2003–04 National Soccer League
The 2003–04 National Soccer League season was the 28th and final season of the National Soccer League in Australia. Perth Glory were crowned both premiers and champions after winning both the league and grand final.
2003–04 National Soccer League | |
---|---|
League | National Soccer League |
Sport | Association football |
Duration | 2003–2004 |
Number of teams | 13 |
NSL season | |
Champions | Perth Glory |
Top scorer | Ante Milicic (20) |
Overview
The season was remembered as the end of an era for the national league, following the announcement in 2003 that the national competition would be wholly scrapped in response to the Crawford Report into soccer in Australia. The end of the NSL led to the formation of the A-League, a new national competition that began in 2005.
The season was played as a single league, home-and-away format with top six teams qualifying for a finals series. Adelaide City withdrew from the competition shortly before the start of the season, leading to the hasty formation of Adelaide United to take their place.
At the beginning of the season, it became obvious that the title would be fought between Perth Glory and Parramatta Power. The Champions Glory lost several of their title-winning squad, most notably their dominant midfield, most of whom to the Power. Parramatta, backed by the Leagues Club, bought big for the last year including notably Ante Milicic and Sasho Petrovski, looking to simply buy the title.
This tactic seemed to be working for a large part of the season, as Power held off major challengers Perth, including a memorable 6–0 hiding, Glory's worst-ever loss. However, a turning point came and Perth began to close the gap both in results and performance terms, and won the Premiership by 6 points in the end. Neither of these sides were ever really matched by other sides during the season. Perhaps the surprise of the season was Adelaide United, who surprised all by making the finals and nearly breaking Perth's all-time average season record attendance in the process, with the biggest crowds of the season. This was most notable as the club was thrown together just a few weeks before the season to take the place of former heavyweight Adelaide City.
In the finals series, notably Perth were comprehensively beaten in both legs of the major semi-final, while Adelaide progressed to the minor semi-final in their first ever season, only to be thrashed by Glory, just highlighting the gap between the top two sides and the rest of the league.
The last ever NSL Grand Final was held at Parramatta Stadium, due to Power winning the major semi-final. The Final was attended by a very measly crowd of just over 9,000, and played in thick rain from kick-off. Power's slick passing game was somewhat hurt by the poor conditions, and the game turned into something of a scrap. No goals were scored in 90 minutes of football, so the game went to extra-time where young Glory striker Nik Mrdja slotted to give Glory their fifth National League title and second NSL Championship, while Power finished the season with nothing to show for their quality and dominance.
Regular season
League table
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Perth Glory (C) | 24 | 18 | 3 | 3 | 56 | 22 | +34 | 57 | Qualification to Finals series |
2 | Parramatta Power | 24 | 16 | 3 | 5 | 58 | 30 | +28 | 51 | |
3 | Adelaide United | 24 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 28 | 25 | +3 | 40 | |
4 | Marconi Stallions | 24 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 29 | 25 | +4 | 38 | |
5 | South Melbourne | 24 | 11 | 4 | 9 | 39 | 21 | +18 | 37 | |
6 | Brisbane Strikers | 24 | 9 | 5 | 10 | 28 | 33 | −5 | 32 | |
7 | Northern Spirit | 24 | 9 | 3 | 12 | 31 | 33 | −2 | 30 | |
8 | Sydney Olympic | 24 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 26 | 31 | −5 | 29 | |
9 | Wollongong Wolves | 24 | 8 | 5 | 11 | 34 | 41 | −7 | 29 | |
10 | Sydney United | 24 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 18 | 25 | −7 | 29 | |
11 | Newcastle United Jets | 24 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 33 | −15 | 24 | |
12 | Melbourne Knights | 24 | 6 | 5 | 13 | 21 | 41 | −20 | 23 | |
13 | Football Kingz | 24 | 4 | 3 | 17 | 25 | 51 | −26 | 15 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored;
(C) Champion.
