pair out of the top six solely on goal difference. The hosts are $2.30 AUD to collect the three points, according to Australian Gambling, while the Wanderers are at $2.70 and the draw gives you a return of $3.60.

Sydney FC sit nine points clear on top of the table, but coach Graham Arnold is not going to let complacency creep into the squad.

The club announced the signing of Adelaide United defender Ben Warland on Wednesday, and, in even bigger news, they're also set to sign Portuguese winger Fabio Ferreira, who as a free agent can be signed after the transfer window closes.

The Sky Blues are, as you'd expect, the shortest-priced favourite of the round for the visit of the cellar-dwelling Wellington Phoenix on Friday night. The champions are $1.28 to secure another win, with the Kiwi outfit way out at $8.50.

The match of the round comes on Saturday when the second-placed Newcastle Jets host the fourth-placed Melbourne Victory, who were one of the big losers in the transfer period, losing former captain and current Socceroo Mark Milligan to Saudi Arabian club Al Ahli.

The Jets have been brilliant this campaign, winning 10 of their 18 games, and they are a $2.40 favourite to continue that run in this one, with Victory out at $2.60.

Tim Cahill was another star player who found a new home this week, with the 38-year-old heading back to his first professional club, Millwall, for the remainder of the English Championship season.

Cahill's former club, Melbourne City, are $2.30 to secure the three points when they head north for a tricky fixture against Brisbane Roar ($2.63), while Adelaide ($1.72) host Perth Glory ($4.33) on Saturday night.

The two marquee fixtures of Round 18 of the A-League season are both set to be played in Australia's sporting capital, Melbourne, with the top four sides on the table all set to go head-to-head.

Thursday night sees the second-place Newcastle Jets take on a Melbourne City side who sit just four points behind them in third place on the ladder at AAMI Park.

City are coming off one of their best performances of the campaign last week, when they steamrolled Adelaide United 5-0 at home.

The Jets' result last week was the biggest surprise of the weekend, as they lost 3-2 at home to the cellar-dwelling Wellington Phoenix.

Last week's results see City installed as firm favourites at $2.10 AUD on the betting lines, while the Jets are out at $3.25 and the draw is $3.60, according to AustralianGambling.

While Thursday's fixture is more important in terms of the competition ladder, Friday's Grand Final rematch between Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC has just as much on the line for two of the biggest clubs in the country.

After losing to the Sky Blues in a penalty shootout in last year's decider, Victory started off the season slowly, failing to register a win until the seventh round, but they have managed to turn that form around and now sit in fourth place.

Sydney's efforts this season have been quite remarkable, winning 12 of 17 games, and they are deserved favourites ($2.37) to topple their rivals, who are $2.80 to win at Etihad Stadium.

The tightest betting match of the round comes up on Saturday, when the Phoenix are $2.50 to register their second win in a row, but just their fourth of the season, when they host Adelaide ($2.60).

Central Coast Mariners sit just three points outside the top six, so a win against Brisbane Roar at home on Saturday night is crucial to their chances of securing their first finals berth since 2014.

The hosts are $2.10 to get that win, while Brisbane are at $3.50 to cause an upset.

A tight match is also predicted in Western Australia on Sunday night, when Perth Glory will be aiming to bounce back from last week's defeat to Brisbane with a win over Western Sydney Wanderers.

The Wanderers were poor against Victory last week, losing 3-0 at home—a result that saw pressure mount on their coach Josep Gombau. Gombau's charges are $2.63 to secure the three points at NIB stadium, with Perth at $2.50.

The A-League's summer of football featured 25 games in 25 days between December 21 and January 14, and the competition was both absorbing and entertaining.

The top of the table has a familiar look about it, with defending champions Sydney FC sitting six points clear, despite taking just one point from their away match with Adelaide United on Sunday.

Graham Arnold's men looked as if they were heading for a win in the second half at Coopers Stadium, but an undermanned United side held on for a point that keeps them in the hunt for a top-four finish.

This week, the Sky Blues are, as you'd expect, the shortest priced favourite of the round, according to AustralianGambling. They have a line of $1.30 AUD for when they host the Central Coast Mariners on Saturday night.

The Mariners, who are coming off an entertaining 2-2 draw with Melbourne City last week, are out at huge odds of $8 to secure just their fourth win of the campaign.

