The Australian soccer champions are the winners of the highest league in Australian men's soccer, which since 2005–06 is currently the

A-League Men A-League Men, also known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional Association football, soccer league in Australia and New Zealand and the highest level of the Australian soccer league system. Established in 2004 as ...

. The

National Soccer League The National Soccer League (NSL) was the top-level soccer league in Australia, run by Soccer Australia and later the Australian Soccer Association. The NSL, the A-League's predecessor, spanned 28 seasons from its inception in 1977 until its ...

was established in 1977. At the end of the

1977 Events January * January 8 – 1977 Moscow bombings, Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (no ...

season, Sydney City (now Hakoah Sydney City East) were the first club to be crowned champions. As is the case in most Australian sports, the winners of a post-season playoffs competition, known as the Finals, has traditionally been crowned champion, unlike the first-past-the-post system used in many other countries. The team that finished first-past-the-post was often referred to as the Minor Premiers while the Finals winning team was awarded the Premiership. In an attempt to create more prestige around the first-past-the-post title, it was renamed the Premiership and the finals winning team is now awarded the Championship. The 2024–25 season is the 48th season of national level men's

soccer in Australia In Australia, Association football, soccer, also known as Football (word), football, and to a lesser extent as "association football", is the most played outdoor team sport, and ranked in the top ten for television audience as of 2015. The nat ...

Background

In 1977, the Australian Soccer Association established the

(NSL) of Australia, which included teams from

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...

Canberra Canberra ( ; ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the Federation of Australia, federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's list of cities in Australia, largest in ...

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

and Sydney. The competition ran a promotion-relegation system for its entire lifespan as well as a knockout

cup competition A single-elimination knockout, or sudden-death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of a match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final match-up, w ...

. For the first seven seasons, the NSL awarded the championship to the team that finished first-past-the-post and was dominated by Sydney-based teams. By the mid-80s, the league had introduced a post-season playoffs competition that would crown the champions and the title was shared more evenly around the nation. Seasons initially ran over the winter months until 1989 when it was changed to the summer months to avoid conflicts with

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...

and the two

rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby union: 15 players per side *** American flag rugby *** Beach rugby *** Mini rugby *** Rugby sevens, 7 players per side *** Rugby tens, 10 players per side *** Snow rugby *** Tou ...

codes. By 2000, each major capital city had secured at least one NSL title outside of Perth. The

Perth Glory Perth Glory Football Club is an Australian professional Association football, soccer club based in Perth, Perth, Western Australia. It competes in the country's premier men's competition, A-League Men, under Professional sports league organi ...

made history in 2002–03 when they were crowned champions and the victory meant the five major cities of Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney had all secured at least one NSL title over the duration of the league's history. The National Soccer League was disbanded in 2004 and an 8-team

competition was established in 2005, which included a

salary cap In professional sports, a salary cap (or wage cap) is an agreement or rule that places a limit on the amount of money that a team can spend on players' salaries. It exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both. Seve ...

and no promotion-relegation. Adelaide, Newcastle and Perth were the only NSL teams retained in the new competition. It included one team from each of the major capital cities, two regional teams and a team from New Zealand. As is the case in many sporting leagues in Australia, a New Zealand-based team has been allowed entry into the top tiered Australian league since 1999. The decision to retain a New Zealand-based team in the top league has proved problematic in recent years due to Football Federation Australia's decision to move from the

Oceania Football Confederation The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) is one of the six continental confederations of international association football. The OFC has 13 members, 11 of which are full members and two which are associate members not affiliated with FIFA. It ...

to the

Asian Football Confederation The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is the governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal in most countries and territories in Asia. The AFC was formed in 1954. It has 47 members. The Asian Ladies Football Confederation ( ...

in 2006. As a result, a New Zealand-based team can be crowned Premiers and/or Champions of Australia but is ineligible to compete in the Asian Champions League.Phoenix seek Champions League resolution
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Lists of champions

National Soccer League (1977–2004)

A-League Men (2005–present)

Total championships won

There are 21 clubs who have won an Australian championship (either by winning the grand final or finishing top of the league in the seasons without a grand final), including eight who have won the A-League Men (2005–present). The most recent clubs to win their inaugural championship were Western United (2021–22 champions), Melbourne City (2020–21) and Adelaide United (2015–16). Six teams have finished as runner-up without ever winning the championship: Heidelberg United (1979, 1980), Preston Lions (1987), Sydney United 58 (1988, 1996–97, 1998–99), Carlton (1997–98), Parramatta Power (2003–04) and Western Sydney Wanderers (2012–13, 2013–14, 2015–16). Teams in bold compete in the A-League Men as of the 2024–25 season.

By city

Australian soccer champions map

Lists of premiers

National Soccer League (1977–2004)

A-League Men (2005–present)

Total Premierships won

Teams in bold competed in the A-League as of the 2023–24 season.

By City

Australian soccer Premiers map

National Cup winners

Australia Cup

NSL Cup

FFA Cup / Australia Cup

Total Cups won

Continental Champions

Oceania Club Championship

Oceania Cup Winners' Cup

AFC Champions League

AFC Cup

Multiple trophy wins

The Double

Total Doubles

Continental Double

Domestic Double

The Treble

Note: ''In the 2008–09 season

Melbourne Victory Melbourne Victory Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Melbourne, Victoria. Competing in the country's premier men's competition, the A-League Men, under licence from Australian Professional Leagues (APL), Victory ...

won all three pieces of

A-League A-League Men, also known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional soccer league in Australia and New Zealand and the highest level of the Australian soccer league system. Established in 2004 as the A-League by the ...

silverware on offer, the Pre-Season Challenge Cup, the Premiership, and the

Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this sys ...

.''

Pre-Season Cup winners

Australian Club World Championship Qualifying Tournament

A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup

Note: All seasons were exclusive to A-League clubs only.

Multiple title winners

Clubs in bold play in the A-League.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Australian Soccer Champions A-League Men lists National association football champions

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

A-League Men records and statistics

Champions A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional/provincial/state, national, continental and world championships, and ...

Background

Lists of champions

National Soccer League (1977–2004)

A-League Men (2005–present)

Total championships won

By city

Australian soccer champions map

Lists of premiers

National Soccer League (1977–2004)

A-League Men (2005–present)

Total Premierships won

By City

Australian soccer Premiers map

National Cup winners

Australia Cup

NSL Cup

FFA Cup / Australia Cup

Total Cups won

Continental Champions

Oceania Club Championship

Oceania Cup Winners' Cup

AFC Champions League

AFC Cup

Multiple trophy wins

The Double

Total Doubles

Continental Double

Domestic Double

The Treble

Pre-Season Cup winners

Australian Club World Championship Qualifying Tournament

A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup

Multiple title winners

See also

Notes

References