Home and away season
Round 1
Parramatta Power | 0 – 0 | South Melbourne FC |
---|---|---|
Report |
Football Kingz | 1 – 2 | Newcastle United |
---|---|---|
Ngata |
Report | Masi Wheelhouse |
Northern Spirit | 1 – 3 | Brisbane Strikers |
---|---|---|
Hutchinson |
Report | Morley Rose |
Sydney Olympic | 0 – 0 | Adelaide United |
---|---|---|
Round 2
Newcastle United | 2 – 1 | Northern Spirit |
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Wheelhouse |
Report | Macallister |
Brisbane Strikers | 1 – 1 | Sydney Olympic |
---|---|---|
Pilic |
Report | Bakis |
Marconi Stallions | 2 – 1 | Wollongong Wolves |
---|---|---|
Maloney |
Majurovski |
Sydney United | 2 – 1 | Football Kingz |
---|---|---|
Langdon Zmire Ozbey |
Report | Cunico |
Round 3
Wollongong Wolves | 0 – 4 | South Melbourne FC |
---|---|---|
Report | Coveny Curcija Poutakidis |
Northern Spirit | 4 – 0 | Sydney Olympic |
---|---|---|
Richter Ferguson Macallister Petrie |
Report |
Brisbane Strikers | 0 – 0 | Perth Glory |
---|---|---|
Report |
Melbourne Knights | 3 – 4 | Adelaide United |
---|---|---|
Vasilevski Marinos |
Report | Alagich Aloisi Brooks Veart |
Round 4
Melbourne Knights | 1 – 2 | Wollongong Wolves |
---|---|---|
Pelikan |
Young Hawrysiuk |
South Melbourne FC | 0 – 1 | Brisbane Strikers |
---|---|---|
Report | Brain |
Sydney Olympic | 1 – 0 | Sydney United |
---|---|---|
Baird |
Report |
Round 5
Sydney Olympic | 1 – 2 | Marconi Stallions |
---|---|---|
Schirripa |
Webb Spiteri |
South Melbourne | 4 – 1 | Newcastle United |
---|---|---|
Coveny Perosh |
Report | Owens |
Northern Spirit | 3 – 5 | Perth Glory |
---|---|---|
O'Sullivan Osman |
Report | Pondeljak Mori Despotovski Hassell |
Round 6
Newcastle United | 2 – 3 | Adelaide United |
---|---|---|
Owens R. Griffiths |
Report | Veart Vidmar |
Marconi Stallions | 1 – 2 | Parramatta Power |
---|---|---|
Anabalon |
Report | Buonavoglia Thompson |
Melbourne Knights | 0 – 1 | Northern Spirit |
---|---|---|
Macallister |
Sydney Olympic | 0 – 2 | Perth Glory |
---|---|---|
Report | Mori |
Sydney United | 0 – 0 | South Melbourne |
---|---|---|
Report |
Round 7
Parramatta Power | 6 – 0 | Perth Glory |
---|---|---|
Milicic Buonavoglia Colosimo |
Report |
Sydney Olympic | 0 – 2 | Melbourne Knights |
---|---|---|
Report | Pelikan |
Adelaide United | 0 – 0 | Sydney United |
---|---|---|
Report |
South Melbourne | 2 – 0 | Marconi Stallions |
---|---|---|
Boutsianis Coveny |
Report |
Round 8
Wollongong Wolves | 0 – 1 | Sydney Olympic |
---|---|---|
Report | Cardozo |
Football Kingz | 0 – 2 | Northern Spirits |
---|---|---|
Report | Macallister Ferguson |
Marconi Stallions | 0 – 0 | Adelaide United |
---|---|---|
Perth Glory | 1 – 0 | South Melbourne |
---|---|---|
Despotovski |
Report |
Sydney United | 3 – 0 | Brisbane Strikers |
---|---|---|
Collina Doumanis |
Round 9
Newcastle United | 0 – 0 | Sydney United |
---|---|---|
Report |
Wollongong Wolves | 3 – 1 | Parramatta Power |
---|---|---|
Arrarte Hawrysiuk |
Report | Ceccoli |
Sydney Olympic | 2 – 2 | Football Kingz |
---|---|---|
Ishida Cardozo |
Rowley Souris |
Melbourne Knights | 0 – 5 | South Melbourne |
---|---|---|
Report | Panopoulos Trimboli Coveny Curcija |
Round 10
Newcastle United | 0 – 1 | Sydney Olympic |
---|---|---|
Caravella |
Brisbane Strikers | 4 – 2 | Parramatta Power |
---|---|---|
Moon Rose Morley |
Report | Milicic Rech |
Football Kingz | 3 – 1 | Marconi Stallions |
---|---|---|
Tambouras Martin Midtsian |
Report | Carle |
Northern Spirit | 0 – 1 | Sydney United |
---|---|---|
Report | Šantalab |
Wollongong Wolves | 2 – 1 | Perth Glory |
---|---|---|
Young Nwaogazi |
Report | Mori |
South Melbourne | 2 – 1 | Adelaide United |
---|---|---|
Kovacevic |
Report | Veart |
Round 11
Newcastle United | 1 – 0 | Perth Glory |
