Story of the year: Political upheaval
The years-long battle for control of Australian football finally came to an end. With the threat of potential intervention from FIFA, that bastion of good governance, hanging overhead, the congress of Football Federation Australia was finally reshaped in early October to increase the power of the A-League club owners and provide a pathway for other special interest groups to join them, the nine state federations and the players' union at the big table. It was a significant defeat for Steven Lowy, who indicated he would resign if those changes were made, and he was subsequently replaced as chairman by Chris Nikou at an historic board election in November.
End of an era: Steven Lowy finally stepped down as FFA chairman.Credit:AAP
The winners: Melbourne Victory
It's been an absolute dream 12 months for everyone involved at Victory. They came from fourth on the ladder to win the A-League championship in 2017-18, beating arch rivals Sydney FC along the way in a classic semi-final before tasting the ultimate glory.
Then, their recruitment for 2018-19 blew everyone else out of the water. It appears Keisuke Honda will go down as one of the greatest players to ever grace the competition, while the poise and intelligence of Swedish striker Ola Toivonen has given them an extra cutting edge in attack – as if they needed one. They're now on course for back-to-back titles. And if that wasn't enough, former Victory board member Chris Nikou, who remains a close friend to the club, ascended to the most powerful position in the Australian game.
True marquee: Keisuke Honda may end up rivaling the likes of Alessandro del Piero as the best ever A-League import.Credit:AAP
The losers: Central Coast Mariners
It seemed there was no lower they could possibly go. But aside from the brief spike of international interest triggered by Usain Bolt's ill-fated trial for an A-League contract, the Mariners have somehow managed to redefine rock bottom in 2018. They finished as wooden-spooners last term and despite the grandiose promises made by new coach Mike Mulvey, Central Coast have followed that up with the worst start ever made to an A-League season – winless through their first eight matches. The two recruits who were supposed to change everything, Tommy Oar and Ross McCormack, are injured, and their sporting director Mike Phelan has now been seconded to Manchester United in the wake of Jose Mourinho's sacking.
Groundhog Day: A devastated Antony Golec after the Mariners surrendered the lead to the Jets in round 9.Credit:AAP
The big controversy: the Video Assistant Referee
So much has happened in 2018, it's easy to forget that the most important match of the year in Australia was marred by a technology failure. Melbourne Victory's 1-0 win over the Newcastle Jets in the A-League grand final only happened because the VAR malfunctioned at the precise moment when it should have been disallowing the offside goal scored by Kosta Barbarouses. The technology was fixed and a new NRL-style bunker installed in time for the new A-League season, but a series of blunders by the men with the whistle delivered another hammer blow to the reputation of the VAR among local fans, most of whom just want it gone from the sport forever.
The moment: Kosta Barbarouses scores – from a header by an offside James Donachie – for Melbourne Victory in last season’s grand final.Credit:AAP
Performance of the year: Daniel Arzani
Only rusted-on A-League diehards had a clue who this guy was at the top of the year. Now he's the big, bright hope for the future of Australian football. Arzani burst onto the domestic scene with Melbourne City with a series of performances that were so good, they were impossible for Socceroos boss Bert van Marwijk to ignore. So the Iran-born teenager was brought along to Russia and was arguably one of the best young players at the World Cup, adding something that Australia was clearly missing in each of his three substitute appearances. He was promptly bought by Manchester City and loaned out to Celtic, where an unfortunate ACL injury has halted his incredible progress. With any luck, it'll be remembered as a minor hiccup at the start of a long, successful career.
Audacious: Daniel Arzani strikes at goal against Denmark in the World Cup.Credit:AAP
Quote of the year:
"'Dear Mr President. You poor bastard … infinite expectations. Finite resources!'" Those words belong to Kevin Rudd, who wrote them in a letter to Barack Obama upon his election as US President in 2008. But they were reprised by Steven Lowy as a message for his successor, new FFA chairman Chris Nikou.
Crystal ball:
There are more choppy waters ahead. The A-League is due to be spun off and run independently with a new operating model – plus a roadmap for the future of Australian professional football, including a second division with promotion and relegation – due to be drafted by the end of March. It's hard to see a few noses not being put out of joint through that process, as well as the negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement for players, which could see the salary cap removed. But then there's the fun stuff: the Matildas begin their 2019 World Cup pursuit in June and are viewed as serious contenders, while new A-League club Western Melbourne will play their first match in October, albeit in Geelong.
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