This is a list of National Soccer League (NSL) champions. The NSL was the elite football (soccer) competition in Australia from 1977 until 2004,[1] when the competition was scrapped and replaced in 2005 by the fully professional A-League.[2]

National Soccer League Champions

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From 1977 until 1983, the winner was the top placed team at the end of the season. From 1984 until 1986, the competition was split into two conferences, with playoffs to decide two grand finalists who met over two legs. In 1987 the system reverted to the pre 1984 system. From 1988 until the demise of the league in 2004, various playoff systems were used to decide the champion.

Season Grand Final Date Winning Team Score Losing Team Location GF Attendance Joe Marston Medal
1977   Sydney City (1) By Table   Marconi Stallions
1978   West Adelaide (1) By Table   Sydney City
1979   Marconi Stallions (1) By Table   Heidelberg United
1980   Sydney City (2) By Table   Heidelberg United
1981   Sydney City (3) By Table   South Melbourne
1982   Sydney City (4) By Table   St George
1983   St George (1) By Table   Sydney City
1984 24 October 1984   South Melbourne (1) 2–1   Sydney Olympic Olympic Park, Melbourne (1) 10,000
28 October 1984 1–2 St. George Stadium, Sydney (1) 11,221
1985 4 September 1985   Brunswick Juventus (1) 0–1   Sydney City St. George Stadium, Sydney (2) 2,491
8 September 1985 1–0 Olympic Park, Melbourne (2) 7,560
1986 12 October 1986   Adelaide City (1) 0–1   Sydney Olympic Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide (1) 12,232
19 October 1986 3–1 Parramatta Stadium, Sydney (1) 14,032
1987   APIA Leichhardt (1) By Table   Preston Lions
1988 4 September 1988   Marconi Stallions (2) 2–2 (5–4 Penalties)   Sydney United Parramatta Stadium, Sydney (2) 17,064
1989 13 August 1989   Marconi Stallions (3) 1–0 (a.e.t.)   Sydney Olympic Parramatta Stadium, Sydney (3) 23,387
1989–90 20 May 1990   Sydney Olympic (1) 2–0   Marconi Stallions Parramatta Stadium, Sydney (4) 26,353   Abbas Saad (Sydney Olympic)
1990–91 5 May 1991   South Melbourne (2) 1–1 (5–4 Penalties)   Melbourne Knights Olympic Park, Melbourne (3) 21,338   Josip Biskic (Melbourne Knights)
1991–92 3 May 1992   Adelaide City (2) 0–0 (4–2 Penalties)   Melbourne Knights Olympic Park, Melbourne (4) 15,463   Alex Tobin (Adelaide City)
1992–93 16 May 1993   Marconi Stallions (4) 1–0   Adelaide City Parramatta Stadium, Sydney (5) 13,376   Milan Ivanovic (Adelaide City)
1993–94 1 May 1994   Adelaide City (3) 1–0   Melbourne Knights Olympic Park, Melbourne (5) 13,790   Alex Tobin (Adelaide City)
1994–95 7 May 1995   Melbourne Knights (1) 2–0   Adelaide City Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide (2) 15,573   Steve Horvat (Melbourne Knights)
1995–96 26 May 1996   Melbourne Knights (2) 2–1   Marconi Stallions Olympic Park, Melbourne (6) 14,258   Andrew Marth (Melbourne Knights)
1996–97 25 May 1997   Brisbane Strikers (1) 2–0   Sydney United Lang Park, Brisbane (1) 40,446   Alan Hunter (Brisbane Strikers)
1997–98 16 May 1998   South Melbourne (3) 2–1   Carlton S.C. Olympic Park, Melbourne (7) 16,000   Fausto De Amicis (South Melbourne)
1998–99 30 May 1999   South Melbourne (4) 3–2   Sydney United Olympic Park, Melbourne (8) 15,194   Goran Lozanovski (South Melbourne)
1999–2000 11 June 2000   Wollongong Wolves (1) 3–3 (7–6 Penalties)   Perth Glory Subiaco Oval, Perth (1) 43,242   Scott Chipperfield (Wollongong Wolves)
2000–01 3 June 2001   Wollongong Wolves (2) 2–1   South Melbourne Parramatta Stadium, Sydney (6) 13,402   Matthew Horsley (Wollongong Wolves)
2001–02 12 May 2002   Sydney Olympic (2) 1–0   Perth Glory Subiaco Oval, Perth (2) 42,735   Ante Milicic (Sydney Olympic)
2002–03 1 June 2003   Perth Glory (1) 2–0   Sydney Olympic Subiaco Oval, Perth (3) 38,111   Simon Colosimo (Perth Glory)
2003–04 4 April 2004   Perth Glory (2) 1–0 (a.e.t.)   Parramatta Power Parramatta Stadium, Sydney (7) 9,630   Ahmad Elrich (Parramatta Power)

The numbers in brackets indicate the number of championships won by a team, or the number of Grand Finals held in a city.

Playoff Series Champions

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From 1977–1983 and 1987, the top placed team at the end of the regular season was declared champion. However a compromise format was devised between the traditional first past the post system and the Australian system of finals. A Playoff series was conducted in these years except for the 1977, 1981 & 1983 seasons, however the winner of the Playoff Series didn't become champion of the NSL.

Season Grand Final Date Winning Team Score Losing Team Location GF Attendance
1978 17 September 1978   Sydney City (1) 4–2   Marconi Stallions Sydney Sports Ground, Sydney (1) 9,136
1979 28 October 1979
4 November 1979
  Sydney City (2) 1–0
1–1
  Brisbane City Wentworth Park, Sydney (1)
Perry Park, Brisbane (1)
2,532
4,200
1980 26 October 1980   Heidelberg United (1) 4–0   Sydney City Canberra Stadium, Canberra (1) 11,126
1982 3 October 1982   St George (1) 3–1   Sydney City Penrith Stadium, Sydney (1) 6,495
1987 1 November 1987   St George (2) 4–0   APIA Leichhardt Parramatta Stadium, Sydney (1) 6,961

The numbers in brackets indicate the number of playoff series won by a team, or the number of Grand Finals held in a city.