---|---|---|
Masi |
Report |
South Melbourne | 6 – 0 | Football Kingz |
---|---|---|
Curcija Laurie Tunbridge |
Round 12
Wollongong Wolves | 1 – 1 | Brisbane Strikers |
---|---|---|
Nwaogazi |
Report | Brain |
Football Kingz | 1 – 3 | Adelaide United |
---|---|---|
Ngata |
Report | Pellegrino Smeltz Veart |
Sydney Olympic | 0 – 1 | Parramatta Power |
---|---|---|
Milicic |
Melbourne Knights | 1 – 1 | Newcastle United |
---|---|---|
Razov |
R. Griffiths |
Northern Spirit | 3 – 1 | South Melbourne |
---|---|---|
Petrie Fisher |
Report | Curcija |
Round 13
Newcastle United | 2 – 0 | Wollongong Wolves |
---|---|---|
R. Griffiths Libbesson |
Report |
Adelaide United | 1 – 0 | Northern Spirit |
---|---|---|
Saric |
Report |
South Melbourne | 4 – 2 | Sydney Olympic |
---|---|---|
Tunbridge Poutakidis Curcija Boutsianis |
Augerinos Bakis |
Sydney United | 3 – 1 | Melbourne Knights |
---|---|---|
Babic Cunico Parisi |
Report | Vasilevski |
Round 14
Newcastle United | 2 – 0 | Football Kingz |
---|---|---|
Johnson Deans |
Report |
Marconi Stallions | 0 – 1 | Melbourne Knights |
---|---|---|
Report | Marinos |
Round 15
Wollongong Wolves | 3 – 3 | Marconi Stallions |
---|---|---|
Young Nwaogazi |
Report | Carle Maloney Brosque |
Sydney Olympic | 1 – 1 | Brisbane Strikers |
---|---|---|
Bakis |
Pilic |
Melbourne Knights | 0 – 2 | Perth Glory |
---|---|---|
Report | Mrdja |
Round 16
Perth Glory | 6 – 1 | Brisbane Strikers |
---|---|---|
Despotovski Byrnes Hassell Caceres Pondeljak Mrdja |
Report | Brownlie |
South Melbourne | 2 – 3 | Wollongong Wolves |
---|---|---|
Boutsianis Coveny |
Report | Arrarte Nwaogazi Balabanel |
Sydney Olympic | 1 – 0 | Northern Spirit |
---|---|---|
Baird |
Report |
Newcastle United | 0 – 1 | Marconi Stallions |
---|---|---|
Report | Maloney |
Adelaide United | 2 – 1 | Melbourne Knights |
---|---|---|
Veart Terminello |
Report | Trajanovski |
Round 17
Brisbane Strikers | 1 – 0 | South Melbourne |
---|---|---|
Grierson |
Perth Glory | 4 – 0 | Football Kingz |
---|---|---|
Murphy Faria Mrdja |
Sydney United | 0 – 0 | Sydney Olympic |
---|---|---|
Wollongong Wolves | 1 – 1 | Melbourne Knights |
---|---|---|
Young |
Trajanovski |
Northern Spirit | 0 – 0 | Marconi Stallions |
---|---|---|
Round 18
Newcastle United | 0 – 1 | South Melbourne |
---|---|---|
Crucija |
Parramatta Power | 5 – 1 | Sydney United |
---|---|---|
Milicic Pantelis Zorbas Doumanis |
B. Šantalab |
Melbourne Knights | 1 – 0 | Football Kingz |
---|---|---|
Marth |
Brisbane Strikers | 1 – 0 | Adelaide United |
---|---|---|
Morley |
Perth Glory | 3 – 2 | Northern Spirit |
---|---|---|
Murphy Pondeljak Despotovski |
Richter Tomasevic |
Round 19
Perth Glory | 2 – 0 | Sydney Olympic |
---|---|---|
Murphy |
Football Kingz | 1 – 1 | Wollongong Wolves |
---|---|---|
Martin |
Dragas |
Northern Spirit | 2 – 0 | Melbourne Knights |
---|---|---|
Hutchinson Milligan |
Adelaide United | 0 – 0 | Newcastle United |
---|---|---|
South Melbourne | 1 – 0 | Sydney United |
---|---|---|
Coveny |
Round 20
Newcastle United | 1 – 0 | Brisbane Strikers |
---|---|---|
Wheelhouse |
Wollongong Wolves | 4 – 1 | Northern Spirit |
---|---|---|
Hughes Young Nwaogazi |
Richter |
Perth Glory | 4 – 1 | Parramatta Power |
---|---|---|
Mrdja Despotovski Caceres |
Sekulovski |
Sydney United | 1 – 1 | Adelaide United |
---|---|---|
Šantalab |
Alagich |
Marconi Stallions | 1 – 0 | South Melbourne |
---|---|---|
Maloney |
Round 21
Sydney Olympic | 5 – 2 | Wollongong Wolves |
---|---|---|
Caravella Cardozo Nikas Goutzioulis |
Nwaogazi Majurovski |
Melbourne Knights | 1 – 3 | Parramatta Power |
---|---|---|
Oksuz |
Rech |
South Melbourne | 0 – 0 | Perth Glory |
---|---|---|
Brisbane Strikers | 2 – 0 | Sydney United |
---|---|---|
McCloughan Pilic |
