‘Not a Grand Final’: A-League fans unload on football ‘s**thousery’

The Central Coast Mariners have completed a fairytale in the A-League Grand Final but a controversial call has overshadowed the result.

Central Coast are the A-League champions but would it have been different in Melbourne? Photo: Getty Images

The Central Coast Mariners have blown premiers Melbourne City off the park in the A-League grand final in a stunning 6-1 rout, ending a 10-year drought for the club.

But while the club returned to the top of the Australian football mountain, furious fans have slammed the competition after it sold the decider to Sydney late last year.

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The Central Coast Mariners took a 2-1 lead into halftime, scoring through Jason Cummings and Samuel Silvera before City hit back Richard van der Venne in the 40th minute.

The second half was all Mariners though, as Jason Cummings completed a hat-trick through a pair of penalties in his final match before leaving Australia for Indian club Mohun Bagan SG.

A header from Beni N’Kololo and an injury-time dagger from Moresche sealed the champion’s trophy.

In terms of a narrative, it was a comeback story for the ages as the Mariners had made the finals in 2022-23 for just the third time since winning the title in 2012-13.

Jason Cummins scored a hat-trick. Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

But while Mariners fans were celebrating, the result left a bitter taste in mouths across the league.

Melbourne City were the runaway premiers, finishing the season 11 points ahead of the Mariners in second, while the rest of the top six were separated by just nine points.

In the past, the Grand Final was held at the home ground of the highest ranked team to have made the decider.

However, last December, the Australian Professional Leagues, the governing body of the A-League men’s and women’s competitions, sold the grand final for both competitions to Sydney for the next three seasons for a reported $20m.

In front of a crowd of 26,523 fans, the crowd was truly a sea of yellow.

Goals galore! @MelbourneCity claw one back! We have a game on our hands 🍿#MCYvCCM#AleagueGFhttps://t.co/hN5fEovXQIpic.twitter.com/1sKoqvA3cA

— CommBank Stadium (@commbankstadium) June 3, 2023

Before the match the Channel 10 coverage reported: “Melbourne City have around 1500 fans inside the stadium”.

The City fans were wildly outnumbered. Photo by Scott Gardiner/Getty Images

It was a Mariners home game. Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Other fans also pointed out how empty the upper tier was above the City fans.

So many empty seats up the top deck. @drt15 needs the sack along with the rest of the APL muppets. #MCYvCCMpic.twitter.com/TOdemsyjAa

— paul gallagher (@perthovalman) June 3, 2023

APL chief executive Danny Townsend said the deal was necessary after unbundling from Football Australia in 2021.

He said it was part of a “four-year rehabilitation plan” with the money flowing back into the clubs.

And earlier this week, Townsend said he had no regrets in selling the Grand Final to Sydney.

But the deal has been unpopular with fans to say the least.

And the grand final was no different as the fans couldn’t separate the APL’s decision from the decider.

Sydney FC fan @CosmicMatt92 posted: “Regardless of the BS with where the GF was sold to, this is amazing to see CCM fans in support like this. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them at this level before in the last 2 games. They’ve been immense, it’s just a shame it’s happened this season of APL s**thousery.”

Would it have been different in Melbourne? Photo by SAEED KHAN / AFP

A Melbourne Victory fan @SFynmore commented: “If you’re a city fan you should feel aggrieved but direct your anger at your club, your clubs chairman & the APL board. They robbed you of home advantage where the Mariners haven’t won at AAMI since 2014. The game was rigged in their favour.”

.It's clear the powers that be at @aleaguemen HQ want NSW clubs to win the grand final.

Tonight's match should have been at @AAMIPark

Not a Grand Final in my book.

Not supporting the aleague anymore, I'm off to the AFL! Where they know how to host a Grand Final!

— Digital Diaz (@GiddyUp_Clubs) June 3, 2023

Social media user @sav_mvc, whose bio says: “Former A-league enthusiast” wrote: “This crowd advantage is ridiculous. Integrity above everything. F**k the APL. For the fellow victorians who’ve been robbed here, f**k your club, but for your sake I hope you get it over the line. Cringe as Vuck fan? Sure, that’s how little of a s**t I give anymore.”

Twitter user @macbryla said: “Let me distil the key issue to a single sentence.

“At the under 10 game this morning, not a single parent, not one, knew that the @aleaguemen grand final was on tonight.

“Our game deserves better. Fix this lack of awareness, why are they in the dark? Massive opportunity lost.”