City had a profitable summer of football, collecting seven points from a possible 12. It sees them remain in third place on the table, just ahead of their cross-town rivals Melbourne Victory, who were the only team they lost to over the period.

Warren Joyce's charges are $1.91 when they host Adelaide on Sunday night at AAMI Park. United are out at $3.50 to get what would be a crucial three points, given that they sit in fifth place on the ladder.

The closest betting match of the round comes up on Friday night, when Victory host Western Sydney Wanderers. The latter are coming off two straight draws against Adelaide and Wellington Phoenix.

The navy-blue half of Melbourne won a five-goal thriller against Perth Glory at home last Saturday, and despite being on the road for this one, the Victory are a $2.20 favourite, with Western Sydney at $2.88.

Speaking of Perth, they face one of the longest road trips in the league this Thursday when they head to Suncorp Stadium to take on the Brisbane Roar.

The Roar lost 1-0 to Newcastle Jets last week but are $2 to bounce back against the Glory ($3.30), who sit three points outside the top six.

The Jets are $1.62 to make it three wins in a row when they host Wellington ($4.50) on Saturday afternoon. The Novocastrians continue to surprise this season and now find themselves just two wins away from top spot.

Eight teams competed in the first season of the A-League in 2005, and while the competition has since grown to 10 clubs, there is no doubt that number will grow in the coming years.

This weekend provides an opportunity for Victoria's second largest city, Geelong, and the population of almost 200,000 to vote with its feet when it hosts Melbourne Victory's match against Central Coast Mariners on Saturday.

A strong turnout at Kardinia Park will only boost the municipality's chances of being named as one of the expansion teams, when league chief Greg O'Rourke revisits the bidding process in a year's time.

The fixture the Geelongites will be attending sees the Victory, who are one of the form teams of the league, go in as heavy favorites to win their fourth game in a row at a price of $1.62 AUD, according to AustralianGambling.

The Mariners, who couldn't find a winner against the cellar-dwelling Wellington Phoenix last week, are out to cause a huge upset at $4.50.

Speaking of the Phoenix, they are also taking the field in Victoria this weekend, when they head to Melbourne's AAMI Park to take on Melbourne City, who slumped to their third consecutive loss last weekend at the hands of Western Sydney Wanderers.

Despite their poor run of form, City aren't expected to have too many problems against the Nix, who have saluted just once this season. The Melburnians are at $1.53, with the New Zealanders out at $5.50.

The closest betting match of the round comes up on Friday, when the Brisbane Roar ($2.50) host the Wanderers ($2.63) at Suncorp Stadium.

Consistency has been hard to come by for both clubs this season, but each got the three points last week, and with the hosts sitting three points outside the top six and the Citizens in fourth place on the table, there is plenty to play for in this one.

A tight match is also expected in the capital of Western Australia in the late game on Friday, when Perth Glory host Adelaide United.

Kenny Lowe's charges were completely outplayed last week, conceding five goals in the second half against the ladder-leading Sydney FC. Back on home soil, though, they are a $2.20 favorite to bounce back, with United at $3.

The shortest priced favorite of the round comes as a surprise to no one. Champion Sydney FC are at $1.50 when they host the second-place Newcastle Jets ($7), who now sit eight points behind them at the summit.

While many are away on holiday for the festive period, we are about to enter the busiest week on the A-League calendar with eight games to be played between the last Friday of this year and the first Friday of next year.

The action begins on Friday night in Melbourne, with a match between an improved Melbourne Victory lineup and the second-place Newcastle Jets.

The hosts are coming off a last-gasp win over their cross-town rivals Melbourne City when Mark Milligan converted a 96th-minute penalty to give last season's runners-up a crucial 1-0 win.

The Jets cruised to a 4-0 win over Western Sydney Wanderers, which saw them extend their lead to seven points over City, in second place on the table.

Despite winning eight of their 12 games so far this campaign, the Jets are a $3.40 AUD outsider according to AustralianGambling to claim all three points from their trip to Melbourne. The hosts are a $2 favorite, with many believing Kevin Muscat's men have the quality to make a run for the top two in the second half of the season.

Adelaide United remained in the top four with a 1-0 win over Central Coast Mariners on Boxing Day, and they're favored to make it two wins in a row when they host Brisbane Roar on Saturday at Coopers Stadium.