Adelaide United | 1 – 0 | Marconi Stallions |
---|---|---|
Veart |
Northern Spirit | 1 – 0 | Football Kingz |
---|---|---|
Richter |
Round 22
Perth Glory | 2 – 0 | Adelaide United |
---|---|---|
Mori |
South Melbourne | 4 – 0 | Melbourne Knights |
---|---|---|
Leijer Sarkies Curcija Tunbridge |
Football Kingz | 2 – 4 | Sydney Olympic |
---|---|---|
Hickey Rowley |
Cardozo Juric Bojić Ishida |
Parramatta Power | 4 – 3 | Wollongong Wolves |
---|---|---|
Milicic Rech Petrovski Gumprecht |
van Blerk Nwaogazi Sabljak |
Sydney United | 2 – 0 | Newcastle United |
---|---|---|
B. Šantalab Austin |
Round 23
Adelaide United | 2 – 0 | South Melbourne |
---|---|---|
Budin Aloisi |
Perth Glory | 2 – 0 | Wollongong Wolves |
---|---|---|
Despotovski Mori |
Sydney United | 0 – 0 | Northern Spirit |
---|---|---|
Sydney Olympic | 2 – 0 | Newcastle United |
---|---|---|
Cardozo |
Parramatta Power | 3 – 2 | Brisbane Strikers |
---|---|---|
Milicic Pantelis |
Fitzsimmons Rose |
Round 24
Wollongong Wolves | 0 – 1 | Adelaide United |
---|---|---|
Brooks |
Perth Glory | 2 – 0 | Newcastle United |
---|---|---|
Mori Caceres |
Football Kingz | 2 – 0 | South Melbourne |
---|---|---|
Hickey Ngata |
Northern Spirit | 0 – 1 | Parramatta Power |
---|---|---|
Petrovski |
Melbourne Knights | 2 – 0 | Brisbane Strikers |
---|---|---|
R. Vargas Oksuz |
Round 25
Adelaide United | 1 – 0 | Football Kingz |
---|---|---|
Veart |
Newcastle United | 0 – 2 | Melbourne Knights |
---|---|---|
Pelikan |
Parramatta Power | 3 – 2 | Sydney Olympic |
---|---|---|
Rech Milicic Thompson |
Caravella P. Cardozo |
Brisbane Strikers | 0 – 1 | Wollongong Wolves |
---|---|---|
Nwaogazi |
Sydney United | 2 – 4 | Perth Glory |
---|---|---|
Šantalab Heffernan |
Mrdja Hassell |
South Melbourne | 1 – 2 | Northern Spirit |
---|---|---|
Coveny |
Kwasnik Richter |
Round 26
Perth Glory | 2 – 2 | Marconi Stallions |
---|---|---|
Mori Mrdja |
Spiteri |
Football Kingz | 4 – 3 | Brisbane Strikers |
---|---|---|
Hay Ngata Christie |
McKay Rose Fitzsimmons |
Sydney Olympic | 0 – 0 | South Melbourne |
---|---|---|
Melbourne Knights | 0 – 0 | Sydney United |
---|---|---|
Finals
Bracket
Elimination finals | Semi-finals | Preliminary Final | Grand Final | ||||||||||||||||||
2 | Parramatta Power | 4 | 2 | 6 | Parramatta Power | 0 | |||||||||||||||
1 | Perth Glory | 2 | 0 | 2 | Perth Glory (a.e.t.) | 1 | |||||||||||||||
3 | Adelaide United (a) | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | Perth Glory | 5 | ||||||||||||||
6 | Brisbane Strikers | 0 | 4 | 4 | 3 | Adelaide United | 0 | ||||||||||||||
3 | Adelaide United (a.e.t.) | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||
5 | South Melbourne | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||
4 | Marconi Stallions | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
5 | South Melbourne | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Elimination Final 1 (3rd v 6th)
- Adelaide United progress on away goals rule (4–4 on aggregate)
Elimination Final 2 (4th v 5th)
Marconi Stallions | 0–0 | South Melbourne |
---|---|---|
(Report) |
South Melbourne | 2–0 | Marconi Stallions |
---|---|---|
Curcija |
(Report) |
- South Melbourne progress 2–0 on aggregate
Major Semi Final (1st v 2nd)
Parramatta Power | 4–2 | Perth Glory |
---|---|---|
Ceccoli Petrovski Zorbas Milicic |
(Report) | Despotovski Harnwell |
- Parramatta Power progress 6–2 on aggregate
Minor Semi Final
Grand Final
Parramatta Power | 0 – 1 (a.e.t.) | Perth Glory |
---|---|---|
(Report) | Mrdja |
|
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Individual awards
- Johnny Warren Medal (Player of the Year): Ante Milicic (Parramatta Power)
- U-21 Player of the Year: Alex Brosque (Marconi Stallions)
- Top Scorer(s): Ante Milicic (Parramatta Power – 20 goals)