ALM Season Predictions - 2022/23

Australian Football
1

The classic SFCU pre-season predictions thread returns. Time to nail your thoughts to the mast. Nine months from now people will either marvel at your prescient understanding of Australian football or laugh at your ill-informed naivety.

For those who want to study the form guide…

Last season’s end-of-season tally will also return.

Honour Board

2021/22 - dots218

Rules for scoring

I will enter all team predictions into a spreadsheet and calculate the difference from the actual team positions. So, if you predict that Sydney will be 1 on the table and we win the premiership, then you will score 0. In the same scenario, if you predict Sydney would be second on the table then you will score 1, and so on. The total difference for all 12 teams will be added up and the person with the lowest score will be the winner. For tied results, the number of correct predictions will act as a tie breaker.

End of season standings:

1:
2:
3:
4:
5:
6:
7:
8:
9:
10:
11:
12:

Grand final winner:

Grand final runner-up:

Australia Cup winner (2023):

Player of the season:

Player of the grand final:

Golden boot:

Best new signing:

Best young player (U23):

Biggest flop signing:

SFC player of the season:

SFC golden boot:

First coach sacked:

Random predictions for this season:

7 Likes
2

1: Melbourne City
2: Macarthur What’s-their-names
3: Melbourne Victory
4: Western United
5: Wellington Phoenix
6: Sydney FC
7: Adelaide United
8: Central Coast
9: Western Sydney Wanderers
10: Brisbane Roar
11: Newcastle United Jets
12: Perth Glory

Grand final winner: Macarthur

Grand final runner-up: Melbourne Victory

FFA Cup winner: Macarthur

Player of the season: Boz Kraev

Player of the grand final: Danial Arzani

Golden boot: Jamie Maclaren

Best new signing: Boz Kraev

Best young player (U23): Garang Kuol

Biggest flop signing: Milos Ninkovic

SFC player of the season: Robert Mak

SFC golden boot: Robert Mak

First coach sacked: Hmm… maybe Moon, if anyone?

Random predictions for this season: We persist with the 4-3-3 setup for the whole season.

3

Also, I award (deduct?) myself bonus points for going first.

1 Like
4

End of season standings:

1: Melbourne City
2: Melbourne Victory
3: Western United
4: McArthur
5: Adelaide
6: Wellington
7: Perth
8: Brisbane
9: CCM
10: Sydney FC
11: WSW
12: Newcastle

Grand final winner: Melbourne City

Grand final runner-up: Melbourne Victory

FFA Cup winner: Sydney United

Player of the season: Maclaren

Player of the grand final: Maclaren

Golden boot: Maclaren

Best new signing: Mak

Best young player (U23): Yazbek

Biggest flop signing: Ninkovic

SFC player of the season: Bratten

SFC golden boot: Lolley

First coach sacked: Corica

Random predictions for this season: We get through the season without any delayed games due to Covid.

Also Sydney FC finally investigate the failure to re-sign Janko

5

When I created the text for the first post of this thread I just cut and pasted last year’s first post and made a few edits. One edit I should have made, but didn’t, was changing “FFA Cup Winner”. Given the GF is this weekend and there are only two possibilities I have changed this to “Australia Cup Winner (2023)”.

6

End of season standings:

1: Melbourne City
2: Macarthur Bulls
3: Western United
4: Sydney FC
5: WSW
6: MVFC
7: Adelaide
8: Mariners
9: Newcastle
10: Wellington
11: Brisbane
12: Perth

Grand final winner:
Sydney FC

Grand final runner-up:
WSW

Australia Cup winner (2023):
Adelaide

Player of the season:
Nani

Player of the grand final:
Brattan

Golden boot:
Maclaren

Best new signing:
Mak

Best young player (U23):
Kucharski

Biggest flop signing:
Too many to list.

SFC player of the season:
Brattan

SFC golden boot:
I am hoping that ALF has a change in form with better service from the new signings but otherwise, Mak or Lolley.

First coach sacked:
Who’s the current Perth coach?

Random predictions for this season:

  • Interrupted seasons due to the World Cup will cause upsets everywhere (not just in the A-League).

  • The second tier of the ACL will be better than the ACL.