Ryan Kitto scored for the fifth time this season last week, and his side is at $2 to secure the win, with Brisbane out at $3.65.

Bobo scored a hat-trick in Sydney FC's 4-1 rout of Wellington Phoenix last Saturday and the champions are the shortest priced favorite ($1.40) of the round when they host Perth Glory ($6) on Saturday night.

Sunday sees the Mariners host the Phoenix in their traditional New Year's Eve fixture at Central Coast Stadium, and it is the hosts who are expected to celebrate in style with a win against the New Zealanders, who are anchored to the bottom of the table.

The closest betting match of the round is the final one when the Wanderers host City at ANZ Stadium on New Year's Day. City are slight favorites at $2.50 to beat a Wanderers ($2.60) team who conceded four goals last week, and five goals a fortnight earlier.

Christmas has come early for Melbourne football fans, with the season's second Melbourne Derby set to take place between the older brother Melbourne Victory and the younger brother Melbourne City at AAMI Park on Saturday night.

This time around it is the younger brother who will go in as favorites, having won six of their 11 games so far this campaign, including a 2-1 second-round win over this weekend's opponents.

The scoreline was also 2-1 last weekend when Victory won just their third match of the campaign against Brisbane Roar. Kevin Muscat's men moved up to fifth on the ladder with that result but will have to be at their best to challenge their cross-town rivals on Saturday.

City striker Ross McCormack went down with a knee injury in last week's loss to the ladder-leading Sydney FC, which does tighten the betting market for this one, but it is the Citizens who hold favorite status at a betting line of $2.40 according to Australian Gambling.

Victory are $2.60 for a win that would see them move inside the top four for the first time this season, while a draw, which has only happened once in the last six derbies, is at $3.60.

The team that the entire league is trying to keep pace with, Sydney FC, continued their incredible start to the season with a 3-1 win over City last Friday. This week, they take their star-studded lineup to New Zealand for the most lopsided betting match of the round against Wellington Phoenix.

The Sky Blues are at $1.62 to win their 10th game from 12 starts, while the Phoenix, who are currently anchored to the bottom of the table with just six points on the board, are way out at $5.50.

A tighter match is expected on Thursday in Brisbane when the Roar host the Perth Glory. The Western Australian club haven't enjoyed much recent success in the sunshine state, coming up short in three of the last four fixtures.

Kenny Lowe's charges are at $3.10 to snap that poor run, while the hosts are at $2.10.

Newcastle Jets continued to surprise last week when they beat Adelaide United in the city of churches. The Novocastrians are now four points clear in second place on the ladder, and can further push their claims for a top-two finish with a win over Western Sydney Wanderers on Friday night. They are favored to get that win at $2, while the Wanderers are at $3.50.

The season might only be 10 weeks old, but Sydney FC seemingly already have one hand on the A-League Premiership trophy.

The Sky Blues have a five-point lead at the top of the table, which is not an unassailable lead with more than half of the season remaining, but it is a strong one given the way the reigning champions have played. They especially impressed in last week's huge derby win over Western Sydney Wanderers, which sent an ominous warning to the rest of the competition.

This week's opponent is Melbourne City, who have also been impressive this season, winning six of their 10 games, which sees them sitting in third place on the ladder.

The last time these clubs met, a Luke Wilkshire goal was all that separated the sides and saw the Sky Blues get the three points, but given that the match is at home, the $1.67 AUD betting line is probably generous for the home side to get their ninth win from 11 starts.

City are coming off a 1-0 victory against Central Coast Mariners, where former Scotland International Ross McCormack scored his seventh goal of the season, and you can get juicy odds of $5.00 for McCormack and his side to snatch an unlikely win in the Harbour City, according to AustralianGambling.

Speaking of the Mariners, they're involved in the closest betting match of the round when they host Western Sydney Wanderers at Gosford Stadium on Saturday night.

The hosts are at $2.60 to win their third home game of the season, while the Wanderers are the surprise favorite, at $2.40 despite having not won away in the league since April 2017.

That win came against the Newcastle Jets, but they are a much different side this campaign as they sit in second spot on the ladder, and can take another huge step towards securing a place in the finals with a win over Adelaide United on Saturday afternoon.