NSL Cup Winners

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The NSL also held a cup competition, which was held initially during the regular season, before gradually becoming a pre-season warm-up tournament. It was discontinued after the 1996–97 season.

Season Cup Final Date Winning Team Score Losing Team Location Cup Final Attendance
1977 9 October 1977   Brisbane City (1) 1–1 (5–3 Penalties)   Marconi Stallions Perry Park, Brisbane (1) 9,000
1978 8 October 1978   Brisbane City (2) 2–1   Adelaide City Perry Park, Brisbane (2) 6,964
1979 30 September 1979   Adelaide City (1) 3–1   St George Olympic Sports Field, Adelaide (1) 9,554
1980 5 October 1980
15 October 1980
  Marconi Stallions (1) 0–0 (a.e.t.)
3–0 (Replay)
  Heidelberg United Olympic Park, Melbourne (1)
Marconi Stadium, Sydney (1)
7,000
5,000
1981 20 September 1981   Brisbane Lions (1) 3–1   West Adelaide Canberra Stadium, Canberra (1) 6,132
1982 12 September 1982   APIA Leichhardt (1) 2–1   Heidelberg United Olympic Park, Melbourne (2) 7,000
1983 6 November 1983
13 November 1983
  Sydney Olympic (1) 1–0
1–0
  Heidelberg United St. George Stadium, Sydney (1)
Olympic Park, Melbourne (3)
9,420
6,000
1984 13 September 1984   Newcastle Rosebud United (1) 1–0   Melbourne Knights Olympic Park, Melbourne (4) 5,000
1985 11 August 1985   Sydney Olympic (2) 2–1   Preston Lions St. George Stadium, Sydney (2) 11,187
1986 17 September 1986   Sydney City (1) 3–2 (a.e.t.)   West Adelaide Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide (1) 5,200
1987 14 October 1987
18 October 1987
  Sydney United (1) 1–0
1–0
  South Melbourne St. George Stadium, Sydney (3)
Olympic Park, Melbourne (5)
5,845
6,000
1988 14 August 1988   APIA Leichhardt (2) 0–0 (5–3 Penalties)   Brunswick Juventus Marconi Stadium, Sydney (2) 5,200
1989 20 August 1989   Adelaide City (2) 2–0   Sydney Olympic Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide (2) 10,000
1989–90 25 April 1990   South Melbourne (1) 4–1   Sydney Olympic Olympic Park, Melbourne (6) 7,000
1990–91 7 April 1991   Parramatta Eagles (1) 1–0   Preston Lions Marconi Stadium, Sydney (3) 8,749
1991–92 7 April 1992   Adelaide City (3) 2–1   Marconi Stallions Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide (3) 6,500
1992–93 18 April 1993   Heidelberg United (1) 2–0   Parramatta Eagles Marconi Stadium, Sydney (4) 4,596
1993–94 17 October 1993   Parramatta Eagles (2) 2–0   Sydney United Marconi Stadium, Sydney (5) 5,156
1994–95 16 October 1994   Melbourne Knights (1) 6–0   Heidelberg United Olympic Park, Melbourne (7) 6,000
1995–96 27 January 1996   South Melbourne (2) 3–1   Newcastle Breakers Lakeside Stadium, Melbourne (1) 5,000
1996–97 6 October 1996   Collingwood Warriors (1) 1–0   Marconi Stallions Lakeside Stadium, Melbourne (2) 2,327

The numbers in brackets indicate the number of cups won by a team, or the number of Cup Finals held in a city.

National Youth League

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The NSL also had a national youth competition, consisting of a variety teams, both from within and outside of the NSL's membership. The competition began in 1984, and was ended at the same time as the NSL, in 2004.

Year Champion Score Runner up Venue
1984 South Melbourne Hellas 3–2 Melita Eagles
1985 Sydney City 3–0 Heidelberg Alexander
1986 Australian Institute of Sport 3–0 Sunshine George Cross
1987 Sydney Olympic 1–0 Sunshine George Cross
1988 Marconi 2–1 Sunshine George Cross
1989 Sunshine George Cross 3–2 Marconi
1989–1990 Melbourne Croatia 2–1 APIA Leichhardt
1990–1991 South Melbourne 3–2 Sydney Olympic
1991–1992 Sydney Croatia 3–1 South Melbourne
1992–1993 West Adelaide 1–0 Australian Institute of Sport
1993–1994 South Melbourne 2–0 Sydney United
1994–1995 Sydney United 1–0 Melbourne Knights
1995–1996 Marconi Stallions 3–1 West Adelaide
1996–1997 Melbourne Knights 1–0 Sydney United
1997–1998 Australian Institute of Sport 4–1 Adelaide City
1998–1999 Australian Institute of Sport 8–1 Adelaide City Knights Stadium
1999–2000 Carlton 1–0 Parramatta Power
2000–2001 Melbourne Knights 3–2 Marconi Stallions
2001–2002 Parramatta Power 2–0 Melbourne Knights
2002–2003 Parramatta Power 6–2 Whittlesea Stallions
2003–2004 Canberra Deakin 2–1 South Melbourne

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "The Australian National Soccer League".
  2. ^ "Timeline of Australian Football 1951 - 2009". Archived from the original on 2012-03-05. Retrieved 2014-05-23.
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