  • There will be eleven hour queues to pay respects to Matt Simon when he finally announces his retirement

7

I think I’ve started and scrapped this a dozen times. Gotta sit down and actually work through each club.

Only thing I’m sure of is that Perth and Brisbane will fight it out for the wooden spoon.

8

[quote=“Clovis, post:1, topic:1477”]
End of season standings:

1: Melbourne Victory
2: Melbourne City
3: Macarthur FC
4: Western United
5: Sydney FC
6: Adelaide United
7: Western Sydney
8: Central Coast
9: Wellington
10: Newcastle
11: Brisbane
12: Perth

Grand final winner: Macarthur FC

Grand final runner-up: Melbourne Victory

Australia Cup winner (2023): Too early to call.

Player of the season: Nani

Player of the grand final: Ulises Davilla

Golden boot: Jamie McClaren

Best new signing: Nani

Best young player (U23): Adrian Segecic / Patrick Yazbek

Biggest flop signing: Daniel Arzani (gets injured)

SFC player of the season: Robert Mak

SFC golden boot: Joe Lolley

First coach sacked: Warren Moon

Random predictions for this season:

  • SU58 to be largely unpunished for their various indiscretions.
  • Western Sydney to start strong and eventually capitulate at some point in the season. Milos Ninkovic to be an ultimate flop.
  • Nani to score a screamer at some point in the season. Probably against us.
  • Ufuk Talay to leave Wellington citing personal reasons.
  • The Bakries to finally sell Brisbane, only to be bought by the Red Bull group, change their name to Red Bull Brisbane (RBB) and the Wanderers to have a meltdown the rivals Chernobyl over it.
9

End of season standings:

1: Melbourne City
2: Melbourne Victory
3: Macarthur FC
4: Western United
5: WSW
6: Sydney FC
7: Wellington Phoenix
8: Adelaide
9: Central Coast Mariners
10: Newcastle Jets
11: Brisbane Roar
12: Perth Glory

Grand final winner: Macarthur

Grand final runner-up: Melbourne City

Player of the season: Valon Berisha

Player of the grand final: Uli Davilla

Golden boot: Maclaren

Best new signing: Valon Berisha

Best young player (U23): Nestory Irakunda

Biggest flop signing: Ninkovic

SFC player of the season: Robert Mak

SFC golden boot: Robert Mak

First coach sacked: Zadkovich

Random Predictions:

  • Todd Boehly tries to copy Manchester City and buys out Western United, planning to also change their colours to blue next season

  • Ninkovic flops only registering 2 goals and 0 assists all season. They’re both derby winners in the last 10 minutes.

  • Corica gets interest from overseas (Japan maybe) and Arnie returns to us post world cup.

10

End of season standings:

1: Macarthur Bulls
2: Melbourne Victory
3: Melbourne City
4: Western United
5: Adelaide United
6: Wellington Phoenix
7: Newcastle Jets
8: West Sydney
9: Sydney FC
10: Central Coast Mariners
11: Perth Glory
12: Brisbane Roar

Grand final winner: Macarthur Rams

Grand final runner-up: Melbourne Victory

Australia Cup winner (2023): Melbourne City

Player of the season: Davilla

Player of the grand final: Davilla

Golden boot: Maclaren

Best new signing: Arzani

Best young player (U23): Toure (Macarthur)

Biggest flop signing: Ninkovich

SFC player of the season: Mak

SFC golden boot: Mak

First coach sacked: Corica

Random predictions for this season:

  1. FFA acquire the license for Brisbane halfway through the season
  2. Corica to walk before being sacked
  3. The 2nd division to be officially scrapped when no teams find it viable and the Sydney United incident which spooks the FFA.
11

End of season standings:

1: Melbourne
2: City
3: Macarthur
4: Sydney
5: Western United
6: CCM
7: Adelaide
8: WSW
9: Newcastle
10: Brisbane
11: Wellington
12: Perth

Grand final winner: City

Grand final runner-up: Melbourne

Australia Cup winner (2023): Adelaide

Player of the season: Nani. I don’t think he’ll actually be the best player, but I think the NRI means he picks up enough votes to win it. Davila is the actual player of the season.

Player of the grand final: Valon Berisha

Golden boot: Jamie Maclaren

Best new signing: I guess I have to go Nani here too

Best young player (U23): I was going to write Vujica but how is he 25? Let’s go Yazbek.

