This is it, the A-League is back and things are starting with bang.

New lineups, heavy pre-seasons and lots of internationals will have round one acting like a litmus test for the rest of the season. And with a Melbourne derby and a grand final rematch, fans won’t be disappointed.

Sydney FC will start proceedings, up against Newcastle Jets tonight. Star player, Alessandro Del Piero will be a big draw-card for fans packing Allianz stadium, and a fresh looking squad will made for some interesting football. Many star players will be out due to injury, including Terry Antonis and Peter Triantis.

Melbourne Victory is up against its rival, Melbourne Heart in a repeat round one opener that will divide the state tomorrow.

Last time, Victory suffered a shock 1-2 loss. Now with Harry Kewell swapping sides, we could be seeing a completely different match.

Melbourne Victory coach, the stoic Ange Postecoglou can’t hide that he has high hopes for his new look team.

The club struggled a little with signings with many coming in the last minute, but just goes to show how much Postecoglou is a perfectionist.

He says the team is gelling well together.

“They’ve been fitting in quite well, some of them came in early, others sort of late,” he told Neos Kosmos.

“Everyone is fit and ready to go.”

The coach is keen to see his starting 11 get their first taste of the season. He’s not looking for a repeat of last year’s opening rounds that had the team trailing after some easy losses.

“It happened to us last year, we didn’t get a great start, so hopefully we can improve from there,” he says.

“If we start playing solid football from the start it’ll be good, and obviously you want to win a few games because you don’t want to be chasing the other teams.”

The team has come off a grueling pre-season that has tested the best of them, having to deal with notable absences thanks to international duty.

Captain Mark Milligan and new Greek recruit, Kostas Barbarouses won’t be playing tonight, after being called up for Socceroos and All Blacks duty.

At least for Heart, their new transfers will make for a different and competitive side. Harry Kewell arrives back in the A-League with the captain’s band, and if injury avoids him, will be a force to be reckoned with. Patrick Kisnorbo backup signing will prove to be a good one, as his English Premier League experience will show up some more talented players on both sides.

But, if the ABC Grandstand’s glowing review is anything to go by, Melbourne Victory isn’t just tipped to win the first match, but the whole season.
With the “league’s best coach” and the signings to fill the attacking gap, James Maasdorp’s prediction could come true.

For Sydneysiders, the grand final rematch will be the showstopper of the round. Central Coast Mariners ended their championship drought last year, and newcomers Western Sydney Wanderers proved they didn’t need time to mature in the A-League. The first round will show off how well the teams did during pre-season but it’s still early days to be concluding if the teams can make it to the grand final.

Fixtures for Round 1:

Sydney FC v Newcastle Jets
October 11
Kick-off: 7:30pm, Allianz Stadium

Central Coast Mariners v Western Sydney
October 12
Kick-off: 5:30pm, Bluetougue Stadium

Melbourne Victory v Melbourne Heart
October 12
Kick-off: 7:30pm, Etihad Stadium

Adelaide United v Perth Glory
October 13
Kick-off: 4:30pm, Coopers Stadium

Wellington Phoenix v Brisbane Roar
October 13
Kick-off: 5:00pm, Westpac Stadium