That win is priced at $2.00, while United, who are coming off the best win of their season when they downed Melbourne Victory at Etihad Stadium by two goals to one, are out at $3.40.

The late game on Saturday sees the Perth Glory ($2.00) favored to beat the Wellington Phoenix ($3.30), while the final fixture of the round will take place in the Queensland capital on Sunday night when Brisbane Roar ($2.10) hosts Melbourne Victory ($2.88).

All eyes will be on Sydney this Saturday night for the capital of New South Wales' second derby of the A-League season.

Sydney FC are the form team of the competition, as they sit on top of the ladder having collected 22 out of a possible 27 points this season, which sees them five points clear of their nearest rivals, Newcastle Jets.

A derby is always a tough contest, though, and the Western Sydney Wanderers will be buoyed by the fact that the last time these sides met at ANZ Stadium they won 1-0.

So $3.50 AUD is the quote that a repeat of that result will get you, according to AustralianGambling. The Sky Blues are the favorites at $2.00, while a draw, which would be the third draw from the last four Sydney derbies, is at $3.40.

The Wanderers will need to improve on their recent form if they are to get a result here. Last week's 2-0 loss to Brisbane Roar means that their winless run is now at seven games and sees them slide down to second last in the table.

Speaking of Brisbane, they host the cellar-dwelling Wellington Phoenix on Saturday and have been assessed as $1.91 favorites to win their second match in a row, while the Nix are out at $3.50.

Melbourne Victory came from two goals behind against the New Zealand club last weekend to win 3-2, which saw last season's runners-up move back into the top six.

Victory host Adelaide United in the opening match of Round 10 on Friday night, and are expected to make it two wins in as many games against the Reds. The hosts are $1.91, while Adelaide are out at $3.60.

The other Victorian club, Melbourne City, are also favored to get the three points this weekend, when they host Central Coast Mariners on Sunday night.

City scored a crucial away win against Newcastle Jets last week and are $1.80 to continue their good form against a Mariners side who've collected 12 points from nine games this season and sit just one place behind their opponents in fourth spot on the table.

The Jets travel to Perth Glory in the late game on Saturday, where they've lost three of their last four matches. They are at $2.80 to reverse that poor form, while the hosts are in at $2.37.

Adelaide United were incredibly brave last Tuesday when they pushed the highly rated Sydney FC all the way to extra time in the FFA Cup final, and just 10 days later they get the chance for revenge when they host the Sydneysiders on Friday night.

Both the Reds and the Sky Blues enter the opening match of Round 9 in good form, having dispatched of Western Sydney Wanderers and Brisbane Roar, respectively, last weekend.

Adelaide midfielder Ryan Kitto was the hero for Adelaide in their 2-0 win over the Wanderers on Sunday, scoring a goal on either side of halftime, to ensure United claimed their third win of the campaign.

Marco Kurz's side have collected 11 points from their opening eight games, but they're still a long way behind the table-topping champions, who sit two points clear at the summit with 19 points.

Graham Arnold's charges are a $2.10 AUD favorite to add three points to that tally, according to AustralianGambling, while the Reds are at $3.20, ahead of the draw at $3.40.

Sydney's cross-town rivals, the Wanderers, host Brisbane at the Olympic Stadium on Saturday in a crucial contest between two clubs who sit inside the bottom four.

The hosts are at $1.83 to collect just their second win of the campaign, while the Roar, who are still missing one of their most experienced defenders, Jade North, are out at $4, and the draw is at $3.60.

The next match of the round sees two of the top four clubs in the competition meet, when Newcastle Jets host Melbourne City at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday night.

The Jets are coming off one of their best performances of the season, when they put four goals past Melbourne Victory goalkeeper Lawrence Thomas last Thursday night.

Former Victory midfielder Andrew Nabbout came back to haunt his former club with a brace either side of the halftime break, and he and his teammates are at $2.40 to continue their run against the other Victorian club this week.

City are coming off a disappointing 3-1 loss at home against Perth Glory, which sees them entering this one as the underdog at $2.63.

Speaking of Perth ($2.88), they are a slight outsider when they close out the round with a trip to Gosford to play Central Coast Mariners ($2.25) on Sunday night, while the Victory ($2.10) are favored to beat Wellington Phoenix ($3) in the other Sunday fixture.