Biggest flop signing: Charlie Austin, but the Brisbane team is pretty trash so I guess it’s not wholly his fault.

SFC player of the season: Brattan single-handly rights the ship.

SFC golden boot: Robert Mak (8). We spread the goals around a lot this season.

First coach sacked: Warren Moon

Random predictions for this season:

  • National Second Division is properly announced and gets the go-ahead for next season. Sydney United isn’t in it.
  • The Newcastle licence is sold amid renewed interest in the league, but the owners don’t invest and the club starts to go backwards.
  • Perth struggle to even get 4,000 people to their games that they play in the suburban ground. Rumours abound about the club going under.
12

Bump

I will be accepting entries into the prediction competition until the beginning of Round 2. Get your predictions in now!

13

Gutless wonders on this forum, I tells ya!

1 Like
14

I’ll have to put mine in when I get home. Gotta defend the crown.

15

End of season standings:

1: Melbourne City
2: Central Coast Mariners
3: Sydney FC
4: Macarthur FC
5: Western United
6: Melbourne Victory
7: Western Sydney Wanderers
8: Adelaide United
9: Wellington Phoenix
10: Newcastle Jets
11: Brisbane Roar
12: Perth Glory

Grand final winner: Macarthur FC

Grand final runner-up: Sydney FC

Australia Cup winner (2023): Western United

Player of the season: Ulises Dávila

Player of the grand final: Robert Mak

Golden boot: Jamie Maclaren

Best new signing: Danny Vukovic

Best young player (U23): Dylan Pierias

Biggest flop signing: David Williams

SFC player of the season: Anthony Caceres

SFC golden boot: Robert Mak

First coach sacked: Warren Moon

Random predictions for this season:

  • Montgomery to just pip Corica to a Top 2 spot.
  • Another Rudan scandal to come to light, but the Board “backs” him.
  • The Cove produce a RAINBOW tifo during World Pride 2023.
  • Ninko to play less than 1/4th of WSW game minutes overall
16

End of season standings:

1: Melbourne City
2: Melbourne Victory
3: Macarthur FC
4: Sydney FC
5: Western United
6: Adelaide United
7: Wellington Phoenix
8: Central Coast Mariners
9: Newcastle Jets
10: Western Sydney Wanderers
11: Brisbane Roar
12: Perth Glory

Grand final winner: Melbourne Victory

Grand final runner-up: Macarthur FC

Player of the season: Davilla

Player of the grand final: Brillante

Golden boot: McClaren

Best new signing: Dwight Yorke / Arzani.

Best young player (U23):

Biggest flop signing: Ninkovic – there will be worse new players in the league, but signing a ‘legend’ 37 year old from your biggest rival – anything but winning the GF would not be worth that.

SFC player of the season: Lolley or Bratten

SFC golden boot: ALF

First coach sacked: Warren Moon

Random predictions for this season:

Nani’s on field performances will rival Yorke’s in S1 and be counted as one of the best marquee signings to play in the league.

The A-League will start strong but will struggle to pick up again after the World Cup break / Christmas period with low crowds across the board.

Only one club will depart ways with their manager this season. All others will be there at seasons end.

A lot of marketing will be done in January, but nothing new will actually be delivered.

17

End of season standings:

1: Melbourne City
2: Melbourne Victory
3: Wellington Phoenix
4: Macarthur FC
5: Western United
6: Adelaide United
7: Central Coast Mariners
8: Sydney FC
9: Newcastle Jets
10: Western Sydney Wanderers
11: Perth Glory
12: Brisbane Roar

Grand final winner: Ugh

Grand final runner-up: Nux

Australia Cup winner (2023): City

Player of the season: Valon Berisha

Player of the grand final: Ben Folami

Golden boot: Cummings

Best new signing: Valon Berisha

Best young player (U23): Dylan Pierias

Biggest flop signing: Milos Ninkovic

SFC player of the season: Robert Mak

SFC golden boot: Robert Mak

First coach sacked: Steve ‘Potty Mouth’ Corica

Random predictions for this season:

  • The sun will not be sighted at any SFC home game
  • Sokkah twitter to light up about an indiscretion involving Mark Rudan, two LNP senators, a sleeping bag, and a broody hen
  • For the first time in ages, the last round will see matches where the final composition of the top 6 is still well alive
  • Paramount announce mid season that live pause and rewind are coming within a week, only for a massive Gamma Ray Burst in a neighbouring part of the galaxy to render all electronics inoperable for months
  • Milos Ninkovic acquires his Australian passport and, too crocked to play football, immediately joins One Nation and announces intention to run for the seat of Parramatta on a rabidly anti-immigrant platform
3 Likes
18

End of season standings:

1: Sydney FC
2: Melbourne Victory
3: Melbourne City
4: Central Coast
5: MacArthur
6: Newcastle
7: Adelaide
8: Wellington
9: Western United
10: Perth Glory
11: Brisbane Roar
12: Western Sydney

Grand final winner: Central Coast Mariners

Grand final runner-up: MacArthur

Australia Cup winner (2023): Sydney FC

Player of the season: Nani

Player of the grand final: Vukovic

Golden boot: Austin

Best new signing: Mac

Best young player (U23): Segicic

Biggest flop signing: Milos Ninkovic

SFC player of the season: Lolley

SFC golden boot: Alfie

First coach sacked: Mark Rudan

Random predictions for this season:

  • Ninkovic and Rudan have physical altercation on sideline… resulting in Rudan being fired. RBB turn on Milos and retires mid season
  • Sydney play ridiculously open and attack minded football averaging 3 goals for and 2 against every game.
  • Charlie Austin scores 80% of Brisbanes goals
  • Corica replaces Muscat, Muscat replaces Ange, Ange replaces Klopp and Talay comes to Sydney
  • Average crowd attendances are up and football fans in Australia are actually happy and content
1 Like
19

End of season standings:

1: Macarthur
2: Melbourne City
3: Western United
4: Melbourne Victory
5: Sydney FC
6: Newcastle Jets
7: Western Sydney
8: Adelaide
9: Wellington
10: Central Coast
11: Brisbane Roar
12: Perth Glory

Grand final winner: Macarthur

Grand final runner-up: Melbourne City

Australia Cup winner (2023): Macarthur (back to back)

Player of the season: Davila

Player of the grand final: Kurto

Golden boot: JMac

Best new signing: Nani

Best young player (U23): Al-Hassan Toure (or Alex Parsons if he gets more game time)

Biggest flop signing: Caballo (hate to say it). There’s a lot of locally known flops that have moved but I went for another unknown player. Special mentions: Izzo and Ninkovic and possibly Arzani.

SFC player of the season: Brattan

SFC golden boot: Alfie

First coach sacked: Corcia

Random predictions for this season:

  • Talay to take over SFC at some point during the season.
  • Wellington to finish top 4 due to home form.
  • Gowser to return to SFC in January.
  • Ninkovic has his best season statistically for goals/assists.
  • Corica to the J-League after sacking.
20

End of season standings:

1: MV
2: CFG
3: Macarthur FC
4: Western United
5: Sydney FC
6: CCM
7: Adelaide
8: Newcastle
9: WSW
10: Wellington
11: Brisbane
12: Perth

Grand final winner: CFG

Grand final runner-up: MV

Australia Cup winner (2023): Western United (even without Prijovic)

Player of the season: Davila

Player of the grand final: Maclaren goes full Archie

Golden boot: Maclaren

Best new signing: Toure @ Macarthur

Best young player (U23): Kucharski

Biggest flop signing: Ninkovic

SFC player of the season: Brattan

SFC golden boot: Bobby Mak

First coach sacked: Ruben “Row” Zedkovich, that Perth squad is honking

Random predictions for this season: Michael Zullo to get on the park once and once only for Brisbane Roar before pulling the pin. Robbie Kruse to regain fitness and sign there too, only to be struck down with syphilis (again) in the pre-match warm-up. They replace him by throwing Ibini one last lifeline.

Australian football melts down over a Melbourne derby GF. Despite being bang ordinary all year Citeh come good late and romp home in the finals. MV to replicate Perth in 2019, grinding out a Premiership by one-nilling the comp, ultimately only earning Poppa his 5th GF loss.

Kusini Yengi to earn a second yellow for simulation on 12 November.

James Troisi to reveal himself as a flat earther on the socials and form a cross-code bromance with Bryce Cartwright.