The 20th season of A-League Men’s football will be filled with enthralling games, gripping narratives and exciting drama.
Central Coast Mariners begin their title defence when they host Melbourne Victory in the curtain raiser on Friday, October 18.
The two sides locked horns in the 2023/24 A-League Grand Final, where the Mariners pipped Victory to the title after beating them 3-1 in a pulsating fixture.
A-League Season 2024/25 – Betting Odds
The A-League generates plenty of interest in the Australian betting industry despite facing strong competition from numerous other sports.
For example, Melbourne Cup betting dominates the landscape at this time of year as punters wager heavily on the outcome of the ‘race that stops the nation’.
Despite this, plenty of sports bettors will also be placing bets on which A-League team will emerge victorious at the end of the season. The latest odds are as follows:
• Central Coast Mariners – 5.00
• Melbourne Victory – 5.50
• Melbourne City – 6.00
• Sydney FC – 7.00
• Western Sydney Wanderers – 7.00
• Wellington Phoenix – 9.00
• Adelaide United – 15.00
• Western United FC – 15.00
• Auckland FC – 15.00
• Brisbane Roar – 19.00
• Macarthur FC – 19.00
• Perth Glory – 19.00
• Newcastle Jets – 21.00
A-League Season 2024/25 – Preview
The Mariners are the team to beat this season. They are rated as 5.00 shots to become the first side in the A-League era to win the title three years in a row.
Mark Jackson’s team delivered spectacular performances last season – the type reminiscent of Ange Postecoglou’s famous Brisbane Roars.
Jackson stepped in to replace championship-winning Nick Montgomery, and many people wondered whether he could match his achievements.
His side started the campaign with four consecutive defeats, but they subsequently lost only two games for the rest of the season.
They became the first team to win an Australian trophy treble, adding to the Premiers’ Plate and AFC Cup, in front of a capacity crowd of 21,379 in Gosford.
Victory will aim to knock the Mariners off their perch as they search for their first Australian championship since 2018.
They will be a different proposition under Patrick Kisnorbo following the departure of head coach Tony Popovic at the end of last season.
Kisnorbo previously guided Melbourne City to the title in 2021 and will be eager to repeat the trick with their local rivals.
Mercurial marksman Bruno Fornaroli will be key to their hopes. The veteran attacker bagged 18 goals in 21 appearances last season and will hope to continue in the same vein this term.
Victory lost just five games during the regular season before defeating Wellington Phoenix and Melbourne City in the play-offs. However, they came up short against the Mariners in the final.
Arch-rivals Melbourne City will be keen to bounce back from their lowly sixth-place finish last season. Bookmakers rate them as 6.00 shots to claim the title.
Macarthur could be the surprise package this season after clinching their second Australia Cup title in the last three years at the end of September.
Sydney FC, Western Sydney Wanderers and Wellington will also expect to be in title contention this season.
A-League Season 2024/25 – Matchday 1 Fixtures
The first round of fixtures for the A-League 2024/25 season are as follows:
• Friday, October 18 – Central Coast Mariners vs Melbourne Victory
• Saturday, October 19 – Auckland FC vs Brisbane Roar
• Saturday, October 19 – Newcastle Jets vs Melbourne City
• Saturday, October 19 – Western Sydney Wanderers vs Sydney FC
• Sunday, October 20 – Wellington Phoenix vs Western United
• Sunday, October 20 – Macarthur FC vs Perth Glory