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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Sport
Joey Lynch

Melbourne Victory assume antagonist role in bid to spoil Mariners’ treble tilt

Melbourne Victory Victory Mariners Bruno Fornaroli ALeague ALeague Men Nishan Velupillay Team B Tony Popovic Central Coast
Bruno Fornaroli and Nishan Velupillay of Melbourne Victory
Bruno Fornaroli and Nishan Velupillay of Melbourne Victory ahead of Saturday’s A-League Men grand final against Central Coast Mariners. Photograph: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

For a moment, forget that it is Central Coast Mariners and Melbourne Victory meeting in this season’s A-League Men grand final. Instead, pretend that Team A and Team B will clash in Gosford this Saturday evening for the right to call themselves “champions”. A land of imagination and fantasy. Kind of like the A-League’s uneven fixturing.

Team A are the defending champions, seeking to end the 2023-24 season with a historic treble of a continental crown, league premiership, and second successive league grand final victory. They finished the regular season 13 points clear of Team B on the ladder, with more wins and a better goal difference than any other club. They haven’t lost to their grand final opponents since March 2023 and will have a sold-out home crowd at their backs.

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