The A-League Men season kicks off tonight with a grand final rematch between Melbourne City and Western United at AAMI Park.
On Saturday two derbies will be played when Central Coast Mariners welcome Newcastle Jets to Gosford and Sydney FC host Melbourne Victory at the new Allianz Stadium. Round one then comes to a close with Western Sydney Wanderers taking on Perth Glory.
The start to the A-League returns the competition to its pre-COVID schedule, with the past two campaigns beginning in November and December respectively.
The coming campaign is scheduled to conclude with the grand final on Saturday May 27, 2023.
Danny Townsend, CEO of Australian Professional Leagues, said when the new season was launched on 27 September, “We are committed to enabling fans to connect with our game in any way they choose and this season we are delivering more opportunities for fans to get up close and personal with their favourite players than ever before.”
As an initiation to the new season and era, a new documentary that follows A-League players around on their day-to-day activities was launched to bring fans closer to their favourite clubs and players.
“The A-League All Access documentary is ground-breaking in the level of access and speed of turnaround, giving fans more of their clubs and players every single week of the season. I started filming A-Leagues All Access a few weeks ago and I can’t wait for the fans to see more of what happens behind the scenes. Having moved from the UK recently, I have seen how much documentaries have been game changers for growing the game and letting fans in.”
With the Socceroos having qualified for the World Cup tournament in Qatar in November, Football Australia have announced the A-League Men will pause between November 14 and December 9.
Games will restart before the end of the World Cup but the three-week break will allow the Socceroos to focus fully on their group campaign.
“Following extensive consultation with key stakeholders including Australian Professional Leagues (APL), Football Australia via the DMC 2022/23 has regulated that FIFA international windows for men’s and women’s football will be observed throughout 2022/23, with A-League Men’s and Women’s competitions to pause while the respective Australian senior national teams are in action,” the FA said in a statement.
“This move will ensure that players selected for national team representation will not miss club matches during the periods in which they are on international duty, supporting an increase in match minutes for the individuals chosen to represent the Socceroos or Commonwealth Bank Matildas.”
The A-League Men did plan on breaking during FIFA windows last season but had to revise its schedule due to interruptions caused by COVID-19.
Network 10 currently have the broadcast rights to the A-League Men in Australia. After showing just one match on free-to-air TV last season, Network 10 will broadcast two games each round this coming campaign on 10 Bold.
The primetime Saturday night match and 3pm Sunday game will be free to watch on television every round.
Unlike last season, matches will be free of ad-breaks during play with in-picture advertising to be used instead to ensure none of the action is missed.
This week’s A-League fixtures:
Friday 7 October
Melbourne City FC v Western United, 7.45pm at AAMI Park
Saturday 8 October
Brisbane Roar FC v Macarthur FC, 5pm at Suncorp Stadium
Central Coast Mariners FC v Newcastle Jets FC, 5pm at Central Coast Stadium
Sydney FC v Melbourne Victory FC, 7.45pm at Allianz Stadium
Sunday 9 October
Wellington Phoenix FC v Adelaide United FC, 1pm at Sky Stadium
Western Sydney Wanderers FC v Perth Glory FC, 3p at Commbank Stadium
Friday 14 October
Brisbane Roar FC v Melbourne City FC at 7.45pm at Suncorp Stadium
